While engine is thinking:

• Forced it to play its best move seen so far
  • Add Move Now sub-menu in Engine menu
• Allow user to change mode from Play to Neutral
• Allow user to start a new game
• Allow user to resign
• Allow user to adjudicate the game

Using ubuntu 20.04.5 and python 3.8 I was able to install this code and start it, and I see the GUI. But when I select any menu item, no matter what, the code crashes with the following error message:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3578, in <module>
    main()
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3574, in main
    pecg.main_loop()
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3443, in main_loop
    window.Disable()
  File "/home/user/Chess/venv_Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/lib/python3.8/site-packages/PySimpleGUI/PySimpleGUI.py", line 10999, in disable
    self.TKroot.attributes('-disabled', 1)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/tkinter/__init__.py", line 1976, in wm_attributes
    return self.tk.call(args)
_tkinter.TclError: bad attribute "-disabled": must be -alpha, -topmost, -zoomed, -fullscreen, or -type

General gui options will be saved here.

• Add option to save time left of the game in the pgn.

• Create Polyglot dir
• Create PGN dir
• Save polyglot.exe and manual in polyglot dir
• Add Tools menu
• Add "Create Book" sub-menu under Tools menu
• Create a new window for Create Book
• Add class BuildBook()
  • Add init with pgn file located at PGN dir
  • Add create_book() method

• Create adviser button, can be a text element
• Add 1 Text element to show the adviser short pv
• Show short pv, once button is pressed, adviser engine will search for bestmove of the position
• Create a Set Adviser Engine sub-menu under Engine menu. User can select engine name and other basic setting
• Modify Engine menu, rename Set Engine sub-menu to Set Opponent Engine

First, I love that you have put this out to the public for people to use.
I am trying to make a robot that uses the stockfish engine to play along with the game in real-time with a board.
Would there be a way I can gather the stockfish best move data and then send that to the robot for it to move?
Any help would be great, even if you send me on my way with only a little help.
The robot I am using is Niryo One.

On the screenshot in the readme, I noticed that the icon is the tkinter default 'leaf' style icon. PySimpleGUI has its own built-in icon that is normally shown.

This bug is now fixed in python_easy_chess_gui.py source.

Since .exes are used, this doesnt seem to work on UNIX based systems. What is involved in making that possible? I can submit a PR.

are there any engines that would work for macos?

if so, please hmu with the download link

• Redesign GUI
  • Study PySimpleGUI table element
• Add Polyglot book box
• Add code to read polyglot book

When trying to test the program I am consistenly having pathing issues from running commands in MacOS. I have tried from both with VSCode and directly from terminal. Both in VENV and not. I was finally able to move past the file itself being inaccessible by using the absolute path but then ran into pathing issues for the assets themselves. This:

(base) thisaintyocompgetoff@nonyas-MacBook-Air pkmn_chs % python "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py" 

Returned this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3578, in <module>
    main()
  File "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3574, in main
    pecg.main_loop()
  File "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 2579, in main_loop
    self.check_engine_config_file()
  File "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 1163, in check_engine_config_file
    self.engine_file_list = self.get_engines()
  File "/Users/thisaintyocompgetoff/Desktop/Coding/pkmn_chs/chess_env/lib/python3.9/site-packages/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 2412, in get_engines
    files = os.listdir(engine_path)
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'Engines'

I have gotten similar errors for the images for the pieces on the board.

Is there a way to fix this without manually changing every path to its absolute path? I want to build on top of this so that seems like it would stop the project before it starts.

I am on MacOS Monterrey 12.6.2

in check_engine_config_file
creationflags=subprocess.CREATE_NO_WINDOW)
AttributeError: module 'subprocess' has no attribute 'CREATE_NO_WINDOW'

Getting this error even with Pyhton 3.8

fix:

• line 2057: add window,
• same for line 2280

Current piece image size is 60x60 pixels.

• Create piece images with size 45x45 pixels
• Revise code

• User wins
• User draws

• Add sub menu "Manage" under engine menu.
  • Add submenu "Install" under Manage
  • Add submenu "Edit" under Manage
  • Add submenu "Delete" under Manageoption values.
• Add code for Install
• Add code for Edit
• Add code for delete
• Load the engine if it would work.
  • Set Engine Opponent
  • Set Engine Adviser

Do you know about the right click menu that is available to all elements?

I don't now exactly what action you would add to say a piece on the board, but it could be super useful. Maybe "Remove Piece" or "Quit" or ???

Anyway, just a reminder that it's a tool in your arsenal.

Same with ToolTips.

These kinds of tools have turned out to be super useful at times.

The debugger

FINALLY, it's not documented well, but if you're running plain PySimpleGUI, then you can press the BREAK key or CONTROL+BREAK key to bring up the debugger. This feature is so amazing because it allows you to debug your code while it continued to run.... and it's after you started running the program, perhaps without an IDE.

So, you're running your program by double clicking on it but after a while there's a bug that starts showing up intermittently. With this debugger you can do almost anything because there's a REPL built in. With that you can literally execute code.

The reason I thought of it is the right click menu. On the popup window that shows up in the corner after pressing BREAK, you can right click any text and you'll get a right click menu to - Run main debugger (open the other debug window) or Exit.

• Add TimeControl menu
  • Add Engine submenu
    • Fischer type, example TC 300+10
  • Add User submenu
    • Fischer type, example TC 300+10
    • Delay type, example TC 300-10
• Add clock box for engine
  • Remaining time box, hh:mm:ss
  • Elapsed counter box, mm:ss:ms
• Add clock box for user
  • Remaining time box, hh:mm:ss
  • Elapsed counter box, mm:ss:ms

Can you support Korean Chess GUI?

Really appreciate you taking the time to make this game (and using PySimpleGUI in the process). I use it a lot as a successful example. The screenshots in your readme are awesome. Thanks for your hard work!

• Implement analysis mode, see also #9
• Add column for mini-max'ed positions.
• Add columns for wins/loses/draws

System information

Macbook Air with M1 16GB
OS: OSX 11.0.1 Big Sur
Python: Python 3.9.1
packages:
  python-chess:  1.999
  pysimplegui: 4.32.1
  pyperclip: 1.8.1

i clicked
menu>engine>manage>install

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/nic/chess/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3575, in <module>
    main()
  File "/Users/nic/chess/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3571, in main
    pecg.main_loop()
  File "/Users/nic/chess/Python-Easy-Chess-GUI/python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 2859, in main_loop
    window.Disable()
  File "/Users/nic/miniforge3/envs/python39/lib/python3.9/site-packages/PySimpleGUI/PySimpleGUI.py", line 8537, in Disable
    self.TKroot.attributes('-disabled', 1)
  File "/Users/nic/miniforge3/envs/python39/lib/python3.9/tkinter/__init__.py", line 1968, in wm_attributes
    return self.tk.call(args)
_tkinter.TclError: bad attribute "-disabled": must be -alpha, -fullscreen, -modified, -notify, -titlepath, -topmost, -transparent, or -type

The book is a polyglot book named pecg_book.bin. When enabled, the gui will probe the polyglot book and if there is a move, it will use that move for the engine.

Book file and location is at book/pecg_book.bin

• Use Class
• Add "Use Book" option
• Add "Best move" option
• Add "Random move" option

The app does not quit when player's clock has run out.

I'm running on linux ubuntu 22.04. and playing stockfish.

The full-black icon is very hard to recognize on the dark background of taskbar.

There are some pretty darned popular YouTube channels devoted to chess and some with chess and AI. It seems like if you could get just one of those guys / gals (one chick in particular I found quite, hum, entertaining).

I wonder if any of them would jump at having custom software just for them. You can easily add their logo or YouTube name to the Window somewhere to make it extra exclusive just for them. Heck, maybe the fact they have input into something like that may be enough to get their attention.

I dunno, just throwing random stuff out there. May or not not be helpful in any way. As usual, the price of this advice should tell you a little about its potential value ;-)

• Neutral mode
• Play mode
  • Promote
    • Queen
    • Rook
    • Bishop
    • Knight
  • EP capture
  • Castle
• New Game
• Flipping board
• Pasting FEN
• Saving games

Trying to castle by clicking on King then on rook crashes program.
Stack trace:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "\python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3578, in
main()
File "\python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3574, in main
pecg.main_loop()
File "\python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3535, in main_loop
start_new_game = self.play_game(window, engine_id_name, board)
File "\python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 2055, in play_game
self.update_rook(window, str(user_move))
File "*\python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 1543, in update_rook
self.psg_board[self.get_row(fr)][self.get_col(fr)] = BLANK
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'fr' referenced before assignment

When certain move is selected in the movelist box, the board will also update.
When move navigation button is pressed, move is highlighted in the movelist box.

It is ideal to have more than one move in the horizontal in the move list box.

• Study PySimpleGUI Table element
• Study PySimpleGUI Tree element

• Github readme
• GUI help menu

• Read the current dir where pecg.exe is located and look for pecg_engines.json file.
• If there is no pecg_engines.json file, then read the engines dir and create pecg_engines.json file.
  • The json format will be the same to that of cutechess
  • Run uci engine and determine its options and id name
    • Save all options and write it to json file. Hash is set to 64, and threads is set to 1, all other options will use default values.
    • Write engine id name to json file.
• Read the json file at startup and show the engine id name in engine list box when user presses Set Engine Opponent.
• When user selects an engine from the engine list, and presses OK button
  • Read the json file and save the engine file and path with file
• Tested uci engines
  • Alaric
  • Amoeba
  • Anmon
  • Andscacs
  • Arasan
  • Arminius
  • Atlas
  • Bobcat
  • Booot
  • Cheng
  • Critter
  • Demolito
  • Deuterium
  • Ethereal
  • Floyd
  • Fire
  • Fizbo
  • Gaviota (Does not work, Python-Chess 0.28.0 does not run it)
  • Greko
  • Gogobello
  • Hannibal
  • Ice
  • Laser
  • Lc0
  • Marvin
  • Maverick
  • Monolith
  • Nemorino
  • Pedone
  • Rhetoric
  • Pirarucu
  • Rodent
  • RofChade
  • RubiChess
  • Schooner
  • Senpai
  • Shield
  • Skiull
  • SmarThink
  • Spark (Does not work, Python-Chess 0.28.0 does not run it)
  • Spike (Does not work, Python-Chess 0.28.0 does not run it)
  • Stockfish
  • Texel
  • The Baron
  • Toga
  • Topple
  • Vajolet2
  • Wasp
  • Winter
  • Xiphos
  • Zurichess

i think i encounter a serious bug : bad attribute "-disabled" .. the following error lines occur after starting the application (which seems OK) at all menu actions, eg. at "User / Set name" and "Engine / Manage / Install" :

$ python3 python_easy_chess_gui.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3578, in <module>
    main()
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 3574, in main
    pecg.main_loop()
  File "python_easy_chess_gui.py", line 2829, in main_loop
    window.Disable()
  File "/home/roelof/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/PySimpleGUI/PySimpleGUI.py", line 9239, in disable
    self.TKroot.attributes('-disabled', 1)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/tkinter/__init__.py", line 1976, in wm_attributes
    return self.tk.call(args)
_tkinter.TclError: bad attribute "-disabled": must be -alpha, -topmost, -zoomed, -fullscreen, or -type

maybe i can provide more info to solve this issue .. I use Xubuntu 20.04 and i'm not a beginner at Linux .. do i miss some module on my OS ? Can i supply some log ?

I would think about a sexier name down the road, or ASAP.

You've got what may very well be the premier chess program written in Python, certainly the best that has a GUI.

Chess Master
Chess Multi-AI
Multi-AI Chess

I'm TERRIBLE at naming stuff, or am on short notice. I renamed PySimpleGUI several times. Had several icons made too. I went with the best of them. The point is that marketing counts.

If you can write at all, I would consider writing some articles on it. Get listed in Chess blogs, etc. I'm serious. This thing is likely to take off pretty well considering the stuff that it does and that it's such a nice GUI.

Here are a few things I thought of that may make a positive difference in your program's reach / use. I really would like to see it get a lot of use. It looks awesome and you've put time into it. These things may or may not have an impact. They're things I've learned from the past year of PySimpleGUI.

1. EASILY packaged - has to work every time out of the box. I was going to update my version when I discovered yours and didn't. I was going to put all the graphics in the 1 source file.
2. Has an easy recognizable name / memorable
3. Doesn't hurt to have a logo. They're under $40 on Fiverr.
4. Write an article. Within a few weeks of releasing PySimpleGUI 1.0 I wrote an article that was published on OpenSource. It went nuts and was picked up and re-distributed all over. I'm learning that other people rarely (never) write articles for your software, it's kinda up to you.
5. Reddit has been a good place to get the word out. I'm sure there are tons of chess forums, et
6. Get onto the list of "Python Applications" - I'll look at this one. I found a list of Python applications that look like windows programs. That's what the list is meant to be "Application Software". It's a rare thing in the Python world.
7. Open yourself up to the AI community.

That last one could be super interesting. I'm wondering if it's possible to be the bolt-on display package or some other aspect of chess oriented AI work. I dunno, just thinking out loud.

I would like to see your software used. There is too little examples of Python GUI programs, especially good ones :-)

Anyway.... just my opinions. They're free, meaning they're pretty much worthless 😁

I have done the "py -m pip install chess", and been told that it went fine, but still get the message

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'chess.uci'

Anyone have the same problem? Or am I doing something wrong?

Are you officially released? Or, do you have a feature set that you're shooting for?

The reason I ask is that if you're "done" and like how it works, then you should get some publicity. I can help make some of that happen.

It looks really sharp! You've done a great job on this.

Let me know when you're ready to be promoted.

• Create "Delete Player" submenu under Tools menu on Neutral mode.
• Create new window when Delete Player is pressed.
• Create Text, Input, and FolderBrowse elements for pgn loading.
• Create Listbox element to display player names from the PGN file.
• Create OK button.
• Read pgn file and extract player names and show it in Listbox.
• If user selects a player from Listbox delete that player when user pressed OK button.

• Add a sub-menu called Save to WhiteRepertoire under Game menu
  Save the game to WhiteRepertoire.pgn whenever user likes the opening of white.
• Add a sub-menu called Save to BlackRepertoire under Game menu