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Chess

Chess against WOPR. You play White (the capital letters) and move first. WOPR answers with its move as squares, such as WOPR: D7D5.

Start it 

wopr chess

Or log on, type LIST GAMES, and pick number 7 from the list. It also answers to 7.

Screenshots

Click or tap a screenshot to see it larger.

An illegal E2E5 gets ILLEGAL MOVE. Then, after E2E4 D7D5 and EXD5, WOPR’s queen recaptures on D5. The board marks where it left ([]) and where it landed (<).
An illegal E2E5 gets ILLEGAL MOVE. Then, after E2E4 D7D5 and EXD5, WOPR’s queen recaptures on D5. The board marks where it left ([]) and where it landed (<).
NC3 attacks the queen, and WOPR answers D5E6 with check. The console says CHECK. and CHECK shows beside YOU.
NC3 attacks the queen, and WOPR answers D5E6 with check. The console says CHECK. and CHECK shows beside YOU.
After O-O and G8F6: White castled, and each side moved both of its knights off its back row.
After O-O and G8F6: White castled, and each side moved both of its knights off its back row.

How to play

  • Checkmate WOPR’s king. Stalemate, too few pieces to mate, a position repeated three times and the fifty-move rule are draws. WOPR claims the last two at once.
  • At YOUR MOVE: type a move as its squares (E2E4, E2-E4 or E2 E4). Algebraic notation also works (NF3, EXD5, O-O, O-O-O).
  • To promote a pawn, type E7E8Q or E8=Q. E7E8 alone makes a queen.
  • The board marks the square the last move left with [] and the square it reached with <. Beside the board, TAKEN lists the pieces each side took, and CHECK shows when you are in check.
  • A move that is not legal gets ILLEGAL MOVE. Type RESIGN to give up.

Controls

You typeWhat it does
E2E4move by squares, from then to (E2-E4 and E2 E4 work too)
NF3move in algebraic notation. EXD5 is a pawn capture
O-O or O-O-Ocastle on the king’s side or the queen’s side (0-0 and 0-0-0 work too)
E7E8Q or E8=Qpromote a pawn. E7E8 alone makes a queen
RESIGNgive up the game
Esc, Escleave the game and return to WOPR

Tips for winning

  • WOPR looks only four half-moves ahead (three with a seed), plus any captures after that. A plan that needs several quiet moves can succeed against it. For example, build an attack on its king, or push a pawn to promote.
  • WOPR takes any piece it can win within that short look ahead. After each move, check that each of your pieces has a defender or is out of reach.
  • When you are ahead, do not repeat positions. WOPR counts a repeated position as a draw. When it is losing, it steers toward one.
  • For an easier game, run it with a seed (wopr chess -s 1). WOPR then looks one half-move less far ahead.

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