Web publishing with ChessBase 12 (part 2/3)

by Albert Silver
12/26/2013 – In this second part on publishing on the web, you learn how to make use of the powerful new javascript replayer, exactly as in the ChessBase News pages, with fancy pieces, figuring notation, highlighted squares and arrows, and more. You can also easily embed these into a personal blog or professional resources, and even publish a replayable game on Facebook in seconds.

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In part one, we saw how to use the output functions to produce classic notation with diagrams for use in a web page or blog, which is always an important tool in telling about chess, but sticking to that is fairly old school. The reason is that it treats the online experience as if it were simply digitalized paper, when there is no need for such self-imposed restrictions. Chessbase 12 brought in its bag of tricks an invaluable tool for bloggers or auteurs: a brand new javascript replayer with advanced tools. This replayer is more than just a facelift with nicer pieces than the previous version. Compared to the older version:

  • It does have nicer pieces and board with better contrast, as well as more responsive replay buttons
  • It displays all the visual cues such as highlighted squares and arrows,
  • The notation displays pieces for universal recognition
  • If the moves contain numerical evaluations, they will be displayed as a bar chart
  • Can publish several games with a drop-down menu
  • It brings a board that will seek to remain visible if the notation scrolls down

In this second part, you will discover how to publish a game on Facebook, or any social network in seconds (literally), or embed it in your web pages or blog.

The first thing of course is to annotate a game, if you plan on publishing it with
comments, and so forth. Though it is hardly forced.

Publishing a game on Facebook

This is by far the easiest thing to do, so let's start with that.

Once the game is ready, just click on File, and Publish to Web

A small pop-up will appear: choose One Click Publication. Be sure you have an
active internet connection.

Your browser will open with a new webpage contianing the replayer and your game.
This is not a file on your computer, and is hosted indefinitely at ChessBase's servers.
The URL (or web address) at the top is the link to your game, which anyone can
access to see it. Click here to see it for real.

Copy that address and paste it on Facebook. It shows a generic title "An interesting
game" and description "My Game", but you can edit those by clicking on them
before pressing Post. Now anyone who clicks on your link will see the game and
replayer.

Publishing a game on a web page or blog

Click on File, then select Publish on Web

A pop-up will appear, and this time you want to choose "Create a HTML File".
It will ask you for a name and a location to save it.

You can perfectly well open the HTML file in an HTML editor, your browser (right-click
and select "View page source") or even Notepad. The HTML code you want to copy to
include in your page is located between <body> and </body>. Copy it and then paste
it where you would like the replayer and game to appear. Even if you are not an old-hand
blogger, it will take you less than a minute after you have done it a couple of times.

The result will look something like this (though it won't have any ads):

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Xeon X5430x2 Octal 1.d4 0 Nf6 0 2.c4 0 e6 0 3.Nf3 0 b6 0 4.a3 0 Bb7 0 5.Nc3 0 d5 0 6.cxd5 0 Nxd5 0 7.Qc2 0 Nxc3 0 8.bxc3 0 c5 0 This was the last book move. Now both engines are on their own. 9.e4 1:02 Nd7 1:22 10.Bb5 1:00 a6 0 11.Bd3 31 Qc7 50 12.Qb1 43 b5 2:21 13.0-0 33 Nb6 29 By neglecting king safety, the engine Hannibal will soon find itself fighting for its life. Stockfish expected Bd6. 14.a4 36 Nxa4 54 15.Bf4 28 Qxf4 48 Upon 15...Qc8 White had 16.c4! Nc3 17.Qb3 b4 18.d5!± and the problem is that the knight on c3 is trapped with nowhere to go. White will play Bd2 and Bxc3 and Black can do nothing against this. Be7 19.Bd2 0-0 20.Bxc3 bxc3 21.Qxc3 and White has a clear advantage. Black's bishops are severely restricted. 16.Bxb5+! 49 The point. Kd8 46 16...axb5?? loses outright to 17.Qxb5+ Kd8 18.Qxb7 Qb8 19.Qxf7 Ra7 20.Qxe6+- 17.Bxa4 43 Bxe4 0 18.Qb6+ 40 Qc7 0 19.dxc5 39 Bxc5 0 Upon 19...Bxf3 White had the spectacular resource 20.Rfd1+! Bd5 forced. 20...Bxd1 loses very quickly to 21.Rxd1+ Kc8 22.Bd7+ Kd8 23.Bxe6+ 21.c4! 20.Rfd1+ 31 Bd5 29 21.Qb3 1:13 Ke7 1:43 22.Rxd5! 45 exd5 0 23.Qxd5 42 Rad8 1:45 24.Qf5 1:04 Qc8 27 25.Qh5 1:01 Kf8 43 26.Bb3 49 Rd7 27 27.Ne5 38 Re7 51 28.Rd1 55 g6 37 29.Nxg6+‼ 1:03 An easy enough move for an engine, but lovely nonetheless. fxg6 0 29...hxg6 30.Qxh8# 30.Qh6+ 42 Rg7 49 31.Qf4+ 56 Qf5 34 32.Rd8+ 1:09 Ke7 0 33.Qxf5 57 gxf5 0 34.Rxh8 45 White now converts the endgame with great virtuosity. Kf6 3:06 35.Rc8 42 Rb7 48 36.Rc6+ 44 Ke7 39 37.Rxc5 1:35 Rxb3 51 38.h3 1:09 Ke6 1:02 39.g4 1:15 fxg4 36 40.hxg4 1:40 Ra3 1:01 41.Kg2 42 a5 39 42.c4 45 a4 36 43.Rh5 45 Rc3 1:03 44.Rxh7 58 Kd6 1:07 45.f4 48 Rc2+ 52 46.Kg3 45 Rxc4 4:20 47.g5 37 Rc1 34 48.Kg4 52 Rc7 4:14 49.Rh6+ 1:10 Ke7 2:57 50.Ra6 51 Rd7 23 51.g6 4:50 Rd1 4:38 (Kd8) 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Stockfish 101213 64-bit 8CPU-Hannibal 1.4b 64-bit 8CPU-1–02013E12Don Dailey Tribute 8CPU15.4

The game above was taken from a series of engine games running on eight cores held at Playchess by Graham Banks. My thanks to him for providing the PGN with the original computer evaluations.

In part three, you will learn how to publish several games with a drop-down menu, as well as learn some tips on presenting just parts of games, combinations, studies, and more. 


Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

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