First draft, UK English
This manual describes the modern PicoChess web client and its menu items. It is intended as source text for later translations.
PicoChess lets you play chess against a chess engine, analyse positions, replay games, use a physical electronic chess board, and control the game from a web browser.
The web client is useful on a Raspberry Pi touch screen, a tablet, a phone, or a computer on the same network. Some functions are mainly for physical e-boards, and some are mainly for web-only use. The menu descriptions below mention these differences where they matter.
The chess board shows the current game position. In web-only mode you can move pieces on the web board. When a physical e-board is connected, the e-board is normally the source of real moves, and the web board mirrors the game.
The clock area shows time, engine messages, analysis messages, and short status messages. During a game it normally shows both players' remaining time. In some analysis modes it can show the engine's best move, score, or depth instead.
The quick controls near the clock give fast access to common actions such as pause or resume, hint, evaluation, and switching sides. The pause/play control is context-sensitive:
The PGN move list shows the move history. Clicking a move in the list selects that position on the web board. This is useful for review, analysis, and the Position > Set Pos function.
The analysis area can show PicoChess backend analysis and, when enabled, browser Stockfish analysis. Backend analysis comes from PicoChess or PicoTutor. Browser analysis runs in the web browser and can use extra CPU on the device showing the web page.
The older tab area still contains useful information such as opening-book moves, analysis rows, watcher information, and game search or PGN tools.
Open the main menu with the menu button in the web client. The modern menu is organised into tiles:
Each tile opens a group of related settings or actions.
If the board is physically reset to the normal starting position, PicoChess treats that as a new game.
In Normal mode, if it is your turn, make a move. If you want the engine to move first, use Switch Sides or the pause/play control depending on the current game state.
The Mode menu decides what PicoChess is doing with the current position.
Normal is the usual play-against-the-engine mode. You play one side and the engine plays the other side. The clock and move flow behave like a normal game.
Use this when you want a standard game against the selected engine.
Training is a playing mode intended for guided practice. It is still a user-versus-engine mode, but PicoChess may apply training behaviour depending on the selected engine and tutor settings.
Use this when you want to practise rather than only play a rated-style game.
Move Hint is a non-playing mode where PicoChess watches the position and can show suggested moves. The engine does not play automatically as your opponent.
Use this when you want help finding moves while you remain in control of both sides.
Eval.Score shows the engine's evaluation of the current position. The score is normally shown from White's point of view: a positive score favours White and a negative score favours Black.
Use this when you mainly want to know who is better and by how much.
Analysis is free analysis with the selected main engine. PicoChess analyses the current position without playing moves for either side.
Use this for studying a position, checking a PGN position, or analysing both sides without starting a normal game.
PGN Replay is for stepping through or replaying a loaded PGN game. It is separate from playing a new game against an engine.
Use this when you want to review an existing game move by move.
Hand & Brain opens a choice between Brain and Hand coach modes.
These modes are connected to PicoTutor coach behaviour and are mainly useful for training.
Observe lets PicoChess watch a game without playing either side. The clock can still be used and the engine can think silently in the background.
Use this for human-versus-human games where PicoChess should observe.
Remote is for remote-player use through the web client. One side may play via the web interface while the other uses the board.
Use this only when you intend to play with a remote web player.
The Engine menu selects the chess engine and, when available, its level.
Modern engines are current engines intended for normal play and analysis.
Retro engines emulate older chess computers or older playing styles. Some retro engines have special speed, sound, display, and artwork settings in the System menu.
Favourites contains engines marked as preferred in the PicoChess engine configuration.
After selecting an engine, PicoChess may show a list of levels. These can be Elo levels, skill levels, personalities, or other engine-specific options.
Changing the engine or level affects future engine moves and analysis. It does not change moves already played.
The Time menu controls how much time the engine and players use.
Each side receives a fixed number of minutes for the whole game.
Use this for normal timed games such as 5 minutes or 15 minutes.
Each side receives an initial amount of time plus an increment added after each move.
For example, 5+3 means 5 minutes for the game and 3 seconds added after every move.
Tournament controls use a more structured format with a number of moves, a main time, and increments or secondary periods.
Use this for longer games that should resemble tournament time controls.
The engine receives a fixed number of seconds for each move.
Use this when you want predictable engine response times instead of a full game clock.
The engine searches to a fixed depth in plies. A ply is one half-move.
Use this for testing or analysis where you want the engine to stop at a known search depth.
The engine searches a fixed number of nodes. A node is a searched position in the engine's search tree.
Use this mostly for testing, comparison, or special engine setups.
The Engine Book menu selects the opening book used by the playing engine.
An opening book can make the engine play known opening moves instantly instead of calculating from the first move. Choosing Off or no book makes the engine calculate from the start.
This setting is for the playing engine's book. It is separate from any web tab that only displays opening information to the user.
The Tutor menu controls PicoTutor features. PicoTutor can watch games, evaluate moves, give hints, and produce comments.
Watcher turns PicoTutor's watching behaviour on or off. When enabled, PicoTutor tracks the game and can report mistakes or useful information.
Use this if you want feedback while playing or reviewing.
Coach controls how actively PicoTutor helps.
Coach settings can affect gameplay because they change when and how hints or training feedback appear.
Explorer enables opening or position exploration information where available.
Use this to get extra guidance about known positions or opening choices.
Comment controls whether PicoTutor stores comments for the PGN.
These comments can later appear in saved PGN files.
Probability controls how often some tutor comments or feedback are given. A higher value means PicoTutor is more likely to comment.
Hint asks PicoChess for a hint in the current position.
The Position menu is used to keep PicoChess, the web board, and a physical e-board synchronised.
Sets whether White or Black is to move when scanning a physical position.
This matters because the same piece placement can be a different legal position depending on whose turn it is.
Sets whether the physical board is used with White at the normal bottom side or with Black at the bottom.
Use this if you have turned the physical board around.
Enables Chess960 castling interpretation for position setup.
Use this only for Chess960/Fischer Random positions and make sure the selected engine supports Chess960.
Sets castling rights for the scanned position:
Castling rights are not visible from piece placement alone, so PicoChess needs this information when setting up a custom position.
Scan reads the current physical e-board position and makes PicoChess use that position. It is useful when the pieces on the e-board are the position you want to start from.
Typical use:
Set Pos sends the currently selected web/PGN position to PicoChess. If a physical e-board is connected, you then set up the pieces on the e-board to match that position.
Typical use:
The intended result is that the web client, backend game state, and physical e-board all agree on the same position and move history.
The Game menu contains direct game actions.
Starts a new game. This clears the current game state and returns to a fresh game.
Asks PicoChess for a hint in the current position.
Takes back the previous move. Repeating this can step back through the game.
On a physical e-board, keep the pieces in sync with the taken-back position.
Saves the current game to a slot.
Loads a saved game from a slot, or loads the last game.
Sets the game result manually:
Use this when the result is known but was not detected automatically.
Requests an alternative engine move when an engine move is available or waiting.
Use this if you do not want to play the first engine suggestion.
Continues from the last game or last stored position where supported.
Switches which side the user plays. The board orientation in the web client may also flip.
Resigns the current game. This is only available when a game is active.
Stops the engine search and asks the engine to play immediately. This is only available when the engine is thinking.
Sets the player's name and Elo. This information can be used in PGN headers.
Downloads the current game as a PGN file from the browser.
Opens the PGN upload page so a PGN can be loaded into PicoChess.
The System menu contains device, sound, language, voice, retro, and maintenance settings.
Contains system actions:
Use these carefully. Shutdown and reboot affect the Raspberry Pi or host system.
Shows system information such as PicoChess version, git status, IP addresses, location, and battery information where available.
Opens the settings page for editing PicoChess configuration.
Toggles remote web audio for PicoTalker. When enabled and a remote web client is connected, PicoTalker audio can be sent to the remote browser instead of playing locally for that clip.
Localhost web clients do not enable the remote speaker path.
Selects the local audio backend:
This is a technical setting and may require a PicoChess restart.
Controls DGT clock beeps:
Sets the PicoChess language. Current menu choices include English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian.
Selects the computer/engine voice speaker for spoken move announcements and PicoTalker output. Mute disables that voice.
Selects the user's voice speaker. Mute disables that voice.
Changes voice playback speed. Lower values are slower and higher values are faster.
Changes voice volume.
Controls retro engine playback speed. This affects retro/MAME-style engines and can range from slow percentages to maximum speed.
Turns retro engine sound on or off where supported.
Turns retro engine display or artwork support on or off where supported.
Chooses whether retro artwork starts windowed or fullscreen where supported.
Shows the current retro engine feature flags.
Contains display and notation preferences:
Selects the physical board type:
Choose None for web-only use.
Contains network and Bluetooth helper actions:
Use these when setting up or repairing connectivity.
The Display menu changes the look of the web client.
Selects the board colour or board theme. Examples include Blue, Green, Metal, Natural Wood, Newspaper, Soft, and Wood.
Selects the piece set. Examples include Alpha, Berlin, Leipzig, Merida, Neo, and USCF.
Selects the web user-interface theme:
Use Position > Scan if the physical board is correct.
Use Position > Set Pos if the web/PGN position is correct and you want to set the physical board to match it.
Check that you are in a playing mode such as Normal or Training. In Analysis, Move Hint, Eval.Score, Observe, and PGN Replay, the engine may analyse or watch without playing as your opponent.
Make a move only after PicoChess has synchronised the position. If you are using Set Pos, wait for the position setup confirmation before continuing.
Check System > Volume, Comp Voice, User Voice, Phone Speaker, and Audio Backend. If using Native audio on Wayland/PipeWire, the system may need the required PipeWire ALSA support and a PicoChess restart.
If the phone is connected to the Raspberry Pi by Bluetooth, the phone audio may be routed back to the Pi speakers. Disconnect Bluetooth audio before testing remote web audio.
The PicoChess program running on the Raspberry Pi or host computer.
An electronic chess board such as DGT, Certabo, ChessLink, ChessNut, or iChessOne.
The chess program that calculates moves or analysis.
A text description of a chess position, including pieces, side to move, castling rights, en-passant square, and move counters.
A text format for recording a chess game and its move list.
One half-move. White's move is one ply; Black's reply is another ply.
The PicoChess tutor component that can watch, coach, evaluate, and comment on games.