User Manual v1.0
User Manual v1.0
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
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.
Go to History screen
Go to Calendar screen
Chessboard screen
The Chessboard screen is divided into 3 parts:
The chessboard
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
Flip board
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)
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 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
The correct move (the one played by the player) or an alternative move which is
equally as good or better adds 3 points
Toolbar
Previous game
Restart
View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)
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.
Select the number of tries you get before the computer makes the correct move
The main move or an alternative move (present as a variation in the PGN file) adds
3 points
Toolbar
Previous game
Restart
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 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
The main move or an alternative move (present as a good variation in the PGN file)
adds 3 points
Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:
Previous game
Restart
View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)
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.
Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:
Previous position
Restart
Go back one move (also takes back the computer made 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.
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 best move or an alternative move which is equally as good adds 3 points
Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:
Previous game
Restart
View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)
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.
Toolbar
Previous game
Restart
View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)
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.
Toolbar
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.
Toolbar
There are two buttons different from the default toolbar:
Previous game
Restart
View game (show the currently selected game in the PGN viewer)
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.