User manual SAITEK MAESTRO TRAVEL CHESS COMPUTER

Maestro Travel Chess Computer Instructions Bedienungsanleitung Mode d'emploi Istruzioni d'uso Instrucciones de Funcionamiento Handleiding QUICK START To play a game right away, simply follow these steps! 1 Open the battery cover and insert three "AAA" (AM4/R03) alkaline batteries, making sure to 2 Press computer 3 you getGO/STOP to turn thethe unit as on. If in no response, reset noted Section 11.1. observe the correct polarity. Remove the stylus from the storage area on the right-hand side of the unit, as shown here. 3 x AAA (AM4/R03) 4 5 Press NEW GAME twice, in quick succession, to reset the computer. If the board doesn't reset for a new game of chess, you've taken too long between keypresses. Just try again. Enter moves by pressing the stylus gently on the from and to squares for each move. Note that you may also use your fingertip. NEW GAME x2 computer displays its 6 When thebriefly on the from andmove, its piece will flash to squares, and the move will then be made on the board. iPd7-d5```` Now, it's your turn again! To turn the unit off, press GO/STOP. When Stop? is displayed, press GO/STOP again to confirm--and your game will be stored in memory. GET TO KNOW THE CHESS PIECES! White White White White White White KING Black QUEEN Black ROOK Black BISHOP Black KNIGHT Black PAWN Black K` Q` R` B` N` P` TABLE OF CONTENTS QUICK START KEYS AND FEATURES INTRODUCTION 1. GETTING STARTED: THE BASICS 1.1 Batteries In, Power On 1.2 Ready to Play? Here's How! 1.3 The Computer Makes its Move 1.4 Game Over? Start a New Game 1.5 Too Easy/Hard? Change Levels 2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE 2.1 Whose Turn? Check the Display 2.2 Special Chess Moves 2.3 Illegal/Incorrect Moves 2.4 Check, Mate, and Draw 2.5 Try the Self-Rating System 2.6 Want a Hint? Just Ask! 2.7 Interrupting the Search 2.8 Changing Sides 2.9 Built-In Openings 2.10 Thinking on the Opponent's Time 2.11 Power Down/Game Memory 3. THE MAIN MENU 4. OPTION MODE Selecting Game Options 4.1 Two Player Mode 4.2 Search Algorithm 4.3 Autobook Mode 4.4 White at Top 4.5 Countdown Clock 4.6 Ticking Sound 4.7 Coach Mode 4.8 Sound On/Off 3 4.9 LCD Contrast 4.10 LCD Speed 4.11 Automove Mode 5. LEVEL MODE Setting a Playing Level 5.1 Fun Levels 5.2 Casual Play Levels 5.3 Tournament Levels 5.4 Speed Chess Levels 5.5 Problem Solving Levels 5.6 Tactical Level 5.7 Infinite Level 6. TAKEBACK MODE 7. INFO MODE Automatic Info Displays Manual Info Displays 7.1 Principal Variation 7.2 Search Information 7.3 Chess Clock Information 7.4 Move Count/Game Moves 7.5 Rating Display 8. SETUP MODE 9. STUDY MODE Selecting Study Positions Using the Board for Selection 10. NEED HELP? LOOK HERE! 11. TECHNICAL DETAILS 11.1 The ACL Function 11.2 Care and Maintenance 11.3 Technical Specifications APPENDIX: STUDY MODE GAMES ENGLISH KEYS AND FEATURES 1. GO/STOP KEY: Press to turn unit on; press twice to turn off. Press to pause scrolling display; resume scrolling with ` (CLEAR). 2. LCD BACKLIGHT BRIGHTNESS CONTROL (Off/Medium/Full). 3. ACL (Reset): In base of unit. Used to eliminate static discharge after inserting new batteries. 4. BATTERY COMPARTMENT: In base of unit. Uses three "AAA" (AM4/R03) alkaline batteries. 5. TOUCH SCREEN CHESSBOARD: Each square registers piece movement when pressed gently with stylus or fingertip. 6. INFORMATION LINE: Shows moves, game information, and chess clocks. Also used when selecting options and levels, setting up positions, and more. 7. NEW GAME KEY: Press twice, in quick succession, to reset the computer. 8. " (MENU) KEY: Press to enter Menu Mode; press again to exit. 9. ENTER KEY: Press to change sides with the computer. Press while the computer is thinking to force it to move. Press to select Main Menu items; to select settings and turn options on/off in Option/Info Modes; ENTER MENU CLEAR to enter a new level in Level Mode; to select a Study Position; to exit Setup Mode with a new position. 10. ¯ KEY: Press to cycle through Levels/Study Positions one at a time in Level/Study Modes. Press to cycle through Options/Info displays in Option/ Info Modes. Press to take back/replay moves in Takeback Mode. 11. ` (CLEAR) KEY: Press to exit Option/Info Modes; to cancel Level/Study Modes with no changes; to clear Info Mode displays; to remain in Study Mode after a wrong move; to clear the board in Setup Mode; to resume scrolling after a pause; and to resume play after takebacks. 12. HINT/INFO KEY: Press during your move for a hint. Press repeatedly to cycle through main Info displays. 13. KEY: Press to cycle through Levels/Study Positions one at a time in Level/ Study Modes. Press to cycle through Options/Info displays in Option/Info Modes. Press to take back/replay moves in Takeback Mode. 14. STYLUS STORAGE AREA: Insert stylus into slot when not in use. 15. STYLUS: Used to make moves on the touch screen; also used to select settings in the Information Line area. 16. PROTECTIVE CASE (not shown). 4 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the Mephisto Maestro Travel Chess Computer! Featuring extraordinary chessplaying abilities and a vast array of special options, this sleek unit offers a touch screen interface and a backlit LCD screen for convenience and ease of play. Portable and always travel-ready, it will also allow you to enjoy a game of chess anywhere, at home or on the road. Once you familiarize yourself with the basic operation, go on to explore all the extras this unique computer has to offer. You'll soon find that you're enjoying chess as never before! 1. GETTING STARTED: THE BASICS 1.1 Batteries In, Power On Your chess computer runs on three "AAA" (AM4/R03) batteries. Insert the batteries into the compartment in the base of the unit, making sure to observe the correct polarity. We recommend fresh alkaline batteries for longer battery life. To turn the computer on, press GO/STOP. If you get no response, reset the unit by pressing a paper clip or another sharp object down into the hole marked ACL in the base for at least one second. To conserve batteries, the computer will automatically turn itself off if left idle for about 20 minutes. 1.2 Ready to Play? Here's How! Follow these steps to start a game: a. Press GO/STOP to turn the computer on. b. To reset the computer for a new game of chess, press NEW GAME twice, in quick succession. If you take too long between keypresses, the computer won't reset itself, and you'll need to press the keys again. As soon as the unit has been reset, you'll see New Game displayed briefly, and then the symbol for White (,,) and the chess clock (00:00:00). c. To make a move, lightly press the stylus on the piece you want to move until you hear a beep and the piece flashes. Note that you can use your fingertip instead of the stylus, if desired. d. Next, press the stylus on your destination square. You'll hear a second beep as the computer confirms your move. Now, it's the computer's turn. You'll notice that the computer often moves 5 ENGLISH instantly at the beginning of a game, instead of taking time to think. This is because it is playing moves which are stored in its openings library. For details, see Section 2.9. 1.3 The Computer Makes its Move When the computer moves, it first shows Thinking... briefly. While the computer considers its move for Black, the display flashes the symbol for Black (i), while showing the computer's clock. Once the actual move is made, the computer will beep and display its move (e.g., iPe7-e5), and the piece will briefly flash back and forth on the from and to squares. After the move has been made on the board, the display will go back to showing your clock--and it's your turn again. 1.4 Game Over? Start a New Game Caution: Resetting the computer clears your current game from the computer's memory! Whenever you finish a game (or if you decide to give up on your current game), it's easy to start over again! Reset the computer by pressing NEW GAME twice in a row. New Game will be displayed, signalling that the computer is ready for another game of chess, using the currently selected playing level. Special note regarding the Tournament Levels: If you reset for a new game before a Tournament Level game is over, you'll be asked to confirm the game's outcome before the computer resets itself. For details, see Section 2.5. 1.5 Too Easy/Hard? Change Levels When the computer is first turned on, it is automatically set to Playing Level 63, with an average computer response time of five seconds per move. You can, however, choose from 100 different levels of play! For descriptions of all the levels, as well as instructions on how to change the playing levels, see Section 5. 2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE 2.1 Whose Turn? Check the Display When the computer thinks for Black, it flashes a Black square (i). After the computer moves, the display shows a steady White square (,,), indicating that it's now your turn to move for White. 6 2.2 Special Chess Moves Please note the following, in regard to certain chess moves. Captures: Captures are shown with an x, as in iPa7xb6. En Passant: In this type of capture, displayed with an EP after the capturing move, the computer reminds you to remove the captured pawn by flashing it. Press the pawn to remove it from the board. Castling: After the King has been moved, the Rook will flash. Make the indicated Rook move on the board to complete the castling maneuver. Kingside castling is displayed as O-O, and Queenside castling is displayed as O-O-O. Pawn Promotion: · When you promote a pawn, first press the pawn on its from square, as usual. The display then changes to show the available promotion pieces (Q R B N). To promote to a Queen, simply press the to square to complete your move. To underpromote to a Rook, Bishop, or Knight, press one of the displayed promotion symbols. The display will confirm briefly (e.g., Prom: rook). Press the to square to complete the promotion, and the piece will automatically change on the board. Note: If you change your mind about the promotion piece before pressing the to square, simply press one of the other symbols. · When the computer promotes a pawn, it indicates its move, along with the promoted piece, as in iPh2-h1/Q. 2.3 Illegal/Incorrect Moves Your computer knows all the rules of chess--and it will never cheat! If you attempt to make an illegal move, a high-pitched double beep will alert you. This will occur, for instance, if you press an illegal from or to square, an incorrect piece or color, or an invalid game key. If you press an illegal to square, the display will simply continue to indicate the square the piece came from. To continue, move your piece to a legal square. If you press a from square, but decide not to make that move, press that same square again to cancel the input. If you change your mind after entering your whole move, retract the move as described in Section 6. 2.4 Check, Mate, and Draw Whenever a King is in check, the computer will display Check briefly after the move is made. If the computer discovers a forced mate, it will briefly show a mate announcement (e.g., Mate in 3). When a game ends in checkmate, the computer will either congratulate you or express its condolences, depending on whether you've 7 ENGLISH won or lost. A display of Checkmate! will then end the game. The computer recognizes draws by stalemate, three-fold repetition, and the 50-move rule. In each of these cases, the corresponding display will be shown after the drawing move has been made. 2.5 Try the Self-Rating System Whenever you play on any of the Tournament Levels, the computer will provide you with an approximate ELO rating after the game has ended, based on your performance. Not sure what a "rating" is? It's a universally recognized method of measuring chess performance or describing relative playing ability. The international body which governs chess is called FIDE, or Fédération Internationale des Échecs, and FIDE ratings are sometimes referred to as ELO ratings. The United States Chess Federation (USCF) uses a similar rating system. Ratings are usually four-digit numbers, with stronger players having higher ratings. Towards the upper end of the scale, Masters rank in at 2200 and above, with International Grandmasters at 2500+. Want to know where you stand? Here's your chance! Refer to Section 5.3 for more information on the Tournament Levels. 2.6 Want a Hint? Just Ask! If you ever need help with a move, the computer will be glad to oblige! Press HINT/INFO during your turn, and the computer will display a move suggestion. If the hint happens to be e4xd5, for example, Ply 1: e4xd5 will be displayed. A "ply" is an individual move, or a move for either side. The hint can take from one to five seconds to show, but it may sometimes take longer. To accept the hint, make the displayed move on the board. To make a different move, simply disregard the hint and make a move of your own. You can also cancel the hint display by pressing ` (CLEAR). 2.7 Interrupting the Search To interrupt the computer while it's thinking about a move, press ENTER. This forces the computer to play the best move it has found so far. This feature can be extremely useful on the higher levels, where the computer may take a long time to move, and on the Infinite and Tactical Levels, where it thinks indefinitely unless you stop it. On the Problem Solving Levels, pressing ENTER while the computer is thinking will not cause the computer to make a move. Instead, the computer will display No move found! to indicate that it was interrupted before finding a mate. To continue, switch to another level. 8 · ¿OPTION: Explore a number of exciting game options. · Two Player Mode · Coach Mode · Search Algorithm · Sound On/Off · Autobook Mode · LCD Contrast · White at Top · LCD Speed · Countdown Clock · Automove Mode · Ticking Sound · ¿LEVEL: Choose from 100 different levels of play. · ¿TAKEBACK: Take back any or all previous moves. · ¿INFO: Select various automatic information displays. · Show Moves · Show Progress · Show Nodes · Show Evaluation · Show Time per Move · ¿SETUP: Set up or change any board position. · ¿STUDY: Test yourself with 64 unique Study Positions. 2.8 Changing Sides To change sides with the computer, press ENTER on your turn-- and the computer will make the next move for your side. You can change sides as often as you wish by pressing ENTER repeatedly. Want the computer to play the first move for White at the start of a new game? Press NEW GAME twice, and then press ENTER! Want to see the computer play chess against itself? Press ENTER after each move--and watch as it plays for both sides of the board, one move after another. Study its strategies, and you might just improve your own game! 2.9 Built-In Openings At the beginning of a game, the computer's reply is often instantaneous on many levels, because it is playing moves from its openings library. The computer's library includes most major openings and many positions from grandmaster play. If the current board position is in its library, the computer plays a response to that position from memory, instead of thinking about the move. Note that the openings library is used on all levels except the Problem Solving Levels. 9 ENGLISH A QUICK LOOK AT THE MAIN MENU! 2.10 Thinking on the Opponent's Time As you play, you'll probably notice that the computer sometimes replies to your moves immediately, even in the middle of games played on the higher levels. This is because the computer thinks on your time, using the time you are contemplating your next move to think ahead and plan its own strategies. It tries to anticipate the move you are likely to make, and calculates its responses for that move while you're still thinking. If the computer has guessed correctly, there's no reason for it to keep on calculating--it immediately plays the move it has already found! Note that the computer does not think on the opponent's time on the Fun Levels. 2.11 Power Down/Game Memory You may interrupt your game and turn the computer off by pressing GO/STOP. The display will show Stop?, and pressing GO/STOP once more to confirm will turn the unit off. Play is then suspended, and the computer will store your game for up to one year. When you switch back on again, you can continue from where you left off! If you decide not to turn the computer off after pressing GO/STOP once, simply press ` (CLEAR) to cancel. If no keypresses or moves are made for 20 minutes, the Auto Power Down feature will automatically turn your computer off. To continue, press GO/STOP to turn the computer back on. Note that the computer will not turn itself off while it is thinking about a move, or while Stop? is being displayed. 3. THE MAIN MENU: ACCESSING SPECIAL MODES Your Maestro Travel Chess Computer offers many user-selectable modes and options, all accessed via the integrated Main Menu. Once you press " (MENU), you're taken to ¿OPTION, the first of six Main Menu items. Press ¯ (or ) repeatedly to cycle through all the Menu items: MAIN MENU ITEM ....... REFERENCE ............... DISPLAY Option Mode ..................... Section 4 ................... ¿OPTION Level Mode ....................... Section 5 ................... ¿LEVEL Take Back Mode ............... Section 6 ................... ¿TAKEBACK Info Mode ......................... Section 7 ................... ¿INFO Setup Mode ...................... Section 8 ................... ¿SETUP Study Mode ...................... Section 9 ................... ¿STUDY To select one of the Main Menu items, press ENTER. In each case, 10 you'll be taken to a sub-menu, where you can make subsequent selections. Some of the items (e.g., Option Mode) will offer a variety of different choices and sub-choices, while others (e.g., Setup Mode) will allow you to activate a particular game feature. Since the instructions for selecting menu items will vary, depending on the item you've chosen, please see the referenced section numbers for full details on accessing each of these major features. After selecting all desired options and/or changing game settings, press " (MENU) again to exit the Main Menu and return to game play. 4. OPTION MODE: ADD VARIETY TO YOUR GAMES! Want to explore all sorts of intriguing game options? Just take a look at Option Mode! First, learn how to select and activate these user-selectable options before or during game play, and then go on to learn about the individual options, as described in this section. Selecting Game Options Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu, and the display automatically shows ¿OPTION for Option Mode. Press ENTER to enter Option Mode, and you'll see the first of 11 options, as shown below. Press ¯ (or ) repeatedly to cycle through all the options: OPTION ...................... REFERENCE ......... DEFAULT DISPLAY Two Player Mode .......... Section 4.1 ........... player: P-C Search Algorithm ......... Section 4.2 ........... search: select Autobook Mode ............ Section 4.3 ........... book: on White at Top ................. Section 4.4 ........... top: black Countdown Clock ......... Section 4.5 ........... clock: up Ticking Sound .............. Section 4.6 ........... ticks: off Coach Mode ................. Section 4.7 ........... coach: off Sound On/Off ............... Section 4.8 ........... sound: on LCD Contrast ............... Section 4.9 ........... contrast: 3 LCD Speed ................... Section 4.10 ......... LCD speed: 2 Automove Mode ........... Section 4.11 ......... automove: on To turn an option on/off or to select option settings (if any), press ENTER when the option is displayed. Pressing ENTER repeatedly will cycle through all choices for the displayed option. When your choice is displayed, either press ¯ or to go on to a different option, or press ` (CLEAR) to return to the Main Menu, and then " (MENU) to return to normal game play. For details on each of these options, see the referenced section numbers. Note: When you reset the computer 11 ENGLISH for a new game, most of your selected options are carried over to the next game. The only exception is Two Player Mode, which automatically returns to Player vs. Computer when you start a new game. 4.1 Two Player Mode Options: player: P-C (Player vs. Computer) player: P-P (Player vs. Player) Normally, the computer automatically answers with a countermove after you enter your move. If you activate player: P-P, however, you can enter any number of moves one by one, without allowing the computer to answer. This feature can be used in a number of interesting ways: · Play through master games. Press ENTER to see what the computer would do in any position! · Keep records of your own chess games. When a game is over, play to certain board positions to see how other moves or different strategies might have affected the outcome. · Study opening lines by entering them manually. · Play against a friend, with the computer acting as a referee. The computer will check all moves for legality and keep track of the time for both sides. If you're playing against another person and you want to see what the computer would do in your position, press ENTER to have the computer make your next move. After the computer has moved, Two Player Mode remains in effect, and you can continue your game. Note that this option automatically reverts to its default setting of Player vs. Computer whenever you reset for a new game. 4.2 Search Algorithm Options: search: select / brute The program in this chess computer normally uses a Selective Search algorithm. In this particular type of search, the computer concentrates mainly on those moves most likely to be successful, allowing it to see combinations that might otherwise take much longer to compute. You can also switch over to the somewhat slower but very powerful Brute Force algorithm, which can minimize the risk of an occasional oversight. 4.3 Autobook Mode Options: book: on / off This unique feature actually monitors your play during the opening 12 1. Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu. The display will show ¿OPTION. 2. Press ENTER to enter Option Mode. For this example, let's pick the Ticking Clock Option. 3. Press ¯ five times, until the display shows ticks: off. 4. Press ENTER to turn this option on, and the display changes to ticks:on. 5. Press ` (CLEAR) to exit Option Mode, press " (MENU) to exit Menu Mode--and the simulated ticking will start! Note: To turn this option off again, repeat the above steps. For more details, see Section 4.6. phase of the game--and then gives you the opportunity to practice those openings which are giving you the most trouble. It's like having your own personal "Adaptive Opening Coach"! With the Autobook option on, the computer will watch your opening moves as you play. The next time you end up with a bad position a few moves after the end of an opening variation, the computer will "remember" that particular opening line. In the future, then, the computer will play that same opening whenever possible. This allows you to try out different moves and strategies, in an attempt to become more familiar with that opening, and thereby strengthen your play! 4.4 White at Top Options: top: black / white Want to depart from the usual standard and have the computer play the White pieces from the top of the board? Then try out this feature by selecting top: white at the beginning of a new game! Start your game by pressing ENTER, and the computer will make the first move for White from the top of the board. Note: When the computer plays White from the top of the board, you'll notice that the Kings and Queen are positioned differently, and the board notation is automatically reversed. 13 ENGLISH PRACTICE SETTING AN OPTION 4.5 Countdown Clock Options: clock: up / down Normally, the computer defaults to the clock: up option, displaying the elapsed time. Activating the Countdown Clock option, however, will display the remaining time instead. Here's how to differentiate between the clocks symbols at a glance: Countdown Clocks (White/Black) Note that the Countdown Clock option is only available in combination with the Tournament and Speed Chess Levels. 4.6 Ticking Sound Options: ticks: off / on Turning this option on will activate a ticking sound that simulates a chess clock. You can create the atmosphere of a championship chess tournament in your very own living room! 4.7 Coach Mode Options: coach: off / novice / inter. / adv. Activating Coach Mode allows the computer to look over your shoulder while you play, watching what you do and offering help if you need it! In this unique capacity, the computer might warn you if you are in danger of losing a piece, or if it thinks your move is about to lead to an avoidable material loss. You may see displays like Your Queen is in jeopardy! or Watch your Knight!. If you stand to benefit from a particular situation, you might even see He's giving you a big chance!. Sometimes, the computer will also ask you to confirm or cancel an obviously illogical move. If you choose to cancel, your move will be taken back and you can try another! To choose one of the Coach options, press ENTER repeatedly until your desired level is displayed. Once you exit Option Mode and return to game play, the last displayed Coach option will automatically be in effect. The following are the available settings. · coach: off: No coaching features are activated. · coach: novice: Here, the computer assumes that you are familiar with many tactical and strategic concepts, so it will only make you aware of less obvious and more advanced concepts, such as sacrifices and combinations. 14 [/] {/} Countup Clocks (White/Black) · coach: intermediate: In this case, the computer gives the amount of assistance it deems appropriate for players who can see the most obvious points, but who also need to be made aware of others. · coach: advanced: This setting will give warnings and advice whenever the computer feels they're necessary, such as when you commit a blunder or if a piece is in jeopardy. When Coach Mode is activated, the computer will sound intermittent beeps during your turn as White, as a reminder that it's waiting for you to make a move. 4.8 Sound On/Off Options: sound: on / off Selecting one of these sound settings gives you the option of playing chess with or without sound effects. 4.9 LCD Contrast Options: contrast: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 This option allows you to adjust the contrast of the LCD display, with 1 being the lightest, and 5 the darkest. If you find that the default setting of 3 is too light or too dark to read comfortably, change it by pressing ENTER repeatedly, until your desired setting is displayed. 4.10 LCD Speed Options: LCD speed: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 You can control the scrolling speed of the LCD display by setting this option, with 1 being the slowest, and 4 the fastest. If you find that the default setting of 2 is too slow or too fast to read comfortably, you can change it by pressing ENTER repeatedly, until your desired setting is displayed. 4.11 Automove Mode Options: automove: on / off Normally, when the computer makes a move, it briefly flashes its piece on the from and to squares, and then automatically makes the move on the board. If you change to automove: off, however, the computer will announce its moves as usual--but it will be up to you to move the computer's pieces on the board. After the computer has announced its move, it will flash its piece on the from square. Press the flashing piece, and it will then move to the to square. Press the to square to complete the computer's move. 15 ENGLISH 5. LEVEL MODE: CHOOSE FROM 100 LEVELS Your chess computer has 100 unique playing levels to choose from. The levels are divided into two basic groups: · FUN LEVELS (1-60): These levels offer beginners and average players a chance to build their chess skills. On many of the Fun Levels, you'll see the computer make mistakes on purpose--just so you can learn from it! · COMPETITION LEVELS (61-100): These levels are geared towards intermediate and more advanced players. Included are levels for casual and tournament play, problem solving, speed chess, and even special levels for experimentation. As you are selecting levels, keep in mind that when the computer has more time to think about its moves, it becomes stronger and plays better--just like a human chess player! Setting a Playing Level Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu, and press ¯ until the display shows ¿LEVEL. Press ENTER to enter Level Mode, and you'll see the currently selected level, as in <00:05/move> (the default level on the first power up). To change the level, press or ¯ to increase/decrease the levels by one, or use your stylus to press > or < to increase/decrease the levels by ten. Note that pressing and holding down or ¯ will automatically increase/decrease the levels one at a time, until you stop pressing the key. When your desired level is displayed, press ENTER to enter that level selection into the computer. The display will confirm with Level changed, and you'll go back to the Main Menu. Press " (MENU) to return to game play. If you enter Level Mode to verify the level, but you don't actually want to change levels, press ` (CLEAR) to go back to the Main Menu. Once you exit the Main Menu with " (MENU), you'll return to your game without changing the level or clock settings. Please also note the following regarding level selection: · The level can be changed whenever it's your turn to move. · Changing the level always resets the chess clocks. · If you change levels while the computer is thinking, the computer will abort its search and reset the clock. 16 1. Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu. The display will show ¿OPTION. 2. Press ¯ one time, and the display will show ¿LEVEL. 3. Press ENTER to enter Level Mode, and the current level is displayed. Refer to Section 5, if necessary, to identify the current level. 4. Let's find Speed Chess Level 81. Press or ¯ to increase or decrease the levels by one; press > or < to increase or decrease the levels by ten. Watch the display for < 5 min/game >. 5. When you see < 5 min/game >, press ENTER. Then, press " (MENU) to exit Menu Mode, and you're ready to try out your new level. For more details, see Section 5. FUN LEVELS 5.1 Fun Levels Level Description Display 1 ................................ Fun Level 1 ................ 2 ................................ Fun Level 2 ................ 3 ................................ Fun Level 3 ................ ...all the way up to... 58 ............................... Fun Level 58 .............. 59 ............................... Fun Level 59 .............. 60 ............................... Fun Level 60 .............. The Fun Levels are meant primarily for beginners and younger players. On these levels, this computer is much more "human" than most other chess computers--it gives everyone a chance to win, in a world where chess machines are typically relentless and often quite difficult to beat. Although the general consensus seems to be that computers never make mistakes, on some of these levels, this computer actually does! Handicaps are built into these levels, demonstrating common mistakes made by beginners. You may see the computer deliberately ignore the material worth of pieces, and ignore key concepts such as 17 ENGLISH CHANGING THE LEVEL: IT'S EASY! pawn structure, centrality, mobility, and King safety. It may overlook or walk into mates, develop its Queen too early, or make impulsive captures and checks. Chess books often advise of basic rules, yet players see their opponents breaking the rules and getting away with it. The Fun Levels provide a way to practice punishment of these typical mistakes, enabling the beginner to strengthen his game against the human opponents he's likely to face. On some of the weaker Fun Levels, the computer will not only leave pieces unguarded, but it might actually try to lose material. As the levels get higher, they give away material less consistently. They progressively start to consider the material worth of pieces more and more, and eventually only occasionally give pieces away. On the upper Fun Levels, the computer won't actually give away material, but it will play more like a beginner who has learned the basics of the game. You might still see it make errors such as opening itself up to threats of check or checkmate. Why not explore all the Fun Levels--and learn from the computer's mistakes. COMPETITION LEVELS 5.2 Casual Play Levels Level Average Time per Move Display 61 ................... 1 second per move ................... <00:01/move> 62 ................... 2 seconds per move ................. <00:02/move> 63 ................... 5 seconds per move ................. <00:05/move> 64 ................. 10 seconds per move ................. <00:10/move> 65 ................. 15 seconds per move ................. <00:15/move> 66 ................. 30 seconds per move ................. <00:30/move> 67 ................. 45 seconds per move ................. <00:45/move> 68 ................... 1 minute per move .................... <01:00/move> 69 ................... 2 minutes per move .................. <02:00/move> 70 ................... 3 minutes per move .................. <03:00/move> When you choose one of the above levels, you're selecting an average response time for the computer. Note that the response times are averaged over a large number of moves. In the opening and the endgame, the computer will tend to play faster, but in complicated middlegame positions, it may take longer to move. 5.3 Tournament Levels Level Number Moves/Total Time Display 71 ............ 40 moves in 1 hour 20 min. ............ < 40 in 1:20 > 72 ............ 40 moves in 1 hour 30 min. ............ < 40 in 1:30 > 73 ............ 35 moves in 1 hour 45 min. ............ < 35 in 1:45 > 18 74 ............ 40 moves in 1 hour 45 min. ............ < 40 in 1:45 > 75 ............ 35 moves in 1 hour 30 min. ............ < 35 in 1:30 > 76 ............ 40 moves in 2 hours ....................... < 40 in 2:00 > 77 ............ 45 moves in 2 hours 30 min. ........... < 45 in 2:30 > 78 ............ 50 moves in 2 hours. ...................... < 50 in 2:00 > 79 ............ 40 moves in 2 hours 30 min. ........... < 40 in 2:30 > 80 ............ 40 moves in 3 hours ....................... < 40 in 3:00 > The Tournament Levels require you to make a certain number of moves within a specific amount of time. If a player exceeds the allotted time for a given number of moves, the display will indicate this, and the game is over. As described previously in Section 2.5, this computer utilizes a Self-Rating system whenever you play Tournament Level games. After a Tournament game has ended and you press NEW GAME twice to reset the unit, the computer will briefly display your rating before going on to the new game display. If you miss the rating display, you can press HINT/INFO five times to see the rating again at any time. To clear the display, press ` (CLEAR). If you reset the computer for a new game during a Tournament game, before the game has actually ended, the computer will allow you to dictate the outcome, as follows: · Display = Rate as draw?. If you press ENTER, the rating will be displayed. If you press : · Display = Rate as win?. If you press ENTER, the rating will be displayed. If you press : · Display = Machine wins?. If you press ENTER, the rating will be displayed. If you press : The display will cycle back to Rate as draw?. In order to obtain a rating, you must answer one of the above questions with ENTER. If you do not want the game to be rated for any reason, press ` (CLEAR) in answer to any of the above questions. The computer will confirm by displaying Game not rated. 5.4 Speed Chess Levels Level Total Time per Game Display 81 .............. 5 minutes per game ................... < 5 min/game> 82 .............. 7 minutes per game ................... < 7 min/game> 83 .............. 10 minutes per game ................... <10 min/game> 19 ENGLISH 84 .............. 15 minutes per game ................... <15 min/game> 85 .............. 20 minutes per game ................... <20 min/game> 86 .............. 30 minutes per game ................... <30 min/game> 87 .............. 45 minutes per game ................... <45 min/game> 88 .............. 60 minutes per game ................... <60 min/game> 89 .............. 90 minutes per game ................... <90 min/game> 90 ............ 100 minutes per game ................... <100 min/game> On the Speed Chess Levels, you set the total time for the whole game. If the game time is exceeded, the computer displays which side has lost on time, as in White time out. For these levels, you may want to activate the Countdown Clock option to show the countdown time instead of the elapsed time (see Section 4.5). 5.5 Problem Solving Levels Level Problem Display 91 .................... Mate in 1 move ....................... < Mate in 1 > 92 .................... Mate in 2 moves ..................... < Mate in 2 > 93 .................... Mate in 3 moves ..................... < Mate in 3 > 94 .................... Mate in 4 moves ..................... < Mate in 4 > 95 .................... Mate in 5 moves ..................... < Mate in 5 > 96 .................... Mate in 6 moves ..................... < Mate in 6 > 97 .................... Mate in 7 moves ..................... < Mate in 7 > 98 .................... Mate in 8 moves ..................... < Mate in 8 > Selecting one of these levels activates a special mate finder program. If you have a position where there may be a mate and you would like the computer to find it, set the computer on one of the Problem Solving Levels. Your computer can solve mates in up to eight moves. Mates in one to five are usually found quite quickly, whereas solutions taking six to eight moves may take quite some time. If there is no mate present or the computer cannot find a mate, it will briefly display No move found!. Continue to play, if desired, by switching to another level. 5.6 Tactical Level Level Description Display 99 ............ Tactical Play (no time limit) ............. < Tactical > On the Tactical Level, the computer's goal is to find the best tactical sequence more quickly than it would on a normal playing level. The computer will search indefinitely until it finds a win of two pawns or more, or until you stop the search by pressing ENTER. The Tactical Level is great for experimentation, since it lets the computer concentrate fully on special tactical positions! 20 5.7 Infinite Level Level Description Display 100 ................ Infinite (no time limit) .................. < Infinite > On the Infinite Level, the computer searches indefinitely until it finds a forced mate, or until you stop the search by pressing ENTER. If the search is halted, the computer makes the move it currently thinks is best. Try experimenting with this level--set up special board positions and let the computer analyze them for you! It will think for hours and even days on end, trying to find the best possible move. 6. TAKEBACK MODE: TAKE BACK MOVES When you're playing chess against this computer, nothing is ever "set in stone"--you can change your mind or decide to play a different move whenever you'd like! When it's your turn to move, simply press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu, and press ¯ repeatedly until the display shows ¿TAKEBACK. Press ENTER to enter Takeback Mode, and you'll see the last move that was made. To take that move back, press ¯, and the move will be retracted on the board. The display will then show the next move to be taken back. You may continue to press ¯ to take back any number of moves, all the way back to the beginning of the game, if desired. If you reach the beginning, the display will show End takebacks, and you'll automatically be returned to the Main Menu. Note that, as long as you don't go back to the very start of the game, you can always press to go forward through the moves again, if desired. To resume your game at any point with the current board position, press ` (CLEAR) and then " (MENU). As a shortcut to entering Takeback Mode, you can also simply press on the to square of the last move that was made. The display will briefly show TAKEBACK, and it will then show the last move that was made. To take the move back, press ¯. As above, repeated presses of ¯ will take more moves back, if desired. To resume game play at any point, press ` (CLEAR). 7. INFO MODE: WATCH THE COMPUTER THINK Imagine this: You're playing chess against a friend, and it's his move. You'd love to know what move he's considering and you'd really like his opinion of the current board position. But, of course, you won't ask--because that's just not done! Well, guess what--when you play against this chess computer, you can ask anything you want, and 21 ENGLISH you'll get all the answers! In fact, you can obtain an incredible amount of information about the computer's thought process, and studying this information can help you learn so much more about the game. You may access game information at any time via Info Mode. As described below, you can call up this information manually by pressing HINT/INFO, or you can select Info Mode options to be displayed automatically, every time the computer is considering its next move. Automatic Info Displays Activating any or all of the following Info Mode options causes the computer to automatically display that information every time it thinks about its move--you can actually watch the computer "think out loud"! Important: Info Mode options selected for automatic display are only activated while the computer is thinking! Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu, and press ¯ repeatedly until the display shows ¿INFO. Press ENTER to enter Info Mode, and you'll see the first of five options, as shown below. Pressing ¯ (or ) repeatedly cycles through these options, as follows: · Show Moves: Shows the computer's predicted line of play, up to four individual moves. See Section 7.1. Options: 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 moves · Show Nodes: Shows the number of nodes (positions) searched per second. See Section 7.2. Options: nodes: off / on · Show Time per Move: Shows the time used so far for the current move. See Section 7.3. Options: time/move: off / on · Show Progress: Shows the computer's search depth and the move currently being considered. See Section 7.4. Options: progress: off / on · Show Evaluation: Shows the score for the current position. See Section 7.2. Options: evaluation: off / on To turn an option on/off or to select option settings (if any), press ENTER when the option is displayed. Pressing ENTER repeatedly will cycle through all choices for the displayed option. When your desired choice is displayed, either press ¯ or to go on to a different option, or press ` (CLEAR) to go back to the Main Menu, and then " (MENU) to return to normal game play. For full details on each of these options, see the referenced section numbers. 22 AN OUTLINE OF INFO MODE PRINCIPAL VARIATION INFORMATION: HINT/INFO · · · · Predicted line of play: Move 1 Predicted line of play: Move 2 Predicted line of play: Move 3 Predicted line of play: Move 4 SEARCH INFORMATION: HINT/INFO · Position evaluation (score) · Search depth; and Move currently being considered (if computer is thinking) · Elapsed time for current move; and Number of nodes searched per second (if computer is thinking) CHESS CLOCK INFORMATION: HINT/INFO · Elapsed time for both sides · Remaining time for both sides* *Speed Chess/Tournament Levels only MOVE COUNT INFORMATION: HINT/INFO · Current move number + last move made · Backwards and forwards through moves of current game RATING INFORMATION: HINT/INFO · ELO rating (after a Tournament Level game has been played) 23 ENGLISH You may turn on any or all of the above Info Mode Options. If you activate more options than will fit in the display at one time, the display will scroll continuously while the computer considers its next move. If the display is scrolling too quickly, change the LCD Speed, as noted in Section 4.10. You can also press GO/STOP to pause the display, and then press ` (CLEAR) to resume the scrolling. When the requested information is not available, the display will show --x--. Manual Info Displays Press HINT/INFO at any time, and the first move of the computer's predicted line of play will be shown (as described in Section 7.1). Game information is divided into several different groups, and pressing HINT/INFO repeatedly cycles from one group to another. The and ¯ keys can then be used to cycle through the displays within each group. Note that each of the groups is discussed in detail below. Press ` (CLEAR) to return to the normal clock display. 7.1 Principal Variation When you first press HINT/INFO, you'll see the first move of the principal variation (the computer's predicted line of play), displayed as in Ply1: b1-c3. A "ply" is an individual move, or a move for either side, and the computer's search depth is described in terms of the number of ply it looks ahead. On a two-ply search, for example, the computer will look ahead two individual moves (one move for Black and one for White). Note that this first ply display can also be used as a hint, since this is the move the computer is expecting you to make. If you check this display while the computer is thinking, you'll see the move the computer is currently considering. If you check it during your turn, you'll see the move the computer is expecting you to make next. In either case, pressing repeatedly cycles through the rest of the moves in the predicted line of play, up to four ply: · Predicted line of play: Move 1 · Predicted line of play: Move 2 · Predicted line of play: Move 3 · Predicted line of play: Move 4 7.2 Search Information After pressing HINT/INFO to access Info Mode, press it again to see information about the computer's search. The initial display will show the current score; pressing repeatedly cycles through the rest of the information: 24 · The current score: A numerical evaluation of the current position, based on a pawn being worth 1.0 points; a positive number indicates that White is ahead. Example: If White is winning by two pawns, the display will show Score: +2.0. Note that the score is not valid on the Problem Solving Levels. · Two-part display: (a) The current search depth, or the number of individual moves the computer is looking ahead. For example: If the computer is looking ahead 439 individual moves, you'll see d:4 39, with the d: standing for depth. (b) The move being considered (if the computer is currently thinking). · Two-part display: (a) The time used so far for the current move. (b) The number of nodes, or positions, being searched per second (if the computer is currently thinking). 7.3 Chess Clock Information After pressing HINT/INFO to access Info Mode, press it two more times to see chess clock information. The display will show the total elapsed time for both sides. Notice that the chess clock symbol in the middle portrays the current side to move and the type of clock in use. Pressing will cycle through two displays, as shown below: · Total elapsed time for White/Black (Countup Clock) White to move [, Black to move ]. · Total remaining time for White/Black (Countdown Clock: Problem Solving/Speed Chess Levels only) White to move {, Black to move }. If the Countdown Clock is not currently activated, the second display will simply show a blank clock (--:--{--:--). The clocks will stop for various reasons during a game, such as if you take back a move, check level settings, select options, set up a position, or turn the computer off. The times are retained in memory, however, and the clocks resume as soon as play is continued. Whenever you change playing levels or reset the computer for a new game, the clocks are always set back to zero. 7.4 Move Count/Game Moves After pressing HINT/INFO to access Info Mode, press it three more times to see the current move number and the last move made. You can then press ¯ to cycle back through the moves of your game, if desired, or press to go forward again at any point. This gives you an opportunity to go back and write down the moves of a game that turns out to be unexpectedly great! 25 ENGLISH · Current move number and last move made. · Moves of the current game. 7.5 Rating Display After pressing HINT/INFO to access Info Mode, press it four more times to see your current rating. Note that the ratings are based on Tournament Level play, as described in Section 5.3. 8. SETUP MODE: CHANGE THE BOARD Setup Mode allows you to set up special board positions to play from, or problems you would like the computer to solve! Caution: All moves in your current game will be erased if you make changes to the board position during a game. You may change or set up a board position whenever it's your turn to move. Press " (MENU), and press ¯ repeatedly until the display shows ¿SETUP. Press ENTER to enter Setup Mode, and you'll see a display showing the color and piece symbols (,,iKQRBNP). · To remove a piece from the board, simply press on the piece and it will disappear from the board. · To move a piece from one square to another, press on the piece, causing it to disappear. Then, press on the new square, and the piece will appear in that location. · To add a piece to the board, first press directly on the displayed color and piece symbol for the piece you want to add, and then press the square where you'd like to add the piece. To add another piece of the same type and color, simply press down on another square. To add a different piece, press another piece and/or color symbol, and follow the same steps as above. · To clear the board, press ` (CLEAR) while in Setup Mode. The display will ask for confirmation with Clear board?. Press ENTER, and the display will show Cleared. You can then add any number of pieces, as described above. If you decide you don't want to clear the board after all, simply press ` (CLEAR) again to cancel, and you'll see Not cleared. Note that this feature can be handy for setting up positions with only a few pieces, where it would be easier to start out with an empty board! · Once you have changed the position as described above, note that the color for the side to move is determined by the color of the last piece you set up. Change the color, if necessary, by 26 pressing either i for Black or ,, for White. · To exit Setup Mode, press ENTER. When the computer asks for confirmation with New position?, press ENTER to return to normal play with your new board setup. New position! confirms this. If you press ` (CLEAR), the display will show Resume, and you'll remain in Setup Mode. Note that any legal board position can be set up using the above procedures. The computer will not permit you to set up an illegal position, such as one where there are more than the prescribed number of pieces for a normal game, or one where a King is in check and is not to move. In such cases, after you press ENTER to exit Setup Mode and then ENTER to confirm, the computer will display Illegal. You cannot exit Setup Mode until you have set up a legal board position. If you enter Setup Mode, but you haven't yet made any changes to the board, you can exit by pressing ENTER. The display will confirm with unchanged, and you'll be returned to the Main Menu. Press " (MENU) again to return to normal game play. 9. STUDY MODE: TRY TESTING YOURSELF! Looking for a terrific learning tool? You'll definitely want to try out Study Mode! Eight famous games are built right into your computer, each containing eight critical points--for a total of 64 different Study Positions. It's up to you to play through the games and make the correct moves that were played for the winning side in the original games. This feature offers great potential for improving your chess knowledge, while allowing you to learn about making the best move in a particular position. And, to make this feature even more exciting, the computer will actually score your performance as you go. By the way, if you need help solving any of the Study Positions, simply refer to the Appendix for a complete listing of all the Study Mode Games. Remember, though, that these games are included as a reference tool--and you'll only be cheating yourself if you look at the solutions before trying to solve the Study Positions on your own! Selecting Study Positions Tip: You can also select the Study Positions by pressing certain board squares, as described later on in this section. Press " (MENU) to enter the Main Menu, and press ¯ (or ) repeatedly until the display shows ¿STUDY. Press ENTER to enter 27 ENGLISH Study Mode, and you'll see the first Study Position, < Study1-1 >. To change the Study Position, press or ¯ to increase/decrease the studies by one, or use your stylus to press > or < to increase/decrease the studies by eight. When your desired Study Position is displayed, press ENTER, and the display will confirm with Start Study?. Pressing ENTER at this point will start the Study Game, as described below, or pressing ` (CLEAR) will cancel and return you to the main Study Mode display. After pressing ENTER, the computer will automatically start making the moves of the selected Study Game. As soon as the first Study Position is reached, the display will briefly show Your Move, and the clock will start. Time for you to guess the move that was played in that position in the original game! Here's how it works: · There is only one "correct" move per Study Position. · Once the Study Position has been reached, the displayed color symbol indicates which side is to move. · If you make the correct move, Well Done will be displayed. The computer will then make the next moves in the game, eventually stopping at the next Study Position to be solved. · If you make the wrong move, you'll see Wrong Move displayed briefly, and then Quit Study?. · To remain in Study Mode and try another move, press ` (CLEAR). Points will be deducted for the incorrect guess, your piece will go back to its original square, and you can make a different move. · To exit Study Mode and continue a normal game using the move you played, press ENTER. The computer will start thinking about its next move. · Scoring: Each time you solve a Study Position correctly, points are added to your score. You'll get full points if you solve the Study Position on the first try. For each incorrect move you make before finding the correct move, your score will be cut in half. If you reach zero points at any time, however, your score will remain there, no matter how many more moves you try. · To check your current score, press HINT/INFO twice. Note that the first press will show the last move that was made for the other side. Pressing ` (CLEAR) will cancel the score display. If you solve a Study Game ending in checkmate, Checkmate! will remain in the display after a series of congratulatory messages. At this point, you can (a) reset for a new game, (b) use Info Mode to document the moves by tracing back through them (as described in 28 USE THE BOARD TO SELECT STUDY POSITIONS! ENGLISH For an easy method of selecting a Study Position, simply enter Study Mode and press one of the corresponding board squares, as shown below. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1-8 1-7 1-6 1-5 1-4 1-3 1-2 1-1 a 2-8 2-7 2-6 2-5 2-4 2-3 2-2 2-1 b 3-8 3-7 3-6 3-5 3-4 3-3 3-2 3-1 c 4-8 4-7 4-6 4-5 4-4 4-3 4-2 4-1 d 5-8 5-7 5-6 5-5 5-4 5-3 5-2 5-1 e 6-8 6-7 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-1 f 7-8 7-7 7-6 7-5 7-4 7-3 7-2 7-1 g 8-8 8-7 8-6 8-5 8-4 8-3 8-2 8-1 h Section 7.4), or (c) take back any of the moves and resume a normal game from any position. If you solve the last Study Position in a game, but the game has not actually ended, the display will show End Game, and the computer will automatically start thinking about the next move, allowing you to continue the game normally. Using the Board for Selection Each Study Position can also be activated individually by pressing the corresponding board square. As shown in the Study Mode Chart, each of the 64 squares represents one Study Position. Enter Study 29 Mode by pressing " (MENU) and ¯ (or ) until ¿STUDY is displayed, and then pressing ENTER. Next, refer to the chart and press one of the board squares to select that Study Position. Press ENTER, and the display will confirm with Start Study?. Press ENTER again, and the Study Game will start, as described previously. 10. NEED HELP? LOOK HERE! For troubleshooting purposes, we've compiled the following list of situations you might encounter, along with some possible solutions. a. The computer doesn't react, behaves erratically, or "freezes" during a game. · Reinsert the batteries, or replace them with fresh alkalines. · Static discharge may have caused a lock-up. Press into the hole marked ACL to reset the unit (see Section 11.1). b. The display is dim and/or difficult to read. · Replace the batteries with fresh alkalines. · Select a different LCD Contrast Option (see Section 4.9). c. I've activated some automatic Info Displays to watch the computer think, but the display is scrolling too quickly. · Select a different LCD Speed option (see Section 4.10). · Press GO/STOP to pause the scrolling display at any time; press ` (CLEAR) to resume scrolling. d. The computer won't make a move. · The unit only responds automatically if Two Player Mode is set to player: P-C for Player vs. Computer (see Section 4.1). · You might be on a level where the computer thinks for a long time. You can force it to move, if desired, by pressing ENTER. e. The computer won't accept my move. · You're attempting to make an illegal move. Check the rules. · Is your King in check? Will your move put your King into check? Are you castling incorrectly? Review the position. · Is it your turn? If the color symbol is flashing, the computer is thinking. Press ENTER to interrupt, if desired. f. The board notation is reversed when I make moves. Why? · You have the white: top option activated. Go into Option Mode and change to black: top (see Section 4.4). g. I just reset for a new game, but the computer is showing Rate as draw? instead of resetting itself. · You've interrupted a Tournament Level game, and you need to tell the computer how you want the game to be rated. For details, see Section 5.3. 30 h. The computer has displayed its move, but its piece is flashing and the move hasn't been made on the board. · When the Automove Option is turned off, you have to move the computer's pieces on the board. To turn Automove back on, refer to Section 4.11. i. The computer is displaying No Move Found! instead of making a move. · You're on a Problem Solving Level and the computer hasn't found a mate. If you're not trying to solve a mate problem, switch to a normal playing level (see Section 5). j. I'm trying to exit the Main Menu by pressing ` (CLEAR), but I'm getting an error beep. · You're pressing the wrong key! The only way to exit the Main Menu is by pressing " (MENU). k. The computer is beeping intermittently even though it's my turn to move. · When Coach Mode is activated, the computer will sound reminder beeps during your turn. l. The computer isn't beeping when it moves. · Go into Option Mode to turn the sound on (see Section 4.8). m.The computer won't allow me to exit Setup Mode. · You've set up an illegal position (e.g., a King may be in check, there may be too many pawns on the board, etc.). Change the board to set up a valid position (see Section 8). 11. TECHNICAL DETAILS 11.1 The ACL Function Computers sometimes "lock up" due to static discharge or other electrical disturbances. If this should happen, use a pin 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. 11.2 Care and Maintenance Your computer is a precision electronic device, and should not be subjected to rough handling or exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture. Do not use chemical agents or liquids to clean the unit, as they may damage the plastic. Be sure to remove the batteries before cleaning the unit. Weak batteries should be replaced promptly, since they can leak and damage the computer. Please also note the following, regarding 31 ENGLISH the use of batteries. Caution: Use only alkaline or zinc carbon batteries. Do not mix different types of batteries or new and used batteries. Do not recharge non-rechargeable batteries. Use only recommended batteries or equivalent. Be sure to observe the correct polarity when inserting the batteries. Worn out batteries should be removed from the unit promptly. Do not short circuit the supply terminals. 11.3 Technical Specifications Keys: 8 Chessboard: 9x8 contact membrane (touch panel) LCD Display: 11-character dot matrix, 68 x 79 mm Batteries: 3 x AAA/AM4/R03 Dimensions: 128 x 87 x 22 mm Weight: 200 grams Please retain this information for future reference. Saitek reserves the right to make technical changes without notice in the interest of progress. 32 CONDITIONS OF WARRANTY 1. Warranty period is 2 years from date of purchase with proof of purchase submitted. 2. Operating instructions must be followed. 3. Product must not have been damaged as a result of defacement, misuse, abuse, neglect, accident, destruction or alteration of the serial number, improper electrical voltages or currents, repair, alteration or maintenance by any person or party other than our own service facility or an authorized service center, use or installation of nonSaitek replacement parts in the product or the modification of this product in any way, or the incorporation of this product into any other products, or damage to the product caused by accident, fire, floods, lightning, or acts of God, or any use violative of instructions furnished by Saitek plc. 4. Obligations of Saitek shall be limited to repair or replacement with the same or similar unit, at our option. To obtain repairs under this warranty, present the product and proof of purchase (e.g., bill or invoice) to the authorized Saitek Technical Support Center (listed on the separate sheet packaged with this product) transportation charges prepaid. Any requirements that conflict with any state or Federal laws, rules and/or obligations shall not be enforceable in that particular territory and Saitek will adhere to those laws, rules, and/or obligations. 5. When returning the product for repair, please pack it very carefully, preferably using the original packaging materials. Please also include an explanatory note. 6. IMPORTANT: To save yourself unnecessary cost and inconvenience, please check carefully that you have read and followed the instructions in this manual. 7. This warranty is in Lieu of all other expressed warranties, obligations or liabilities. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, OBLIGATIONS, OR LIABILITIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTY. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not apply to you. IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF THIS OR ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHATSOEVER Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of special, incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Information for Customers in the United States: FCC Compliance and Advisory Statement Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: · Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. · Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. · Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. · Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Saitek Industries, 2295 Jefferson Street, Torrance, CA 90501, USA 33 ENGLISH SCHNELLSTART Folgen Sie diesen Schritten, um sofort eine Partie zu starten! 3 1 Legen SieSieAAA Batterien in das Gerät und beachten dabei die eingezeichnete 2 GO/STOP. 3 Drücken Siean folgen SieSchaltet sich das Gerät nicht den Schritten in Abschnitt 11.1. Polarität. Nehmen Sie den Stylus zur Hand. 3 x AAA (AM4/R03) 4 Drücken Sie 2mal kurz hintereinander NEW GAME. Stylus 5 Geben Sie die Züge mit Hilfe desund dasein ­ einfach kurz auf das AusgangsZielfeld drücken und die Eingabe ist ausgeführt. seinen Zug an, wird seine 6 Zeigt der Computerkurz blinken und der Zug gewünschte Figur NEW GAME x2 wird automatisch ausgeführt. Drücken Sie GO/STOP, um das Gerät iPd7-d5```` auszuschalten. Wird Stop? angezeigt, drücken Sie GO/STOP erneut ­ das Gerät ist abgeschaltet und unterbrochene Partien werden gespeichert! LERNEN SIE DIE SCHACHFIGUREN KENNEN! Weiss Weiss Weiss Weiss Weiss Weiss KÖNIG Schwarz DAME Schwarz TURM Schwarz LÄUFER Schwarz SPRINGER Schwarz BAUER Schwarz K` Q` R` 34 B` N` P` INHALTSANGABE SCHNELLSTART TASTEN UND FUNKTIONEN EINLEITUNG 1. DIE GRUNDLAGEN 1.1 Batterien einlegen, Anschalten 1.2 Spielbereit? So funktioniert es! 1.3 Computerzüge ausführen 1.4 Partie zu Ende? Starten Sie neu 1.5 Zu einfach/schwierig? Ändern Sie die Spielstufe 2. WEITERE FUNKTIONEN 2.1 Wer ist am Zug? Prüfen Sie die Anzeige 2.2 Schlagzüge und Sonderregeln 2.3 Ungültige Züge 2.4 Schach, Matt und Remis 2.5 Lassen Sie Ihre Spielstärke bewerten 2.6 Sie benötigen Hilfe? Fragen Sie einfach! 2.7 Die Computersuche unterbrechen 2.8 Seitenwechsel mit dem Computer 2.9 Eröffunungsbücher 2.10 Die gegnerische Rechenzeit nutzen 2.11 Ausschalten/Spielstandspeicher 3. DAS HAUPTMENÜ 4. SPIELOPTIONEN Eine Option auswählen 4.1 2-Spieler-Modus 4.2 Suchalgorythmus 4.3 Eröffnungen 4.4 Weiss von oben spielen 4.5 Countdown-Anzeige 4.6 Uhrticken 4.7 Training 4.8 Sound An/Aus 35 4.9 LCD-Kontrast 4.10 LCD-Geschwindigkeit 4.11 Automatik 5. SPIELSTUFEN Eine Spielstufe einstellen 5.1 Spass-Stufen 5.2 Normale Spielstufen 5.3 Turnierstufen 5.4 Schnellpartien 5.5 Mattsuch-Stufen 5.6 Taktische Stufen 5.7 Analyse-Stufe 6. RÜCKNAHME VON ZÜGEN 7. SPIELINFORMATIONEN Automatische Anzeigen Manuell abrufbare Anzeigen 7.1 Grund-Varianten 7.2 Such-Informationen 7.3 Schachuhr-Informationen 7.4 Zugzähler/Spielzüge 7.5 Bewertung 8. POSITIONEN ÄNDERN ODER AUFBAUEN 9. TRAINING Lernen anhand von gespeicherten Stellungen Stellungen direkt aufrufen 10. SIE BENÖTIGEN HILFE? SCHAUEN SIE HIER NACH! 11. TECHNISCHE DETAILS 11.1 Die ACL-Funktion 11.2 Pflege und Wartung 11.3 Technische Spezifikation ANHANG: GESPEICHERTE PARTIEN DEUTSCH TASTEN UND FUNKTIONEN 1.GO/STOP: hiermit schalten Sie das Gerät an und aus. 2.SCHALTER FÜR VARIABLE HINTERGRUNDBELEUCHTUNG (Aus/ Mittel/Hell). 3.ACL (Reset): befindet sich auf der Unterseite des Geräts. Wird gebraucht, um eventuelle statische Aufladungen vom Gerät zu nehmen. 4.BATTERIEFACH: befindet sich auf der Unterseite. Bitte legen Sie 3 alkaline AAA Batterien ein. 5.TOUCH SCREEN SCHACHBRETT: drücken Sie einfach mit einem Stylus oder manuell auf ein Feld, um Eingaben vorzunehmen. 6.INFORMATIONSANZEIGE: Sie sehen Züge, Spielinformationen und Schachuhren. Darüber hinaus bietet das LCD Hilfe bei der Einstellung und Nutzung von Optionen, Spielstufen, Trainingsmodus etc. 7.NEW GAME: Achtung! Bitte dieses Taste kurz hintereinander 2mal drücken, um ein neues Spiel zu starten. 8." (MENU): hiermit gelangen Sie ins Menü bzw. verlassen dieses durch nochmaliges Drücken. ENTER MENU CLEAR 9.ENTER: hiermit bestätigen Sie Einstellungen oder geben Züge ein. 10.¯ TASTE: blättern Sie durch Optionen, Spielstufen, Informationen oder nutzen Sie diese Taste zur Rücknahme von Zügen. 11.` (CLEAR): hiermit verlassen Sie Modi zum Einstellen von Optionen, Informationen, Spielstufen etc. Wir gehen in der Anleitung noch genauer auf diese Taste ein. 12.HINT/INFO: rufen Sie Hinweise über diese Taste ab. Oder blättern Sie durch angezeigte Informationen. 13. TASTE: blättern Sie durch Optionen, Spielstufen, Informationen oder nutzen Sie diese Taste zur Rücknahme von Zügen. 14.STYLUS AUFBEWAHRUNG: schieben Sie den Stylus nach Gebrauch einfach in das Gerät. 15.STYLUS: hiermit führen Sie Züge aus ­ drücken Sie einfach mit Hilfe dieses Stiftes auf die Felder. 16.AUFBEWAHRUNGSTASCHE 36 1. DIE GRUNDLAGEN 1.1 Batterien einlegen, Anschalten Ihr neuer Schachcomputer benötigt 3 AAA (AM4/R03) Batterien. Legen Sie diese gemäss der eingezeichneten Polarität ein. Wir empfehlen neue, alkaline Batterien für eine längere Lebensdauer. Schalten Sie das Gerät an, indem Sie GO/STOP drücken. Reagiert der Computer nicht, setzen Sie Ihn über die ACL-Funktion zurück. Drücken Sie mit einer Büroklammer für 3 Sekunden in die Vertiefung ACL. Dies nimmt die Aufladung vom Computer. Um Energie zu sparen, schaltet sich das Gerät automatisch ab, wenn Sie 20 Minuten keine Eingabe machen 1.2 Spielbereit? So funktioniert es! Folgen Sie diesen Schritten, um zu starten: a. Drücken Sie GO/STOP, um den Computer anzuschalten. b. Drücken Sie 2mal NEW GAME, um eine neue Partie zu starten. Drücken Sie nicht zu lange auf die Taste, sondern nur kurze Zeit. Für eine neue Partie zeigt der Computer New Game und dann das Symbol für Weiss (,,) sowie die Schachuhr mit 00:00:00 an. c. Um einen Zug einzugeben, drücken Sie den Stylus auf das Ausgangsfeld. Der Computer registriert, welche Figur Sie ziehen möchten. Sie können auch mit dem Finger auf ein Feld drücken. d. Dann drücken Sie mit dem Stylus (oder Finger) auf das Zielfeld. Sie hören einen Signalton als Bestätigung. Nun ist der Computer 37 DEUTSCH EINLEITUNG Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Erwerb Ihres Schachcomputers! Der Mephisto Maestro Travel Chess Computer wird Sie durch sein schickes Design mit direkter, schneller Handhabung und einem starken Schachprogramm nicht nur unterhalten, sondern auch Ihr Schachspiel verbessern und jederzeit herausfordern. Sie erhalten Tipps in schwierigen Situationen, können Analysen abfragen oder Ihr Eröffnungs-Spiel verbessern. Sie werden Schach neu erleben! Neben aussergewöhnlichen Schachspiel-Fähigkeiten und einem großem Angebot an speziellen Optionen, bietet dieses schlanke Gerät einen komfortablen Berührungsbildschirm mit Hintergrundbeleuchtung für einen angenehme Partie. Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Spass! am Zug. Sie werden bemerken, dass der Computer manchmal sofort antwortet anstatt zu rechnen. Dies ist der Fall, wenn er aus der Eröffnungsbibliothek spielt (s. Abschnitt 2.9). 1.3 Computerzüge ausführen Ist der Computer am Zug, wird Thinking... angezeigt. Rechnet der Computer, blinkt das Symbol für Schwarz (i) im Display und die Zeit verstreicht. Ist die Rechnung beendet, hören Sie einen Ton. Sie sehen den Zug im LCD, z.B. iPe7-e5 und die Figur wird blinken. Wurde der Zug ausgeführt, sind Sie wieder an der Reihe. 1.4 Partie zu Ende? Starten Sie neu Bitte beachten Sie, dass mit NEW GAME eine aktuelle Partie gelöscht wird! Sobald Sie eine Partie beendet haben, drücken Sie einfach 2mal kurz hintereinander NEW GAME, um neu zu starten. Der Computer wird kurz New Game anzeigen. Die gewählte Spielstufe bleibt aktiv. Spielen Sie eine Turnierpartie, wird Ihre Spielstärkenbewertung in angezeigt. Brechen Sie diese Turnierpartie ab, erscheint eine Reihe von Fragen bezüglich Ihrer Bewertung. Details finden Sie in Abschnitt 2.5. 1.5 Zu einfach/schwierig? Ändern Sie die Spielstufe Wird der Computer zum ersten Mal angeschaltet, ist automatisch Spielstufe 63 eingestellt. Der Computer hat ca. 5 Sekunden Rechenzeit pro Zug. Sie können jedoch aus 100 Spielstufen auswählen! In Abschnitt 5 finden Sie alle Details hierfür. 2. WEITERE FUNKTIONEN 2.1 Wer ist am Zug? Prüfen Sie die Anzeige Sobald der Computer für Schwarz rechnet, blinkt ein schwarzes Quadrat in der Anzeige (i). Wurde der Computerzug ausgeführt, zeigt die Anzeige ein weisses Quadrat (,,). Das heisst, Sie sind am Zug mit den weissen Figuren. 2.2 Schlagzüge und Sonderregeln Bitte beachten Sie folgende Besonderheiten: Schlagzüge: werden mit x angezeigt, z.B. iPa7xb6. En Passant: Der Computer zeigt bei diesem Zug solange EP im 38 Display an, bis Sie auf das Feld des geschlagenen Bauern drücken und er somit vom Brett genommen ist. Rochade: Wird der Königszug zuerst gemacht, erkennt der Computer die Rochade automatisch. Nachdem Sie den König auf sein Ausgangs- und Zielfeld gedrückt haben, wird Ihr Zug angezeigt, bis Sie auch den Turmzug ausgeführt haben. Kurze Rochade wird als O-O, lange als O-O-O angezeigt. Bauernumwandlung: Wandeln Sie einen Bauern um, drücken Sie diesen zunächst nur auf sein Ausgangsfeld. Das Display zeigt dann die verfügbaren Figuren zur Umwandlung an (Q R B N). Um in eine Dame umzuwandeln, komplettieren Sie einfach Ihren Zug (=drücken Sie den Bauern auf sein Zielfeld). Um in Springer, Läufer oder Turm umzuwandeln, drücken Sie kurz auf das entsprechende Symbol und die Anzeige bestätigt Ihre Wahl kurz, z.B. mit Prom: rook. Drücken Sie erst dann den Bauern auf sein Zielfeld. Ändern Sie Ihre Meinung, können Sie den Zug abbrechen, indem Sie einfach nochmals auf das Ausgangsfeld des Bauern drücken. Wandelt der Computer um, wird er Ihnen die gewünschte Umwandlung anzeigen, sobald Sie seinen Bauern auf dessen Ausgangsfeld gedrückt haben z.B. iPh2-h1/Q. 2.3 Ungültige Züge Ihr Computer wird niemals einen ungültigen Zug akzeptieren! Versuchen Sie, einen auszuführen, hören Sie einen Signalton und das Display zeigt das Ausgangsfeld an. Um fortzufahren, stellen Sie die Figur zurück oder Sie führen einen regelkonformen Zug aus. Führen Sie den Computerzug nicht korrekt aus, hören Sie wieder den Signalton. Sie bewegen entweder die falsche Figur oder die richtige Figur auf ein falsches Feld. Drücken Sie ein Ausgangsfeld, wünschen jedoch, den Zug nicht zu machen, können Sie abbrechen, indem Sie wieder auf das gleiche Feld drücken. Nun können Sie einen völlig anderen Zug eingeben. Ändern Sie Ihre Meinung nachdem der Zug schon eingegeben ist, können Sie die Rücknahme aktivieren (s. Abschnitt 6). 2.4 Schach, Matt und Remis Steht ein König im Schach, zeigt der Computer seinen Zug zunächst wie gewöhnlich an. Nachdem der Zug gemacht wurde, zeigt der Computer das Schach mit Check an. Erkennt der Computer eine zwingende Mattführung, zeigt er dies mit z.B. Mate in 3 an. Endet eine Partie Schachmatt, wird Ihnen entweder gratuliert oder 39 DEUTSCH etwas Mitgefühl entgegengebracht. Im Display wird kurz Checkmate! gezeigt. Der Computer erkennt Remis durch Patt, 3-malige Wiederholung und 50-Züge Regel. Die Anzeige gibt Ihnen den Remis-Grund an. 2.5 Lassen Sie Ihre Spielstärke bewerten Spielen Sie eine Partie in der Turnierstufe, gibt Ihnen der Computer eine Bewertung Ihrer Spielstärke, sobald das Spiel beendet ist. Was ist eine Bewertung? Es gibt eine offizielle Methode, die Leistung in Schachpartien zu messen. Die internationale Schachunion - FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) - erwähnt manchmal ELOWertungen. Die "United States Chess Federation" (USCF) nutzt ein ähnliches System. Wertungen sind im Schach 4-stellig. Starke Spieler haben - logischerweise - hohe Wertungen. Meister rangieren über 2200 Elo oder höher, Internationale Grossmeister liegen bei ca. 2500. Wenn Sie Ihre Wertung herausfinden wollen, wählen Sie eine Turnierstufe aus und spielen Sie eine Partie. Der Computer wird Ihre Leistung bewerten! Informationen finden Sie in Abschnitt 5.3. 2.6 Sie benötigen Hilfe? Fragen Sie einfach! Ihr Computer verfügt über eine einzigartige Hilfe-Funktion, die Ihnen jederzeit zur Verfügung steht! Drücken Sie HINT/INFO, um Tipps abzurufen oder mehr über die Computer-Rechnungen zu lernen. Ist der Tipp z.B. e4xd5, wird Ply 1: e4xd5 angezeigt. Akzeptieren Sie den Tipp, führen Sie einfach den Zug aus. Lehnen Sie ihn ab, drücken Sie einfach ` (CLEAR). 2.7 Die Computersuche unterbrechen Sie denken, der Computer rechnet zu lange? Sie können ihn jederzeit unterbrechen! Drücken Sie einfach ENTER während der Computer nachdenkt. Er wird sofort stoppen und den besten bisher errechneten Zug spielen. Diese Funktion kann sehr praktisch bei einigen Stufen sein in denen der Computer lange rechnen darf. In den Mattsuch-Stufen oder den Taktischen Stufen, erzwingt ENTER keinen Zug. Statt dessen wird No move found! angezeigt. Stellen Sie eine andere Spielstufe ein, um fortzufahren. 2.8 Seitenwechsel mit dem Computer Drücken Sie einfach ENTER wenn Sie am Zug sind. Der Computer startet sofort seine Berechnungen für Ihre Seite. Wechseln Sie sooft Sie wünschen! 40 Sie wollen, daß der Computer den ersten Zug für Weiss am Anfang der Partie macht? Drücken Sie NEW GAME 2mal kurz hintereinander und dann ENTER. Sie wollen dem Computer zuschauen, wie er für beide Seiten spielt? Drücken Sie ENTER nach jedem Zug - so sehen Sie die optimale Zugfolge für beide Seiten. Sie können Strategien und Taktiken studieren und lernen. 2.9 Eröffnungen Am Anfang einer Partie, zieht der Computer auf vielen Stufen sofort. Dies ist möglich, weil er die Züge direkt aus einer Bibliothek holt, sie also nicht mehr berechnen muss. Diese Bibliothek enthält die wichtigsten Eröffnungen. Ist die aktuelle Stellung in seiner Eröffnungen, antwortet der Computer automatisch anstatt zu rechnen! Die Bibliothek ist auf allen Stufen aktiv - Ausnahme ist die Mattsuch-Stufe. 2.10 Die gegnerische Rechenzeit nutzen Sie werden bemerken, dass der Computer seine Züge sofort ausführt, selbst wenn Sie im Mittelspiel angelangt sind. Dies ist der Fall, wenn er Ihre Denkzeit für seine Berechnungen nutzt. Er versucht, Ihren wahrscheinlichen Zug zu finden und kalkuliert daraufhin seine möglichen Antworten. Führen Sie den erwarteten Zug aus, kann der Computer natürlich dann seine Berechnung nehmen. Diese Möglichkeit steht dem Computer in den Spass-Stufen nicht zur Verfügung. 2.11 Ausschalten/Spielstandspeicher Sie können Ihre Partie jederzeit unterbrechen, indem Sie GO/ STOP drücken. Das Symbol für Pause Stop? wird daraufhin angezeigt. Drücken Sie GO/STOP erneut, wird das Gerät ausgeschaltet. Die Partie ist unterbrochen und der Spielstand gespeichert. Schalten Sie wieder an, können Sie ganz normal fortsetzen. Pausieren Sie wird die Anzeige angehalten, die Berechnungen werden jedoch fortgesetzt. 3. DAS HAUPTMENÜ Ihr Computer bietet viele interessante Einstellungen und Möglichkeiten, die direkt über das Hauptmenü aufgerufen werden. Drücken Sie " (MENU) erscheint direkt ¿OPTION im Display. Blättern Sie mit ¯ und durch die Optionen. Es stehen folgende zur Verfügung: 41 DEUTSCH ÜBERSICHT ZUM HAUPTMENÜ! · ¿OPTION: Entdecken Sie aufregende Spieleinstellungen. · 2-Spieler-Modus · Training · Suchalgorythmus · Sound An/Aus · Eröffnungen · LCD-Kontrast · Weiss von oben spielen · LCD-Geschwindigkeit · Countdown-Anzeige · Automatik · Uhrticken · ¿LEVEL: Wählen Sie aus 100 Spielstufen aus. · ¿TAKEBACK: Nehmen Sie beliebig viele Züge zurück! · ¿INFO: Wählen Sie verschiedene Informationen aus. · Züge · Suche · Rechenknoten · Bewertung · Zeit pro Zug · ¿SETUP: Bauen Sie Positionen auf und analysieren Sie gezielt. · ¿STUDY: Testen Sie Ihr Wissen und verbessern Sie Ihr Spiel über die Trainingsfunktion. HAUPTMENÜ ............. ANLEITUNG IN ............. ANZEIGE Optionsmodus ................ Abschnitt 4 .................. ¿OPTION Spielstufen ...................... Abschnitt 5 .................. ¿LEVEL Rücknahmefunktion ....... Abschnitt 6 .................. ¿TAKEBACK Infomodus ....................... Abschnitt 7 .................. ¿INFO Positionsmodus .............. Abschnitt 8 .................. ¿SETUP Training ........................... Abschnitt 9 .................. ¿STUDY Um einen dieser Hauptmenü-Punkte aufzurufen, drücken Sie ENTER. Sie gelangen dann zu Untermenüs, in denen Sie spezifische Auswahlen treffen können. Einige Submenüs bieten mehrere Optionen (z.B. Spielstufen), andere sind nur Einstellungen (z.B. Positionsmodus). 4. OPTIONSMODUS: BRINGEN SIE ABWECHSLUNG INS SPIEL! Nutzen Sie Spieloptionen, um Varianten zu testen oder interessante Einstellungen zu wählen, um das Schachspiel aus mehreren Perspektiven kennenzulernen. 42 Spieloptionen Drücken Sie " (MENU), um das Hauptmenü aufzurufen und das Display zeigt ¿OPTION an. Bestätigen Sie mit ENTER und Sie sehen die erste von 11 Optionen. Um auszuwählen, blättern Sie mit ¯ oder . Sie sehen folgende Auswahl: OPTION .......................... ANLEITUNG IN ... ANZEIGE 2-Spieler-Modus ............... Abschnitt 4.1 ..... player: P-C Suchalgorythmus .............. Abschnitt 4.2 ..... search: select Eröffnungen ....................... Abschnitt 4.3 ..... book: on Weiss von oben spielen .... Abschnitt 4.4 ..... top: black Countdown-Anzeige .......... Abschnitt 4.5 ..... clock: up Uhrticken .......................... Abschnitt 4.6 ..... ticks: off Training .............................. Abschnitt 4.7 ..... coach: off Sound An/Aus ................... Abschnitt 4.8 ..... sound: on LCD-Kontrast ..................... Abschnitt 4.9 ..... contrast: 3 LCD-Geschwindigkeit ...... Abschnitt 4.10 ... LCD speed: 2 Automatik .......................... Abschnitt 4.11 ... automove: on Um eine angezeigte Option zu aktivieren oder zu deaktivieren, drücken Sie ENTER. Drücken Sie ENTER mehrmals, blättern Sie durch die verschiedenen Auswahlen. Um zum nächsten Untermenü zu gelangen, drücken Sie ¯ oder . Mit ` (CLEAR) verlassen Sie das Menü ­ die gewählten Einstellungen sind dann aktiv. Wichtig: aktivieren Sie NEW GAME, werden alle Optionen weiter aktiv bleiben. Die Ausnahme ist der 2-Spieler-Modus, der vor jeder neuen Partie eingestellt werden muss! 4.1 2-Spieler-Modus Optionen: player: P-C (Spieler gegen Computer) player: P-P (Spieler gegen Spieler) Normalerweise rechnet der Computer automatisch sobald Sie Ihren Zug eingegeben haben. Schalten Sie jedoch diese Option aus, spielen Sie für beide Seiten. Diese Einstellung ist dann erforderlich wenn: · Sie durch Meisterpartien gehen. Geben Sie die Züge für beide Seiten ein, aktivieren Sie den Computer bei einer bestimmten Stellung und lassen Sie den besten Zug errechnen! · Sie eine eigene Partie nachspielen wollen, um Schwächen und Stärken zu überprüfen. Wieder können Sie den Computer bei bestimmten Stellungen zuschalten und rechnen lassen. · Sie Eröffnungen lernen wollen. · Sie gegen einen Freund spielen - mit dem Computer als 43 DEUTSCH EINE OPTION EINSTELLEN 1. Drücken Sie " (MENU) und es wird ¿OPTION angezeigt. 2. Bestätigen Sie mit ENTER. Wir nehmen nun das Beispiel ,,Uhrticken". 3. Drücken Sie ¯ 5mal bis ticks: off angezeigt wird. 4. Schalten Sie die Option mit ENTER an. Es wird ticks:on gezeigt. 5. Drücken Sie ` (CLEAR) und dann " (MENU), um die Partie ­ nun begleitet von Uhrticken ­ zu spielen. Um die Option wieder auszuschalten, wiederholen Sie einfach die oberen Schritte. Details finden Sie unter 4.6. Schiedsrichter, der die Regeln überwacht und die Zeit misst. Drücken Sie NEW GAME wird diese Option automatisch auf den Modus Spieler gegen Computer gesetzt. 4.2 Suchalgorythmus Optionen: search: select / brute Das Programm rechnet normalerweise mit einem selektiven Algorythmus, der nicht mehr alles kalkuliert, sondern unwahrscheinliche Züge ausschliesst. Es kann natürlich vorkommen, dass hier etwas übersehen wird. Wollen Sie dies ausschliessen, sollten Sie auf die Option Brute Force umstellen. Der Computer rechnet alles und übersieht nichts, ist jedoch etwas langsamer. 4.3 Eröffnungen Optionen: book: on / off Diese Funktion ist einzigartig! Sie überwacht Ihren Partie-Einstieg und gibt Ihnen dann die Möglichkeit, Eröffnungen zu trainieren, die Ihnen noch Probleme bereiten. Sie haben Ihren idealen Trainingspartner! Der Computer wird eine Eröffnung mehrmals spielen. Solange, bis Sie Ihr Spiel verbessern und den idealen Einstieg gefunden haben. 44 4.5 Countdown Optionen: clock: up / down Normalerweise wird Ihre Zeit addiert. Sie können jedoch einen Countdown einstellen, um nach Zeitvorgaben zu spielen. So unterscheiden Sie diese Möglichkeiten: Countdown (Weiss/Schwarz) Countdown kann nur für Turnierstufen oder Schnellpartien aktiviert werden! 4.6 Uhrticken Optionen: ticks: off / on Hiermit schalten Sie ein Uhrticken zu. Eine aufregende Option, um wirkliche Turnieratmosphären zu schaffen! 4.7 Training Optionen: coach: off / novice / inter. / adv. Wird die erste Einstellung angezeigt, drücken Sie ENTER mehrmals bis die gewünschte Option erscheint. Verlassen Sie dann mit ` (CLEAR) den Modus. Die gewählte Trainingsstufe ist aktiviert. Es ist eine wirklich ideale Option, um Ihr Spiel zu verbessern. Der Computer wird Sie sogar mit Kommentaren im Display unterstützen und auf diese Art, aktiv Warnungen und Hinweise geben. Wie unterscheiden sich die Trainingseinstellungen? Hier einige Erklärungen: · coach: off: Es stehen Ihnen keine Trainingshilfen zur Verfügung. 45 [/] {/} Zeit wird addiert (Weiss/Schwarz) DEUTSCH 4.4 Weiss von Oben spielen Optionen: top: black / white Wollen Sie vom Standard abweichen oder dem Computer den ersten Zug überlassen? Dann testen Sie diese aufregende Option, indem Sie top: white am Beginn einer neuen Partie auswählen. Drücken Sie dann ENTER, und der Computer rechnet für Weiss. Aktivieren Sie diese Option, wird der Computer das Brett drehen. Dies bedeutet, dass König und Dame vertauscht sind und die Feldnamen im Display irreführend sind. Es ist etwas schwierig auf diese Art zu spielen und Sie benötigen einige Gewöhnung. Aber nach der ersten Eröffnung, sollte es kein Problem mehr darstellen. · coach: novice: Der Trainer macht Sie auf Kombinationen oder Opfer aufmerksam. Sinnvoll, um die Inhalte der Taktischen Lektionen umzusetzen. · coach: intermediate: Mit dieser Stufe werden die Ausensichtlichen Warnungen abgestellt. Dafür wird mehr auf Strategie eingegangen. Ein wichtiger Punkt,um das Mittelspiel besser zu beherrschen. · coach: advanced: Diese Einstellung ist ideal für Einsteiger. Hier werden Warnungen und Tipps gegeben sollten Figuren gefährdet sein. Ausserdem stehen Zugvorschläge und Querverweise auf Lektionen zur Verfügung! Sie lernen, Ihre Partie erfolgreich zu starten. 4.8 Sound An/Aus Optionen: sound: on / off Mit dieser Option können Sie den Sound völlig abschalten und ohne Signale spielen. 4.9 LCD-Kontrast Optionen: contrast: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 Hiermit stellen Sie den Kontrast des LCDs ein. 1 ist die hellste Einstellung, 5 die dunkelste. 3 ist voreingestellt. Wird diese Option angezeigt, drücken Sie ENTER mehrmals bis die gewünschte Einstellung erscheint. Verlassen Sie dann mit ` (CLEAR) den Modus. Der gewählte Kontrast ist aktiviert. 4.10 LCD-Geschwindigkeit Optionen: LCD speed: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Mit dieser Einstellung bestimmen Sie, wie schnell der Text in der Anzeige ablaufen soll. 1 ist die langsamste Einstellung, 4 die schnellste. Wird diese Option angezeigt, drücken Sie ENTER mehrmals bis die gewünschte Einstellung erscheint. Verlassen Sie dann mit ` (CLEAR) den Modus. Die gewählte Geschwindigkeit ist aktiviert. 4.11 Automatik Optionen: automove: on / off Führt der Computer einen Zug aus, wird normalerweise das Ausgangs- und Zielfeld kurz blinken und der Zug wird dann automatisch auf dem Brett ausgeführt. Schalten Sie jedoch die Option ab, wird automove: off angezeigt. Ist dies aktiv, wird der Computer 46 seinen Zug anzeigen, jedoch abwarten, bis Sie den Computerzug eingegeben haben. Der Vorteil ist, dass Sie die Partie besser verfolgen können und die Geschwindigkeit bestimmen. 5. SPIELSTUFEN Ihr Computer bietet 100 unterschiedliche Spielstufen! Wählen Sie eine Stufe aus, sollten Sie sich bewusst sein, dass der Computer um so stärker spielt je länger er rechnen kann - genauso wie ein menschlicher Spieler! Die Spielstufen sind wie folgt unterteilt: · 60 SPASS-STUFEN (1-60): Diese Stufen wurden speziell für Einsteiger und Gelegenheitsspieler entwickelt. Sie beschränken den Computer in seiner Rechenweise und ermöglichen Ihnen, schrittweise Ihr Spiel zu verbessern und erste Partien zu gewinnen! · 40 WETTBEWERBS-STUFEN (61-100): Diese zweite Gruppe bietet Fortgeschrittenen eine Auswahl unterschiedlicher Anforderungen! Hier finden Sie normale und Turnierstufen, Mattsuch- und taktische Stufen. Eine Spielstufe einstellen Drücken Sie Menü und blättern Sie mit ¯ bis ¿LEVEL angezeigt wird. Gehen Sie mit ENTER in diesen Modus. Der Computer zeigt die aktuelle Stufe an. Ändern Sie die Stufe mit den Tasten oder ¯ um in 1er Schritten zu blättern, aktivieren Sie mit dem Stylus > bzw. <, um in 10er Schritten zu blättern. Während Sie durch die Stufen gehen, sehen Sie immer die Nummer und die Beschreibung jeder Stufe. Erscheint die gewünschte, bestätigen Sie mit ENTER und Ihre Auswahl ist aktiv. Haben Sie LEVEL gedrückt, um zu sehen, welche Auswahl aktiv ist, können Sie mit ` (CLEAR) einfach den Modus verlassen. Die Stufe bleibt aktiv. Verlassen Sie die Einstellungen, indem Sie " (MENU) drücken. Bitte beachten Sie folgendes: · Die Stufe kann jederzeit geändert werden, wenn Sie am Zug sind. · Sie können nichts ändern, solange der Computer am Zug ist. · Ändern Sie die Stufe, wird die Uhr zurückgesetzt. 47 DEUTSCH SPASS-STUFEN 5.1 Spass-Stufen Stufe Beschreibung Anzeige 1 ......................... Spass-Stufe 1 .................. 2 ......................... Spass-Stufe 2 .................. 3 ......................... Spass-Stufe 3 .................. ...und so weiter bis... 58 ........................ Spass-Stufe 58 ................ 59 ........................ Spass-Stufe 59 ................ 60 ........................ Spass-Stufe 60 ................ Diese einzigartigen Spass-Stufen sind genau richtig, um mit Schritt für Schritt und viel Motivation, Schach zu lernen. Hier haben Sie die Möglichkeit, auch gegen den Computer zu gewinnen. Der Computer sucht nämlich nicht nach dem besten Zug, wie wir es normalerweise erwarten. Statt dessen beachtet er einiges nicht und schwächt sich selbst. So spielt er mit menschlichen Fehlern und kann geschlagen werden. Die Spaßstufen beginnen leicht und werden dann etwas anspruchsvoller. Sie können einen Schritt nach dem anderen machen und jedes Mal dazulernen. WETTBEWERBS-STUFEN 5.2 Normale Stufen Stufe Zeit pro Zug (Durchschnitt) Anzeige 61 .......................... 1 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:01/move> 62 .......................... 2 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:02/move> 63 .......................... 5 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:05/move> 64 ........................ 10 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:10/move> 65 ........................ 15 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:15/move> 66 ........................ 30 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:30/move> 67 ........................ 45 Sek. pro Zug ................... <00:45/move> 68 ........................... 1 Min. pro Zug ................... <01:00/move> 69 ........................... 2 Min. pro Zug ................... <02:00/move> 70 ........................... 3 Min. pro Zug ................... <03:00/move> Diese 10 Stufen sind für Fortgeschrittene gedacht. Wählen Sie eine dieser Stufen, aktivieren Sie eine Zeitbeschränkung für die Computer-Rechnungen. Die Zeitangabe mit Sekunden und Minuten ist nur eine ungefähre Angabe - in der Eröffnung wird normalerweise schneller gezogen, während das Mittelspiel längere Kalkulationen benötigt. 48 5.3 Turnierstufen Stufe Züge/Gesamtzeit Anzeige 71 .............. 40 Züge in 1 hr. 20 Min. ............... < 40 in 1:20 > 72 .............. 40 Züge in 1 hr. 30 Min. ............... < 40 in 1:30 > 73 .............. 35 Züge in 1 hr. 45 Min. ............... < 35 in 1:45 > 74 .............. 40 Züge in 1 hr. 45 Min. ............... < 40 in 1:45 > 75 .............. 35 Züge in 1 hr. 30 Min. ............... < 35 in 1:30 > 76 .............. 40 Züge in 2 hr. ............................ < 40 in 2:00 > 77 .............. 45 Züge in 2 hr. 30 Min. ............... < 45 in 2:30 > 78 .............. 50 Züge in 2 hr. ............................ < 50 in 2:00 > 79 .............. 40 Züge in 2 hr. 30 Min. ............... < 40 in 2:30 > 80 .............. 40 Züge in 3 hr. ............................ < 40 in 3:00 > In den Turnierstufen geben Sie eine bestimmte Anzahl an Zügen innerhalb einer vorgegebenen Zeit ein. Überzieht ein Spieler diese Zeit, verliert er die Partie. Wie zuvor beschrieben, ist das Bewertungssystem aktiv in diesen Stufen. Details finden Sie unter Abschnitt 2.5. Ist eine Turnier-Partie beendet, drücken Sie NEW GAME und der Computer wird kurz die Wertung anzeigen, bevor eine neue Partie beginnt. Verpassen Sie die Anzeige, drücken Sie einfach HINT/INFO mehrmals, um die Wertungen abzurufen. Mit ` (CLEAR) verlassen Sie den Modus wieder. Drücken Sie NEW GAME während einer Turnier-Partie bevor das Spiel zu Ende ist, bietet Ihnen der Computer folgendes an: · Anzeige = Rate as draw? (Als Remis bewerten?) Drücken Sie ENTER, wird die Wertung angezeigt. Drücken Sie : erscheint · Anzeige = Rate as win? (Als Sieg werten?). Drücken Sie ENTER, wird die Wertung angezeigt. Drücken Sie : erscheint · Anzeige = Machine wins? (Computer gewinnt?). Drücken Sie ENTER, wird die Wertung angezeigt. Drücken Sie : erscheint Die Anzeige geht auf die erste Frage zurück. Um eine Wertung abzurufen, müssen Sie eine der Fragen mit ENTER beantworten. Wollen Sie das Spiel nicht bewertet haben, drücken Sie ` (CLEAR). Der Computer zeigt an, dass die Partie nicht bewertet wird. Wählen Sie eine Turnier-Stufe, wollen Sie eventuell Countdown aktivieren. Oder eventuell ein Uhrticken einstellen, um richtige Turnieratmosphäre zu erzeugen! Details finden Sie in Abschnitt 4. 49 DEUTSCH SO EINFACH ÄNDERN SIE DIE SPIELSTUFE! 1. Drücken Sie " (MENU) und es wird ¿OPTION angezeigt. 2. Drücken Sie ¯ und Sie sehen ¿LEVEL. 3. Bestätigen Sie mit ENTER und die aktuelle Stufe wird gezeigt. 4. Nehmen wir an, Sie wollen die Schnellpartie einstellen, also Stufe 81. Blättern Sie mit oder ¯ in 1er Schritten durch die Stufen oder mit dem Stylus und > oder < in 10er Schritten bis < 5 min/game > erscheint. 5. Bestätigen Sie mit ENTER. Verlassen Sie dann den Modus mit " (MENU). Sie können nun Ihre neue Spielstufe testen. Details finden Sie unter Abschnitt 5. 5.4 Schnellpartien Stufe Gesamtzeit Anzeige 81 ................... 5 Min. pro Partie .................. < 5 min/game> 82 ................... 7 Min. pro Partie .................. < 7 min/game> 83 ................... 10 Min. pro Partie .................. <10 min/game> 84 ................... 15 Min. pro Partie .................. <15 min/game> 85 ................... 20 Min. pro Partie .................. <20 min/game> 86 ................... 30 Min. pro Partie .................. <30 min/game> 87 ................... 45 Min. pro Partie .................. <45 min/game> 88 ................... 60 Min. pro Partie .................. <60 min/game> 89 ................... 90 Min. pro Partie .................. <90 min/game> 90 ................. 100 Min. pro Partie .................. <100 min/game> In diesen Stufen, stellen Sie die Gesamtzeit für die Partie ein. Ist die Zeit überschritten, zeigt der Computer an, welche Seite verloren hat. Wählen Sie eine dieser Stufen aus, sollten Sie auch den Countdown aktivieren. 5.5 Mattsuch-Stufen Stufe Matt in 91 ....................... Matt in 1 Zug ....................... 92 ....................... Matt in 2 Zügen ................... 93 ....................... Matt in 3 Zügen ................... 94 ....................... Matt in 4 Zügen ................... 50 < < < < Anzeige Mate in Mate in Mate in Mate in 1 2 3 4 > > > >