Companion Chess Computer
(600-2216) Operation Faxback Doc. # 40240
Basic Operation
Turning The Game Board ON or OFF
Press GO to turn on the game board for a new game or to return to a saved
game. Press STOP to save the game and turn off the computer. The computer
stores all game positions and any next-move calculations it was computing.
NOTE: If the computer was calculating a move when you turned it off, but
had not yet completed its calculations, it resumes its calculations
when you turn it back on.
Turning The Sound ON or OFF
The computer's sound is normally on. To turn the computer's sound off,
press SOUND until the computer beeps once.
To turn the sound back on, press SOUND until the computer beeps twice.
NOTES: You can turn the computer's sound on or off any time during a game.
If you turn the computer's sound off, it does not beep even when you
make an illegal move.
Storing/Removing Game Pieces
1. Press down on the piece storage compartment cover's arrow, then slide
the cover in the direction of the arrow.
2. Lift and remove the cover.
3. Replace or remove the pieces from the compartment.
4. Replace the cover.
Starting A New Game
Press NEW GAME to start a new game and erase any game stored in memory.
The computer beeps three times and displays --:--.
NOTE: The computer always starts a new game with you playing white pieces
and your opponent playing black pieces.
Levels and Special Modes
Levels of Play
With 384 level settings to choose from (incorporating the Teach Modes), you
can learn and grow with this chess computer! As shown in the chart of play-
ing levels, each level corresponds to one of the 64 board squares. The
levels are categorized into 4 groups intended to entertain users of differ-
ent skill levels: Handicap levels (H1-H16 = board squares A1-B8), Beginner
Levels (B1 - B16 = board squares C1 - D8), Intermediate levels (I1-I16 =
board squares E1-F8) and Advanced levels (A1-A16= board squares G1-H8). The
computer will think ahead progressively more deeply when the higher levels
are chosen. You may experiment with the levels before you settle with the
levels settings you feel most comfortable with, then advance to more diffi-
cult levels as your skill and knowledge expand.
Within each level category, the lower number levels are easier as the compu-
ter will not always search to its maximum ability to find the best move. In-
stead, the computer will deliberately make alternative moves that are not
the absolute best it can think of. This produces some interesting varia-
tions in the moves of the game as the computer often makes some very human
mistakes! The highest level in each level category always produces the best
moves the computer can think of within the settings constraint. When you set
the level, bear in mind that when the computer has more time to think about
its moves, it gets stronger and plays better - just like a human player!
Sharpen your chess skills - as you beat the computer on each level, graduate
to the next. Keep challenging yourself and learn more about the game!
Note that on the higher levels, the computer may take a long time to com-
plete its search. Press PLAY to force the computer to abort the search and
make a move.
Press LEVEL to enter Level Mode, and the current level is displayed (e.g.,
Level (board square) A3 shows as L:A3). To change the level, simply press a
board square, and that level will show in the display. Press LEVEL again to
exit Level Mode. The LEVEL key also gives you access to five special Teach
Modes. For details on selecting Teach Modes, see figure as below.
Teach Modes: Learn Tactics!
Your chess computer contains five built-in Teach Modes. This feature allows
you to learn basic moves and master the tactics of the pieces, one at a
time. For each individual Teach Mode, the only pieces on the board will be
Kings, pawns, and the selected piece type. This will help beginners to
concentrate solely on one piece at a time, without losing focus and being
distracted by other pieces on the board.
To select a Teach Mode, press LEVEL, and then the required piece symbol key,
except KING. The display shows the selected Teach Mode. In the example
shown, for example, the display indicates that the Knights Teach Mode is in
effect. After pressing the corresponding Piece Symbol key (QUEEN, ROOK,
BISHOP, KNIGHT or PAWN) press LEVEL to exit Level Mode and enter your selec-
tion into the computer.
The KING key is reserved for the normal game, using all 32 pieces. To return
to normal game play, press NEW GAME.
Please note the following, in relation to the Teach Modes:
If you do not press a square to select a new level, the current level
will remain in effect.
If NEW GAME is pressed during any game, the computer will switch back to
the standard game (32 pieces), with the current level still in effect.
If you press LEVEL and you then decide not to change the current playing
level or Teach Mode, simply press LEVEL again, and the current status will
remain as it is.
If you accidentally press any piece symbol key in Level Mode, you will
lose the current game after exiting Level Mode. To continue with the
current board, press any square key, TAKE BACK, CLOCK or PLAY to deselect
the Teach Mode before exiting Level Mode.
CHOOSE A LEVEL FROM THE 64 BOARD SQUARES
-----------------------------------------------------------
8 H8 | H16 | B8 | B16 | I8 | I16 | A8 | A16
H | B | I | A
7 H7 A H15 | B7 E B15 | I7 N I15 | A7 D A15
N | G | T | V
6 H6 D H14 | B6 I B14 | I6 E I14 | A6 A A14
I | N | R | N
5 H5 C H13 | B5 N B13 | I5 M I13 | A5 C A13
A | E | E | E
4 H4 P H12 | B4 R B12 | I4 D I12 | A4 D A12
| | | | I | |
3 H3 | H11 | B3 | B11 | I3 A I11 | A3 | A11
| | | | T | |
2 H2 | H10 | B2 | B10 | I2 E I10 | A2 | A10
| | | | | | |
1 H1 | H9 | B1 | B9 | I1 | I9 | A1 | A9
-----------------------------------------------------------
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H
-----------------------------------------------------------
Teach Mode display, Knights Study Mode selected.
TEACH MODES AT A GLANCE
1. Press LEVEL and then any piece symbol key except King (as shown below)
to enter Teach mode.
TO STUDY PRESS PIECES ON THE BOARD
Queens [Queen symbol] Kings, Queens, Pawns
Rooks [Rook (Castle) symbol] Kings, Rooks, Pawns
Bishops [Bishop symbol] Kings, Bishops, Pawns
Knights [Knight symbol] Kings, Knights, Pawns
Pawns [Pawn symbol] Kings, Pawns
2. Press LEVEL to exit Level Mode and enter your selection into the compu-
ter. Now you can play, studying the piece of your choice! To return to
the standard 32-piece game, press NEW GAME.
Entering Moves
Playing chess against the computer is like playing with a human opponent -
you make your move, and the computer responds with its move. The only
difference is that you must physically move both yours and the computer's
pieces. To make a move, press down gently on the center of the FROM, then
the TO squares. The FROM square is the current location of the piece you
plan to move; the TO square is where you are moving the piece.
NOTES: On the LCD display, _ _:_ _ indicates it is your turn to move, while
(Co -- symbol) indicates that the computer is calculating its move.
Once you press a piece (either yours or the computer's) down on a
FROM square, you must complete the move by pressing a TO square be-
fore you can press the TAB, LEVEL, PLAY or TAKE BACK keys or any
piece symbol key. If you try to use any of these keys before you
complete the move, the computer sounds an error beep.
Follow these steps to enter moves.
1. When it is your turn to move, press down the piece you want to move on
the FROM square. The display shows the FROM square and : _ _.
For example, if the piece you want to move is on square D2, the display
shows d2:_ _.
2. Press the piece gently down on the TO square where you want to move the
piece. The display shows (Co - -) while the computer plans its move.
NOTES: The computer might respond instantly, so you might not see
(Co - -).
If you do not want to wait for the computer to calculate its
move, press PLAY once to force the computer to make a move.
3. When the computer is ready to move, the display shows the FROM square
and the TO square.
For example, if the computer wants to move a piece from F5 to F4, the
display shows F5:F4.
4. Press the computer's piece down on the FROM square. The computer dis-
plays -, the letter code for the piece it wants to move (to confirm that
you are moving the correct piece), and the TO square.
The display shows one of the following letter codes:
k:= king
q:= queen
r:= rook
b:= bishop
n:= knight
p:= pawn
5. Press the computer's piece gently down on the TO square. The display
shows _ _:_ _ to indicate it is your turn to move.
Here's an example of how to move pieces and communicate with the computer.
Try it now!
1. Press the white pawn on square E2. The display shows E2:_ _.
2. Move the pawn to square E4 and press it on the square. The display
might show Co - -. The computer records your move and begins to calcu-
late its move.
3. The computer might display E7:E5, for example, to indicate that it
wants to move a piece from square E7 (the FROM square) to square E5
(the TO square).
4. Press the black pawn at E7 on its current location. The computer
displays -, the letter code for the piece it wants to move (to confirm
that you are moving the correct piece), and the TO square.
5. Press the black pawn on the location where the computer wants you to
move it. The computer displays _ _:_ _ to indicate it is your turn to
move.
For each move, remember the three basic steps: press, move, and press again.
Correcting Accidental Wrong Moves
If you press down on a piece and the FROM square information appears on the
display, but you decide not to make that move, press the piece down on the
FROM square again. The computer displays _ _:_ _ and you can enter another
move.
When you complete a move by pressing the piece down on the TO square, the
computer accepts it and immediately considers its next move. If you change
your mind after completing a move, wait for the computer to indicate the
move it wants to make. Enter the computer's move (see "Entering Moves"),
then press TAKE BACK. The computer shows you how to take back its last
move. After you take back the computer's last move, press TAKE BACK again.
The computer shows you how to take back your last move. (See "Taking Back
Moves.")
Illegal Moves
The computer only allows moves that comply with the rules of chess, and
will not accept an illegal move. The computer notifies you of an illegal
move or error by beeping an error tone (if the sound is on). The FROM
square information on the display also remains unchanged if you make an
error.
These things cause the computer to indicate an illegal move:
Pressing on a piece of the wrong color (for example, it is white's
turn and you press on a black piece).
Pressing on the wrong square when making the computer's move on the
board (e.g., the display shows d5:C5 and you press square B5).
Pressing on an empty square without having first pressed a piece that
can move to that square.
Moving a piece that puts or leaves your own king in check or checkmate.
NOTE: If you attempt to castle by moving the rook before the king, the
computer does not notify you of an illegal move, but it accepts the
rook's move as a valid move without letting you move your king, and
your turn is over. For more information, see "Castling."
Forcing The Computer's Move
When it is the computer's turn, you can press PLAY while the display shows
(Co - -) to force the computer to make an immediate move.
Changing Sides With The Computer
To change sides with the computer, press PLAY when it is your turn to move.
The computer takes over your pieces and makes a move. Then you can enter
moves for the computer's side and continue to play the same game.
Watching The Computer Play Both Sides
To watch the computer play itself, press PLAY every time the computer
indicates a move.
Chess Clocks
A built-in chess clock keeps track of the time for your (i.e. not the com-
puter's) side, with a four-digit display showing the total elapsed time for
you. If you change sides by pressing PLAY, the clock will keep track of the
side you are currently playing. After entering the computer's move, the dis-
play shows the indication for your side to move for about one second to show
that it is your turn. It then switches to show your total elapsed time
(until any key or square is pressed). After you make your move, the display
immediately switches to show "Co:", indicating the computer is thinking and
that the clock has stopped. For the first hour of the game, the display will
show MINUTES : SECONDS, with a steady colon. If the total elapsed time
exceeds one hour, the display will show MINUTES : SECONDS of the next hour.
Note that the clock stops whenever you have completed the allowable number
of take-backs of a move, you verify or change the level, verify the board,
or turn the computer off. Also note that when your King is in check, the
display shows check instead of the chess clock. In each of these cases,
however, the times are retained in memory, and the clock resumes when play
is continued. The chess clock can be switched off by pressing CLOCK when
it is your turn to move. The computer will beep and the side to move will
be displayed instead of the clock. Press CLOCK again to switch on the clock
and it will resume.
Getting Hints From The Computer
If you need help, you can have the computer show you what it would do in
your position! Press PLAY on your turn, and the computer will make the
next move for you. To keep this move as your own, press PLAY again and the
computer will make its next move; then continue the game by making your own
next move. If you do not want to use the computer's move as your own, take
it back and make another move.
Game Memory
You may interrupt a game by pressing STOP to turn the computer off. The
computer will "remember" your position for up to two years (with fresh
alkaline batteries). When you switch on again, continue where you left off!
(br/EB 7/14/97)
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