master chess computer - alain...

Cat. No. 60-2217

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

Master Chess Computer

60-2217y.fm Friday, March 19, 1999 10:57 AM

2

FEATURES

Your RadioShack Master Chess Com-puter is one of the most versatile chesscomputers available. With its advancedfeatures and chess program written bya world computer chess champion andendorsed by Gary Kasparov, the com-puter is ideal for everyone from the be-ginner or casual player to theprofessional and tournament-playingchess expert. You can set the computerso it plays as tamely as an absolute be-ginner or with the cunning of a grand-master.

The play options let you simulate thesights, sounds, and intensity of tourna-ment play. You can let the computer actas a referee while you play against an-other person, turn the computer’s soundon or off, and display and hear a tickinggame clock during play. The computeralso displays information that can helpyou improve your chess skills.

The computer’s many features include:

Special Sensory Playing Surface —the computer senses a move when youpress a piece against a square.

Liquid Crystal Display — alternatelyshows current move, piece position andverification, level, position set up, searchdepth, principal variation, positionsearch, rotating display, and elapsedgame time information.

Rotating Display Option — lets you setthe computer to display move strategy,search depth, time per move, move to-tals, evaluation rating, and move possi-bilities per second while the computer isthinking about its move.

Built-In Chess Clocks — let you setthe computer to display the elapsed timesince the computer or an opponent lastmoved, and the remaining time beforethe computer or an opponent must makea move. The computer can also displaycount-up and count-down game timers.

Rank and File Indicators — let youeasily see where a piece came from andwhere it should go during a move.

Sixty-Four Play Levels — let youchoose from 64 game types and levelsof difficulty, including beginner, training,regular play, mate search, suddendeath, and tournament levels.

Selectable Search Algorithms — letyou set the computer to search only for amove most likely to be successful, tospeed up the computer’s response. Or,you can select the computer’s brute forceoption to thoroughly search all move pos-sibilities.

Take Back — lets you take back and re-play moves, to help you improve yourgame.

© 1998 Tandy Corporation.All Rights Reserved.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.


3

Rule Enforcement — the computerprevents illegal moves like a game refer-ee, to help beginners learn the rules.

Save — lets you turn off the computerwithout interrupting the game inprogress so you can continue playinglater.

Move — lets you force the computer tomake a move, change sides with thecomputer, or learn by watching the com-puter play against itself.

Move Suggestion — lets you use thecomputer to suggest moves, to teachyou the best response to an opponent’smove.

Problem Set Up — lets you set up spe-cial chess problems, so you can practicesolving problems published in newspa-pers, or chess literature or historybooks.

Opening Book Memory — containsmost major opening strategies, so whenyou use the book the computer can re-spond more rapidly during a game’sopening moves. This speeds up playand helps you play more professionally.You can set the computer to use none,some, or all of these moves during play,or select tournament opening books forthe most challenging play.

Position Verification — lets you checkthe current position of the pieces if theyare accidentally moved or misplaced.

Evaluation — shows the computer’s as-sessment of which player has the ad-vantage and how much of an advantagethat player has.

Power Off Option — lets you save bat-tery power by setting the computer toturn itself off if you do not press a key orboard square for about 15 minutes. Thecomputer saves the game in progress.

Two Power Options — let you powerthe computer from batteries (not sup-plied) or from AC power with an optionalAC adapter.


4

CONTENTS

About This Manual ............................................................................................... 7

Preparation ........................................................................................................... 8Connecting Power ........................................................................................... 8

Installing Batteries ..................................................................................... 8Using an AC Adapter ................................................................................ 9Resetting the Master Chess Computer ................................................... 10

Basic Chess Instructions .................................................................................. 11The Game Board ........................................................................................... 11The Game Pieces .......................................................................................... 11

Description .............................................................................................. 11Setting Up ............................................................................................... 12

Movement ...................................................................................................... 12Game Rules ................................................................................................... 14

Checkmate — The Object of the Game .................................................. 14Check ...................................................................................................... 14Capturing ................................................................................................ 14Capturing En Passant ............................................................................. 14

Promoting a Pawn ......................................................................................... 15Castling .......................................................................................................... 15Draw Games .................................................................................................. 16

Basic Operation ................................................................................................. 17Storing/Removing the Game Pieces ............................................................. 17Turning the Computer On/Off ........................................................................ 17Starting a New Game .................................................................................... 17Viewing the Game Timer ............................................................................... 18Entering Moves .............................................................................................. 18Correcting Accidental Wrong Moves ............................................................. 21Illegal Moves .................................................................................................. 21Forcing the Computer’s Move ........................................................................ 21Changing Sides With the Computer .............................................................. 22Game Indicators ............................................................................................ 22

Checkmate .............................................................................................. 22Check ...................................................................................................... 22Draw Game ............................................................................................. 22

Making Special Moves ................................................................................... 23En Passant Capture ................................................................................ 23Pawn Promotion ...................................................................................... 23Castling ................................................................................................... 24

Having the Computer Suggest a Move .......................................................... 25


5

Play Levels ......................................................................................................... 26Changing the Level ........................................................................................ 28Choosing a Level ........................................................................................... 28

Beginner Levels (A5–H5) ........................................................................ 28Training Levels (A7–H8) .......................................................................... 29Normal Play Levels (A1–G2) ................................................................... 29Tournament Levels (A3–H3) ................................................................... 30Sudden Death Levels (A4–H4) ............................................................... 31Mate Search Levels (A6–H6) .................................................................. 32Indefinite Response Time Level (H2) ...................................................... 32

Advanced Functions .......................................................................................... 33Verifying Piece Positions ............................................................................... 33Taking Back Moves ........................................................................................ 33Problem Setup ............................................................................................... 34

Full Board Setup ..................................................................................... 34Partial Board Setup ................................................................................. 35Adding Pieces During a Game ............................................................... 36Removing Pieces During a Game .......................................................... 36Correcting Illegal Setups ......................................................................... 37

Viewing Game Information ................................................................................ 38Principal Variation ......................................................................................... 38Search Information ........................................................................................ 38

Evaluation Rating .................................................................................... 38Current Search Depth ............................................................................. 39Current Countermove ............................................................................. 40Position Total ........................................................................................... 40

Chess Clocks ................................................................................................ 40Elapsed Time Since Last Move .............................................................. 40Elapsed Time Since Computer Started the Current Game .................... 41Elapsed Time Since You Started the Current Game .............................. 41

Remaining Time in a Sudden Death/Tournament Game ............................... 41Computer’s Remaining Time .................................................................. 41Your Remaining Time .............................................................................. 41

Move Counter ................................................................................................ 42

Game Options .................................................................................................... 43Selecting and Changing Options ................................................................... 44Operation Mode Options (A1–H1) ................................................................. 44

Playing Against Another Person (A1) ...................................................... 44Sound (B1) .............................................................................................. 45Silent Mode (C1) ..................................................................................... 45


6

Ticking Clock (D1) ................................................................................... 45Count-Down Clock (E1) .......................................................................... 45Test Program (F1) ................................................................................... 46Automatic Power-Off (G1) ....................................................................... 46Playing White from the Top of the Game Board (H1) .............................. 46

Playing Mode Options (A2–C2) ..................................................................... 47Search Algorithms (A2) ........................................................................... 47Easy Mode (B2) ...................................................................................... 47Random Mode (C2) ................................................................................ 47

Opening Books (D2–H2) ............................................................................... 48Passive Book (D2) ................................................................................... 48Active Book (E2) ..................................................................................... 48Complete Book (F2) ................................................................................ 49Tournament Book (G2) ............................................................................ 49Book On/Off (H2) .................................................................................... 49

Rotating Display Options (A3–H3) ................................................................. 49

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 51

Care and Maintenance ....................................................................................... 52


7

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

This owner’s manual is divided intothese major sections:

• Preparation

• Basic Chess Instructions

• Basic Operation

• Play Levels

• Advanced Functions

• Viewing Game Information

• Game Options

• Troubleshooting

• Care and Maintenance

“Preparation” on Page 8 describes theoptions you have to power your MasterChess Computer.

“Basic Chess Instructions” on Page 11describes how pieces move and therules of chess.

“Basic Operation” on Page 17 containsgeneral instructions for using your Mas-ter Chess Computer, including how toset up and play games.

“Play Levels” on Page 26 describes yourMaster Chess Computer’s play levelsand how to set a level that is right foryou.

“Advanced Functions” on Page 33 de-scribes how to verify piece positions,take back moves, and set up and playgame scenarios.

“Viewing Game Information” on Page 38shows how to select and view strategyand evaluation information. This sectionalso shows you how to set, view, and re-set the computer’s chess clocks.

“Game Options” on Page 43 explainshow to customize your Master ChessComputer’s play.

“Troubleshooting” on Page 51 describessteps you can take if you have a prob-lem with your Master Chess Computer.

“Care and Maintenance” on Page 52provides important care and mainte-nance instructions.

We recommend that you read these in-structions thoroughly before you useyour RadioShack Master Chess Com-puter.


8

PREPARATION

CONNECTING POWER

Installing Batteries

You can power your Master ChessComputer with four C batteries (not sup-plied). For the best performance andlongest life, we recommend alkaline bat-teries, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-551. They can provide up to 150 hoursof playing time.

Note: To ensure you do not lose savedgame information, batteries must be in-stalled in the computer even if you areusing an AC adapter.

Cautions :

• Use only fresh batteries of therequired size and recommendedtype.

• Do not mix old and new batteries,different types of batteries (stan-dard, alkaline, or rechargeable), orrechargeable batteries of differentcapacities.

Follow these steps to install batteries.

1. Press down the tab on the batterycompartment cover while lifting upthe cover to remove it.

2. Place the batteries in the compart-ment as indicated by the polaritysymbols (+ and –) marked inside.

3. Replace the cover.

When the Master Chess Computerstops operating properly, replace thebatteries. If it still does not operate prop-erly, you might need to reset the com-puter. See “Resetting the Master ChessComputer” on Page 10.


9

Cautions:

• If you do not plan to use the MasterChess Computer with batteries for amonth or more, remove the batter-ies. Batteries can leak chemicalsthat can destroy electronic parts.

• Dispose of old batteries promptlyand properly. Do not burn or burythem.

Note: Saved game information is lostwhen you remove the batteries.

Using an AC Adapter

You can operate the computer from stan-dard AC power with an optional ACadapter, such as Cat. No. 273-1455.

Important: To ensure that you do notlose saved game information, you mustinstall batteries in the computer even ifyou are using an AC adapter.

Caution: You must use an AC adapterthat supplies 9 volts and delivers at least100 milliamps. Its center tip must be setto negative, and its plug must correctlyfit the Master Chess Computer’s 9V100mA jack. The recommended adaptermeets these specifications. Using anadapter that does not meet these speci-fications could damage the computer orthe adapter.

Follow these steps to use an AC adapt-er.

1. If the computer is on, press GO/STOP to turn it off.

2. Set the adapter’s 5.5-mm outerdiameter/2.1-mm inner diameterbarrel plug to negative.

3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug intothe computer’s 9V 100mA jack.

4. Plug the adapter into a standard ACoutlet.

Cautions :

• Turn off the computer by pressingGO/STOP before you unplug the ACadapter or its barrel plug.

• Unplug the adapter from the AC out-let before you unplug its barrel plugfrom the computer.


10

Resetting the Master Chess Computer

If your computer does not work properlyafter you replace the batteries, youmight need to reset it.

Note: Resetting the Master Chess Com-puter erases any game you stored.

To reset the computer, insert a pointedobject, such as a straightened paperclip, into the ACL (all clear) hole on thebottom of the computer. The computerbeeps and the display shows and0:00:00 .

ACL


11

BASIC CHESS INSTRUCTIONS

THE GAME BOARD

Following international chess notation,the game board is made up of 8 verticalrows called files, and 8 horizontal rowscalled ranks.

Each file (left to right) is designated by afile board light and a letter of the alpha-bet (A through H), and consists of 8squares alternately colored black andwhite.

Each rank (bottom to top) is designatedby a rank board light and a number (1through 8), and also consists of 8squares alternately colored black andwhite.

THE GAME PIECES

Description

There are 16 white and 16 black pieces,32 in all. Each color has these pieces:

King(1)

Queen(1)

Rook(2)

Bishop(2)

Knight(2)

Pawn(8)


12

Setting Up

Set the board in front of you so the dis-play and buttons are to the right. Set upthe white pieces on the side of the boardclosest 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 oppositeside 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

Hint: The queen always begins on asquare of her own color.

MOVEMENT

Each kind of piece moves in a differentway.

The rook can move any number ofsquares vertically or horizontally, but itcannot move through a square occupiedby another piece.

The knight moves in an L-shaped pat-tern. It moves 2 squares horizontally orvertically, then moves 1 additionalsquare at a right angle from its firstmove. At the end of its move, the knightmust land on a square of a different col-or than the one it started from.


13

The knight can move even if the squaresit moves through are occupied. (Theknight is the only piece that can “jump”another piece.)

The bishop can move any number ofsquares diagonally, but it cannot movethrough a square occupied by anotherpiece.

The queen can move any number ofsquares vertically, horizontally, or diago-nally. (The queen’s moves are a combi-nation of the rook’s and bishop’smoves.) The queen cannot movethrough a square occupied by anotherpiece.

The king can move only 1 square verti-cally, horizontally, or diagonally.

The pawn can move only 1 (or 2)squares directly forward, except whencapturing another piece. It captures apiece by moving diagonally forward 1square, except when capturing en pas-sant. (See “Capturing En Passant” onPage 14.). When it moves from its origi-nal position, it can move 1 or 2 squaresforward. On subsequent moves, it canonly move 1 square.

A pawn can be promoted to a piece ofhigher rank. See “Promoting a Pawn” onPage 15.


14

GAME RULES

Checkmate — The Object of the Game

The object of the game is to positionyour pieces so your next move wouldcapture the opponent’s king, and youropponent cannot move, protect the king,or capture your piece. This is calledcheckmate.

Check

Check occurs when a player’s piece di-rectly threatens to capture the oppo-nent’s king, but the opponent can movethe king, or another piece, to escapecapture.

Capturing

To capture a piece, you move yourpiece into the square occupied by thepiece you are capturing, except whencapturing an opponent’s pawn en pas-sant (see “Capturing En Passant”). Re-move the captured piece from the board.

Capturing En Passant

A pawn can capture an opponent’spawn that has just moved 2 squaresfrom its original position.

Here’s an example of an en passantcapture.

1. The white pawn advances from E4to E5. The black pawn is still in itsoriginal position (D7).

2. The black pawn advances from D7to D5.


15

3. The white pawn advances to D6(one square behind the black pawn’sposition). The black pawn is cap-tured by the white pawn, eventhough the exact square it is on isnot occupied by the white pawn.

PROMOTING A PAWN

When your pawn crosses the entireboard, you can promote it to a queen oranother piece, even if the queen or otherpiece is still on the board. See “PawnPromotion” on Page 23.

CASTLING

Castling protects the king from a poten-tial check or checkmate situation by hid-ing it behind a fortified position ormoving it out of immediate danger of at-tack.

You can castle if all of the following con-ditions exist:

• The king has not moved from hisoriginal position.

• The rook that you want to move bycastling has not moved from its orig-inal position.

• The king is not placed in check onits current square, the square towhich it is going, or a square itpasses over.

• The squares between the king andthe rook are not occupied.

In castling, the king moves 2 squares inthe direction of either rook. The rook thatis closest to the king after the king hasmoved now moves to the square rightnext to and on the other side of the king.Castling counts as 1 move.

Notes:

• If a rook is on the same side of theboard as the king’s square, this iscalled a king’s side castle. If therook is on the same side of theboard as the queen’s square, this iscalled a queen’s side castle.

• In castling, the king always movesfirst, then the rook.


16

DRAW GAMES

In a draw, neither opponent can win orlose without making an illegal move.There are three types of draws, andyour computer recognizes all three ofthem.

Draw by Stalemate: If the king cannotmove anywhere without being placed incheck (see “Illegal Moves” on Page 21),the king is not in check, and no otherpiece on the board can move, the com-puter claims a draw by stalemate.

Draw by the 50-Move Rule: If 50 con-secutive moves are played in a gamewhere neither side moves a pawn orcaptures a piece, the computer claims adraw by the 50-move rule.

Draw by 3-Time Repetition: If a piecereturns to the same location on theboard three times in a row, the computerclaims a draw by 3-time repetition.


17

BASIC OPERATION

STORING/REMOVING THE GAME PIECES

Press both tabs on the storage compart-ment cover in the direction of the ar-rows, then lift and remove the cover.

TURNING THE COMPUTER ON/OFF

Press GO/STOP to turn on the computer.

If you were playing a game before thecomputer was turned off, the computerautomatically returns to the last game itwas playing.

If you just replaced the batteries orpressed ACL to reset the computer, it re-sets itself to a new game on level D1.After that, the computer remains on thelast selected level. For more informa-tion, see “Play Levels” on Page 26.

To save the current game and turn offthe computer, press GO/STOP. The com-puter stores all of the game positionsand any next-move calculations it hascomputed.

Note: To ensure you do not lose savedgame information, batteries must be in-stalled in the computer even if you areusing an AC adapter.

STARTING A NEW GAMETo start a new game and erase anygame stored in memory, press NEWGAME, or press CLEAR and ENTER atthe same time.

Note: The computer always starts a newgame with you playing the white piecesand your opponent playing the blackpieces. To change sides, see “ChangingSides With the Computer” on Page 22.


18

VIEWING THE GAME TIMERThe computer’s game timer starts count-ing up from 0:00:00 when you pressany key or press any board square afteryou press NEW GAME.

Notes:

• The game timer starts counting upeven if the first move is an illegalmove.

• The game timer continues to countup after a checkmate, draw, or stale-mate until you press NEW GAME.

• If you are playing a tournament orsudden death game, you can setthe game timer so it counts down.See “Tournament Levels (A3–H3)”on Page 30. and “Sudden DeathLevels (A4–H4)” on Page 31.

ENTERING MOVES

Playing chess against the computer islike playing with a human opponent —you make your move, and the computerresponds with its move. The only differ-ence is that you must physically moveboth your pieces and the computer’s.

Making a move involves a FROMsquare and a TO square. The FROMsquare is the current location of thepiece you plan to move; the TO squareis where you are moving the piece.

Notes:

• On the display, indicates it iswhite’s turn to move, while indi-cates it is black’s turn to move.

• If you try to use any key other thanGO/STOP or NEW GAME before youcomplete a move by pressing theTO square, the computer sounds anerror beep.


19

Follow these steps to enter moves.

1. When it is your turn to move, pressdown the piece you want to move onits current (FROM) square. The dis-play shows , the piece’s symbol,and the rank and file coordinates ofthe current square (such as C4).The rank and file indicators on theboard’s edges also light to show thecoordinates.

2. Move the piece and gently press itdown on the TO square. The com-puter displays the FROM and TOcoordinates. Then flashes on thedisplay to indicate it is your oppo-nent’s turn and the game timercounts up while the computer plansits move.

Notes:

• If your move captures an oppo-nent’s piece, (indicating a cap-ture) and the FROM and TOcoordinates appear on the dis-play.

• The computer might respondinstantly, so you might not see flash and the game timer countup.

• If you do not want to wait for thecomputer to calculate its move,you can press ENTER to force thecomputer to make a move. See“Forcing the Computer’s Move” onPage 21.

3. Once the computer has determinedits move, , the symbol for thepiece the computer wants to move,and the FROM and TO coordinatesappear on the display. The rank andfile indicators show the FROMsquare.

4. Gently press the indicated piecedown on the FROM square. Therank and file indicators light to showthe TO square.

5. Move the piece and gently press itdown on the TO square. The displayshows to indicate it is your turn tomove, and the game timer continuesto count up.

Note: If the computer’s move cap-tures one of your pieces, , theattacking piece’s symbol, , andthe FROM and TO coordinatesappear on the display.


20

Now that you know the basics of enter-ing moves, try those example moves.

Hint : For each move, remember thethree basic steps: press, move, andpress again.

1. Press the white pawn down onsquare E2. The display shows , apawn symbol, and E2 --- , and theE2 rank and file indicators light.

2. Move the pawn to square E4 andpress it on the square. flashes onthe display and the game timercounts up while the computer calcu-lates its move.

3. The computer might, for example,display , a pawn symbol, and C7-C5 to indicate that it wants to movea pawn from square C7 (the FROMsquare) to square C5 (the TOsquare). The rank and file indicatorsshow the FROM square C7.

4. Press the black pawn on the FROMsquare. The rank and file indicatorslight to show the TO square.

5. Move and press the black pawn onthe TO square. The computer dis-plays to indicate it is your turn tomove, and the game timer continuesto count up.


21

CORRECTING ACCIDENTAL WRONG MOVES

If you press a piece down on a FROMsquare, but you decide not to make thatmove, press the piece down on theFROM square again. The computer dis-plays , the game timer continues tocount up, and you can enter anothermove.

If you change your mind after complet-ing a move (after you press the piecedown on the TO square), you must waitfor the computer to indicate its move,enter that move, then press TAKE BACKto have the computer show you how totake back its last move, then your lastmove. See “Taking Back Moves” onPage 33.

ILLEGAL MOVES

The computer only allows moves thatcomply with the rules of chess. If thecomputer detects an illegal move or anerror, it sounds an error tone (if thesound is on) and continues to indicatethe FROM square coordinates.

Here are the moves that cause the com-puter to indicate an illegal move:

• Pressing down a piece of the wrongcolor (for example, it is white’s turnand you press on a black piece).

• Pressing on the wrong square whenmaking the computer’s move (forexample, the rank and file indicatorsshow square C5 and you presssquare B5).

• Pressing on an empty square with-out having first pressed down apiece that can move to that square.

• Moving a piece that puts or leavesyour own king in check or check-mate.

FORCING THE COMPUTER’S MOVE

When it is the computer’s turn and thegame timer is counting up, you canpress ENTER to force the computer toimmediately make a move. The comput-er stops searching for moves and makesthe best play from the moves it found upto the point where you stopped it.

Note: At the mate search levels, pressingENTER does not cause the computer tomake a move. Instead, the computersounds an error beep, and the displayshows and ----- , indicating that itwas interrupted before it could find acheckmate. To continue the game, youmust change to another level of play.See “Mate Search Levels (A6–H6)” onPage 32.


22

CHANGING SIDES WITH THE COMPUTER

To change sides with the computer,press ENTER when it is your turn tomove. flashes on the display whilethe computer takes over your piecesand makes a move. Then you can takeover, and enter moves for the comput-er’s side and continue to play the samegame.

To watch the computer play against it-self, simply press ENTER every time it isyour turn to move.

GAME INDICATORS

Checkmate

Whenever a checkmate occurs on theboard, MATE alternates with the previousdisplay for about 10 seconds. Press NEWGAME to start a new game.

When the computer discovers an oppor-tunity to checkmate its opponent duringa game, it first indicates its move as usu-al. When you make the move for thecomputer, the computer then flashes acheckmate announcement for about 10seconds.

For example, if an opponent makes amove, then the computer finds an op-portunity to checkmate the opponent in2 moves (for each player), in 2flashes on the display.

Note: The game timer continues tocount up after a checkmate until youpress NEW GAME.

Check

Whenever a check occurs on the board,CHECK alternates with the previous dis-play for about 10 seconds, indicatingthat a king is in check.

Draw Game

When the computer detects the condi-tions for a draw game, End flashes onthe display.


23

If the draw game is a stalemate, thegame is over and cannot be continued.If the draw game is not a stalemate, youcan take back moves (see “Taking BackMoves” on Page 33) or change piecepositions (see “Problem Setup” onPage 34), then continue play by makingyour next move or pressing ENTER.

Note: The game timer continues tocount up after a draw game until youpress NEW GAME.

MAKING SPECIAL MOVES

En Passant Capture

The computer recognizes when youcapture a piece en passant, and it candecide to capture a piece en passant, aswell.

When performing an en passant cap-ture, the computer first indicates themove for its pawn. Then the computerdisplays the square of the capturedpawn with , and the rank and file indi-cators also show the location of the cap-tured pawn. Press on the square andtake away the captured pawn.

Note: For more information about cap-turing en passant, see “Capturing EnPassant” on Page 14.

Pawn Promotion

When one of your pawns reaches theopposite side of the board, press thequeen’s piece key after you press theTO square to register it as a queen. Ifyou choose to promote the pawn to apiece other than a queen, press thatpiece key instead.

If one of the computer’s pawns reachesthe opposite side of the board, the com-puter promotes its pawn to the piece itconsiders most advantageous and dis-plays that piece’s symbol.

Note: You can substitute the promotedpawn piece with the kind of piece youpromoted it to, if one is available. How-ever, you do not need to. The computeraccepts the pawn as the piece it waspromoted to. All you need to do is re-member which pawn is your or the com-puter’s promoted piece. (To make thiseasier, you can put a piece of tape ontop of the promoted piece to mark it.)

60-2217z.fm Friday, March 19, 1999 10:59 AM

24

Castling

The computer castles whenever it deter-mines that such a move is desirable.The computer castles by displaying 0-0for a king side castle, or 0-0-0 for aqueen side castle. You must move thecomputer’s king first, then its rook.

If you choose to castle, move your kingfirst. Once you have properly movedyour king two squares, the computerrecognizes the move as the first part ofcastling. Move your rook next to com-plete the move.

Notes:

• Castling is a king’s move. If youmove your rook first, the computeraccepts the rook’s move as a validmove, but will not let you completethe castle by moving the king. Youmust take back the rook’s move,then castle by moving the king first.See “Taking Back Moves” onPage 33.

• If you move your king correctly thenmove your rook incorrectly whencastling, the display shows Er andthe correct TO square coordinatesfor the rook, and the rank and fileindicators also show the correct TOsquare. Press the rook down on thecorrect TO square.

For example, follow these steps to per-form a white queen’s side castle.

1. Press the white king down onsquare E1. The computer dis-plays , , and E1 --- , and therank and file indicators show squareE1.

2. Move the white king to square C1and press it on the square. Thecomputer displays , , and 0-0-0, and the rank and file indicatorsshow square A1.

3. Press the white rook on square A1.The computer displays , , and0-0-0 , and the rank and file indica-tors show square D1.

4. Move the white rook to square D1and press it on the square. Thecomputer displays to indicate it isblack’s turn to move.

If the computer castles during a game,you need to move the pieces for thecomputer. Here is an example of how toperform a black king’s side castle for thecomputer.

1. The computer displays E8 as theFROM square. Press the black kingon square E8. The computer dis-plays , , and 0-0 , and the rank/file board lights show square G8.

2. Move the black king to square G8and press it on the square. Thecomputer displays , , and 0-0 ,and the rank/file board lights showsquare H8.


25

3. Press the black rook on square H8.The computer displays , , and0-0 , and the rank and file indicatorsshow square F8.

4. Move the black rook to square F8and press it on the square. Thecomputer displays to indicate it iswhite’s turn to move.

HAVING THE COMPUTER SUGGEST A MOVE

The computer can suggest moves foryou during a game.

To view the move the computer sug-gests for you, press INFO during yourturn. The computer displays -----while it computes the move, then dis-plays and the FROM and TO coordi-nates for the suggested move.

To continue the game, simply enter yourmove.

Note: If you press INFO during the com-puter’s turn, it displays countermove in-formation. See “Principal Variation” onPage 38.


26

PLAY LEVELS

When you play against the computer, you can select a play level that matches yourskill level. You can also select from many time-controlled play levels, including sever-al that simulate tournament play. Some of the levels even let you use the computer tolearn chess strategies or analyze chess problems.

The 64 different play levels (illustrated below) include:

• 16 training levels (A7 through H8)

• 8 mate search levels (A6 through H6)

• 8 beginner levels (A5 through H5)

• 8 sudden death levels (A4 through H4)

• 8 tournament levels (A3 through H3)

• 1 indefinite response time level (H2)

• 15 normal play levels (A1 through G2)

Note : For more details on various levels, see“Choosing a Level” on Page 28.


27

When you install batteries or press ACL to reset the computer, it resets itself to levelD1 (a normal play level). Otherwise, the computer remains on the last selected level.

To see the current level, press LEVEL . The computer beeps and the display showsthe code for the current level.

For example, if level B2 is selected, the display shows L 1:00 . L means that thecomputer is set to a normal play level, and 1:00 (one minute) is the maximumamount of time the computer has to calculate each move during a game. See“Choosing a Level” on Page 28.

The following table shows the code that appears for each play level.


28

CHANGING THE LEVEL

Follow these steps to change the currentplay level at any time during a game.

1. Press LEVEL .

2. Press the square on the gameboard that corresponds to the levelyou want. Or, repeatedly press /WHITE or BLACK/ until the displayshows the level you want.

To quickly skip through eight levelsat a time, press LEVEL .

3. When the computer displays thelevel you want, simply press ENTER,then continue the current game. Or,press CLEAR to remain on the lastselected level.

CHOOSING A LEVEL

If you are a beginner, start out with thebeginner levels (A5 through H5) or train-ing levels (A7 through H8). The comput-er purposely makes mistakes on thebeginner levels so you can beat thecomputer and learn while you play. Thetraining levels restrict the computer’ssearch depth, resulting in weaker play.

If you are an intermediate or advancedplayer, try the normal play levels (A1through G2). These range from easy allthe way up to difficult.

Hint: When you set the level, keep inmind that the more time the computerhas to think about its moves, the better itplays.

Beginner Levels (A5–H5)

The eight beginner levels let beginnersand average players play and win moreeasily than in other levels. The computermakes common mistakes such as leav-ing pieces unprotected, failing to captureunprotected pieces, and capturing piec-es while leaving the king unprotected.

Level A5 is the easiest, and the comput-er’s playing strength increases graduallyup through level H5.

The following table shows:

• the square on the board you pressto select the level

• the average amount of time thecomputer takes to determine itsmove

• what the computer displays whenyou select the level

Square Time Per Move Display

A5 1 second bEG: 1

B5 2 seconds bEG: 2

C5 3 seconds bEG: 3

D5 4 seconds bEG: 4

E5 5 seconds bEG: 5

F5 6 seconds bEG: 6

G5 7 seconds bEG: 7

H5 8 seconds bEG: 8


29

Note: The time-per-move figure is theaverage time the computer takes tomake a move. During the openingmoves of a game, the computer mightmove more quickly.

Training Levels (A7–H8)

The 16 training levels are designed es-pecially for beginners. At the lower train-ing levels, the computer moves almostinstantaneously, not allowing itself tostudy a move in any depth.

Level A7 is the easiest, and the comput-er’s playing strength increases graduallyup through Level H8.


• The square you press to select thelevel

• The number of ply the computer willsearch to find a move (a ply is one ofyour moves or one of the computer’smoves).

Square Display

A7 PLY: 1

B7 PLY: 2

C7 PLY: 3

D7 PLY: 4

E7 PLY: 5

F7 PLY: 6

G7 PLY: 7

H7 PLY: 8

Normal Play Levels (A1–G2)

The 15 normal play levels increase indifficulty from level A1 (the easiest) tolevel G2 (the most difficult).


• the square you press to select thelevel

• the average amount of time thecomputer takes to determine itsmove


A8 PLY: 9

B8 PLY: 10

C8 PLY: 11

D8 PLY: 12

E8 PLY: 13

F8 PLY: 14

G8 PLY: 15

H8 PLY: 16

Square Display


30

Note: The time-per-move figure is theaverage time the computer takes tomake each move. During the openingmoves of a game, the computer mightmove more quickly.

Tournament Levels (A3–H3)

At these levels, you must make a speci-fied number of moves within a givenamount of time. If you exceed the allot-ted time before making the specifiednumber of moves, the computer beeps,tInE (time) flashes on the display withthe elapsed time, and the game is over.

Notes:

• When you play at a tournamentlevel, you can set the computer’schess clock to display the count-down time instead of the elapsedtime. See “Count-Down Clock (E1)”on Page 45.

• When you play at a tournamentlevel, the computer times both itselfand you. See “Remaining Time in aSudden Death/Tournament Game”on Page 41.

SquareTime Per

MoveDisplay

A1 1 second L 0:01

B1 2 seconds L 0:02

C1 3 seconds L 0:03

D1 5 seconds L 0:05

E1 10 seconds L 0:10

F1 15 seconds L 0:15

G1 20 seconds L 0:20

H1 30 seconds L 0:30

A2 45 seconds L 0:45

B2 1 minute L 1:00

C2 1 minute 30 seconds

L 1:30

D2 2 minutes L 2:00

E2 3 minutes L 3:00

F2 5 minutes L 5:00

G2 10 minutes L 10:00


31


• the square you press to select the level

• the number of moves you must make within the allotted time

• the allotted time for the game

• what the computer displays when you select the level

Sudden Death Levels (A4–H4)

At these levels, you must finish the game within a given amount of time. If you exceedthe allotted time, the computer beeps and tInE (time) flashes on the display with theelapsed time.

Notes:

• When you play at a sudden death level, you can set the computer’s chess clock todisplay the count-down time instead of the elapsed time. See “Count-Down Clock(E1)” on Page 45.

• When you play at a sudden death level, the computer times itself and you. See“Remaining Time in a Sudden Death/Tournament Game” on Page 41.

Square Moves Time Per Game Display (Alternating)

A3 40 1 Hour 30 Minutes tr 40/1:30:00

B3 35 1 Hour 45 Minutes tr 35/1:45:00

C3 40 1 Hour 45 Minutes tr 40/1:45:00

D3 35 1 Hour 30 Minutes tr 35/1:30:00

E3 40 2 Hours tr 40/2:00:00

F3 45 2 Hours 30 Minutes tr 45/2:30:00

G3 50 2 Hours tr 50/2:00:00

H3 40 3 Hours tr 40/3:00:00


32



• the maximum amount of timeallowed for the game


Mate Search Levels (A6–H6)

The eight mate search levels allow you toset up a position (see “Problem Setup” onPage 34) and let the computer try tocheckmate the opponent’s king within 1 to8 moves, regardless of the opponent’s de-fense. The computer searches for theshortest possible solution to checkmateproblems. If no checkmate is possible orthe computer cannot find a checkmate, itsounds an error beep. Then you mustchange levels to return to normal play.



• the mate problem the computer willtry to solve


Indefinite Response Time Level (H2)

At level H2, the computer searches until itfinds a forced mate or you stop thesearch by pressing ENTER. Use this levelto have the computer analyze complicat-ed positions for hours or even days.

When you select this level, the computerdisplays 9:99:99 .

To stop the search during play at thislevel and force the computer to make amove, press ENTER.

SquareTime Per

GameDisplay

A4 5 Minutes bL : 5

B4 10 Minutes bL :10

C4 15 Minutes bL :15

D4 20 Minutes bL :20

E4 30 Minutes bL :30

F4 45 Minutes bL :45

G4 60 Minutes bL :60

H4 90 Minutes bL :90

Square Problem Display

A6 Mate in 1 in: 1

B6 Mate in 2 in: 2

C6 Mate in 3 in: 3

D6 Mate in 4 in: 4

E6 Mate in 5 in: 5

F6 Mate in 6 in: 6

G6 Mate in 7 in: 7

H6 Mate in 8 in: 8


33

ADVANCED FUNCTIONS

VERIFYING PIECE POSITIONS

You can verify or find the location of anyand all pieces on the game board by us-ing the piece keys any time. Each timeyou press a piece key, the computer dis-plays the piece’s color and location, andthe rank and file indicators show thepiece’s location.

The piece keys help locate their corre-sponding piece as shown.

For example, if the white queen is onsquare D1 and you want to verify its cor-rect location, press the queen piece keyonce. The computer displays d1 .Or, if the black queen is on square F6and you want to verify its correct loca-tion, press the queen piece key twice.The computer displays F6.

To locate all pieces of the same type, re-peatedly press the piece key for thetype. If there is more than one of thesame color piece of that type on theboard, the display and the rank and file

indicators show the location of each likepiece each time you press the piecekey. If you continue to press the piecekey, the display and the rank and file in-dicators show you the location of eachof the other color’s pieces of the sametype.

Note: If you press a piece key moretimes than the total number of pieces ofthat type on the game board, the displayshows only the piece’s symbol.

Press CLEAR to return to normal play.

TAKING BACK MOVES

The take back function lets you takeback any move made by you or the com-puter after the move has been complet-ed. The computer even reminds you toreturn a previously captured piece to theboard or a castled rook to its originalsquare.

Notes:

• If you are not sure about the positionof a previously captured piece orcastled rook, see “Verifying PiecePositions.”

• If you change your mind about amove before pressing a piece downon its TO square, follow the stepslisted in “Correcting AccidentalWrong Moves” on Page 21.


34

• To take back your own move, youmust first let the computer make acounter-move, then take back thecomputer’s counter-move first.

Follow these steps to take back a move.

1. Press TAKE BACK . The rank and fileindicators show the TO square ofthe last move, and the displayshows or , the piece’s symbol,and the FROM and TO square coor-dinates for the last move.

2. Press the piece on the indicated TOsquare. The rank and file indicatorschange to show the FROM squareof the last move.

3. Move the piece to the indicatedFROM square and press it on thesquare.

4. Repeat Steps 1–3 to take back addi-tional moves. You can take back upto 30 ply of moves (a ply is a combi-nation of one of your moves and oneof the computer’s moves).

PROBLEM SETUP

You can use problem setup to help youlearn from the computer how to work outparticular game problems or puzzlesoutside of playing an actual game. Oryou can use it to erase, re-enter, or relo-cate pieces any time before or during agame

Note: If you have already started agame, you must press POSITION duringyour turn to enter the setup mode. If youhave not yet started a game, you canpress POSITION any time.

Full Board Setup

In a full board problem setup, the com-puter records the positions you enterinto memory and assumes all other piec-es remain in their starting positions. Youonly need to go through these steps forpieces that you want to change fromtheir starting positions.

Follow these steps to set up a game withmost of the chess pieces in their startingpositions.

1. Set up all of the pieces on theboard.

2. Press NEW GAME.

3. Press POSITION. The computer dis-plays -POS- .

4. Press the piece key for the pieceyou want to move or remove and /WHITE or BLACK/ to change thecolor, if necessary. The computerdisplays or and the piece forthe selected piece.


35

5. Press the piece you want to move,or remove, down on its FROMsquare. The computer displays or and the piece’s symbol, - , andthe square the piece is on. The rankand file indicators also show thepiece’s FROM square.

6. If you are moving the piece, move itto the desired square, then press iton the square. The computer dis-plays or and the piece’s sym-bol, +, and the selected TO square.The rank and file indicators alsoshow the piece’s TO square.

If you are removing the piece, justremove the piece from the board.The display does not change.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for any otherpieces you want to move or remove.

8. When you finish setting up thepieces, press BLACK/ until thecomputer displays or for thedesired starting color, then pressCLEAR . Or, simply press CLEAR ,then choose the level you want andbegin the game.

Note: If the computer sounds an errortone, one or more pieces were moved,removed, or entered illegally. To correctthe setup, see “Correcting Illegal Set-ups” on Page 37.

Partial Board Setup

In a partial board problem setup, thecomputer records only the positions youenter into memory and assumes no oth-er pieces are on the board.

Follow these steps to clear the chess-board and set up only a few pieces.

1. Press NEW GAME.


3. Press ENTER. The computer dis-plays and clears the boardpositions of all pieces from its mem-ory.

4. Press ENTER again. The computerdisplays .

5. Press the piece key for the pieceyou want to add and /WHITE orBLACK/ to change the color, ifnecessary. The computer displays

or and the symbol for theselected piece.

6. Press down the piece you want toadd on its TO square. The computerdisplays or and the piece’ssymbol, +, and the square the pieceis on. The rank and file indicatorsalso show the TO square.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for any otherpieces you want to add.

[ ]


36

8. When you finish setting up thepieces, press BLACK/ until thecomputer displays the desired start-ing color ( or ), then pressCLEAR . Or, simply press CLEAR ,then play the game.

Note: If the computer sounds an errortone, one or more pieces were added il-legally. To correct the setup, see “Cor-recting Illegal Setups” on Page 37.

Adding Pieces During a Game

During a game you can add pieces tohelp with a beginner’s handicap or workdifferent chess scenarios.

Follow these steps to add pieces duringa game.


2. Press the piece key for the pieceyou want to add and /WHITE orBLACK/ to change the color, ifnecessary. The computer displays

or and the symbol for thepiece you want to add.

3. Press down the new piece on thesquare where you want to add it.The computer displays or andthe piece’s symbol, +, and thesquare the piece is on. The rank andfile indicators also show the square.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for any otherpieces you want to add.

5. When you finish setting up thepieces, press CLEAR .

Note: If the computer beeps an errortone, one or more pieces were added il-legally. To correct the set up, see See“Correcting Illegal Setups” on Page 37.

Removing Pieces During a Game

During a game you can remove piecesto exercise an advanced player’s handi-cap or work different chess scenarios.

Follow these steps to remove piecesduring a game.


2. Press the piece key for the pieceyou want to remove and /WHITEor BLACK/ to change the color, ifnecessary. The computer displays

or and the symbol for theselected piece.

3. Press down the piece you want toremove on its square, then removeit. The computer displays or and the piece’s symbol, –, and thesquare the piece was on. The rankand file indicators also show thesquare.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for any otherpieces you want to remove.

5. When you finish setting up thepieces, press CLEAR .

Note: If the computer sounds an errortone, one or more pieces were removedillegally. To correct the set up, see “Cor-recting Illegal Setups” on Page 37


37

Correcting Illegal Setups

To be legal, a setup must meet the fol-lowing conditions.

• Each side has one king.

• The king for the side that will moveis not in check.

• There are no pawns on the first oreighth rank.

If the computer sounds an error tone,one or more pieces are set up illegally.To correct the setup:

1. Press the piece symbol key for eachpiece on the board to verify piecepositions. See “Verifying Piece Posi-tions” on Page 33.

2. Set up a piece, remove the illegalpiece, or replace an incorrectlyplaced piece with the correct piecefor that square. See “Adding PiecesDuring a Game” or “RemovingPieces During a Game” on Page 36.

3. Press CLEAR .


38

VIEWING GAME INFORMATION

Your Master Chess Computer displaysinformation about its calculations duringplay. Studying this information can helpyou learn more about chess.

You can view game information at anytime during a game. If you view it whilewaiting for the computer to move, youcan watch the information change as thecomputer considers the best responseto a move you made.

Note: You can set the computer to auto-matically display game information as itcomputes its next move. See “RotatingDisplay Options (A3–H3)” on Page 49.

You can view the following types ofgame information:

• principal variation

• search information

• chess clocks

• move counter

PRINCIPAL VARIATION

The computer predicts the moves itthinks an opponent will make (up to 4 plyahead), then computes countermoves tothose moves. These countermoves arecalled principal variations.

To view the first principal variation,press INFO during the computer’s turn.

flashes, and the display shows theFROM and TO square coordinates forthe first countermove the computer isconsidering. Then press /WHITE or

BLACK/ to see additional counter-moves, if any (up to 4).

Notes:

• If you press INFO during your turn,the computer suggests a move foryou. See “Having the ComputerSuggest a Move” on Page 25.

• The computer displays ----- asyou press /WHITE or BLACK/ ifit has not yet computed a second,third, or fourth countermove.

To continue the game, simply enter thecomputer’s move when the computerdisplays it.

SEARCH INFORMATION

Evaluation Rating

The computer can evaluate the currentboard position to determine the playerwith the advantage or best game. Toview the computer’s evaluation, pressINFO twice. flashes or appears,and the display shows + or - and n.n .

+ or – and n.n (each n represents adigit) is an evaluation rating that indi-cates the computer’s assessment of thecurrent game based on these factors:


39

• + or – shows the player who thecomputer thinks has the advantage.+ means that white has an advan-tage over black. – means that blackhas an advantage over white.

• n.n (9.3, for example) indicates acombination of the following values:

— The point value of the piecethe computer thinks it mightwin or lose. The computerassigns these point values tothe pieces:

• pawn (1 point)

• bishop (3 points)

• knight (3 points)

• rook (5 points)

• queen (9 points)

— The computer’s generalassessment of the positionof all pieces on the board.

Notes:

• The evaluation rating might changeduring the computer’s move as thecomputer analyzes different strate-gies.

• The evaluation rating might be afractional number.

• The computer will not display anevaluation rating while set to a matesearch level.

To continue the game, simply enter thecomputer’s move when the computerdisplays it, or enter your move when it isyour turn.

Current Search Depth

The computer responds to an oppo-nent’s moves by predicting the oppo-nent’s next several moves, thencountering those moves.

To view the current search depth (thenumber of ply of a player’s moves thecomputer is looking ahead) and thenumber of possible countermoves thecomputer is considering, press INFOtwice, then press BLACK/ once.

For example, if the computer is search-ing 7 ply of moves ahead for a player,and is considering 1 possible counter-move, it displays 7_ 1 .

Notes:

• If you press BLACK/ while thecomputer is still searching, it dis-plays ----- .

• The search depth might change dur-ing the computer’s move.

• The computer will not display searchdepth information while set to amate search level.



40

Current Countermove

To view the countermove that the com-puter is currently considering, pressINFO twice, then press BLACK/ twice.The display shows the FROM and TOsquare coordinates for the countermove.

Notes:

• The current countermove mightchange during the computer’s moveas the computer analyzes differentstrategies.

• The computer will not display cur-rent countermove information whileset to a mate search level.


Position Total

To view the number of positions per sec-ond that the computer is checking whiledetermining its countermove, pressINFO twice, then press BLACK/ threetimes. The number changes on the dis-play.


CHESS CLOCKS

The computer’s chess clocks keep trackof the elapsed time and remaining time

for both sides during a game. You canview any chess clock any time during agame.

The chess clocks stop whenever you takeback a move, change the playing level,select options, verify or set up a position,or press GO/STOP to turn off the computer.When a game is saved, the computer alsosaves the settings of the chess clocks inmemory and resumes at those settingswhen play continues.

Note: The computer resets all chessclocks to 0:00:00 when you pressNEW GAME.

To continue a game after viewing achess clock, simply enter the computer’smove when the computer displays it, orenter your move when it is your turn.

Elapsed Time Since Last Move

To view the elapsed time since eitheryou or the computer last made a move,press INFO three times.


41

Elapsed Time Since Computer Started the Current Game

To view the elapsed time since the com-puter made its first move, press INFOthree times, then press once.

Elapsed Time Since You Started the Current Game

To view the elapsed time since youmade your first move, press INFO threetimes, then press BLACK/ twice.

REMAINING TIME IN A SUDDEN DEATH/TOURNAMENT GAME

In a sudden death or tournament game,both you and your opponent have a spe-cific amount of time to complete allmoves. As you and your opponent play,you might make your moves faster orslower than the opponent. Therefore,the chess clocks keep track of your re-maining time and the computer’s re-maining time separately.

Note: The computer resets all chessclocks to 0:00:00 when you pressNEW GAME.

Computer’s Remaining Time

To view the time the computer has re-maining before sudden death or tourna-ment time expires, press INFO threetimes then press BLACK/ three times.

Note: If you are not playing a suddendeath or tournament level game, the dis-play shows ----- .

Your Remaining Time

To view the time you have remaining be-fore sudden death or tournament timeexpires, press INFO three times andpress BLACK/ four times.

Note: If you are not playing a suddendeath or tournament level game, the dis-play shows ----- .


42

MOVE COUNTER

The computer counts the total number ofyour moves during a game. You canview the move counter any time during agame.

To view the move counter, press INFOfour times. The computer displays no(number) and the number of moves youhave taken.

To continue a game after viewing themove counter, simply enter the comput-er’s move when the computer displaysit, or enter your move when it is yourturn.


43

GAME OPTIONS

The computer’s game options let you select the computer’s optional features anytime before or during a game. These options control how the computer works, selectsmoves, and displays information during play.

The game options (as illustrated below) are divided into the following groups:

• operation mode

• playing mode

• rotating display

The chart shows the default setting that each option is set to when you install batter-ies or press ACL to reset the computer.

Each group of game options contains 8 different settings. The Playing Mode group in-cludes opening book options.

Notes:

• When the computer displays an option, it also displays + or – before the option. +shows that the option is on, and – that it is off.

• The only two options that reset to the default when you start a new game areAuto Answer (A1) and Play White from the Top (H1).

3

2

1


44

SELECTING AND CHANGING OPTIONS

1. Choose the option group containingthe setting you want to change bypressing OPTION:

• once to select the OperationMode group (see “OperationMode Options (A–H1)”).

• twice to select the Playing Modegroup (see “Playing ModeOptions (A2–C2)” on Page 47).

• three times to select the RotatingDisplay group (see “Rotating Dis-play Options (A3–H3)” onPage 49).

The display shows the first option inthe option group you selected.

2. Repeatedly press /WHITE orBLACK/ until the display showsthe option you want to change. Forexample, if you want to changeoption C1 (silent mode), pressBLACK/ twice.

The display shows + (if the option ison) or – (if the option is off).

3. To change the option’s setting,either press ENTER or the boardsquare corresponding to the option.

4. Press CLEAR to continue a game, orrepeat Steps 1–3 to select andchange another option.

OPERATION MODE OPTIONS (A1–H1)

Playing Against Another Person (A1)

The computer is preset to display acountermove when you enter a move.However, you can set the computer so itwill not answer with a countermovewhen you make a move by setting thisoption to –.

This option lets you use the computer asa referee when you play against anotherperson, enter a series of moves, or re-play a part of a game.

Notes:

• If you are playing against anotherperson and set this option to –,either player can still have the com-puter suggest a move by pressingINFO.

• If you are playing against anotherperson and set this option to –,either player can have the computerenter a move for them by pressingENTER. The display shows the moveentered by the computer.


45

Sound (B1)

The computer is preset to beep whenev-er you press a key or square. However,you can set the computer so it does notbeep by setting this option to –.

Note: Regardless of the setting, thecomputer beeps when it moves or whenyou make an illegal move or press awrong key (unless you set silent modeto +. See “Silent Mode (C1)”).

Silent Mode (C1)

The computer is preset to beep whenev-er you make an illegal move or pressany square or key. However, you canset the computer so it does not beep atall by setting this option to +.

Ticking Clock (D1)

The computer’s clock is preset to makeno sound. However, you can set thecomputer so the clock ticks like a realchess clock by setting this option to +.

Note: The computer’s clock continues totick even if you turn on one of the rotat-ing display options. See “Rotating Dis-play Options (A3–H3)” on Page 49.

Count-Down Clock (E1)

The computer’s clock is preset to countup the elapsed time as you play. Howev-er, if you are playing at a tournament orsudden death level (for example), youcan set the clock so it counts down in-stead of counting up, by setting this op-tion to +.


46

Test Program (F1)

This option is designed for use by ser-vice personnel, who use it to displaytroubleshooting information.

If you accidentally bring up this display,press ENTER and CLEAR at the sametime to clear it.

Automatic Power-Off (G1)

The computer is preset to stay on untilyou press GO/STOP. However, by set-ting this option to +, you can set thecomputer so it turns itself off after 15minutes if you do not press a key ormake a move.

Notes:

• The computer saves game informa-tion when it turns itself off (if batter-ies are installed).

• The computer will not turn itself offwhile it is computing a move.

After the computer turns itself off, pressGO/STOP to turn it back on and continueplaying the same game.

Playing White from the Top of the Game Board (H1)

The computer is preset to play the blackpieces on the top of the game board andhave you play the white pieces on thebottom. However, by setting this optionto + you can play the white pieces fromthe top of the game board. After settingthe option, you need to press CLEAR tobegin a new game.

With this option set to +:

• set up the board with the blackpieces closest to you (as shownhere)

• the display shows the rank and filecoordinates in reverse. However, therank and file indicators along thesides of the board show the correctcoordinate. For example, if the dis-play shows a move to E3, the actualcoordinate on the board is D6.


47

PLAYING MODE OPTIONS (A2–C2)

The computer’s playing mode options letyou control how the computer selectsmoves during play.

Search Algorithms (A2)

The computer contains two types ofsearch algorithms it can use to searchfor moves during play: selective searchand brute force.

The selective search algorithm helps thecomputer limit its search for moves toonly those most likely to be successful.

The brute force algorithm allows thecomputer to check every move possibili-ty during play, but results in slower play.

The computer is preset to use the selec-tive search algorithm (except duringmate search play). To set the computerso it uses the brute force algorithm tosearch for moves, set this option to –.

Easy Mode (B2)

The computer is preset to use the timeduring your move to compute its ownmove. However, you can set the com-puter so it computes only during its ownturn, by setting this option to +. Thismakes it easier for you to beat the com-puter by giving it less time to search formoves.

Random Mode (C2)

The computer is preset to select movesthat are similar in type and difficulty dur-ing a game. However, you can set thecomputer so it chooses moves randomlyduring its own turn, by setting this optionto +. This lets you see and react to agreater variety of moves during a game,and results in more difficult play.


48

OPENING BOOKS (D2–H2)

The computer’s opening book memorycontains most major opening strategiesso the computer can respond more rap-idly during a game’s opening moves.

The computer has the following openingbooks:

• passive

• active

• normal

• abnormal

You can influence the computer’s styleof play by changing any of these op-tions. When you select an option, thecomputer selects positions more oftenfrom that option. When you deselect anoption, the computer selects fewer posi-tions from that option.

Note: After you play through the com-puter’s opening book, changing theseoptions has no effect on how the com-puter plays. However, the computer willcontinue to play in response to the styleof your opening moves.

Passive Book (D2)

The computer is preset to choose open-ing moves that follow active openingsand open positions. However, you canset the computer so it will choose movesthat follow more passive and closedstrategies, by setting this option to +.

Note: If you set this option to +, the com-puter automatically sets option E2 (Ac-tive Book) to –.

Active Book (E2)

The computer preset to choose openingmoves that stress active plays and gam-bits. However, you can set the computerso it will choose moves that stress morepassive plays and gambits by setting thisoption to –.

Note: If you set this option to –, thecomputer automatically sets option D2(Passive Book) to +.


49

Complete Book (F2)

The computer is preset to choose onlysome of the moves from its openingbook. However, you can set the comput-er so it can choose any move from itsopening book by setting this option to +.

Note: If you set this option to +, the com-puter might make questionable or illogi-cal moves during play. This is becauseits opening book contains responses tomany known lines of play (even illogicalones), in case the opponent plays them.

Tournament Book (G2)

The computer is preset to choose from awide variety of moves, ranging in difficul-ty from easy to difficult. However, youcan set the computer so it will chooseonly the most efficient moves, by settingthis option to +.

Note: If you set this option to +, the com-puter plays extremely well and is almostunbeatable. However, this option alsonarrows the computer’s choice ofmoves, and makes the computer’s re-sponses to moves more limited.

Book On/Off (H2)

The computer is preset to select movesfrom one or more opening books duringthe first few moves of a game. However,you can set the computer so it cannotuse any of its opening books by settingthis option to –.

Note: If you set this option to –, thecomputer must compute a response toan opponent’s move “from scratch,” re-sulting in slower play.

ROTATING DISPLAY OPTIONS (A3–H3)

The computer’s rotating display optionlets you continuously see the game in-formation described in “Viewing GameInformation” on Page 38 while it com-putes a move, without interrupting thegame in progress.


50

Follow the steps in “Selecting andChanging Options” on Page 44 to selectthe statistics you want the computer todisplay. As it computes its move, thecomputer displays each statistic you se-lect, one at a time, at 1-second intervals.

Notes:

• The computer does not display thecount-up game clock while it rotatesdisplay information.

• The computer displays ----- if ithas not yet computed the option.

You can select any of the following sta-tistics for display:

• Principal Variation, First Move (A3)— the first countermove and the firstply the computer is currently consid-ering (see “Principal Variation” onPage 38).

• Principal Variation, Second Move(B3) — the second countermoveand the second ply the computer iscurrently considering.

• Principal Variation, Third Move (C3)— the third countermove and thethird ply the computer is currentlyconsidering.

• Principal Variation, Fourth Move(D3) — the fourth countermove andthe fourth ply the computer is cur-rently considering.

• Position Evaluation (E3) — the com-puter’s current evaluation rating (see“Search Information” on Page 38).

Note: The computer will not displayan evaluation rating while set to amate search level.

• Current Search Depth (F3) — thecomputer’s current search depth.

Note: The computer will not displaysearch depth information while setto a mate search level.

• Position Total (G3) — the currentnumber of positions per second thatthe computer is checking whiledetermining its countermove.

• Elapsed Time Per Move (H3) — theelapsed time since the last move(see “Chess Clocks” on Page 40).

If the computer displays the statistics tooquickly, press INFO to freeze the display,then repeatedly press /WHITE orBLACK/ to view each statistic. To un-freeze the display, press OPTION, thenpress CLEAR .


51

TROUBLESHOOTING

If your computer is not working as it should, follow the suggestions below to see if youcan eliminate the problem. If you cannot, take the computer to your local RadioShackstore for assistance.

PROBLEM SUGGESTION

The display is dim or blank, or the computer does not work at all.

Check the batteries and AC adapter (if used).

The computer does not accept a legal move, or displays an unexpected move.

Verify the position of all pieces, black and white. See “Verifying Piece Posi-tions” on Page 33.

The display shows all dashes. Press ENTER and CLEAR at the same time to clear the display.

During a game, the computer does not display an evaluation rating, search depth, or any current move information.

The computer is set to a mate search level. Choose another level.

During a game, the computer does not beep when a key or square is pressed, or does not beep at all.

The computer’s sound is off, or is set to the silent mode (see “Sound (B1)” on Page 45 and “Silent Mode (C1)” on Page 45). Change the options.

The computer unexpectedly turns itself off during a game.

The computer’s automatic power-off option is on. If desired, turn this option off. See “Automatic Power-Off (G1)” on Page 46.

The computer takes a long time to respond to a move.

The computer might be set to a high play level, or the computer’s search algorithm option might be set to - SEL (brute force). Change the level or select + SEL (selective search). See “Choosing a Level” on Page 28. and “Search Algorithms (A2)” on Page 47.


52

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your RadioShack Master Chess Computer is an example of superior design andcraftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for your computer so youcan enjoy it for years.

Keep the computer dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquidsmight contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits.

Use and store the computer only in normal temperature environments.Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devices, dam-age batteries, and distort or melt plastic parts.

Keep the computer away from dust and dirt, which can cause prema-ture wear of parts.

Handle the computer gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage cir-cuit boards and cases and can cause the computer to work improperly.

Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type.Batteries can leak chemicals that damage your computer’s electronicparts.

Wipe the computer and chess pieces with a damp cloth occasionally tokeep them looking new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents,or strong detergents to clean them.

Modifying or tampering with the computer’s internal components can cause a mal-function and might invalidate its warranty. If your computer is not performing as itshould, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance.


53

NOTES


54


55


RadioShackA Division of Tandy Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

8A8 Printed in Hong Kong

Limited Ninety-Day WarrantyThis product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workman-ship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDEDHEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES,INCLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIESCONTAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABIL-ITY OR RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RE-SPECT TO ANY LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USEOR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WAR-RANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVE-NIENCE, LOSS OF TIME, DATA, PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT,SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN AD-VISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion of in-cidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the RadioShacksales receipt as proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store. RadioShack will, at its option, un-less otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by product repair without charge for parts andlabor; (b) replace the product with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchaseprice. All replaced parts and products, and products on which a refund is made, become the prop-erty of RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance ofwarranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the remainder of theoriginal warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after theexpiration of the warranty period.This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of God, abuse,accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installation ormaintenance, alteration, lightning or other incidence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairsother than those provided by a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such asfuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costsof product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary fromstate to state.RadioShack Customer Relations, Dept. W, 100 Throckmorton St., Suite 600, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell 3/97


master chess computer - alain...

Documents