CCRL Discussion Board

Hi,

I'm about to write an endgame table base app on various smartphone platfroms; Android / Iphone & Windows 7 phone.
I don't think there is one out there already (unless bundled with a chess program?), regardless I wanted to write this for my own learning experience on various smartphone platforms as I have a passion for chess but also it seems at outset a useful and relatively straightforward app to write. I'll probably start with Windows 7 phone that being more native to my experience. The app will be free.

Does anybody have any input/suggestions on matters such as;

- legality of using existing 'free' web services?
- legality of writing my own webservice based on the nalimov tablebases?
- what sort of features would the public wish for?

Best Regards,
Derek.

Hi Derek, and welcome!

I think it's an interesting and welcome initiative.

Derek Ward wrote:- legality of using existing 'free' web services?

Legality should be no issue, but the problem is that you won't find a free or cheap web-host that will allow you to host any TB-sized data. At least I could not, and I tried.

Derek Ward wrote:- legality of writing my own webservice based on the nalimov tablebases?

As far as I remember, Nalimov's policy was "tables are free, code is not". So, you are free to do whatever you like with his tables, but if you use his access code, you must ask him for permission (which is usually granted, if you can get any reply from him at all, and that's a big if).

Derek Ward wrote:- what sort of features would the public wish for?

7-piece tables, variety of metrics, choice for with/without 50-move rule, and all if fast and free.