Quick Start Guide


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Q.

How do I log on?

A.

To play chess and access your games, you need to log in from the Home page or the Log in page by entering your user name and password and then clicking 'Log in' button.

If you do not have an account you can create one from either page by clicking the 'New Account' button, or click here to go to the Registration Page.

If you can't remember your password then you will need to reset your password which you can also do from either the home page or login page using the Forgot Password? link.

Another common problem if you can't seem to log in is that cookies are disabled on your browser security settings. Your web browser must support both "cookies" and "JavaScript" to login, this is normal for any site that requires a login. Please refer to our Privacy Policy concerning the use of cookies on Charity Chess.


Q.

How do I start a game?

A.

To start a new game look for Start Game under the Games tab in the navigation menu at the top of the page. Under 'Start Game' you have three options depending upon the type of game you wish to create.
You can create a Standard game where players have one or more days to make their moves.
You can create a Live game where players play against each other in real time typically within a half hour or lower timespan.
You can create a Mentored game either as a mentor to teach another player or as an apprentice to learn from another player.
When you start a new game you have different options to select.
Game Title: You can call it anything you want, by default it is set to: "Let's Play!"
Play as Color: This can be white, black, or random.
Rating Limit: This lets you set a filter on a players ELO rating.
UnRated: When this is checked the game will not count toward ELO scoring for either player.
Days Per Move: For Standard or Mentored games, this can be as low as 2 days per move or as long as 14 days per move.
Mentored Games: Here you have two options. You can offer to mentor another player while playing. You can gain coin this way (See Mentored Game Guide). Or Search for a mentor and set yourself as an apprentice (See Mentored Game Guide). Mentored games are always UnRated.
Time Control: For Live Games, the time in minutes each player has to play the game.
Time Delay: For Live Games, the delay after a move is made before the other player's timer starts.


Q.

How do I join a game?

A.

To join a standard game, hover over the Games tab in the navigation bar, hover over Join Game select Standard

To join a live game, hover over the Games tab in the navigation bar, hover over Join Game select Live

To join a mentored game, hover over the Games tab in teh navigation bar, hover over Join Game select Mentored
Two lists of games will be displayed:
The first list is Games with Mentor Looking for Apprentice
The second list is Games with Apprentice Looking for Mentor

Several facts about the game will be shown to you, the title of the game, the opponent, the opponent's ELO score, your color if you join, the days per move or time control / delay, the join option (click here if you wish to join).


Q.

How do I see my current games?

A.

Your current games are broken down by type onto separate pages. From the navigation bar, under the Games tab hover over Current Games then select the type of games you want to view either Standard, Live, or Mentored.
If you see a number displayed within a gree box on any of the tabs for Standard, Live, or Mentored games, that indicates how many games within that page you are currently able to move in.
To enter one of your games click on the game name, or in the status field, click on the current status.


Q.

How do I make a move?

A.

When in a game to make a move simply click on the piece you want to move with your mouse and drag it to where you want it. If you change your mind simply pick up another of your pieces. The previously moved piece will be put back where it came from. After you have made your move and you want to send it click the Commit button to send it to the CharityChess server.


Q.

How do I see earlier moves?

A.

To see previously made moves by either you or your opponent click on the history table on the right. The cell you select will turn red and the board will return to that position of the game and animate the last move. The controls at the bottom of the history table allow you to move backwards and forwards from a position, to move to the begining of the game or to the end of the game. You can click the play button to have the history table automatic move the pieces from where ever you start it. The keyboard arrow keys have some of the same functions: the up arrow moves to the first move of the game. The down arrow moves to the last move of the game. The left arrow moves to the previous move. The right arrow moves to the next position of the game.
To see when a piece was captured click on that piece in the capture table and the history and board will return to when that piece was captured and again animate the captured move.


Q.

How do I analyze a game?

A.

To analyze a game click the analyze link below the commit button. This will open up a window with a copy of your game in its current position. Here you can make moves with your pieces and your opponents trying out various moves and strategies to see what move you will be comfortable with.


Q.

How do I chat with my opponent?

A.

When you first go into one of your games the bottom radio buttons are set to Comment. To send a message to your opponent type in the text dialog field and click Post Comment to send it.


Q.

How do I annotate my current game?

A.

To annotate your current game select the Annotate radio button. The game will go into annotate mode, a text dialog area and a graphics pallet will be available for you to document the displayed game position. The history table and controls work as they did before so you can select other game positions to annotate. To place graphics simply drag and drop them to the board. To draw arrows check the Draw Arrow check box, by default the first arrow color is set to red, select other colors as you desire. Arrows are drawn tail first, click on the square you want the arrow to start from and click again where you want the arrow to terminate. A clever use of the arrows is to make a battle plan for a series of moves. Using the arrow colors as move numbers, that is red is move one green is move two, blue is move three and yellow is move four. A simple way to remember it is RGB is 123 and you should remember what yellow is for. This way you can draw on the board your strategy or a series of moves and counter moves.