Content Help

Download/Installation: The latest version of the Chess Learning Platform is always located at "Download->Download Chess Learning Platform". All you need to do is download the Chess Learning Platform, run the setup file and it will install the application on your computer.  IchessU icon will be created on your desktop.
If you already have a previous version of the Chess Learning Platform installed and you download a new version, don't worry, the new version will overwrite the old one and you will be always using the new version by default.

Set a connection:
In order to be connected to IchessU, you have to be connected to the internet,
which means you must start your network or dialup connection.

Click "IchessU" icon, which by default created on your desktop.
It will bring up a login screen which allows you to connect to IchessU server as a guest or as a registered user.
After you login, you should see the following in the main console window:



Have you received "WARNING: Disconnected"?
1. Check your internet connection.
2. Check in "Connection->Server status" that IChessU server is up.
3. Verify that in the Login details window:
a. Your login name and password are correct.
b. You are not logged in some remote computer.
c. Server is IchessU server.
d. Ports are 5000 23.
4. If all detailed above is correct, please contact IchessU administration by one of the Help options in IchessU software or through the web:
"Help->Feedback".

Ping a connection:
Inside the IchessU software you can ping  your connection by "Connection->Service status".

Disconnect from IchessU application:
You can disconnect from IchessU application by "Connection->Close connection" or "Connection->Exit" or pressing CTRL + Q.

Reconnect to IchessU application:
You can reconnect the IchessU application by "Connection->New connection".
If you are already connected and would like to reconnect, first click on Close connection and then "Connection->New connection".

Firewalls

What is a firewall?
A firewall is a security barrier between a computer or network and the Internet. It prevents viruses, worms and other virulent creatures from gaining access to your computer. The firewall can be installed as a software package on your computer (a "personal firewall"), or it can be located in a separate firewall computer or router in a network.

Personal firewalls:
The first time you access the Playchess server, the firewall asks for permission to make the connection. You can configure a rule that allows it to access the server in the future without asking for permission each time. The permission is only for this one application and does not compromise your firewall security in any way.
If you encounter problems in connecting IchessU, please ask IchessU administrator.

Network firewalls:
If you are connected to a network with a special firewall computer, it may be necessary for the network administrator to configure the firewall so you can access IchessU server. 
If you encounter problems in connecting IchessU, please ask your network administrator.

Login

Access IchessU server: Clicking   �IchessU� icon brings up a login screen:

You can login as a guest, register, or fill your login name and password if you are a registered member. Members may also save their password (will be remembered in the next login) and browse accounts (if have more then one user on the same computer, for example a family). All other advanced options should remain default, unless you were guided by IchessU administrator to set one or more of those fields to some different values. After you submit the login details by pressing connect, you should see the following in the main console window:

Have you received a �WARNING: Disconnected� message? Please check the Troubleshooting page in the web: “Help->Troubleshooting”.

Possible reasons could be: the server is down, no internet connection, wrong server hostname or IP number, incorrect ports, mismatch in login username and password combination or user is already in.

Login as a member: It�s highly recommended to access IchessU services as a registered member. After a brief one page registration, you will be able to enjoy totally for free variety of International Chess University services: audio and video playing zone, rating following up, events coverage, chat, trial lectures etc.

Login as a guest: You can access IchessU services as a �guest�, if you want to look around a bit first. You still will be able to play, view games, chat, but you will have fewer rights on the server. For instance you will be restricted to have rating, participate or view examine games, adjourn and resume games, save your games, observe others games, use �My university� options and many other great IchessU features. After a while you should definitely set up an account which you can regularly use.

User name: Your username is unique and needed to identify you on the server. International Chess University intends to create a real community. A place where people meet, talk and see each other � in lectures or during playing games. We encourage people all over the world to communicate and create friendships. We want our users to know each other; therefore we create real usernames, according to members first and last names and not allow hiding behind nicknames. This makes your visits to the server more personal. It is the best way to win friends and join groups. Please fill in those fields your real name � using false names is forbidden. In this case IchessU may cancel your membership and avoid you from using our services in the future. If there already is a registered member with the same both first and last names, a number will be added to your username.

Password: After you have created an account you will have a password. You can save the password in the login window; in the next time you will login, it will be remembered, so you only need to click "OK" or hit Enter when you log in. Please keep you password confidentially and disclose it nobody. If you have forgotten your password, you can retrieve it in Forgot Log-in ID or password in the web or �Connection->Forgot password� in the IchessU software. You will be asked to fill your username and e-mail you gave when registered in the first place, and the new password will be emailed to that mail address. You can also change your password from our website: http://www.ichessu.com/. You should login and then go to �Show User Profile->Edit�.

E-mail: The email address is necessary in case you forget your password. It is also a security against misuse of the server. Accounts without an email address will be regarded as temporary and will be cancelled after a while. Your email address will not be used for commercial advertising.

Playing zone

Introduction:

In IchessU, you can enjoy playing games with real audio and video, which means that you can actually see and speak with your opponent during a game. You can also observe a game and see and hear both players! There are several ways to initiate a game: find an opponent by game�s settings, invite somebody personally by searching him/her, rematch last game opponent with last game settings, accept somebody�s direct offer to you or pick up an opponent from the seek graph. Accepting one of your personal incoming offers, or picking up a global game suggestion, are two ways to response to a current games propositions.

Find an opponent: You can propose a game to all IchessU online users, who are opened for challenges and currently not playing. Go to �Game->Play a game� and fill the settings as following:

Initial time � game�s initial clock time in minutes.
Increment � the time in seconds to be added to you and your opponent after each move.
Rated game � �v� means that the game will be rated, empty � not rated. This field is disabled for guests, since they allowed playing only unrated games.
Color � you can choose your pieces color or set it automatic and let the IchessU software suit it for you.
Limit opponent rating � you can challenge all opponents if this box is not V or only opponents in defined rating range, if it�s marked.
Confirm game manually � if this box is unmarked and your game offer is accepted, the game will start automatically. If you mark �V� in this field, you will have to confirm the game beginning manually.
Challenge guests � if this box is marked your offer will be sent to guests as well, otherwise your game�s offer will be offered only to register users. This field is disabled for rating games, since guests allowed playing only unrated games.
Your game offer will be displayed on other users seek graphs. Your offer will be sent to all users who opened for games and match the game criteria you set.

Personal challenge: You can send your challenge personally to an opponent you select. Go to �View->Player search� and find a person you want to challenge according to variety of filters.

You can look for an opponent by country, city, age, gender, username, first name or last name. You can choose opponents among online users, your friends, users opened for challenges, users from your group or only users you don�t avoid.
You have an option to use a combination of one or more different filters.
Results may be displayed in ascending or descending order and sorted by name or by different ratings types.
You can challenge only users online who are opened for accepting games offers and currently not playing or in a lecture. You should mark an opponent within the results shown, and press �Match�. �Match� button will be disabled for players who: are not online or are not opened for accepting games offers or currently playing or in a lecture.
Pressing on �Match� will open the following game�s settings window:

Rematch: You can rematch last game opponent with last game settings. �Game->Rematch� will send a rematch offer to your last opponent, suggests playing with the same settings as the last game between you two. You can maintain this offer in the outgoing offers menu. Game status: You can disable or enable receiving games offers by controlling your challenges status, as shown below:

• Blitz � less than 3 minutes initial time control per player
• Standard � between 3 and 20 minutes initial time control per player
• Long � more than 20 minutes initial time control per player
• Unlimited � no time control at all

Rated game � V means that the game will be rated, empty � not rated. This field is disabled for guests, since they allowed playing only unrated games.
Color � you can choose your pieces color or set it automatic and let the IchessU software suit it for you.
Limit opponent rating � you can be challenged by all opponents if this box is not V or only by opponents in defined rating range, if it�s marked.

Offers: You can manage both incoming and outgoing offers in �Game->Offers� window. All the incoming to you and outgoing from you pending offers are displayed in this window. Any incoming offer maybe accepted or declined by you and any outgoing offer maybe withdrawn by you. You have an option to pop-up or not this window on any new offer. In addition you can decline all the incoming offers to you by pressing �Game->Decline incoming offers� or cancel all your outgoing offers in �Game->Withdraw outgoing offers�.

Seek graph: It is easy to seek an opponent using your "Seek Graph", as shown below. If you don't see a window like this after you have connected, choose �Seek Graph� in the �Window�. Each dot represents somebody wants to play a game. Faster games are listed to the left, slower ones to the right. The vertical dotted lines divide between the different time controls: Blitz, Standard, Long and Unlimited. The highest rated players are listed on the top, lower rated ones near the bottom. Green dots are the game offers you may accept, gray ones are those you can�t (for example if your opponent wants to play a rated game and you are a guest or you don�t match his rating criteria).

You can search a game according to the following search parameters:
Game type � Game, Lecture or Examine
Game status � Active, Top, Finished or Adjourned
Time type � All, Blitz, Standard, Long or Unlimited
Game result (only for finished games) � Any, Black won, White won or Draw
In addition, you may search games according to player�s name, color, different game types� ratings or only your games.

Playing a game: While playing a game you get the following screen:

Save a game: Registered IchessU members are allowed to save any game in the IchessU database. You can find a game you want to save by �View->Game search�, mark it and press on �Save to file�. All games are saved in the pgn format.

Load a game: If you a registered IchessU member, you can load games in the pgn format of your own. Go to �Game->Load game from file�, choose file location and upload the game.

Live Top games on IchessU: You can observe live games of the best players, according to their average game time control ratings in IchessU. Go to �Games->Live Top Games on IchessU� or find a game you want to observe by �View->Game search, Game type: Game; Game status: Top�. Mark the game you want to observe and press �View�.

Observe a game: One of the best ways to learn is to observe other strong players� games. You can watch other players� games, see and hear them and even give your advices during the game. There are two ways to become an observer: through �View->Game search: find a live game you want to observe and press View game� or by �View->Player search: find a player you want to observe who plays currently a game and press Observe�.

Adjourn: You can halt a game you play and postpone it later, if your opponent agrees.
To postpone a game you should press on the �Adjourn� button on your game controls. It will send your opponent request to postpone the game. Pressing on adjourn will cause the adjourn button of your opponent to start blinking. The opponent may decide to accept or decline your request. By making a move the opponent will automatically decline your adjourn offer and by pressing the adjourn button he/she will accept it. You can offer to adjourn only 3 times during in a single game, beyond it your behavior will be defined as abusing and the button will be disabled till the end of the game.

Rating: Your rating will generally change after each rated game you play. It will go up if you win, or down if you lose. It will also go up if you draw an opponent rated higher than yourself, or go down if you draw an opponent rated lower than yourself. It will not change if you draw an opponent whose rating is about the same as your own.
Your first 8 games are calculated differently, with bigger rating changes to adjust your provisional rating to your real strength.

Internet lag: Internet lag is the time it takes for your opponent's move to reach you through the Internet. On your screen, your opponent's clock continues to run but when a move arrives, the clock jumps back to what it was when he made the move. Usually it takes just a fraction of a second for each move to go through the Internet, but occasionally it takes several seconds or more. This is sometimes caused by a slow connection, and at other times it is caused by a "traffic jam" on the Internet.
IchessU system uses "time stamps" to keep the clocks accurate. Therefore, Internet lag affects both players equally. Internet lag never gives a player extra time on his own move, but always gives each player the same extra time while it is the other player's turn to move. This is the reason that sometimes you may see that your opponent gets some extra clock time after each move. If your opponent�s time is run up because of a too big lag, you can demand to force win on flag or to abort.

Disconnection during a game: IchessU administration sees disconnection in purpose while playing a game as a severe violation. Such a behavior disrespects your opponent and hurts our community. User suspected in intentional disconnection at first time will be warned. If the behavior repeats, IchessU may cancel your membership in the Chess University and prevent you from further joining up the community.
Indeed, disconnection in most cases caused by bad internet connection. If you were disconnected during a game, you will have three minutes to return and resume the game. The next time you disconnect, your clock continues to run (even if it is your opponent's turn to play!). If you put yourself in your opponent's shoes you will see that this is only fair � you don't want your opponent to keep disconnecting and resuming while you have to wait.
If your opponent waits for you to resume, but you don't do so within three minutes, you will lose the game automatically. However, if your opponent accepts a challenge or disconnects during those three minutes, then the game is saved and you will not lose it automatically � even if your opponent is available to play when you return.

Adjudication: "Adjudication" means that the outcome of the game was decided by our server system or by a site administrator.
Our site administrators sometimes adjudicate saved games that are clearly drawn, or clearly winning for one side or the other.
Automatic adjudication may occur if we detect that you or your opponent is using computer assistance, while it wasn�t allowed by game�s settings.
Our site administrators may adjudicate a tournament game that is proceeding slowly due to Internet lag. Otherwise, that game can hold up the progress of the tournament.

Learning zone

Chess lectures: IchessU is the world's first international chess university, dedicated to live chess education, using real audio and video over the internet. Students range from young to old. You are not too old, nor too young to attend IchessU. If you can move a mouse, you can participate in our chess classes. You can learn chess at almost every chess level:

• Starting from beginners, need to learn chess rules.
• Through chess players who occasionally play chess and just move chess pieces, without any actual strategic planning
• And experienced chess players "feel" the chess board
• Up to strong chess players at the level of chess masters

Registration to a course: First, you should register to IchessU through our website Registration form. As a register member, you can sign up to one of International Chess University courses through Join IchessU courses or by clicking �Sign up for courses� from any of http://www.ichessu.com web pages.
Joining a lecture: while your lesson starts, you will receive an appropriate offer:

Lecture in progress: �View->Lecture in progress� will show you list of currently ongoing lectures. In case there are any ongoing lectures of your group, you will be able joining them by marking the lecture in the search results and pressing �View game�.

Find a lecture: If you want to review your group old lecture, go to �View->Game search, Game type: Lecture; Game status: Finished�. Mark the lecture you want to observe and press �View�.

Examine: Examination means game analysis with your friends. If you received an examine offer, it means that somebody wants to watch and examine a game with you. Accept the offer and you will join the game analysis.

Community

My friends: Your Friends List is a list of members you like to challenge or talk to. You can add or remove friends from your Friends List in �View->Player search->Mark a user you want to add/remove->Press add to friend/remove friend�. You can use your friends list, for example, to talk to your friends or searching opponents among your friends only.

My avoids: Your Avoids List is a list of members you don�t like to challenge or talk to. You can add or remove users from your Avoids List in �View->Player search�->Mark a user you want to add/remove->Press add to avoid/remove avoid�. You can use your avoids list, for example, to disable talking with them or searching opponents except among your avoids.

My group: Your Group List is a list of your group mates in the chess courses you take in the International Chess University. You can use your group list, for example, to discuss lectures or searching opponents among your group mates only.

Chat

General chat: You can talk to IchessU users and share your thoughts regarding any issues you want, as long as it doesn�t offend anybody.
IchessU administration sees in curses and insult expressions severe violation. Such a behavior disrespects your opponents and hurts our community. User speaks �dirty� language will be warned at first time. If the behavior repeats, IchessU may cancel his/her membership in the Chess University and prevent him/her from further joining up the community.
The chat is displayed in the main console window. On the left side of the white text-strip of your game board window is a popup menu. You have the following choices:

• Type the username of a person you want to talk to
• Choose the username of a person you want to talk to from the drop down list
• Audience � talk to everyone in the room during a lesson or a game. In a lesson � talk to all your group mates and the teacher, while playing/examining/observing a game � talk to all examiners and     
         observers of that game.
• Whisper � talk to everyone in the room during a game, but not to the current players.
• Opponent � talk only to your opponent while you play a game.
• Friends � talk only to your friends from the �My friends� list.

Chatting during a game: You can choose to stay or leave chat while playing a game. The control is done through �Game->Talk while playing� following menu:

�Receive all messages� will enable others to talk to you in public and private chats during games and lectures, while �Chat disabled� will prevent them from sending messages to you.

Settings

You can change the IchessU software settings, in order to fit your requirements.
User Learning Platform allows you to change the way you look and feel IchessU software.
Background lets you pick the color and even the images you like to be in the background of the program.
Audio and Video needed to determine your video and audio devices.
Chess board enables you to choose the board and pieces styles and colors, pieces movement rules and coordinates types.
Game logger allows you to save games according to predefined by you conditions.

�Don�t log games� � don�t save any of your games.
�Log all games to File� � save all of your games to the file you browse.
�Specify Logging Rules� � only the games match the predefined rules are to be saved to the file you browse. Every rule is defined by �Rule Name� and �Condition�. The condition must be a valid Boolean expression, for example like "category == Blitz" (save only Blitz games) or "rating > 1850" (save only games againt opponents with rating higher than 1850). Also you may write more complex rules, while "and" express by "&&" and "or" by "||", for instance like "time > 3 && time < 5" (save only games with time control between 3 and 5 minutes) or "moves => 30 || rated == true" (save only games at least 30 moves long or rated games)

Things to pay attention:
• The double quotes used here are only for the examples – the actual conditions should not be surrounded with them.
� Remember to use "==" for an equal sign, and not "=".
� All string comparisons (like "opponent == "Garry_Kasparov"") are case sensitive.

Below is the list of the most popular available variables and their meanings:

Help

Introduction:

You can find answers to many of your questions in these instructions or by clicking on “Help->FAQ”.
International Chess University administrators, technicians and professional will always glad to assist you. Don�t hesitate to turn to us, we promise to treat you kindly and supply a quick response.

There are several ways to ask for help while you encounter a problem � from both the web and the software.

Help request from the web :

On “Help->Feedback” page you can fill a form in which you can submit feedback, suggestion, bug, crash, installation problems, login difficulties, problems during taking a lesson or playing a game or your thanks.
 

Help request from the software:

“Help->About IchessU” will redirect you to the web and clarify International Chess University benefits.
�Help->Using Chess Learning Platform " will redirect you to the web and guide you through the common problems related to IchessU software.
�Help->Request for help� will let you to submit us web help request.
�Help->Ask for help online� will give you an option to send a question to our online administrators, which will assist you in real time.
�Help->Send a suggestion/feedback� will let you to send us your suggestions and feedbacks through the web help form.
�Help->Future features� will redirect you to the web and explain about International Chess University current programs and future plans.