Mobialia Chess (the free, ads version of our chess app) was removed from Google Play in May, after an automated policy review flagged version 5.5.1 as a violation of the Device and Network Abuse policy: apps that “cause users to download or install applications from unknown sources outside of Google Play”. We submitted an appeal, and this month it was rejected with the same wording.

We believe the flag is a false positive, and here is the context.

The flagged feature is an old one: years ago, Mobialia Chess let you download extra chess engines (Stockfish, Komodo, Cheng…) from our own server. That code was already replaced in 2023, when engines moved to Google Play Feature Delivery, where the engine modules are hosted and installed by Google Play itself, exactly like Google wants. The old download code stayed in the source tree for compatibility with very old Android versions, but it is dead code in the flagged build: it only runs on devices below Android 10, and the flagged version targets Android 13.

So in the version on Google Play there was nothing installing apps from unknown sources, no self-updating, no dynamic code loading. Just a chess app with AdMob, downloading data files (game databases and board themes) from our server. We also removed the legacy code entirely after the first notice.

We have replied to the support ticket explaining all this, asking for a human review of the specific code paths, and if the suspension is not lifted we will evaluate the next steps, including the EU out-of-court dispute resolution and, in the worst case, republishing the app under a new listing (suspended apps cannot be updated, and the current listing cannot be restored by uploading a new version).

Sorry for the inconveniences, we will keep this post updated.

We just added a book recommender at https://12chess.com. You can open it with the new Books button in the top bar of the app, and it is also linked from the front page.

It recommends chess books to improve your tactics, strategy and endgame play, from classics like My System or Logical Chess: Move by Move to recent titles like The Woodpecker Method. Each book includes a short explanation of why we recommend it.

The books link to Amazon, and they are affiliate links: if you buy through them we get a small commission at no additional cost for you. You can also browse the current chess bestsellers on Amazon from the same page.

The Gas Stations Spain app shows the gas stations around a location, and until now that location was wherever the app detected your device. To check prices in another town you had to go to the preferences, enter an address there, and set it as the manual location.

The new version adds a Search button in the map action bar. Move and zoom the map to any place you want to check, tap the search button, and the app will load the gas stations around that point. It works anywhere on the map, so you can use it to plan ahead: check prices near your weekend destination before leaving home, or compare a town you pass on your route.

When you use it, the app stops detecting your location automatically. To go back to your current position, tap the My location button and the map will follow you again.

The new version also improves the historic price visualizer, the chart you see when swiping right in a station’s detail view. You can now drag and pinch to zoom on any period, and tapping the graph shows a tooltip with the exact date and price of that day. The line and dots are also thinner, so the price trend is easier to read.

You can get the app from Google Play.

Exciting news for chess enthusiasts! 1 2 Chess! has recently expanded its platform to include Mastodon, in addition to its previous presence on Twitter. This move aims to provide an even broader reach and engage with a wider audience of chess lovers.

By joining 1 2 Chess! on Mastodon, chess enthusiasts can now access the huge amount of chess tactics directly on this popular social media platform. Whether you are a beginner looking to improve your skills or an experienced player seeking new challenges, you will find an array of engaging and instructive tactics extracted from real games.

Furthermore, 1 2 Chess! has implemented the use of anonymous device IDs, ensuring the privacy and security of its users. This means that while enjoying the valuable chess tactics and insights shared by 1 2 Chess! and tracking your ELO, your personal information and identity remain protected.

Join “1 2 Chess!” on Mastodon today and explore our extensive collection of chess tactics, engage with the chess community and elevate your game:

https://mastodon.social/@12chess

https://12chess.com

We just release our new tactics trainer 1 2 chess! at https://12chess.com.

Training tactics every day is essential to improve your chess playing strength. 1 2 chess! allows you to log in with Facebook and track your progress, solving tactics suitable to your current level.

1 2 chess! includes thousands of original chess tactics from real tournament games played in recent years. The tactics database grows constantly adding new tactics from games played last week.

It also publishes a new chess tactic every hour in the Twitter account @onetwochess.

This is a project made with our chess technology developed in the last years… by chess lovers, for chess lovers.

Now you can link from external websites to a specific database query in the Mobialia Chess web app with Urls like:

• https://chess.mobialia.com/?db_query=Carlsen+Karjakin
• https://chess.mobialia.com/?db_query=Deep+Blue

You must pass the “?db_query=” parameter with a Url encoded value. Multiple values must be separated by “+”. This encoding can be done with a online Url encoder like http://www.url-encode-decode.com/.

The link opens the Mobialia chess web app in the database game list screen. The passed value is searched in the player names, events, sites and dates.

One of the most important chess tools for a regular chess player is a chess database. Searching for historical games or certain positions allows you to improve your chess knowledge and to do a better analysis of your games. In version 5.3, we added this feature to both the Android and the web app. The database consists of millions of games updated regularly from Mark Crowther’s The Week in Chess page.

From the sidebar in the main screen you can access the “Database” screen with a form to search in player names, events, sites and dates:

And from the board screens you can search the current position with “⋮ -> Search Position in DB”. Searching for a position shows a statistics screen with the move played, the number of database games in which this move was played, and the percentages for white victory, draw and black victory represented with bars:

Analysis mode was one of the most requested features in Mobialia Chess, and finally it will be available in Mobialia Chess 5.2. It works in the Android app and also in the web app…. with the chess engine is running in the browser! http://chess.mobialia.com

Analysis in offline games

Playing offline this new feature replaces the old “Hint” menu option.

Analysis in online games

Playing online it will be only available while observing or examining a game. It does not allow to analyze a game while playing because it could be used for cheating.

When a played game is finished, you can examine it with the “Examine” menu option and then start the analysis. You can also browse your played games in the “History” section to analyze them.

Openings names and ECO codes

The analysis window also shows the opening name and the ECO code (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopaedia_of_Chess_Openings). The opening names are available in 5 languages and they also include the name of the variants.

The openings database was very big for being embedded with the app, so it is done querying an online service in the Mobialia servers.

Updated engine

This new version includes the last Carballo Chess Engine 1.5 with a great strength increase over the previous version, we worked a lot the last months in our opensource chess engine: (https://github.com/albertoruibal/carballo/). In the analysis mode the engine works always at full strength. Playing against the engine, we keep the ELO levels 500-2100, but probably now it is a bit stronger.

We are proud sponsors of the chess team in the Galician third division “Xadrez Ramiro Sabell Mobialia”.

Xadrez Ramiro Sabell is a local chess club in Ponteareas, Spain. They offer chess lessons for child and adults and they organize a lot of chess related activities, like tournaments, a simultaneous exhibition, human chess, etc.

http://www.xadrezramirosabell.com/

Material Design is coming with Android 5, and we implemented some of their principles in our Gas Stations app.

We started redesigning a new app logo from scratch and then we changed the app colors, redesigning a new sidebar and then applying “ripples”, elevation shadows, etc.

Two weeks working in the new design that we are are complementing with other improvements in the price update and route calculation processes.

We hope you will like it: