Chess Explorer Instructions Bedienungsanleitung Mode d'emploi Instrucciones de Funcionamiento Istruzioni d'uso Handleiding QUICK START To play a game right away, without reading the entire manual first, simply follow these Quick Start steps! 1 Open the battery cover in the base of the unit. Insert three "AA" (Type AM3/R6) batteries, making sure that you observe the correct polarity. Then, replace the battery cover. 5 3 x AA/AM3/R6 Enter moves by making them on the board, pressing the chess pieces down gently on the from and to squares for each move. 2 3 4 Press GO/STOP to turn the computer on. If the unit doesn't respond, reset it as noted in Section 7.1. go/stop 6 Set up the chess pieces in the initial starting position with the White pieces closest to you, as shown in this diagram. As soon as the computer makes a move, its move is shown in the display window. You'll see the piece, along with the piece color and the from and to squares of the computer's move. In this example, the computer wants to move its Black pawn from E7 to E5. Press the computer's pawn down on Square E7, and then press it on Square E5. This completes the computer's move, and now it's your turn again. Make your next move as described above. Enjoy your game! To reset the computer for a NEW GAME of chess, simultaneously press the CLEAR and ENTER keys. new game You can press GO/STOP at any time to turn the computer off. Your current position and game (up to 30 individual moves) will be stored in the computer's memory. When you switch back on again, you can continue playing right where you left off. clear enter KEYS AND FEATURES 1. PIECE STORAGE AREAS: Slide open sides of unit to reveal compartments for piece storage. 2. DISPLAY WINDOW: Used to show moves and move information during a game. Also used for level and option selection, piece verification, position set-up, and more. 3. SENSORY CHESSBOARD: Each square contains a sensor that registers piece movement. Certain squares can also be used within Level Mode and Option Mode to select levels and options. 4. BATTERY COMPARTMENT: In base of unit. Uses three "AA" (AM3/R6) alkaline batteries. 5. GAME KEYS · PIECE SYMBOL KEYS: Used in Verify and Position Modes. Also used for pawn promotions. · GO/STOP: Press to turn the unit on and off. · INFO: Press to enter Info Mode; within Info Mode, press to cycle through the main info groups. Press during your move to request a hint. · LEVEL: Press to enter Level Mode; within Level Mode, press to skip over eight levels at a time. · WHITE/< and BLACK/> KEYS: Press to change levels one at a time in Level Mode, and press to cycle through options in Option Mode and Info Mode. Also used to select the color in Position Mode. · TAKE BACK: Press to take back an individual move (a move for either side). You can take back up to a maximum of 30 individual moves. · OPTION: Press to enter Option Mode; within Option Mode, press to cycle through the main option groups. · CLEAR: Press simultaneously with ENTER to reset for a new game. Press to exit Option, Verify, and Position Modes. Press to clear Info Displays and cancel Clear Board requests in Position Mode. Press to cancel Level Mode if you decide not to make changes (unless you have used board squares to change levels; then CLEAR will enter the new level, just like ENTER). · ENTER: Press together with CLEAR to reset for a new game. Press to change sides with the computer; press while the computer is thinking to force it to move. Press to turn option settings on and off, and to exit Level Mode with your new level selected. Press to clear the board in Position Mode, and then press again to confirm. · POSITION: Press to enter Position Mode. 6. ACL (Reset): In base of unit. Used to eliminate static discharge after inserting new batteries. 3 ENGLISH TABLE OF CONTENTS QUICK START KEYS AND FEATURES INTRODUCTION 1. LET'S GET STARTED! 1.1 First, Install the Batteries 1.2 Ready to Play? Here's How to Move! 1.3 Now It's the Computer's Turn 1.4 Change Your Mind? Take Back 1.5 Game Over? Why Not Play Again 1.6 Too Easy/Hard? Change the Level 2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE 2.1 Whose Move? Check the Display 2.2 Special Chess Moves 2.3 Illegal Moves 2.4 Check, Mate, and Draw 2.5 Interrupting the Computer's Search 2.6 Changing Sides with the Computer 2.7 Built-In Openings 2.8 Thinking on the Opponent's Time 2.9 Game Memory 3. THE PLAYING LEVELS Setting a Playing Level 3.1 Normal Playing Levels (Squares A1-G2) 3.2 Infinite Level (Square H2) 3.3 Tournament Levels (Squares A3-H3) 3.4 Blitz Levels (Squares A4-H4) 3.5 Beginner Levels (Squares A5-H5) 3.6 Mate Search Levels (Squares A6-H6) 3.7 Training Levels (Squares A7-H8) 4. INFO MODE: WATCH AND LEARN Using Info Mode 4.1 Principal Variation 4.2 Search Information 4.3 Chess Clock Information 4.4 Move Count/Game Moves 4.5 Want a Hint? Just Ask! 5. OPTIONS FOR FUN AND VARIETY Selecting Game Options 5.1 Operation Mode Options 5.2 Playing Mode Options 5.3 Rotating Display Options 6. VERIFYING/SETTING UP POSITIONS 6.1 Verifying Positions 6.2 Changing and Setting Up Positions 7. TECHNICAL DETAILS 7.1 The ACL Function 7.2 Care and Maintenance 7.3 Technical Specifications TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE INTRODUCTION Ready to enter the exciting world of computer chess? You've come to the right place! Your new computer offers so many game options, playing levels, and special features--you'll never look at chess the same way again. The Quick Start at the front of the manual will get you playing right away, and you'll find more details on basic game operation in Section 1. Once you learn the basics, be sure to go on and explore the rest of this manual, even if you normally don't like to read instruction booklets. You'll discover that this chess computer has all kinds of other interesting and fun-filled features that will delight you--we guarantee it! Your new computer knows and follows all the rules of chess--you can be sure that it will never cheat. For those of you who haven't played before, we have included a short overview of the rules to get you started. For more detailed information, why not visit your local library, where you're sure to find lots of interesting chess books. 1. LET'S GET STARTED! 1.1 First, Install the Batteries Your computer runs on three "AA" (Type AM3/R6) batteries. Insert the batteries into the compartment in the base of the unit, making sure to observe the correct polarity. Use fresh alkaline batteries for longer battery life. Turn the computer on by pressing GO/STOP, and a beep will signal that the game is ready to play. If the computer fails to respond (static discharge may cause it to lock up), use a paper clip or another sharp object to press down into the hole marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one second. This will reset the computer. Tip: To conserve energy and extend battery life, turn on the Auto Power Down option (see Section 5.1). 1.2 Ready to Play? Here's How to Move! Okay, now it's time to start a game! It's easy--just follow these steps: a. Press GO/STOP to turn the computer on, if you haven't already done so. b. Press the CLEAR and ENTER keys together to reset the unit for 4 a new game of chess. Set up the pieces in their starting positions, with the White pieces nearest to you, as shown in the Quick Start. c. To make a move, lightly press down on the piece you want to move until you hear a beep--the sensory board will recognize your piece automatically. Don't believe it? Just look at the display window, which is suddenly full of information--it shows your piece, along with the piece color and the square you just pressed. d. Take that piece and gently press it down on the square you are moving to. You'll hear a second beep as the computer confirms your move. You've just made your first full move of the game. Next, it's the computer's turn. You'll notice that the computer often moves instantly at the beginning of a game, instead of taking time to think. This is because it is playing from memory, using a built-in "book" of opening moves (for more information, see Section 2.7). MAKING THE COMPUTER'S MOVE: AN EXAMPLE After the computer displays its move, it's up to you to make its move on the board. Here, the display indicates the computer wants to move its Black pawn (]!) from d7 to d5. Pick up the d7 pawn and press it down lightly on Square d7. Then, press the pawn down on Square d5. That's it! d7-d5 1.3 Now It's the Computer's Turn When the computer moves, it beeps and displays its move. Check out the display window--you'll see the from and to squares of the computer's move, along with the color and type of piece it is moving! Press the indicated piece down on the from square until you hear a beep. Move that same piece to the indicated to square and press it down to complete the computer's move. And it's your turn again... 1.4 Change Your Mind? Take Back When you're playing chess against this computer, nothing is "set in stone"--you can change your mind or decide to play a different move whenever you want! When it's your turn to move, simply press TAKE BACK, and the display will show the move to be taken back. Press the indicated piece down on the original to square, then press it down on the original from square to complete the take-back. Repeat this as often as you'd like, taking back up to 30 individual moves (or 15 moves for each side). To continue playing at any point, just make another move on the board. After taking back a capture and/or pawn promotion, the computer will make sure that your board is still set up correctly by reminding you to put the captured piece and/or pawn back on the board! It does this by displaying the piece symbol and its square location. Put the indicated piece back on the board and press down on that square to complete the take-back. 5 When castling, first follow the take-back steps as described above for the King, and then do the same for the Rook to complete the take-back. 1.5 Game Over? Why Not Play Again Whenever you finish a game (or if you give up on your current game), it's easy to start over again! Reset the computer by pressing the CLEAR and ENTER keys together, and a New Game tone tells you that the computer is ready for a new game. The same playing level will be in effect, but you can change it if you'd like, as explained in Section 3. IMPORTANT: Resetting the computer for a new game clears your current game from the computer's memory--be careful not to press these keys by mistake! 1.6 Too Easy/Hard? Change the Level When you first turn your computer on, it's automatically set to Normal Playing Level D1 (five seconds a move). However, you have 64 different levels to choose from--you'll want to try them all out! For descriptions of the playing levels and how to change levels, see Section 3. ENGLISH 2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE 2.1 Whose Move? Check the Display When the computer plays Black, it flashes a black square in the display while it is thinking. After it has moved, a white square shows that it is now White's turn to move. You can tell at a glance if the computer is currently thinking, and which side is to move. 2.2 Special Chess Moves Captures: To capture, press down on the piece you want to move, remove the captured piece from the board, and press your piece down on the square of the captured piece. Captures are displayed as in E5·F6. En Passant Captures: In this type of capture, the computer continues to display your move until you press down on the captured pawn and remove it from the board. Castling: The computer automatically recognizes castling after the King is moved. After you have pressed the King down on its from and to squares, the computer continues to display your move until you press on the Rook's from and to squares to complete the move. Note that Kingside castling is displayed as 0-0, and Queenside castling as 0-0-0. Pawn Promotions: When you promote a pawn, first make your move as usual, pressing your pawn down on its from and to squares. Next, press the PIECE SYMBOL KEY for your desired promotion piece (%, $, #, or @). The computer recognizes your new piece immediately, displays it briefly, and then begins thinking about its next move. Remember to change your piece on the board! When the computer promotes a pawn, the display shows both the pawn and the promoted piece. Don't forget to replace the computer's pawn with its new piece. 2.3 Illegal Moves Your computer will never accept an illegal move! If you try to make one, you'll hear a low double beep, and the display will show the square the piece came from. Either move that same piece to another square, or press the piece back down on its original from square and move a different piece. If you don't make the computer's move correctly, you'll also get an error message. This means you are either moving the wrong piece, or moving the computer's piece to the wrong square. If the computer wants 6 to move its pawn from D7 to D5, for example, a ...