This Jocly-powered web page is an interface for playing Chess games against remote opponents. A server on the website that hosts the page will store the games played through it, (whether in progress or finished), and allow your opponent (and others!) to see them. Only you and your opponent will be able to add moves to the game, and only when it is your turn to move. To enforce that, each user has to provide a secret password that the server will use to identify him.
To the right of the game display there is a 'side bar' for controlling actions other than viewing or playing game moves. It contains three sections that can be opened by clicking on their header: Remote for interacting with the remote server (like starting new or loading existing games, submitting moves), Options / Help for controlling the view of the game (like 2D/3D or full screen), and Controls for stepping through a loaded game (plus some now mostly disfunctional legacy buttons for Jocly functions that are currently disabled in this app, such as using the AI). When you open one of these sections, the other two will be collapsed to save space.
If you don't see an error message appear in the black text window below the input fields, (e.g. because the name was already in use), you will have been added to the list of users. You can verify this by pressing 'Players'.
The list of games consists of up to three sections: games where you are currently on move, game requests, and other games. For each game there will be a line giving the game number, game state, players and (in parentheses) the game type. The game state will be +, - or = for finished games (won by first player, second player or drawn, respectively), and w or b for ongoing games (with first or second player to move, respectively).
This will post a game request, which will appear in a separate section of the list of games. In such a request the name of the future opponent will be replaced by the duration (by default in minutes, but in seconds if it explicitly says so).
You will then be added as a second player to that game, and the player who is to move first will be set on move (game state 'w'). You cannot subscribe to your own game requests! Attempting this will cause the request to be deleted.
If you selected a game from the 'Your move' section of the game list, the game display will allow you to enter a move. Otherwise it will be assumed you were loading a game just for viewing. Buttons to step through the loaded game can be found in the Controls section of the side bar.
Do not forget the last step! The move is not sent automatically, to guard against mouse slips and such. Before you submitted you can still repeat the procedure to alter your move. The server will send a confirmation message to the black window when it receives the move.
If you do this while the opponent is on move (e.g. directly after submitting your own move), this will offer a draw. For games with a pending draw offer the side-to-move indicator will be a capital W or B rather than lower case. You cannot offer draws during your own turn, but if an offer from the opponent is pending during your turn, you can accept it through the same procedure. This then immediately ends the games as a draw. Submitting a move instead declines the offer.
You can resign by typing 'resign' in the Command field, ending with the <Enter> key of your keyboard. To preclude cheating, users cannot claim their own wins. So after checkmating an opponent, the result will only be set when the opponent loads the game and gets to see the checkmating move; in this case the Jocly applet resigns on his behalf to end the game. (So please accept your losses gracefully, and don't try to postpone them by never visiting the game again with a valid ID.) When the rules stipulate a drawn game ending after a submitted move, a draw offer is sent automatically. When the opponent then loads the game, the Jocly applet on his side will detect the game is drawn before any move, and will then automatically accept that offer. Again, the game result is only logged by the server after both players have seen the end and (automatically) confirmed it.
The server only stores your chosen username and password, in addition to your games. You don't have to give your e-mail address or other personal details. The connection to the server is not encrypted, so people might learn your password by eavesdropping on the connection. We pledge to not willingly share the username/password combinations stored on the server with anyone. But servers can be hacked and info can be stolen. So you are not allowed to use a password for this application that could cause any damage to you or others when it would inadvertantly be revealed, other than that identity thieves could start making moves on your behalf in the games you are playing on this server, or start new games in your name there.
In no case the server operator will be liable for any damage you suffer from using this server, and the associated web page.
You should understand that this page is a device for posting Chess games on the internet for public view, similar to posting text messages on a public forum, but then for Chess games. (Which, by their nature, are posted by a pair of people taking turns.) Everyone will be able to see games you post through this web page. European courts have already ruled that Chess games are not copyrightable material, so by posting them here you basically relinguish all rights on them, and put them in the public domain!
By using this facility you implicitly agree with all the above conditions.
Have Fun!
H.G.Muller