Load and Save Options

/lgf or /loadGameFile filename
/lgi or /loadGameIndex N

If loadGameFile is set, WinBoard reads the specified game file at startup. You can leave out the name of this option and give just the file name, which is handy if you want to configure WinBoard as a game viewer with a browser such as the Windows Explorer or Netscape. The filename is interpreted relative to WinBoard's initial working directory. The filename "-" specifies the standard input. If there is more than one game in the file, WinBoard pops up a menu of the available games, with entries based on their PGN tags. If loadGameIndex is set to N, the menu is suppressed and the Nth game found in the file is loaded immediately. A game index of –1 will load the first game, but step to the next game on each new game in Match Mode. Similarly, an index of –2 will step to the next game every two games, so that all games are played by each player with both colors.

/td or /timeDelay seconds

Time delay between moves during Load Game. Fractional seconds are allowed; try 0.4. A time delay value of -1 tells WinBoard not to step through game files automatically. Default: 1 second.

/sgf or /saveGameFile filename

If this option is set, WinBoard appends a record of every game played to the specified file. The filename is interpreted relative to WinBoard's initial working directory. The filename "-" specifies the standard output.

/autosave or /xautosave, or /autoSaveGames true|false

If this option is True, at the end of every game WinBoard prompts you for a filename and appends a record of the game to the file you specify. Ignored if saveGameFile is set. Default: False.

/lpf or /loadPositionFile filename
/lpi or /loadPositionIndex N

If loadPositionFile is set, WinBoard loads the specified position file at startup. The filename is interpreted relative to WinBoard's initial working directory. The filename "-" specifies the standard input. If loadPositionIndex is set to N, the Nth position found in the file is loaded; otherwise the first is loaded. A position index of –1 will load the first position, but step to the next position on each new game in Match Mode. Similarly, an index of –2 will step to the next position every two games, so that all positions are played by each player with both colors.

/rewindIndex number

When number is non-zero, resets the game or position index used in the /lgf or /lpf options back to 1 after it has reached the value number. Default: 0.

/spf or /savePositionFile filename

If this option is set, WinBoard appends the final position reached in every game played to the specified file. The filename is interpreted relative to WinBoard's initial working directory. The file name "-" specifies the standard output.

/pgnExtendedInfo true|false

If this option is set, WinBoard saves depth, score and time used for each move that the engine found as a comment in the PGN file.

/pgnEventHeader string

Sets the name used in the PGN event tag to string.

/saveOutOfBookInfo true|false

Include the information on how the engine(s) game out of its opening book in a special ‘annotator’ tag with the PGN file.

/oldsave or /xoldsave, or /oldSaveStyle true|false

If this option is False (the default), WinBoard saves games in PGN (portable game notation) and positions in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation). If the option is True, a save style that is compatible with older versions of WinBoard (and of xboard) is used instead.

/debug or /xdebug, or /debugMode true|false

Writes debugging information to the file “WinBoard.debug”, including all commands sent to the chess engine, all output received from it, and all commands sent to ICS. You can press Ctrl+Alt+F12 to turn this option on or off while WinBoard is running. Each time you turn it on, any existing debug file is overwritten.

/debugFile filename or /nameOfDebugFile filename

Sets the name of the file to which WinBoard saves debug information (including all communication to and from the engines).

/engineDebugOutput number

Specifies how WinBoard should handle unsollicited output from the engine, with respect to saving it in the debug file. The output is further (hopefully) ignored. If number=0, WinBoard refrains from writing such spurious output to the debug file. If number=1, all engine output is written faithfully to the debug file. If number=2, any protocol-violating line is prefixed with a ‘#’ character, as the engine itself should have done if it wanted to submit info for inclusion in the debug file.

This option is provided for the benefit of applications that use the debug file as a source of information, such as the broadcaster of live games TLCV / TLCS. Such applications can be protected from spurious engine output that might otherwise confuse them.The case number=3 is similar, but now marks non-compliant engine output with a more conspicuous prefix.