Champion 2250 XL Chess Computer
(600-2215)         Basic Chess Instructions           Faxback Doc. # 46722

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 dark gray and light gray.

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 dark
gray and light gray.

Note:  The light gray and dark gray squares on the game board are referred
       to as "white" and "black," respectively, throughout the rest of
       this manual.

The Game Pieces

Description

There are 16 light gray and 16 dark gray pieces, 32 in all.  Each color
has there pieces:

  1 KING

  1 QUEEN

  2 BISHOPS

  2 KNIGHTS

  2 ROOKS

  8 PAWNS

Note:  The light gray and dark gray pieces are referred to as "white" and
       "black" respectively, throughout the rest of 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:

Note:  The queen always begins on a square of her own color.

  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

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

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 that 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 though
    the exact square it is 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 or moving it out of immediate
danger of attack.

You can castle if all of the following conditions exist:

  The king has not moved from his original position.

  The rook that 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 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.

Notes:  If a rook is on the same side of the board as the king's square,
        this is called a king's side castle.  If the rook is on the same
        side of the board as the queen's square, this is called a queen's
        side castle.

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, and your computer recognizes all of
them.

Draw by Stalemate:  If the king cannot move anywhere without being placed
                    in check (see "illegal Moves" in Faxback Doc. # 37398)
                    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 to avoid capture, the
                            computer claims a draw by 3-time repetition.

(LB/eb 3/6/98)