web/OVERVIEW.md

Chess UI Implementation Overview

Architecture

The Chess UI is built using React with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS, providing a modern, fluid, and interactive user experience. The application communicates with the backend chess engine via a REST API.

Key Components

1. ChessBoard

• Interactive chess board with piece movement
• Visual indicators for legal moves (green dots)
• Hint system with highlighted squares
• Last move highlighting
• Support for high-resolution (2x) assets
• Sound effects for moves, captures, and other game events

2. GameControls

• New game button with configurable options
• Undo move functionality
• Resign option
• Board theme selection (brown or grey)

3. GameInfo

• Game status display
• Move history in a tabular format
• Position analysis with evaluation bar
• Material advantage indicator
• Captured pieces display

4. Additional Components

• ChessTimer: Chess clock for time control
• CapturedPieces: Visual display of captured pieces
• PromotionDialog: Dialog for pawn promotion

Features

Interactive Gameplay

• Click-to-move interface
• Valid moves are highlighted with green dots
• Pieces animate when moved
• Last move is highlighted

Visual Feedback

• Highlighted squares for selected pieces
• Visual indicators for check
• Animation for piece movement
• Hint highlighting

Game Analysis

• Position evaluation display
• Material advantage calculation
• Move history tracking

User Experience

• Responsive design for various screen sizes
• Multiple board themes
• Sound effects for game events
• Time control with chess clock

Technical Implementation

State Management

• React hooks for component state
• Polling mechanism for game state updates
• FEN parsing for board representation

API Integration

• Axios for API communication
• Endpoints for game control, moves, and analysis
• Error handling for failed requests

Styling

• Tailwind CSS for responsive design
• Custom CSS for chess-specific styling
• Animations for enhanced user experience

Asset Handling

• Support for both 1x and 2x resolution assets
• Dynamic loading based on device resolution
• Preloading of assets for smoother experience

Future Enhancements

1. Drag and Drop: Implement drag-and-drop functionality for piece movement
2. Opening Explorer: Add an opening book explorer
3. Game Analysis: Enhanced post-game analysis features
4. Offline Support: Add local storage for game state persistence
5. Multiplayer: Add support for playing against other users
6. Accessibility: Enhance keyboard navigation and screen reader support
7. Themes: Add more board and piece themes
8. Annotations: Allow users to annotate moves and positions