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User Manual v1.

Copyright by Michael Bartl, last updated 22.05.2015

Table of contents
Table of contents
................................................................................................................................................1
What is Perfect Chess Trainer...............................................................................................3
The screens...........................................................................................................................3
Main screen.......................................................................................................................3
Main screen menu.........................................................................................................3
Choose Game screen........................................................................................................4
Chessboard screen............................................................................................................5
Score part......................................................................................................................5
Toolbar...........................................................................................................................6
Chessboard menu.........................................................................................................6
History................................................................................................................................7
Calendar............................................................................................................................7
Buy courses.......................................................................................................................8
Training modes.......................................................................................................................9
Guess the move.................................................................................................................9
How does it work / Scoring............................................................................................9
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................10
Train Openings................................................................................................................10
How does it work / Scoring..........................................................................................11
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................11
Train Tactics.....................................................................................................................11
How does it work / Scoring..........................................................................................12
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................12
Train Positions.................................................................................................................13
How does it work.........................................................................................................13
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................13
Train Blunders..................................................................................................................14
How does it work / Scoring..........................................................................................15
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................15
Memorize Games.............................................................................................................15
How does it work / Scoring..........................................................................................16
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................16
Study modes........................................................................................................................17
PGN Viewer.....................................................................................................................17
How does it work.........................................................................................................17
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................17
Lectures...........................................................................................................................17
How does it work / Scoring..........................................................................................18
Toolbar.........................................................................................................................18
Opening Explorer.............................................................................................................18
How does it work.........................................................................................................19

What is Perfect Chess Trainer


Perfect Chess Trainer is an all-round training suite that helps you improve in every aspect
of chess. Play the immortal games of your chess hero move by move and see how well
you do or just relax while reading a chess book in PGN format with the integrated PGN
viewer. +4000 games of all world champions and the current Top 20, more than 6200
tactics puzzles included and you can easily add your own training material in PGN format.

The screens
Main screen
After you start the app you should see the main screen where you can switch between
training and study modes. Note the basket on the top right where you can buy additional
lectures and the three dots to open the menu.

Main screen menu

Paste a PGN from the clipboard

Go to History screen

Go to Calendar screen

Reset the History (deletes all records of tactics, statistics, )

Go to the Settings screen

Go to the Help screen (what you see right now)

Choose Game screen


The Choose Game screen is divided into 3 parts. Part 1: Database selection, part 2:
game/tactic/position selection and part 3 the options for this specific mode. Have a look at
the screen shown below.

1. Select the database or

to open your own PGN file

2. Select the game (the list is scrollable)


3. Select options
To start

Chessboard screen
The Chessboard screen is divided into 3 parts:

The chessboard

The score/notation/engine/opening explorer area (depending on mode the shown


part can be changed by swiping left/right, e.g. PGN Viewer)

The toolbar with the most used actions (more in the menu)

Moves are made by touching the piece you want to move and touching the square you
want the piece to move to. In some modes (e.g. PGN Viewer or in Train Tactics mode
when making a move that has a refutation) you can go backward/forward by touching the
left/right half of the board respectively.

Score part
The score part below the chessboard shows who is to move, the current score, the
maximum score and if the last move was correct, wrong or illegal. Note that illegal moves
are treated as if not made at all.

Toolbar
The toolbar has buttons for the most useful actions which are different depending on the
selected mode. As the actions are different in each mode they will be described later in the
specific mode descriptions.

Chessboard menu

View the current game in the PGN viewer

Play the current position against the computer

Show the current position in the opening explorer

Flip board

Copy the current game as PGN text to the clipboard

Copy the current position as PGN text to the clipboard

Save the current game

Go to the Settings screen

Show as fullscreen (you have to use the menu button to go back to non-fullscreen
mode, if you don't have a menu button you have to use the back button)

Go to the Help screen (what you see right now)

History
The History shows your current ELO, your overall ELO progress and your ELO for each
specific category. This changes when you solve tactic puzzles. At last is a section showing
when you did what in the Perfect Chess Trainer.

Calendar
The calendar shows what you have done every day and changes the color if you have
done eg. 20 tactics puzzles.

Buy courses
Here you can buy additional courses for Perfect Chess Trainer (full version). In the demo
version you can preview the courses from this screen. If you have bought a course already
you can press the open button to be directly taken there.

Training modes
Guess the move
The Guess the move training mode follows the typical move by move theme in chess
magazines. Pick a game from the +4000 provided games of all world champions and the
current TOP 20 in chess or provide any game in PGN format, play the side of the player
you choose and get a score for every move depending on it's correctness.
To start Guess the move touch the button shown below. This will take you to the Choose
Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here.

Check to play the White player, else play Black player

Check to start from first move, else it will start after a few opening moves

Check to allow alternatives moves, else only the move made by the player is
allowed

How does it work / Scoring


You make a move for the side you selected and this move is scored considering the list
below. After the scoring the computer makes the move for the other side and this goes on
until the game is finished. Note that if you made a different move from the one used by the
player the move will be taken back and the move of the player will be made automatically
(this is needed so that you can follow along with the game)

The correct move (the one played by the player) or an alternative move which is
equally as good or better adds 3 points

An alternative move which is worse, but not bad adds 1 point

All other moves 0 points

Toolbar

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)

Play position against computer

Next game

Train Openings
As the name implies this mode is used to hone your opening skills. The default database is
a selection of ~40 opening lines, but the primary intention is that you create your own PGN
file with the openings you play and use this for training.
To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here.

Check to play the White player, else play Black player

Select the number of tries you get before the computer makes the correct move

How does it work / Scoring


You make a move for the side you selected and this move is scored considering the list
below, then the computer makes the next move in the opening variation until the line is
finished. If the computer finds a junction (more than one line in the game) it will present a
dialog where the user can choose which opening line to continue. Note that the maximum
score can change if the user makes a move of another opening variation present in the
game.

The main move or an alternative move (present as a variation in the PGN file) adds
3 points

All other moves 0 points

Toolbar

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

Go back to last junction (back before the start of a variation)

Computer makes the next move

Next game

Train Tactics
Chess is 80-90% tactics (various sources differ on the exact number), so this is where you
should spend a lot of time. There are different tactic databases provided, but you can add
your own any time.
To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here.

Check Random to go through the database in a random order (when pressing


previous/next game toolbar button)

Check Adaptive to let the app adapt to your tactical weaknesses. It will present
tactics puzzles in the category you are worst, so that you can improve there. This
only works in categorized database. If the database is not categorized this option
can't be enabled.

Select the number of tries you get before the computer makes the correct move.
Perfect means that if you make any error the puzzle will automatically restart.

Select if you want to go through all puzzles (solved, unsolved, never tried),
unsolved puzzles or failed puzzles (when hitting previous/next game). Wth this
option it's easy to finish a database by selecting Unsolved or retry the missed
tactics by selection Failed

How does it work / Scoring


Make a move and the computer will reply with the next move in the variation. Sometimes
you make a move that has a refutation, then you can go back/forward by touching the
left/right half of the board to see what goes wrong. Select Go back to main variation in
the notation to go back to where you deviated.

The main move or an alternative move (present as a good variation in the PGN file)
adds 3 points

All other moves 0 points

Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)

Play position against computer

Computer makes the next move

Next game

Train Positions
How often have you drawn a theoretically won position or lost a theoretically drawn
position? In this mode you can train all those position or any position you like or have
difficulties with. Pick any position and battle it out against the computer.
To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here. In this mode you can only select if you want to play White or Black.

How does it work


It's a game situation simulation so just make a move and the computer will reply with the
best move. Try to beat the computer if the position is theoretically won or draw the
computer if it's theoretically a draw.

Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:

From left to right:

Previous position

Restart

Go back one move (also takes back the computer made move)

Computer makes the next move

Next position

Train Blunders
In the train blunders mode you should pick a PGN with your own games (provided are my
games, so enough blunders not to make). After selection of a game Perfect Chess Trainer
will analyse it and search for blunders. You can change the analysis time/move and the
blunder threshold in the preferences.
The blunders will then be presented as tactics puzzles. Scoring is awarded for every move
you make.
To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here. The only option here is Force analysis which will analyse a game again even if it
has been analysed before, which it wouldn't normally do as the result of the analysis is
saved.
After the analysis a Game report screen is shown (see pic below):

First there is a chart showing how the evaluation changes with every move. Below are
buttons with mistakes/blunders made by White and Black. Clicking on one of those buttons
will take you to the training part. Then there is a section with critical positions of this game
which you can play against the computer.

How does it work / Scoring


You are presented with the blunders/mistakes made in the game (for the side you chose in
the game report screen) in chronological order. Try to make the best move in the given
position and there will be an evaluation in the notation section below the chessboard.

The original move (which is a blunder/mistake) and the evaluation after that move
was made. You can see it on the board as red arrow.

Your move and the evaluation after that move was made. You can see it on the
board as blue arrow. If your move is the same as the best move you will see it as
green arrow.

The best move and the evaluation after that move was made. You can see it on the
board as green arrow.

The scoring works as follows:

The best move or an alternative move which is equally as good adds 3 points

An alternative move which is worse, but not bad adds 1 point

All other moves 0 points

Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)

Play position against computer

Computer makes the next move

Next game

Memorize Games
In many chess books it is suggested that memorizing complete games of the old
masterpieces is a way to improve ones game. If you like to do that this is the mode for you.
Scoring is awarded for every move you make.

To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

The choose game screen looks slightly different depending on the mode you selected so
please refer to it's general description as only the specifics for this mode are described
here.

How does it work / Scoring


You have to make the moves for both sides. Score is awarded according to the list below.

The move the player made 3 points

All other moves 0 points

Toolbar

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)

Play position against computer

Next game

Study modes
PGN Viewer
In the PGN Viewer tapping on the left side of the screen goes to the previous move,
tapping on the right side of the screen goes to the next move. In the menu and toolbar you
have an additional option "Replay moves" which plays back all moves from the current
position to the end of the game. You can increase/decrease the animation speed in the
settings.
To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

How does it work


You can click either on the board to move backward/forward or on the move in the notation
to jump directly to this position.

Toolbar

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

Replay moves

Flip board

Next game

Lectures
There are free courses (and additional courses that can be bought from the main screen)
on various subjects: Endgames, Checkmates, Basic strategy, Every course is different
in it's way so go and have a look. Basically it's like a book on that subject with the
additional benefit that you take an active part while going through the subject which will
make it much easier to remember.

To start touch the button shown below, which will take you to the Choose Game screen.

How does it work / Scoring


You will be presented a position and an explanatory text. Make your move, then read the
message and press CONTINUE when you are ready to go on. Scoring is awarded for
every move according to the list below.

Correct move on the 1st try 3 points

Correct move on the 2nd try 2 points

Correct move on the 3rd try 1 point

Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:

From left to right:

Previous game

Restart

View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)

Play position against computer

Computer makes the next move

Next game

Opening Explorer
The Opening Explorer is a great tool if you want to study an opening. It shows percentages
of winning with White, drawing and winning with Black. This is interesting information if you
want to find out the best replies to your opponents moves (or possible moves).
To start the Opening explorer touch the button shown below.

How does it work


In the screenshot below you can see the initial position and below that a list of opening
moves played in this position together with the number of time it has been played in this
opening book, the average elo of the people that played that move and the winning
percentages. You can either make a move on the board (which updates the list) or click on
a move in the list to go forward. Use the back button in the toolbar to go to the previous
move.

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