Mega 2050X Chess Computer
(600-2441) Basic Chess Faxback Doc. # 33668
THE GAME BOARD
Following international chess notation, the game board is made up of 8
vertical rows 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
black and silver.
Each rank (bottom to top) is designated by a rank board light and a number
(1 through 8), and also consists of 8 squares alternately colored black
and sliver.
NOTE: The silver squares on the game board are referred to as "white"
throughout this manual.
THE GAME PIECES
Description
There are 16 light gray and 16 brown pieces, 32 in all. Each color has
these pieces:
1 KING
1 QUEEN
2 BISHOPS
2 KNIGHTS
2 ROOKS
8 PAWNS
NOTE: The light gray and brown pieces are referred to as "white" and
"black," respectively, throughout this manual.
Setting Up
Here's how to set up the game board.
Set the board in front of you so the display and buttons are to the right.
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 the queen 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 F8
Place the queen on D8
Place the king on E8
Place a pawn on each square A7 - H7
NOTE: The queen always begins 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 even if the squares it moves through are occupied. 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. It captures a piece by moving diagonally forward 1 square,
except when capturing en 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 the 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", below). 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 en 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 through
the exact square it was on is not occupied by the white 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.
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 exist:
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 squares between the king and the rook are not occupied.
In castling, the king moves 2 squares in the direction of either rook. The
rook which 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.
NOTE: Your computer recognizes all three types of draws.
Draw by Stalemate: If the king cannot move anywhere without being placed
in check (see "Illegal Moves" on Faxback Doc. # 33669),
the king is not in check, and no other piece on the
board can move, the computer claims a draw by stalemate
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, the computer claims a draw by the 50-move
rule.
Draw by 3-Time Repetition: If a piece returns to the same location on the
board three times in a row, the computer claims
a draw by 3-time repetition.
(WL/EB 5/30/96)
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