Sound (and some other) options totally absent here?

Either way, clicking piece or square, the chess server is finding a legal move for you rather than you finding it. That is the objectionable part. Smartmove has been implemented both ways in the past, but both ways are objectionable for the same reasons. Objectionable enough to be against the rules at some other servers, FICS included.

Well, I only have to add - even with my best efforts I still cannot see anything "illegal" in "smartmoving", at least in a sense as it's used in a online-play software like "babas" - I only could add that it's quite clear that the ones who wrote note 12 aren't absolutely clear about the nature of "smart move" function, otherwise they would never question its legality.

I quote here: The interface may provide
assistance in making a move (such easy to click/drag pieces, and/or a
pre-drag/pre-move option) but may not provide assistance in deciding a move
(such as displaying legal moves, making "smartmoves".)

"Smartmove" is, I repeat, NOT about "displaying legal moves", it's simply and EXCLUSIVELLY a tool which allow us to move faster, which is very important in very fast tempo games. For example, with a distant opposite king (say at a1) I am in possibility to promote my pawn which is on h2 and sheltered by my king - WITHOUT "smartmove" on, I have to drag it to h8, but with "smartmove" I could, combined with "premove", just CLICK at h4, h5, h6, h7 and h8. Should I mention how much time it could save me in total, when lying "bullets"?
And, where in heaven's name is "cheating" there??

I've already explained how smart move finds a legal move for you instead of you finding it. That is the spirit of "displaying legal moves." The people that wrote note 12 knew exactly what they were talking about, it was after a lot of discussion and deliberation. It was not just a quick decision.

I quote again:

Either way, clicking piece or square, the chess server is finding a legal move for you rather than you finding it.

A chess server cannot "find a legal move". It cannot reveal anything for me BEFORE I myself move my piece. And I cannot move my own piece till i decide where to move it. With or without smartmove, it's still ME, my brains, the pieces and a board. "Smart move" is just a catalizer, not a cheating tool, and there is NO way under the sun that it can ever be so.

Yes, specifying one square instead of two to indicate a move NECESSARILY involves the server finding all legal moves for you in order to determine which ones are possible and which ones aren't.

Even if you click a square that has two possible moves to it and no move is made, the server is giving you information about what moves are possible. You might have thought only one piece could move there, but now that the move wasn't made, you have been alerted to another possible move.

There are countless ways that smartmove assists the player in finding legal moves.

Quote:

I've already explained how smart move finds a legal move for you instead of you finding it. That is the spirit of "displaying legal moves."

If you please provide me with a real example, i.e. a real life game in a pgn format or such where smartmove caused any unfair advantage for the side using it or any harm for his opponant and HOW exactly, I'd appreciate it a lot. Thanks.

Smart move, I repeat once more, CAN NOT find a leagl moves for you. And I strongly stand beside this words.

Btw, if we are talking about providing an "unfair advantage", I would be more concerned with, for example, a very odd system of scoring here. Why would win be with double points after 2 consecutive wins? If you ask me, now THAT is a "delicate" way to cheat. Is such a system constructed by the very same guys who wrote "no.12", worried about "smartmove"?
Am I right or just making things up?

No, I will not find you an example.

I've explained multiple times how smart move can assist the player in finding legal moves. You can stand beside anything you like despite it being explained to you it's wrong, no problem.

Further, I'm not concerned with other things that may or may not provide unfair advantages, I'm only discussion one at the moment.

I can give you another example of how smartmove can assist a player to find legal moves in a practical sense, since you seem to be having trouble envisioning them, still:

A player is in time trouble and his opponent checks him. The player tries a smartmove by clicking a square next to his king. Instead of his king moving to that square, a bishop from across the board moves to that square blocking the check.

This player just made a move he may not have even known was possible (the square was attacked by an attacking piece, so the king couldn't move there, but the attack could be blocked by a distant piece he didn't realize was even there). Aside from helping him find a move, it may have saved him multiple seconds on the clock, or kept him from resigning outright.

With that, I will live you to this. I am not here to argue one way or the other, only to relay a common objection to smartmove, which has led to it being banned on other servers for the reasons I mentioned.

First of all, the purpose of my topic is not arguing with anyone, but to try to get the truth, as much it's in our own powers.

Your example is quite artificial and it could be practically be applied to, in the best case, about 0,01% of possible chess situations/position. The kind of players using "smart move" in a way from your example, hoping and relaying at it to save his skin in such a position is clearly the absolute beginner one and hardly knows what (s)he is doing, and using such a "newbie" example to justify your oppinion seems more than a little artificial. An absolute newbie guy who clicks aroud his king while in check, using "smartmove" ("to give him an edge"?, haha) , gives an decisive aliby here for your resolute condemnation of the "smartmove"? Come on...

But, as someone once said, "You can stand beside anything you like despite it being explained to you it's wrong, no problem."

"Alea acta est", your attitude towards smartmove is decided long ago, so if we need to use such a comedy-like "newbie" example to defend your biased oppinion, so be it...

By the way, can you help me to address someone responsible about explaining that "double point" thing? I suppose you got nothing to do with that? (yep, sure) Than who has? Somewhere I asked about it abt month ago, a guy made a bunch of sweet promises about making a normal tournaments soon but then disappeared soon. Sounds like a decade or two of waiting in vain...

Again, I have not told you my opinion on the issue, I'm only explaining what it is. I will not interject my opinion on the issue, I'm only dealing with facts.

I have not resolutely codemned anything. I have explained to you that some people think it goes against the spirit of the game in that it can assist the player in finding moves when the player should be solely responsible for that.

It isn't a matter of how often it happens or how big an edge it gives. It is a matter of the principle of the game of chess.

I want to reiterate that my attitude or opinion is not at issue he nor has it been stated. I have no bias at all here.

And no, I didn't read your issue about the double point thing because it was not what I was here to talk about.

Talking about the principles of the game of chess, we could go further to conserve its spirit and, led by the very same principle, forbid the "pre-moving", too. As mentioned before, when playing the "non-virtual" game of chess (which spirit and principles you are "defending" here) we never "pre-move" - it's in fact forbidden by the rules. So, in the name of those very same principles let's ban "pre-moving" as well...
Above stated with absolutely no bias, too.