Step Menu

Type In Move

Pops up a dialog box, into which you can type moves in standard algebraic chess notation. (You can also get this dialog box by simply starting to type over the chessboard, except in ICS mode, where such typing is redirected into the ICS interaction window.) Typing a number will have the same effect as stepping forward or backward to the position after that move. In Edit Position mode you can also type a FEN to set up the position.

Backward

Steps backward through a series of remembered moves. The < button is equivalent to selecting Backward, as is turning the mouse wheel towards you. In most modes, Backward only lets you look back at old positions; it does not retract moves. This is the case if you are playing against a chess engine, playing or observing a game on the ICS, or loading a game. If you select Backward in any of these situations, you will not be allowed to make a different move. Use Retract Move or Edit Game if you want to change past moves.

If you are examining a game on the ICS, the behavior of Backward depends on whether WinBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is off, Backward issues the ICS command backward, which backs up everyone's view of the game and allows you to make a different move. If Pause mode is on, Backward only backs up your local view.

Forward

Steps forward through a series of remembered moves (undoing the effect of Backward) or through a game file. The > button is equivalent, as is turning the mouse wheel away from you.

If you are examining a game on the ICS, the behavior of Forward depends on whether WinBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is off, Forward issues the ICS command forward, which moves everyone's view of the game forward along the current line. If Pause mode is on, Forward only moves your local view forward, and it will not go past the position the game was in when you paused.

Back to Start

Jumps backward to the first remembered position in the game. The << button is equivalent.

In most modes, Back to Start only lets you look back at old positions; it does not retract moves. This is the case if you are playing against a chess engine, playing or observing a game on the ICS, or loading a game. If you select Back to Start in any of these situations, you will not be allowed to make a different move. Use Retract Move or Edit Game if you want to change past moves; or use New Game to start a new game.

If you are examining a game on the ICS, the behavior of Back to Start depends on whether WinBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is off, Backward issues the ICS command backward 999999, which backs up everyone's view of the game to the start and allows you to make different moves. If Pause mode is on, Back to Start only backs up your local view.

Forward to End

Jumps forward to the last position in the game. The >> button is equivalent.

If you are examining a game on the ICS, the behavior of Forward to End depends on whether WinBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is off, Forward to End issues the ICS command forward 999999, which moves everyone's view of the game forward to the end of the current line. If Pause mode is on, Forward to End only moves your local view forward, and it will not go past the position the game was in when you paused.

Revert

If you are examining a game on the ICS, issues the ICS command revert. In local mode, when you were editing or analyzing a game, and have been entering a number of moves by hand, starting from a position not at the end of the game, the revert command restores the game to the variation you started from. This can be applied recursively, so that you can analyze variations on variations; each time you create a new variation by entering an alternative move, the current variation will be shelved. Revert allows you to return to the most recently shelved variation.

Annotate

Similar to the Revert command, but in local mode it will add the variation you are abandoning as a comment to the move where it first deviated, in PGN variation format (i.e. in parentheses). You can right-click such variation comments to recall them.

Truncate Game

Discards all remembered moves of the game beyond the current position. Puts WinBoard into Edit Game mode if it was not there already.

Move Now

Forces the chess engine to move immediately. May not work with all chess engines.

Retract Move

Retracts your last move.

In chess engine mode, you can do this only after the chess engine has replied to your move. If the chess engine is still thinking, use Move Now first.

In ICS mode, Retract Move issues the command takeback 1 or takeback 2, depending on whether it is your opponent's move or yours.