Make the puzzle glyphs indicating correct or wrong moves optional

[Tripletth]

Recently, a change was applied which shows a green checkmark over the board following a correct move.

This change was applied following the change request https://github.com/lichess-org/lila/issues/15379. This change request in turn was solved by the commit https://github.com/lichess-org/lila/commit/59094af7e011f1c486f85981377c743f1c7bfb67, and a series of minor fixes following it.

To some players this checkmark is a major nuisance, as indicated by this forum thread: https://lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/distracting-checkmark-when-completing-puzzles. Suggestions have been raised to filter the specific checkmarks using Stylus or similar tools.

I would like to request a user friendly setting under the Puzzle Settings menu which allows users to disable these glyphs.

[synergy-3000]

I second Tripletth. Adding a checkmark for a correct move in the Lichess puzzles is very annoying. I've been a regular user of the Lichess puzzles for over a year. An option to turn it off would be really good.

[kraktus]

Hello, thanks for the feedback.

I think part of why the pushback was signifiant (on top of the constitutive conservatism), was that the icons were not fitting well visually, compared the ones usually used in studies for inaccuracies/mistakes/etc, and I hope the following change https://github.com/lichess-org/lila/pull/15650 will help for that.

I think adding an option to disable the visual feedback is too niche for now.

[Tripletth]

I don't agree with that assessment kraktus.

I don't think the visual feedback required in studies is the same as in puzzles. Studies are more interactive by design, and indicators on the board are a tool which can be used by the composer to improve this interactivity. Puzzles have no such interactive component. Any visual indicator not initiated by the player him- or herself is clutter in my opinion.

I do agree that your change at least makes the glyphs somewhat more visually consistent with the overall lichess look. I think the original change should not have been applied in the state that is was (seemingly with no review at all).

And as for it being too niche, if 'blindfold mode' is only a single click away I don't see why 'no indicators' can't be as well ;)

On a final note: at the very least, glyphs could be disabled in Zen mode.

[synergy-3000]

Thanks for reply.Having ticks and crosses on the Chess board makes it harder to focus on the pieces. It’s just distracting and there is no benefit in having it. I’ve been doing the  puzzles regularly for over a year.On 4 Jul 2024, at 10:16 PM, kraktus @.***> wrote: Hello, thanks for the feedback. I think part of why the pushback was signifiant (on top of the constitutive conservatism), was that the icons were not fitting well visually, compared the ones usually used in studies for inaccuracies/mistakes/etc, and I hope the following change #15650 will help for that. I think adding an option to disable the visual feedback is too niche for now.

—Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

[wgmyers]

Thank you for the clarification and the update. I agree that the new icons look less ugly than the original ones did. However, since I would still prefer to be able to turn them off, I guess I am part of the 'niche' you mention.

I dislike the glyphs - old and new - enough, that I was about to sit down and write myself a bookmarklet to inject a bit of JS setting the style of the new glyphs to visibility:none or some such when I realised that I absolutely should not do so because I don't want to get banned from lichess by inadvertently triggering an anti-cheat mechanism.

JS that manipulates the board display in a benign way - removing unsightly icons - is only a short step away from JS that has a more sinister purpose, and I feel that users should be strongly discouraged from writing or using anything of the sort.

For this reason I ask again - please add an option to remove the glyphs from the puzzles.

[ddugovic]

Another jarring aspect of these icons (or maybe I'm imagining it) is that these marks only appear after server-side validation, so if you're not located near the data center the mark appears the same time as the opponent's move is animating.

[BennieD]

Please make the puzzle glyphs indicating correct or wrong moves optional

[kraktus]

Another jarring aspect of these icons (or maybe I'm imagining it) is that these marks only appear after server-side validation, so if you're not located near the data center the mark appears the same time as the opponent's move is animating.

There is no server-side validation per move.

[zwenna]

The problem I have with the "correct move" checkmark is that the glyph is sticky, i.e. stays around after the computer's reply while I am contemplating my next move, serving no useful purpose anymore and only adding a distraction This is different than the behavior e.g. on chess.com which seems to have been used as an example in https://github.com/lichess-org/lila/issues/15379. On that site the checkmark disappears after the reply.

If the checkmark would disappear after each reply and only stay around after the last move when the puzzle is completed, there would be few complaints, I think.

Edit: Meanwhile this problem keeps annoying users, see https://lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/remove-puzzle-checkmark-on-board for another complaint in the forum.