Chess App for Fire?

I would like an inexpensive touch or pen tablet to use for quick and easy recording of my moves at chess tournaments and informal games.  I only need the ability to input moves for both sides and save them.  I do not want or need analysis capability as I have that with my desktop machines at home.

Looking at tablets, the Amazon Fire 8" HD tablet is $79.00 and cheaper than any of the other Android and Apple products.  Are there suitable apps that work with the Fire that will record and save chess moves for later analysis at home?  Do Android apps work with the Fire and if so which ones are simple and quick to use in time pressure?  I always tend to miss or leave out moves when using a written ledger.

I can't speak to the Fire but the only "official" electronic score keeping devices are the MonRoi, PlyCounter and eNotate on a very specific Dell Axim model (and that software is no longer sold due to the passing of the creator). So, if you want something for rated events, you likely won't be able to use anything else.

Some TDs will allow other devices but it isn't officially allowed.

 As @Martin_Stahl states, the only officially allowed devices are the Monroi and the eNotate. 

For informal games I can suggest Chess Score Pad but it is only for iDevices and it needs to be updated.

I contacted the author and he said he was working on an update and trying to work with USCF to figure out how to get it certified. That was several months ago though and I have heard nothing since then.

Thanks, guys.  I'll continue looking.  Just need something simple.  It doesn't look like there is much of anything available. eNotate is gone.  Monroi doesn't look like it is very well rated or accepted by tournament directors.  There is a huge hole that needs to be filled.

Back to pencil and paper and mistakes.... 

ynotate and blieb chess recorder are the only two android apps that really fit this bill.  I use both on my fire hd 8.

lol... who came up with those names? They look like typos.

Yeah, I agree, haha.  Terrible names.

Thanks, @OMGChess14.  ynotate looks like it will work for me, even if not at serious tournaments.  I appreciate the feedback.  I wonder if ynotate might not be a 3rd party update for the eNotate.  It has no "engine" so shouldn't be objectionable to TD's.  I mainly want it for OTB informal play.

An objection is not that these things may have an engine (which they don't) but that you have access to other apps/the internet while using them. 

The two "approved" devices/apps were dedicated and did not allow any access to those things while being used (IIRC).

@OMGChess14 - Do you sideload these apps? I do not see them in the app store on my Fire.

Only eNotate is on a general use device, not a phone, and it completely locks the device down so you need to reboot it to get access to any other apps.

MonRoi and PlyCounter are single purpose devices and don't have any other functions on them, except for keeping notation.

Thanks for the clarification @Martin_Stahl.

Some people use yNotate but it has nothing to do with eNotate (other than function and a similar name). 

That said, the allowed devices thing is a USCF rule. I generally allow electronic notation sheets but if the player with one has an opponent that doesn't want it used, then it has to be put away.

For example, I have allowed someone to use yNotate before.

Thanks, @Martin_Stahl.  I don't play in many tournaments any longer but was looking for something relatively inexpensive that I could use quickly and accurately during more informal matches.  Not being able to use it for tournaments is not a big issue, although it would be handy.  I can live with the notepad and then transfer moves to the tablet for later transfer to my computer at home.  Good information.

I use Scid on the Go on my tablet for games at the club. Not sure if it is supported on the Fire or not. It also isn't terribly friendly and has an unfortunate problem where it can move to a previous game if you accidentally hit the wrong button. In that case, you lose progress on your game (no dialog on unsaved changes). 

I think my son still has a Fire. I'll have to look through the apps and see what may be available, if I get the time of course

I should have also clarified that if the opponent in a tourney doesn't want the electronic device I don't make them change if they are using an approved device.

Only question might be if an Android app like yNotate will run on a Fire.  I think they can be "hacked" to run non-Amazon apps but that might be a hassle.

One of the first things I did on my fire was get the google play store running.  It's not terribly difficult and highly recommended.  I have no idea if those apps are available on amazon's store, but I would suspect that you are correct and they are not.  If you need, I could maybe send you an apk for them or something if you know how to install that.

I think there should be information on the 'net on how to "hack" the Fire for generic Android apps.  I don't need all the new stuff added to the 2017 version of the Fire and the 2015 version is under $100 for the 8" HD model.  I assume the "hack" would work for that one.  I have little other use for it other than as a lighted reader as I have a mobile phone and laptop.  Just wanted something more portable and simple.  Perhaps we should take this to PM.  Thanks for your advice.

It isn't a hack, really.  The Fire runs the android operating system, so basically every android app will work.  The only trick is getting the google ecosystem running, which is not enabled on an amazon device for competitive reasons.  This just requires enabling sideloading apps in the security settings and then installing a few apks for the play store and googleplay services.  You can run both of those apps without installing the google stuff, too, if you just have the apk files to install the programs themselves.  No hacking needed.

I'll do some research on that.  Not familiar with "apk" files....