How To
There are two main features categories in the app: Learning and Self Analysis.
Learning allows you to view games that I have annotated and analyzed through a principle guided lens. Each game was taken for a specific purpose that suits the level of the player. Often times, grandmaster games can be very difficult for beginners to understand, so it is important that the games presented are more relevant to the level of the player.
When clicking on the Learn button, three options will appear. Start Lesson, Browse Games, and Principles.
In the entire Learning Mode, the first option is to set the skill level. I highly recommend starting at Beginner or Novice unless you have tournament experience, because the intermediate and advanced games are more complex and require a vision that must be acquired in the lower levels.
The Start Lesson immediately takes the user to the The entire game is not shown at once; the user must click the next move to see each move. These games are not meant to be viewed quickly and I highly encourage playing them out on a board to think about these games at a higher level.
In each game, there is at least one moment where the game goes into “Tactics Mode.” This is a time in the game when there is one clear move that must be played to retain an advantage. The “Tactics Mode” can be unlocked when the user plays a move, right or wrong. There is only one chance, so only move when you are sure!
The Browse Games gives the option to view the entire list of ChessProf games, which are increasing day by day for every level. Each game will be titled, so users can look at specific games if they have any main questions.
The Principles Option gives an overall list of the Principles covered in each level, and each level has a different list of Principles.
The Analyze Mode allows the user to save games with variations, which is a feature that many other chess apps do not have.
In the self analysis mode, there are 5 buttons. Branch creates a new variation which is not part of the mainline. The promote option upgrades a variation into the mainline. The Delete button allows you to delete a move or variation. The Undo button goes into the last screen, in case you clicked a button accidentally. The Comments section allows you to save your comments after every move, and you can see the comments through the comments symbol.
Saving a Game
When saving a game, there are 4 options for the result: Win, Loss, Draw, or Line. Line can be any analysis that is not from a game, and does not have a definitive result. Additionally, when saving, the Color must be saved. Simply enter whether you were white or black in the game. Finally, save the title by typing any name that you wish. If you want to submit the game for ChessProf analysis, just press the submit button and I will analyze that game.
If you want to view your previous analysis, you can go to the My Saved Games option. This can allow you to see your previous analysis. This is also where you will see the completed ChessProf analysis after I have finished analyzing a game you have submitted. If you want to submit or unsubmit a game, you can also do that in the Browse Games feature.