A 9 10 STOP GO 1 KEYS AND FEATURES 1. BATTERY COMPARTMENT: Slide the cover to the right to open (see A ). Uses two "AAA" (AM4/RO3) alkaline batteries. 2. STOP KEY: Press to turn the computer off. Current game is retained in memory for up to two years. 3. GO KEY: Press to turn the computer on. 4. SENSORY CHESSBOARD: Each square has a sensor that automatically registers piece movement. 5. PIECE SYMBOL KEYS: Used to verify positions and to select Teach Modes. 6. GAME KEYS a. NEW GAME KEY: Press to reset the computer for a new game. b. SOUND KEY: Press to turn the sound on and off. c. PLAY KEY: Press to change sides with the computer; press while the computer is thinking to force it to move. Press to get a move suggestion from the computer. d. LEVEL KEY: Press to enter Level Mode. Also used to access the five Teach Modes. e. TAKE BACK KEY: Press to take back the last individual move made. You may take back two individual moves, or a move for each side. f. CLOCK KEY: Press to enable or disable the chess clock. 7. LCD DISPLAY WINDOW: Used to show moves, game information, and chess clock. Also used to select the playing levels and verify pieces. 8. ACL (Reset): In base of unit. Used to eliminate static discharge after inserting new batteries. 9. PIECE STORAGE COMPARTMENT: Handy storage compartment stores your captured pieces while playing. 10.PROTECTIVE LID: Covers unit to keep pieces in place and to protect from dust; use finger grips on either side of unit to open. 2 1. USING YOUR COMPUTER Your chess computer runs on two "AAA" (AM4/RO3) batteries. For longer battery life (up to 300 hours), use fresh alkaline batteries. Insert the batteries as shown in Figure 1-1. Press GO to turn the computer on--a beep signals that the game is ready to play. If the computer does not respond, use a paper clip or another sharp object to press into the hole marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one second. This resets the computer. 2x AAA/AM4/RO3 1 First, Install the Batteries Fig.1-1 2 Ready to Play? Here's How to Move! Fig.1-2 Follow these steps to start a game: a. Press GO to turn the computer on. b. Press NEW GAME, and set up the chess pieces in their starting positions, with the White pieces nearest to you, as shown in Figure 1-2. c. To make a move, lightly press down on the piece you want to move until you hear a beep (see Figure 1-3). The computer's sensory board registers your move, and the display shows the square that was pressed. d. Take the piece and lightly press it down on the square you want to move to. A second beep sounds and the computer starts thinking about its move. Fig.1-3 When the computer moves, it beeps and shows its move in the display, as shown in Figure 1-4. Press the indicated piece down on its from square (e7, in this case) until you hear a beep. (Note that the display changes to show 3 3 The Computer Makes Its Move Fig.1-4 the symbol for that piece, along with the square that piece is moving to. For a chart of the symbols, see Figure 2-1.) Next, press that same piece down on the second square in the display--the square the computer wants to move to (e5, here). Once you press e5, you have completed the computer's move! For an example, see Figures 1-5a and b. If you make a mistake or change your mind about a move, you can take back two individual moves, or one move for each side. Press TAKE BACK when it is your turn to move. The display shows the to square of the move to be taken back. Press the piece down on that square. You now see the piece symbol and the square that piece came from. Press the piece down on the from square to finish the takeback. If the move taken back was a capture, the computer reminds you to put the captured piece back on the board by displaying the piece type for you. Press this piece down on the indicated square. To take back another move, press TAKE BACK again. To continue the game, either make your next move or press PLAY to have the computer move next. Figures 1-6a and b show an example of taking back the move Ng8-f6. After pressing TAKE BACK, the display shows f6, the square the Knight moved to (Figure 1-6a). Press down on f6, and the display changes to show the piece color and symbol (Black Knight) and the square that piece came from (Figure 1-6b). Press the Knight back down on g8. Note that en passant captures cannot be replayed after two take-backs. The computer displays certain symbols when a King is in check, or when the game ends in checkmate or draw by stalemate. These symbols are shown in Figures 1-7a, b, c, d and e. 4 4 Change Your Mind? Take Back! Fig.1-5a - Press down on e7... Fig.1-5b - ...and then press down on e5. 5 Fig.1-6a It's Check, Mate, or Draw! Fig.1-6b Press NEW GAME to start a new game at any time. The computer is then ready for another game, using the currently selected level. Since pressing NEW GAME clears your current game from the computer's memory, be very careful not to press this key by mistake! Your chess computer offers you 64 levels of skill, which correspond to one of the 64 board squares (which are divided into 4 categories), making level selection so easy! Together with the built-in Teach Modes, you have a choice of 384 level settings. Press LEVEL to enter Level Mode, and the current level is displayed (e.g., Level (board square) A3 shows as L:A3). To change the level, simply press a board square, and that level will show in the display. Press LEVEL again to exit Level Mode. The computer thinks progressively more deeply on each successive level. For more information on the playing levels, see Section 3.1. 6 7 Game Over? Start a New Game Fig.1-7a - Black in check. Too Easy/Hard? Change Levels! Fig.1-7b - White in check. Fig.1-7c - Checkmate (black). Fig.1-7d - Checkmate (white). Fig.1-7e - Draw. 2. ADDITIONAL FEATURES 2.1 Piece and Color Symbols The display uses symbols for the chess pieces (as shown in Figure 2-1). The bar symbols in the display always indicate color (bottom bars = White, top bars = Black). When you are White and it is your turn to move, the display indicates this right after the computer's move is made, before changing to 5 show your total elapsed time on the chess clock (see Figure 2-2). 2.2 Chess Clocks A built-in chess clock keeps track of the time for your (i.e. not the computer's) side, with a four-digit display showing the total elapsed time for you. If you change sides by pressing PLAY, the clock will keep track of the side you are currently playing. After entering the computer's move, the display shows the indication for your side to move for about one second to show that it is your turn. It then switches to show your total elapsed time (until any key or square is pressed). After you make your move, the display immediately switches to show "Co:", indicating the computer is thinking and that the clock has stopped. For the first hour of the game, the display will show MINUTES:SECONDS, with a steady colon. If the total elapsed time exceeds one hour, the display will show MINUTES:SECONDS of the next hour. Note that the clock stops whenever you have completed the allowable number of take-backs of a move, you verify or change the level, verify the board, or turn the computer off. Also note that when your King is in check, the display shows check instead of the chess clock. In each of these cases, however, the times are retained in memory, and the clock resumes when play is continued. The chess clock can be switched off by pressing CLOCK when it is your turn to move. The computer will beep and the side to move will be displayed instead of the clock. Press CLOCK again to switch on the clock and it will resume. 2.3 Capturing and Special Moves Captures: To capture, press down lightly on the piece you want to move, take the captured piece off the board, and press your piece down on the square of the captured piece. 6 LCD PIECE SYMBOLS Chess Piece King Queen Rook Bishop Knight Pawn Display (White/Black) Fig.2-1 Fig.2-2 - White to move. En Passant: In an en passant capture, the computer reminds you to remove the captured pawn from the board by displaying the pawn's location (for example, _ _:E5). Press down on the captured pawn before removing it from the board. See Figures 2-3a and b for an example. Pawn Promotion: When you promote a pawn, first press your pawn down on its from square, as usual. The computer displays your from square. As soon as you press your pawn down on the to square, it automatically becomes a Queen! Remember to change your piece on the board! The computer will also always promote to a Queen. After pressing its from square, the display indicates the pawn promotion by changing to show the Queen symbol and the to square. Press down on the to square to complete the computer's promotion move. However, this computer doesn't offer the option of under-promotion. Castling: The computer automatically recognizes castling after the King is moved. After you have pressed the King down on its from and to squares, the computer displays the Rook's from square. Press down on this square. The computer then displays the Rook symbol, along with the square the Rook should move to. Press down on the Rook's to square to complete the move (see Figure 2-4). 2.4 Illegal Moves Your computer will never accept an illegal move. If you attempt an illegal move, the computer beeps and the display keeps showing the from square. Press on that square to clear the illegal move; then move again. If you should move the computer's piece incorrectly, you will also hear an error beep. This can happen if you move the wrong piece or move a piece to the wrong square. Check the display and move again. If you press a piece and the from square shows in the display, but you decide not to make that move, press that same square once again to cancel. Be 7 Fig.2-3a - Black tried to avoid the capture of his pawn by advancing it two squares, from e7 to e5. However... Fig.2-3b - ...White can capture the Black pawn en passant by moving his pawn from f5 to e6! careful not to make mistakes when the sound is off, as you will not be able to hear the error beeps. 2.5 Interrupting the Computer's Search To interrupt the computer while it is thinking, press PLAY, and the computer will play the best move it has found so far. 2.6 Changing Sides with the Computer To change sides with the computer, press PLAY when it is your turn. The computer will make the next move for your side. Change sides as often as you wish! 2.7 Getting Hints from the Computer If you need help, you can have the computer show you what it would do in your position! Press PLAY on your turn, and the computer will make the next move for you. To keep this move as your own, press PLAY again and the computer will make its next move; then continue the game by making your own next move. If you do not want to use the computer's move as your own, take it back and make another move of your choice. 2.8 The Computer Plays Against Itself To watch the computer play a game against itself, press PLAY for every move. Study its playing strategies to learn more about chess! 2.9 Game Memory You may interrupt a game by pressing STOP to turn the computer off. The computer will "remember" your position for up to two years (with fresh alkaline batteries). When you switch on again, continue where you left off! Fig.2-4 - Press the King down on e1 and then g1. The computer will remind you to move the Rook from h1 to f1 to complete the castling move. 8 3. LEVELS AND SPECIAL MODES 3.1 Levels of Play With 384 level settings to choose from (incorporating the Teach Modes), you can learn and grow with this chess computer! As shown in the chart of playing levels, each level corresponds to one of the 64 board squares. The levels are categorized into 4 groups intended to entertain users of different skill levels: Handicap levels (H1-H16 = board squares CHOOSE A LEVEL A1-B8), Beginner levels (B1-B16 = board 8 squares C1-D8), Intermediate levels (I1H16 B8 H8 I16 = board squares E1-F8) and Advanced levels (A1-A16 = board squares 7 H15 B7 H7 G1-H8). The computer will think ahead progressively more deeply when the 6 higher levels are chosen. You may H14 B6 H6 experiment with the levels before you 5 settle with the level settings you feel most H13 B5 H5 comfortable with, then advance to more difficult levels as your skill and knowledge 4 H12 B4 H4 expand. Within each level category, the lower 3 number levels are easier as the computer H11 B3 H3 will not always search to its maximum 2 ability to find the best move. Instead, the H10 B2 H2 computer will deliberately make alternative moves that are not the absolute best 1 H9 B1 H1 it can think of. This produces some interesting variations in the moves of the A B C game as the computer often makes some Fig.3-1 - Teach Mode display, showing the Knights Study Mode selected. FROM THE 64 BOARD SQUARES B16 I8 I16 A8 A16 B14 I6 I14 A6 B13 I5 I13 A5 B12 I4 I12 A4 B11 I3 ...