Portable 1750L 64 Level Chess Computer 600-2444 Basic Chess

Portable 1750L Sixty Four Level Chess Computer
(600-2444)                 Basic Chess                Faxback Doc. # 32297

THE GAME BOARD

Following international chess notation, the game board is made up of 8
vertical rows (columns) called files, and 8 horizontal rows called ranks.

Each file (left to right) is designated by a file board light and a letter
of the alphabet (A through H), and consists of 8 squares alternately
colored silver and dark gray.

Each rank (bottom to top) is designated by rank board light and a number
(1 through 8), and consists of 8 squares alternately colored dark gray and
silver.

NOTE:  The dark gray and silver squares on the game board are referred to
       as "black" and "white," respectively, throughout this manual.

THE GAME PIECES

Description

There are 20 dark gray and 20 light gray pieces, 40 in all.  Each color
has these pieces:

  1 KING

  3 QUEENS

  2 ROOKS

  2 KNIGHTS

  2 BISHOPS

  10 PAWNS

NOTES:  The dark gray and light gray pieces are referred to as "black"
        and "white," respectively, throughout this manual.

        We have provided 2 extra queens and 2 extra pawns for each color.

Setting Up

To set a piece, press the piece's round peg into the square's hole.

Here's how to set up the game board.

Set the board in front of you so the buttons are facing you.  Set up the
white pieces on the side of the board closest to you this way:

  Place the rooks on A1 and H1

  Place the knights on B1 and G1

  Place the bishops on C1 and F1

  Place one of the queens on D1

  Place the king on E1

  Place a pawn on each square A2 - H2

Set up the black pieces on the opposite side of the board this way:

  Place the rooks on A8 and H8

  Place the knights on B8 and G8

  Place the bishops on C8 and G8

  Place one of the queens on D8

  Place the king on E8

  Place a pawn on each square A7 - H7

NOTE:  The queen always begin on a square of her own color.

MOVEMENT

Each kind of piece moves in a different way.

The rook can move any number of squares vertically or horizontally, but it
cannot move past a square occupied by another piece.

The knight moves in an L-shaped pattern.  It moves 2 squares horizontally
or vertically, then moves 1 additional square at a right angle from its
first move.  At the end of its move, the knight must land on a square of a
different color than the one it started from.

The knight can move through squares occupied by other pieces.  The knight
is the only piece that can "jump" another piece.

The bishop can move any number of squares diagonally, but it cannot move
past a square occupied by another piece.

The queen can move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or
diagonally.  (The queen's moves are a combination of the rook's and
bishop's moves.)  The queen cannot move past a square occupied by another
piece.

The king can move only 1 square vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

The pawn can move only 1 square directly forward, except when capturing
another piece (see "Capturing", below).  It captures a pieces by moving
diagonally forward 1 square, except when capturing an passant (see
"Capturing En Passant", below).  When it moves from its original position,
it can move 1 or 2 squares forward.  On subsequent moves, it can only move
1 square.

A pawn can be promoted to a piece of higher rank.  See "Promoting a Pawn",
below.

GAME RULES

Checkmate - The Object of the Game

The object of the game is to position your pieces so your next move would
capture the opponent's king, and your opponent cannot move, protect the
king, or capture your piece.  This is called checkmate.

Check

Check occurs when a player's piece directly threatens to capture the
opponent's king, but the opponent can move he king, or another piece, to
escape capture.

Capturing

To capture a piece, you move your piece into the square occupied by the
piece you are capturing, except when capturing an opponent's pawn en
passant (see "Capturing En Passant").  Remove the captured piece from the
board.

Capturing En Passant

A pawn can capture an opponent's pawn which has just moved 2 squares from
its original position.

Here's an example of an passant capture.

1.  The white pawn advances from E4 to E5.  The black pawn is still in
    its original position (D7).

2.  The black pawn advances from D7 to D5.

3.  The white pawn advances to D6 (one square behind the black pawn's
    position).  The black pawn is captured by the white pawn, even though
    the exact square it is on is not occupied by the black pawn.

Promoting a Pawn

When a pawn crosses the entire board, it can be promoted to a queen or
another piece, even if the queen or other piece is still on the board.  See
"Pawn Promotion" under "Making Special Moves").

Castling

Castling protects the king from a potential check or checkmate situation by
hiding it behind a fortified position.

You can castle if all of the following conditions exit:

  The king has not moved from his original position.

  The rook which you want to move by castling has not moved from its
  original position.

  The king is not placed in check on its current square, the square to
  which it is going, or the square it passes over.

  The square between the king and the rook are not occupied.

In castling, the king moves 2 squares in the direction of either rook.  The
rook that is closest to the king after the king has moved now moves to the
square right next to and on the other side of the king.  Castling counts as
1 move.

NOTE:  In castling, the king always moves first, then the rook.

Draw Games

In a draw, neither opponent can win or lose without making an illegal move.
There are three types of draws.

  Stalemate

  50-move rule

  3-times repetition.

Draw by Stalemate:  If the king cannot move anywhere without being placed
                    in check (see "Illegal Moves"), the king is not in
                    check, and no other piece on the board can move, the
                    computer claims a draw by stalemate.

NOTE:  Your computer recognizes draws by stalemate (see "Stalemate/Draw
       Game").

Draw by the 50-Move Rule:  If 50 consecutive moves are played in a game
                           where neither side moves a pawn or captures a
                           piece, you can claim a draw by the 50-move rule.

NOTE:  Your computer does not recognize draws by the 50-move rule.

Draw by 3-Time Repetition:  If a piece returns to the same location on the
                            board three times, you can claim a draw by
                            3-time repetition.

NOTE:  Your computer only recognizes draws by 3-time repetition in a row.


(LB/eb 04/26/96)