Hi everyone!
To be honest – I’m scared of bugs. But I don’t see any obvious ones this time... so I’m shipping it!
The latest Just Chess update includes a wide range of improvements and fixes aimed at making the experience smoother, clearer, and more enjoyable for all players – whether you're just starting or playing at a high level.
🔧 Key Fixes and Improvements:
Time bonus is now correctly applied after move animations, regardless of whether you drag or click.
Improved piece animations: pieces – especially knights – now maintain the correct orientation.
Smoother dragging with threshold detection to prevent accidental micro-movements.
Chess clocks now properly start after using the Continue button.
🕒 New Time Control Features:
Added a popular format: Rapid 25+10.
AI move animation speed now adapts based on the selected time control. Slower games feature more deliberate, immersive animations, while faster formats keep things snappy and responsive.
🤖 AI & Gameplay Adjustments:
Okay, I’ll admit it: I may have over-optimized the internal engine… and it ended up being too strong for beginner players. The fix? We added a touch of randomness to its move selection at lower levels! Now, instead of always playing the perfect move, the engine sometimes makes more human-like choices – especially around level 1000 and below. This makes the game feel more approachable and enjoyable for new players.
Improvements to thinking-phase AI handling.
🧠 Demo Game Enhancements:
While the demo game (autoplay) is running, you can pause it simply by moving the mouse, and continue playing from that point yourself.
Demo game is now reliably interruptible and resume-ready.
FSM system rebuilt for better control and stability.
StopAI calls ensure the engine doesn’t get stuck after interruptions.
💾 Save & Continue Improvements:
Time-controlled games now reload as untimed, allowing use of Undo/Redo.
Auto-restart now requires mouse movement, preventing accidental game starts when away.
🎨 Small UI & Visual Tweaks:
Restart animation no longer plays if no moves have been made.
Added distinct events for button arrivals during restart animation.
Flip (F) key instruction added to the in-game help.
Multiple polish-level improvements to interface and movement visuals.