Python Easy Chess GUI

A Chess GUI based from Python using PySimpleGUI and Python-Chess modules. Users can also load a chess engine and play with it. This program is based on a demo chess against ai from PySimpleGUI.

A. Requirements

Windows exe file will be available upon release. In the meantime to get it running the following are required.

• Python 3.7 and up
• Python-chess v0.28.0 and up
• PySimpleGUI 4.4.1 and up
• Pyperclip

B. Features

1. Save games to repertoire pgn files

2. Install uci engine of your choice

2.1 It is recommended to configure the engine setting after installation

Configure engine via Engine->Manage->Edit, select engine and press modify.

3. Need book assistance? Right-click on BOOK 2 and press show

4. Need what engine adviser will think about the position? Right-click on Adviser and press start

C. Installation

1. If you want to run from the source code

• Python Easy Chess GUI
  Download the files including the Images, Engines and Book directories. You can use your favorite uci chess engine like stockfish by copying it into the engines dir.
• Python 3
  https://www.python.org/downloads/
• Python-Chess
  https://github.com/niklasf/python-chess
  pip install python-chess
• PySimpleGUI
  https://github.com/PySimpleGUI/PySimpleGUI
  pip install pysimplegui
• Pyperclip
  https://github.com/asweigart/pyperclip
  pip install pyperclip

2. If you want to run from the exe

• Download the exe file from the release link

D. How to

To start the gui

• Execute python_easy_chess_gui.py
  Typical command line:
  python python_easy_chess_gui.py
• Execute the exe when using exe file

To play as white

• Mode->Play
• Move the piece you want to move
• Press the square you want the piece to move to

To play as black

• If current mode is Neutral, Board->Flip, flip such that black pieces are at the bottom
• If current mode is Play, Mode->Neutral, then Board->Flip
• Mode->Play
• Engine->Go

To paste a FEN

• You should be in Play mode. If not, then Mode->Play
• FEN->Paste
• If you play as white, you can make your move
• If you play as black, Engine->Go

To flip board

• If current mode is Neutral, Board->Flip
• If current mode is Play, Mode->Neutral, then Board->Flip

To set opponent engine book options

• Book->Set Book, only available in Neutral mode. This book is used by your opponent engine. This book is named pecg_book.bin and is located in Book folder. You can build a polyglot book name it pecg_book.bin and replace the default.

To Hide/Unhide engine search info

• Right-click on Opponent Search Info label an press Show. This would only work on Play mode.

To Hide/Unhide Book info

• Right-click on BOOK 1 or BOOK 2 labels and press Show. This would only work on Play mode.

To request Adviser search info

• Right-click on Adviser and press start. This would only work on Play mode.

To select opponent engine

• Engine->Set Engine Opponent, available only in Neutral mode.

To set time control of engine

• Time->Engine

To set time control of user

• Time->User

To install engine

• Engine->Manage->Install
  This is only accessible in Neutral mode. After the uci engine is installed, you have to Edit it to modify its options, etc. Only uci engines are supported so far.
• Engine->Manage->Edit

To Edit engine

• Engine->Manage->Edit

To delete engine from config file

• Engine->Manage->Delete

E. Credits

• PySimpleGUI
  https://github.com/PySimpleGUI/PySimpleGUI
• Python-Chess
  https://github.com/niklasf/python-chess
• Pyperclip
  https://github.com/asweigart/pyperclip
• The Week in Chess
  https://theweekinchess.com/
• PyInstaller
  https://github.com/pyinstaller/pyinstaller
• pgn-extract
  https://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/djb/pgn-extract/