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Shareware

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Advertisements...

::PGNSort.ZIP

The 1997 Version 2.1.1 is just out with a new Macro A command--retention
of last-used filenames--and the ability to save to multiple Resolve files.

PGNSort sorts (naturally) PGN files on any header field but can also sort
by notation--or notation segments. This feature has been built up in
macros to the point where it can automatically remove duplicate games from
your collection while still providing full control over which game gets
dropped. It further allows the best header components of two or more
duplicated games to be combined. Thus your games will come out better than
they went in while doubles are eliminated at the same time.

Just as importantly, PGNSort identifies and helps resolve conflicting
scores--where supposedly identical games have one or more moves that do
not agree. Identification is by both game and move. The scores can be
isolated on output and sent to a Resolve file.

::ChessU3.ZIP

Just out--Version 3.2--which now handles annotated games and has a
foolproof "perpetual" move detector.

ChessU3 is an unassuming tree searcher (finds best lines) but it has one
major feature that not even the commercial databases have figured out yet:
that's its ability to comprehend transpositions. If you've had experience
with tree searches then you've likely also been disappointed when the
great line you were following (wins 4:1) fizzles out in a few more moves.
What happened? Other transposing games flowed in and you found yourself
holding a bag of statistical quirks.

ChessU3 determines--and counts--all transpositions from move 1. The
win/loss statistics are real ones.

Use ChessU3 for your correspondence games and, with PERTO, for creating
your own personal opening repertoire.

::ChessU4.ZIP

Manage your PGN collections with perhaps the most comprehensive program
available for dealing with chess in ASCII. ChessU4--a reader, viewer,
editor, and publisher all built into one. Do position searches--or find
games that are just similar. Form simple or complex header searches to
isolate games of interest.

Handles thousands of games with ease--interfacing with your favorite
editor.

Diagram games in less than a dozen keystrokes using any of the following
fonts: Linares, Tilburg, Hastings, Zurich, CHEQ_TT, and Utrecht. Export
and import to/from ChessMaster 4000 and Waxman chess.

Version 3.0.1 just out!

::ECOClass.ZIP - classify your PGN games

The 1997 Version 2.0 is now out with an improved interface, new options,
and an enhanced game display. Many new openings have also been added to
its classification master.

ECOClass assigns ECO codes and Opening names to PGN game collections. It
can be customized to assign NIC codes as well--or even make up your own
classification scheme. The program comes with over 2100 predefined opening
which you can add to or modify at will.

You'll find ECOClass fast and capable of any desired level of
accuracy--opening lines up to 30 moves deep can be entered. There is no
practical limit to total positions. On option, ECOClass will also assign
5-character (A01/01) ECO codes.

ECOClass: A great way to organize your PGN collections. Use with PGNSort
and CChunk to group your collections by opening.

::CollEdit.ZIP

CollEdit joins the "U4" family as a regular member! This is an editor with
chess in mind but is completely generalized for any ASCII task. Use it for
rating files, create .BAT files, or clean up your chess collections.

The powerful new subset and sort commands allow this: 1) open a PGN file,
2) 'lx Site', 3) 'sm', 4) 'sd'. Now, you're looking at all your Site names
alphbetized. Make as many changes as you like, clean up the garbage, then,
5) 'sme', 6) 'sav', 7) 'quit'. The file has been saved in its original
order. Use CollEdit also to insert missing commas in player names, check
dates, verify round numbers--even move '(03)' on Site over the "?" of
Round, two lines down.

::HighRank.ZIP

The much-improved 1997 version is now available featuring an advanced
learning file to make processing faster. Opt-9 (candidates menu) enhanced
to enter your own corrections and have them "learned." As with all 1997
programs, HighRank now recognizes the "*" PGN game result.

HighRank assigns player ratings to PGN games and gives all player-names a
common spelling. More importantly, it allows you to divide the games in
your collection between those played by professionals and those by
amateurs.

HighRank comes equipped with a list of 1200 of the world's top-ranked
players and quickly allows you to select games by those rated 2400 and
above. Not a problem if their names are spelled differently. HighRank will
recognize them just the same!

::Just because you own another database...

...doesn't mean you don't need U4. ChessU4 is still going to be the best
way to have a quick look (copy/paste) at a game score hot off the net
presses. Preparing new game scores for entry into your database will come
off much easier if they're prepared with NORMAL, PGNSort, HighRank, and
CollEdit. Each of these programs goes after a specific aspect of a PGN
game:

NORMAL   - proof scores; convert and check headers
PGNSort  - eliminate duplicate games--including partial dups--before they
	   corrupt your database
HighRank - get player names into a standard spelling; split incoming games
	   between those played by the professionals and those by amateurs.
CollEdit - make combined header fixups for many games at a single crack.
	   CollEdit is especially good at fixing Site names: isolate all
	   Site lines with the 'lx' command, use 'makelike', 'replace' and
	   'overwrite' to give the names consistency. This also saves
	   indexing space in your chess database.

::NORMAL.ZIP

The essential first step in getting up-to-the-minute games into a standard
form for entry into your database. Recently, Mark Crowther, publisher of
TWIC ("This Week in Chess"), became the latest NORMAL convert and now uses
it to prepare game scores for his publication.

The most recent version now handles [Result "*"] game terminators, hunts
out misplaced round numbers, and has a new PGN "Error" tag to make
isolating bad scores easier when searching game files--notably with
ChessU4. Input has also been made easier by allowing most file extensions
to be omitted for input files.

NORMAL forgives the untidy game score and converts it to perfect standard
PGN.

::The Interface

The author (that's me) of the U4 programs apologizes (just a little) for
the interface. Full-Windows, GUI interfaces are easy to use and look good
besides. Why then the plain White screen? Simple, most programmers spend
85% or more of their time building the interface. That's fine for a single
application but when someone has many ideas for chess utility programs and
not enough time to do each one, it's better to provide a useful number of
products than spend all one's time perfecting a single idea. With the
simple interface, many more programs have been made available.

...And if you don't believe I can write a Windows front-end, you didn't
see ClassC.exe.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed:

Version 2.3 now allows importing and exporting games to CM4000. You can
even let CM4000 annotate a full game (Mentor) and have the annotations
imported and converted to PGN.

::ClassC (for the Abstract Thinker)

Ever wonder what an entire chess game collection would look like if you
could see it on your screen all at once? In full color?

Most people don't. Wonder that is....but for those that do, ClassC.exe
has a full Windows interface (yes, opening dialogs yet!) to point out
characteristics of chess that have never been seen before. ClassC works
best with opening collections or collections covering a single player.
You'll see that Botvinnik would often play a completely different style
of game depending upon whether he had the White or Black pieces; you'll
notice the deep openings--and those that quickly go off into uncharted
territory. In time, you'll recognize openings by their color-banded
signatures.

::CChunk.ZIP

One of the most difficult tasks when working with ASCII chess collections
is combining games from individual files and breaking larger files into
smaller pieces. Most editors are simply not up to the task. Use CChunk
instead to split and combine files--it's designed to work with chess games.

Incidentally, Ver. 2.0 has been completely rewritten. You'll find the new
interface much easier to use!

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed

There are a lot of nice chess readers, both shareware and commercial, on
the market these days and some have some very good features. When working
with large ASCII collections, however, ChessU4 is usually your best
bet--it's much faster and designed for the big jobs. It seems to be the
only one capable of position and header searches, quickly scanning up
to 4000 games in a file. Version 2.0 introduced "logic" searches...

Some "Find" (f) examples:

  <Kasparov><Karpov>     [find any game which includes both players]
  <Kasparov>,<Karpov>    [find any game played by either player]

Any PGN field can be combined in the search. Complex AND/OR Boolean logic
search statements can be constructed--including the use of nested
conditions.

::ChessU3.ZIP

The tree searches of Chess Assistant or ChessBase are good for a rough
cut but to really get down into your data, extract 500 or so games of the
line you are interested in--then print to PGN. Do a ChessU3 analysis of
the file and you'll be amazed what you were missing before: lines you
thought were separate will be found to weave in and out; blind
transpositions are eliminated; perpetual draws pointed out. Mini-max
backsolving shows the absolute best line before you've left move one.

::ChessU3.ZIP

If you're a strong postal or correspondence player and don't own ChessU3
then likely you've missed some opportunities. When your opponent dodges
the line you've selected, you can often jump ahead and get him back on
track with a "U3" analysis. This feature works especially well for the
most complex openings such as the Semi-Slav, Queen's Indian, and many
English openings.

::PERTO.ZIP

"PERTO" is short for "repertoire." It is a program which will help you
eliminate surprises by plugging the holes in your stock of openings.

Using PERTO, you select and look deeply into a single position at a time,
finding ALL possible move sequences leading up to it and all reasonable
alternatives the opposing side may use to sidestep your choice. Working
backwards, resolving the major alternatives thus allows you an excellent
chance of achieving a manageable start of your game.

PERTO provides these results by analyzing up to 8000 games in your PGN
collection for each position choice.

Say you're an advocate of the accelerated fianchetto Sicilian: you'll see
every advance move required and the probabilities of alternative moves to
expect should your opponent wish to steer the game elsewhere.

::NIC2PGN.EXE

This program is for users of NiC (New in Chess) databases--and for those
that receive their games. It converts NIC formatted game headers to PGN.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed:

...Want to send that brilliancy you just played to a chess magazine and
have is published? You could spend a couple of days annotating the game
score, print it out and mail it in--hoping the feature writer was having a
slow week and had time to play through the score or type it in.

On the other hand, you could use the "d*" command of ChessU4. All you need
in addition is a chess font such as Linares or Tilburg. The "d*" (diagram)
option produces a text file of the entire game in a series of tiny,
perfect chessboards. Just open and print with MS Word.

A layout feature allows you to compose a page and show all, or just some
of the diagrammed positions during the game.

The regular "d" (diagram) command produces a single, larger chess diagram
using your chosen chess font. You can then place these individually into
the ASCII chess score. Finally, you can also convert your chess score into
full, international symbolic.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed:

Want to turn your ChessU4 into a full-fledged chess publisher? You'll
need the Linares font. It's available (for about $29) from,

	Steve Smith
	smiths@aca.nwc.whecn.edu
	Alpine Electronics
	526 West 7th St, Powell WY, 82435, USA

	Telephone: (307) 754-7080

::NORMAL.ZIP -- Don't forget Drag & Drop!

You've downloaded a half-dozen PGN game files and have them in a remote
directory....how are you going to remember all those file names when
NORMAL asks for them?? Don't. Just start the Windows File Manager and drop
the files one-by-one onto the NORMAL icon. You can append all output while
doing so. Drag & drop works also for ChessU4 and a number of other "U4"
family programs.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed:

You can't move the pieces with ChessU4 (boo!) since the DLL that produces
the board is "read-only." However, if you've downloaded the Waxman chess
program (sometimes found under "WaxChess") you're just a second or two
away from the possibility. With the most recent ChessU4 version, the handy
little WaxChess board (by Check-Tech Software, Inc.) pops up in an
instant--even if it is in a remote directory. Next, just open the default
".pos" file and the selected ChessU4 game is on your screen for analysis
and "what if."

A new feature also allows games to be hand-input with Waxman, then converted
to PGN and saved to your collection.

::Flash!

See an ad that interests you while running NORMAL but your Pentium is
reaching orbital speeds? Just press the mouse cursor to the window bar
and it will hold the message.

::CMSTAT.EXE

Do you own CM4000? CMSTAT takes an analyzed score (Mentor) from Chess
Master 4000 and shows the ups and downs of the game visually by producing
an Excel barchart. It also creates an annotated game score where the
numeric evaluations from CM4000 have been converted to ?, !, ?!, and ?!
move comments. When a blunder or losing move is noted, the correct line is
also inserted into the game score. The PGN scores produced allow the
sub-variations to be played by your Chess Assistant or ChessBase database.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed.

Suffering from ICCF international postal notation paranoia? Do you go back
and forth checking your moves against the little numbered board that come
with your Section start-up kit? Stop worrying--just keep your postal
records in ChessU4 then use the "u" ("Using ICCF") option to export the
game just before filling out your postal card. View this file in NotePad
and transfer the numeric moves. The standard notation is listed right
alongside so you know you're sending the right move.

::ChessU4 features you didn't know existed.

Eric Churchill's RECORD is a great way to keep track of on-line games but
when you're playing official postal (USCF, ICCF, etc.), move recording is
a bit more stringent. Here's an example of what you can do in ChessU4:

	Onstad,Paul - Kuthe,Hans-Peter
	cr ICCF WT/H/913 1995
	1.Kuthe,Hans-Peter, Schleswiger Weg 13, D-33102 Paderborn,
	Germany
			{Sent     Postmarked Received } {W/B} {Total time}

	1.e4 {5254}     {16-Nov-95 16-Nov-95 21-Nov-95} {1/-} {1/0}
	  c5 {3735}     {22-Nov-95 22-Nov-95 25-Nov-95} {-/1}
	2.Nf3 {7163}    {27-Nov-95}     		{2/-} {3/1}

			{Total Time - PWO: 3 / HPL: 1}
	{========}
	1/2

You can keep all your games in a single text document--the "List" command
works perfectly with the above format. Just restrain yourself and avoid
sending the little "1/2" terminator at the end!

::Now on CompuServe....SWREG!

The U4 author is a starving, unemployed, nearly homeless individual who
should be working (and can only afford a 386) but all he does is write
chess software! He can't afford a Visa/MC account. However, this has left
some out in the cold who haven't access to U.S. funds. There is now a
solution in CompuServe's software registration service....check the DES
when you do your download.

SWREG now offers all packaging plans, ranging from $10 to $35 (all programs
on disk). There are no additional charges for international orders.

FEDEX or other special delivery is available only if you compute the
additional charges and include the extra amount with your order.

::Registration

You've had this program six months now and committed these banners to
memory? Well congratulations! Your next step is to send in your
registration. Doing so will have one disadvantage--these banners will go
away. It's been fun though!

1997 price list (US$)
	U4.1 Full package - 13 programs on disk - $35
	U4.2 Full validation only       	- $24
	U4.3 Full val. w/out ChessU3 & ChessU4  - $19
	U4.4 4 prog/validations (your choice)   - $16
	U4.5 ChessU3 & ChessU4 only validation  - $13
	U4.6 NORMAL val. (or other single prog) - $10

Make out check or money order or GO SWREG (CIS). Search keyword "U4".
					Paul W. Onstad
  70641.3236@compuserve.com     	10168 Parrish Ave NE
					Elk River, MN 55330
					USA

:: End
