How to play chess online using Knights?

Question

Recently I installed the chess game software Knights for ubuntu. I'm trying to play online using a server (a feature according to the website: https://kde.org/applications/games/org.kde.knights) But I got the following issue:

How can I able that menu?

Edit 1. I run the command: hostnamectl and got this:

Static hostname: marin-Aspire-E5-521
     Icon name: computer-laptop
       Chassis: laptop
    Machine ID: 403b41e1f87f499cb8b39aea045edc36
       Boot ID: 84fabc4a665c48c4bd4f6ae1b525e488 
    Operating System: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS
        Kernel: Linux 4.15.0-74-generic
    Architecture: x86-64

The version of Knight is:

I installed it using the Ubuntu Software aplication. (I don't know how to use snap or deb packages)

Edit 2. Sorry for the snipped image. Here the complete window:

Edit 3.

Those are my options for computer engine, there is not a chess server.

I cannot enable the chess server option.

Edit 4.

I already have the XBoard and UCI protocols installed.

Edit 5.

Please provide OS/release details. Also the version of `knights` installed (or how installed; eg. snap version? (https://snapcraft.io/knights) or deb package (https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?suite=all&searchon=names&keywords=knights)) — guiverc, Jan 25 '20 at 00:24
You have snipped a little bit too much away from the left of your image :). First player should be you and second player should be 'Chess Server'. Can you access this option with player 2? — andrew.46, Jan 25 '20 at 01:27
@guiverc The information requested is now in the main post in Edit 1. — José Marín, Jan 25 '20 at 06:17
@JoséMarín Thanks! On my system instead of selecting the 'Computer engine' option for Player 2 I selected 'Chess Server' and then a dialogue box opened with details for signing up with freechess.org... — andrew.46, Jan 25 '20 at 07:40
@andrew.46. That's the problem, I cannot select the option 'Chess Server' for player 2. — José Marín, Jan 25 '20 at 16:59
@Rinzwind I think I already have the XBoard protocol installed. — José Marín, Jan 25 '20 at 18:58
@JoséMarín I have just created a fresh VM with Ubuntu 18.04 and online Knights game worked out of the box. However I see that the standard Knights for Ubuntu 18.04 is actually 2.5.0 while you are trying to get Knights 2.6.0 running, Looks like the newer versions (with a new developer) are tracked from Ubuntu 19.04 and onwards: https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=knights&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all My suspicion is that have installed a package that does not fit with Ubuntu 18.04 and the situation would be rectified with the standard, repository version of Knights. — andrew.46, Jan 26 '20 at 05:18
@andrew.46 so... the soultion will be uninstall the verison 2.6.0 and install again via standard repository? but I installed this verison with the Ubuntu Software aplication. There is a screenshot of the information of the program in the main post on Edit 5. And what do you mean by wrong kernel version? That is the information of my machine. I installed ubuntu, and that was set by "default". — José Marín, Jan 26 '20 at 18:36
@JoséMarín OIC: you have the snap version of knights which has broken chess online for me as well. Problem is found!! If you run the following 2 commands all should be resolved: First: `sudo snap remove knights` and then `sudo apt-get install knights` and then hopefully all will be well :) — andrew.46, Jan 26 '20 at 19:04
@andrew.46 I typed those commands and now I have the 2.5.0 version, it looks older, but with this version the chess server for player 2 is available. Thank you. Post the answer so I can mark it. — José Marín, Jan 26 '20 at 21:45

andrew.46 · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-26T22:03:06.573

You have installed the 'snap' version of Knights which installs Knights 2.6.0 on Ubuntu 18.04. I can certainly confirm on my own system that there is an issue with this version where it does not allow online play with freechess.org.

The repository version is a little older at 2.5.0 but it works out of the box with online play. To return to this older version first remove the snap version:

sudo snap remove knights

and then install the older repository version:

sudo apt-get install knights

Now you can successfully play chess with other players on freechess.org! It might be material for another question as to why the newer version fails...

How to play chess online using Knights?

1 Answers1