You may add text, symbols and advanced (graphical and multimedia) annotations, chess variants, which are stored together with your game. Most operations were designed with the option to use the Undo / Redo commands from the Edit menu. Undo takes back all deletions and variation entries in a game, for example. Redo allows to take back any operation already done using the Undo option.

You can comment any chess game in Chess Academy in various ways:

by making a move in the current position on the chessboard other than in main line; by double-clicking on any move in the game notation or by clicking the toolbar button .

The program calls up the window named “Game editing board” in which some comments on the game (for each move) can be entered.

The window under the chessboard is called the Comment Window.

To activate it (in order to enter a comment, for example), click simply this window with the mouse.

Alternatively: use the Tab key.

Note: Text commentary could contain a maximum of about 30 Kbytes (i.e., about 30,000 characters) per game.

The window at the right top of the screen is called the List of Alternatives. It contains the move from the main line and all alternative moves. If no alternatives are present, the list is empty. You can select the variant to display on the chess board using this list.

The window between the chess board and the list of alternatives is called the Header area. It contains standard information about the game’s header. This information can not be changed directly from the Game’s Editor window. To correct the names of players or tournaments, use the Edit Names and Edit Sources tools from the Game’s List window.

The window below the header area is called the Notation Window. It looks quite different when using various Text Styles. When the game’s notation is displayed in two columns the Notation Window is divided into two panes, the upper pane contains the game’s main line or parent variant, while the bottom pane presents the child variant or is empty if no variants are present for the current move. If you prefer “List” style the Notation Window contains the continuous game’s text. You can customize the on-screen presentation of the Notation Window by using the Editor Status settings.

The window below the Notation Window is called a Move Information Panel. It contains a set of icons. If the current move has no variants, evaluations, or annotations, all the icons are grayed. When one or more annotations are present the appropriate icons are activated. For more details see Viewing a Game.

The next line indicates who is to move in the current position.

The window to the right of the move turn information is called the Evaluation Line. This line is meant for short remarks such as an assessment of the position using the special chess symbols (Chess Academy symbol system or Chess Informant symbol system – both symbol systems are available in the program).

The left bottom area of the Editor window contains buttons for a commented game.

Hints:

There is a summary of the special chess symbols in the table “Code system” in Chess Academy and Chess Informant styles. This window could be activated with the Code System command from the Options menu or by clicking the toolbar button. Choose the Copy button to copy the selected symbol to the Comment Window or Evaluation Line.

When entering comments you can use keyboard shortcuts to input pieces and special chess commentary symbols. The list of shortcuts is included in the “Code system” window.

Use the special chess symbols as often as possible. This makes the text shorter and more clear to understand.

Chess Academy can store games with variants, special codes, text, and advanced comments in a Database.

The following textual comments are generated with a built-in editor:

a) comments suggesting possible alternative moves or possible sequences of alternative moves;

b) comments containing special chess symbols;

c) positional assessments;

d) comments that describe a player’s intentions, including text comments and chess variants.

To create a new text locate the mouse cursor into the Comment Window. Starting from version 6.0 Chess Academy supports multilingual comments. That is you can comment the same move in English and on Russian, for example. In the Comment Window, you can use keyboard shortcuts to enter pieces and other special chess symbols. Call on the “Code System” window and use the Copy command to copy the highlighted chess symbol to the Comment Window.

The Evaluation Line box is used for giving short remarks, such as an evaluation of a move or a position. You can enter a maximum of two evaluation symbols. Again, select a symbol in the “Code System” window and use Copy to copy the highlighted chess symbol.

If you make a new move on the board, the program will propose a window with the following alternatives:

Replace Variant – all the succeeding moves in the current variant will be lost;

Add New Variant – the new move is treated as an alternative variant;

Analyze board – you can simply call up the Analyze board option;

Cancel – you can refuse to make the move.

Or, double-click the move in the game’s notation to which you want to add a new line. The program will take back this move on the board. Any other move entered will be treated now as the new line only. This is equivalent to the Add New Line command from the Edit menu.

Note: The number of moves of any game in Chess Academy, including the moves in the alternative lines, is limited to a little less than 1000, while the number of moves in the main line is limited to 250. The program will issue a warning when you are about to pass the limit.

You can delete the current move in any line by clicking the button .

If the deleted move was not the last one all the following moves will be deleted as well. Alternatively, use the Delete Current Move command from the Edit menu or Ctrl+BackSpace keyboard shortcut.

If you want to remove the whole alternative, choose the button .

Or, choose the Delete Line command from the Edit menu.

Alternatively: use the Ctrl+Del keyboard shortcut.

You can also restore previously removed move(s) or alternatives by choosing Undo from the Edit menu or by clicking the button .

Alternatively: use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z

Note that if you delete or undelete annotated moves, all annotations (and sub-variants) will be deleted (or undeleted) as well. You can not edit a game’s main line in the same manner. In other words, the main lines of all games stored in the Database remain unchanged. The exception is the Creating a New Game process. Here it is possible to edit the main line in the same manner as variants.

If you want to mark the current move as a critical position in the game you can do it in two steps:

1. Open the “Game editing board” window

2. Choose Mark current move from the Edit menu and select from the following move’s attributes:

Critical Opening Position – sets current move as “critical opening position”. Alternatively, click the toolbar button . This move will be highlighted like e2-e4 in the game’s Notation Window;

Critical Middlegame Position – sets current move as “critical middlegame position”. Alternatively, click the Toolbar button . This move will be highlighted like e2-e4;

Critical Endgame Position – sets current move as “critical endgame position”. Alternatively, click the Toolbar button . This move will be highlighted like e2-e4;

Print Diagram – sets option to print diagram for the current move. Alternatively, click the Toolbar button . This move will be highlighted like e2-e4.

A chessboard sign will be added automatically to any marked move in the Notation Window. This means that there is an “advanced annotation” (i.e., non-textual) to the move.

To delete any mark simply repeat the corresponding command once more.

The “Undo” feature is fully accessible. Click the button , or choose the Undo command from the Edit menu to undo the last mark.

Alternatively: press the Ctrl+Z keyboard shortcut.

Note: The “Critical position” marks are mutually exclusive. Thus the move could not be marked as “critical opening position” and “critical endgame position” simultaneously. However, you can put a “print diagram” mark on any move without restrictions.

Chess Academy Game’s Editor suggests a variety of advanced annotations. Graphical annotations have a great advantage since they are easy to enter and understand.

To enable this feature choose the On-Board Marks command from the Edit menu and select the desired option.

Three types of graphical annotations are available now.

1. You can mark any square as a Key one.  Select the Set Key Square option or click the toolbar button .

The mouse cursor will get a pointer-like shape. Then you can point to the necessary square and mark it by clicking the left mouse button. To unmark the square simply click it once more. Any square (either blank or occupied with a piece) may be marked.

2. You can display the possible game plan for any piece or pawn.

Select the Set Intentions option or click the toolbar button .

The mouse cursor will get a pointer-like shape. Then you can point to the necessary piece. Hold down the left mouse button, and drag the mouse cursor to the desired square. Then depress the left mouse button.

The planned route may include more than one move and you can prolong the arrow starting from the end of the previous move. Since this is intent only but not a real move, the arrow is allowed to cross the squares occupied with pieces and pawns (either opponent’s or own). You can set only one intention route for each particular piece or pawn.

The problem of ambiguity may arise when setting intentions. This may happen if the intention arrow points to the square occupied with some piece or pawn, or another intention arrow starts from or ends on this square. In case you want to promote the existing plan or to set a new one starting from this particular square, it will be quite unclear how to distinguish between many variants. First, the program evaluates the entered move to make a correct decision. If this information is insufficient then it attaches the intention arrow to the piece rather than to the end of the existing route. However, it is recommended to avoid such ambiguities.

To delete an intention arrow simply re-draw it. Obviously, if some plan consists of 5 parts and you want to delete the last 3 parts, it is sufficient to delete the 3-rd arrow only.

3. Finally you can display on-board the piece’s threat.

Select the Set Threats option or click the toolbar button .

The mouse cursor will get a pointer-like shape. Then you can point to the necessary piece and exactly in the described above manner draw or delete an arrow that displays the possible threat.

Unlike intentions, you can display multiple threats for a particular piece, but you cannot link them into a route. Moreover, the program considers a threat as a possible move and does not allow the piece’s path to cross-occupied squares or to threaten pieces of the same color. In other words, the drawn arrow must point either to an opponent’s piece or to a blank square.

A chessboard sign will be added automatically to the current move in the Notation Window. This means that there is an “advanced annotation” (i.e., non-textual) to the move.

The “Undo” feature is fully accessible. Click the button , or choose the Undo command from the Edit menu to undo the last drawing action.

Alternatively: press the Ctrl+Z keyboard shortcut.

For any current position, a maximum of 24 arrows (using either one or both arrow types) can be drawn. You have to repeat the selected command and return the mouse cursor to its normal shape if you want to make moves on the board.

Note: This feature is enabled for two-dimensional chess boards only.

With the audio and video capabilities of the PC, you can add multimedia annotations and analyses to a game’s text.

To manage video annotations choose the Video Comment command from the Edit menu.

If you intend to enter a new annotation select the New… option.

Alternatively: click the toolbar button .

The program will display a file selector window.

Select a file with .AVI extension and click on the Save button, or double click the selected filename (obviously you can click on Cancel or press Esc to cancel the command).

Alternatively: press the Enter key.

A chessboard sign will be added automatically to the current move in the Notation Window. The option is disabled if a video comment to the current move exists already. To replace a video comment, delete the existing comment, then add a new one.

If you want to view the comment, please select the Play… option. Alternatively: click the toolbar button .

The Video Comment Monitor window appears on the screen.

If it is necessary to delete the comment, please select Delete option. Alternatively: click the Toolbar button .

The program asks you to confirm your intension and then delete the comment (but not the file itself!).

To manage audio annotations, choose the Audio Comment command from the Edit menu.

If you intend to set a new annotation, please select the New… option.

Alternatively: click the toolbar button .

The program will display a file selector window.

Select a file with .WAV extension and click on the Save button, or double-click the selected filename (obviously you can click on Cancel or press Esc to cancel the command).

Alternatively: press the Enter key.

A chessboard sign will be added automatically to the current move in the Notation Window. The option is disabled if an audio comment to the current move exists already. In case you want to set a new one, delete the old comment previously.

If you want to listen to the comment, please select the Play… option.

  Alternatively: click the toolbar button .

Note that your PC must have some audio device installed in your system. If so, the Audio Comment Monitor window appears on the screen.

If it is necessary to delete the comment select the Delete option.

Alternatively: click the toolbar button .

The program asks you to confirm your intention and then delete the comment (but not the file itself!).

The “Undo” feature is fully accessible both for setting and deleting multimedia annotations.

Click button , or choose the Undo command from the Edit menu to undo the last action.

Alternatively: press the Ctrl+Z keyboard shortcut.

You may want to delete all annotations previously made in the game. There is no need to delete them one by one.

Choose the Delete Annotations command from the Edit menu or click the toolbar button .

The program asks you to confirm your decision and, if so, removes annotations of any type (except the game’s info) previously entered into the current game.

You may also want to delete additional game info to save disk space for example.

To delete the game’s info to the current game choose the Game’s Info command from the Game menu or click the toolbar button . Then press the Clear All button in the “Game’s Info” dialog box and follow this by pressing the OK button.

Note: Be careful because these operations can not be undone and you can not restore removed data in any way!

Once you have commented any game or entered a new one you can save it.

To save the entered game on a hard disk, click the button . You may also simply close the editor window.

The program displays the dialog window which contains the following warning: “Do you want to save the commented game?”

Click the Yes button to save the game or click No to cancel this window if you do not want to save the comments you made.