[Tex/LaTex] Floating a chess diagram on the next column

chesschessboardfloatstwo-columnxskak

My second chess diagram does not fit on the first column, so LaTeX increased paragraph spacing on the first column. This does ensure that the second diagram appears exactly on top of the second column. However, I prefer to keep the standard paragraph spacing, and the best solution I could come up with is to use \vfill to fill in the space. Here are my two questions:

When I tried to use \columnbreak instead of \vfill, I received an error message saying that it is an undefined control sequence. Would \columnbreak and \vfill have given the same result in this case?
How can I ask LaTeX to put in as much text as possible with normal paragraph spacing on the first column before displaying the second diagram on the second column? The second diagram will then be out of order, but I can put a put a caption on it.

\documentclass[10pt,twocolumn]{article}

 \usepackage{xskak} 
 \usepackage{chessboard}

 \begin{document}

 \thispagestyle{empty} 

 \begin{center}
  \textbf{Chiburdanizde - Watson} \\
  \textit{Brussels 1987}
 \end{center}

 \begin{center} 

 \newchessgame[setwhite={Pg3,Ph4,Kf2}, addblack={ph6,kd6}]

 \chessboard[
  pgfstyle=border, linewidth = 0.03em, markfield=f5, color=red,
  pgfstyle= {[base,at={\pgfpoint{0pt}{-0.4ex}}]text}, 
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 1, markfield=f4, 
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 2, markfield=g4, 
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 2, markfield=e4,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 3, markfield=f3,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 4, markfield=e3,
  color=black,
  pgfstyle= {[base,at={\pgfpoint{0pt}{-0.4ex}}]text}, 
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 1, markfield=h5,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 1, markfield=e6,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 2, markfield=f6,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 3, markfield=g6,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 3, markfield=e7,
   text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 4, markfield=f7]

 \end{center}

 The diagram above illustrates the system of corresponding squares in the pawn endgame.  If the kings are on corresponding squares, say white king on f4 and black king on e6, then whoever it is to move is in zugzwang.  In addition, White wins if he can maneuver his king to the key square f5.

 \fenboard{8/8/3k3p/8/7P/6P1/5K2/8 w - - 0 57}
 \styleC

 \mainline{57. Kf3?}

 This allows Black to put White in zugzwang with his next move.  From the diagram, it is clear that White wins after \variation{1. Ke3} as the black king cannot reach the corresponding square f7 in one move.

 \mainline{57... Ke7! 58.Kf4 Ke6 59.g4}

 White altered the pawn structure, so we need a new diagram of corresponding squares.  It is now a battle for the key squares d5, e5, and f5.

 \vfill

 \begin{center} 

  \chessboard[
   mover=false,
   pgfstyle=border, linewidth = 0.03em, markregion=d5-f5, color=red,
   pgfstyle= {[base,at={\pgfpoint{0pt}{-0.4ex}}]text}, 
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 1, markfields={d4,d2},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 2, markfields={e4,e2},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 3, markfield=f2,
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 4, markfields={d3,d1},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 5, markfields={e3,e1},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 6, markfields={f3,f1},
   color=black,
   pgfstyle= {[base,at={\pgfpoint{0pt}{-0.4ex}}]text}, 
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 1, markfields={d6,d8},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 2, markfield=e8,
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 3, markfields={f6,f8},
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 4, markfield=d7,
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 5, markfield=e7,
    text=\fontsize{1.2ex}{1.2ex}\bfseries \sffamily 6, markfield=f7,
   margintop=false]

 \end{center}

 \mainline{59... Kf6 60.Kf3 Ke7?}

 Watson explained in \textit{New in Chess} that his blunder was due to extreme time pressure.  From the diagram, we see that the only move for Black is \variation{60... Kf7}.

 \mainline{61.Ke3! Kf7 62.Kd4 Kf6 63.Kd5 Ke7 64.Ke5 Kf7 65.Kf5 Kg7 66.Ke6 Kg6 67. h5+ Kg5 68.Kf7 Kxg4 69.Kg6 Kf4 70.Kxh6}

 and Black resigned. 

\end{document}

Best Answer

Have you tried making these floating figures? Replacing the \begin{center} ... \end{center} environment with

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
...
\end{figure}

should do the job.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Problem with writing chess moves in SKAK

As Ulrike Fisher suggested in a comment, something was missing in the code: the first moves of the game. skak can follow the moves from the beginning as if was playing and print the chessboard at the final state as well. Additionally, you can set the chessboard by putting every single piece on its own square and then print it with some relevant moves and comments aside with the written moves. For those purpouses, xskak is an improved version of the package, since corrects some bugs detected and adds some other features (see xskak: An extension to the package skak)

When displaying only move games, you must write them from the beginning or, from some move to finish.

I did both in the code. First column is the complete game with all the moves (I retrieved the information on Stolberg vs. Botvinnik game). Here xskak plays the game -as Fisher said-, and returns the final possition with \chessboard command.

Second column is what you were pretending. But in this case -since xskak does not know how to interpret the last 7 moves of a game without preamble and middle game, would place pieces in positions that could overlap each other on every square-, you needed to write a command to tell xskak to forget first moves and displays last ones by typing \xskakset{defaultmoveid=35w} (p.28, CTAN xskak), and then you can settle by hand the pieces on the chessboard with the final positions if you want.

Your code generated two errors, one because of the last moves written and second, due to 0--1 at the end of \mainline{...} (this one caused the error The control sequence ... was never \def'ed). You should write the key result=0--1 inside \newchessboard and call it after \mainline{...} with \xskakgetgame{result}. There is no need to put \, to separate moves within this environment.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{chessboard}
\usepackage{xskak}

\textwidth=17cm
\oddsidemargin=-1cm

\begin{document}

\begin{minipage}{0.4\textwidth}
    \centering {\large\bf Stolberg vs. Botvinnik} 
    \justify\newchessgame[white=Stolberg,black=Botvinnik]
    \mainline{%
        1.      d4      Nf6    2.       c4      e6      3.      Nc3     Bb4
        4.      e3      O-O    5.       Bd3     d5      6.      cxd5    exd5
        7.      Nge2    c5     8.       O-O     Nc6     9.      a3      cxd4
        10.     exd4    Bd6    11.      h3      h6      12.     b4      Re8
        13.     Qb3     Be6    14.      Bd2     Qd7     15.     f4      Bf5
        16.     Qc2     Be4    17.      b5      Bxd3    18.     Qxd3    Na5
        19.     Ng3     Nc4    20.      Bc1     Rac8    21.     Ra2     Bf8
        22.     a4      Bb4    23.      Nd1     Ne4     24.     f5      Nxg3
        25.     Qxg3    Bd6    26.      Qf3     Be7     27.     Qg3     Bf6
        28.     Bxh6    Bxd4+  29.      Kh1     f6      30.     Bc1     Re4
        31.     Qd3     Ne5    32.      Qb1     Rc4     33.     a5      Bc5
        34.     b6      a6     35.      Nb2     Rc3     36.     Bd2     Rb3
        37.     Qc2     Qb5    38.      Rc1     Bf8     39.     Rd1     Re2
        40.     Qc1     Rxh3+  41.      gxh3!   d4}
    \chessboard
\end{minipage}
%
\hfill\vline\hfill
%
%Last 7 moves
%Chessboard has to be set by hand with keys \newchessgame[setwhite={...},setblack={...}]
\begin{minipage}{0.4\textwidth}
    \chessboard
    \vspace{5mm}
    \centering {\large\bf Stolberg vs. Botvinnik} \\ (last 7 moves) 
    \justify\xskakset{defaultmoveid=35w}
    \newchessgame[id=A,white=Stolberg,black=Botvinnik,
        setwhite={pa5,pb6,pf5,ph3,ra2,rd1,nb2,bd2,qc1,kh1},
        addblack={pa6,pb7,pd4,pf6,pg7,bf8,ne5,re2,qb5,kg8},result=0--1]
    \xskakgetgame{white}--\xskakgetgame{black}: %Competitors names
    \mainline{%
        35.     Nb2     Rc3     36.     Bd2     Rb3       37.       Qc2     Qb5
        38.     Rc1     Bf8     39.     Rd1     Re2       40.       Qc1     Rxh3+
        41.     pxh3!   pd4} \quad\mbox{\xskakgetgame{result}}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Chess Diagrams with text at LaTeX

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{book}
\usepackage{xskak}
\usepackage{texmate}
\newcounter{diagrams}
\newcommand\printdiagrams{\refstepcounter{diagrams}\thediagrams}
\setchessboard{showmover=true, moverstyle=triangle, movershift=-1.3ex, moverlift=-1.5ex}
\newcommand\tacticboard[2][]{%
 \noindent\begin{minipage}[t]{0.49\textwidth}
  \centering\printdiagrams\chessboard[#2]\par
   \Large\bfseries #1\strut
    \end{minipage}\hfill\ignorespaces }
\begin{document}

\part{Positions}
\chapter{a Deflection and overloading}
\tacticboard[Find a tactic]{setfen=6k1/4p3/3p2p1/4brp1/7q/1P2B2P/PP1Q2P1/5RK1 b}
\tacticboard[is a move relevant?]{setfen=Bn3rk1/p4p1p/b2P2p1/2p1b1B1/3q4/8/P4RPP/2RQ2K1 b}
 \tacticboard{setfen=8/1P6/2n1k3/8/3B1p1p/5P1p/8/5K2 w,moverlift=16.5ex}
\tacticboard[find a draw]{setfen=6k1/1p1b4/3p4/3Pp3/2Q1P1P1/8/3rBq1R/7K b}
\tacticboard{setfen=4r3/PB6/1n6/8/5k2/1P3pp1/2R5/5K2 w,moverlift=16.5ex} 
...

\end{document}

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Problem with writing chess moves in SKAK

[Tex/LaTex] Chess Diagrams with text at LaTeX

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