                                 IRC Chess
                                 ---------
v1.20 (29 Jul 1999)


_Introduction_

You certainly have heard of chess and you maybe even have heard of IRC. If
you haven't, you really should go and try to find something out about these
two. However, this program let's you play chess via IRC. All you need is
an internet conection and an WimpCTCP compliant IRC client. (You'll need,
of course, also an opponent who is able to run this program..)


_Usage_

Make sure that the filer has seen the !Chess application.
Load your IRC client and connect to IRC.
Ask someone, if he wants to play chess against you.
(He has also made sure, that the filer has seen the !Chess application.)
Now the one who is going to play white has to type:

"/ctcp <nick> chess [<whitetime> [<blacktime>]]"

The time is measured in minutes; if you ommit black's time, black will get
as much time as white, if you ommit white's time, too, both will get 10
minutes.

** Please note, that while the program measures your time, it doesn't
   really care about when you run out of time. What happens then is
   totally up to you; you are on IRC, so you can talk to each other.. ;)
 
The displays should be clear. The green bar indicates, who's turn it is.
A red bar indicates, that the person, who's turn it is, is in check.

To move, click first on the piece you want to move and then on the square
you want it to move to. To cancel the selection of the piece, click a second
time on it.
For casteling, enter the king's move, the rook will be moved automagicly.
At promotion, a menu will open to let you select the piece to promote to.

** Please note, that the program isn't advanced enough to check, if the game
   is over. Again, you'll have to negotiate the end of the game via IRC...


_Copyright_

IRC Chess is copyright Dennis Ranke aka exoticorn/icebird.

IRC Chess is freeware. This means that it can be distrebuted freely as long
as all files remain unaltered. You may use pieces of my code in your own
freeware programs, but it would be nice to contace me about it.

You can contact me at:

dennis.ranke@arcormail.de


_History_

v1.00  Some first tests on IRC. Thanks go to Gryfie and Argonaut.
24.07.99

v1.10  First official release.
28.07.

v1.20  Better handling of promotion.
29.07. Added configuration window.
       Highlighting last moved piece.