INTRODUCTION

Ready to enter the exciting world of computer chess? Youve come to the right place! Your new computer offers so many game options, playing levels, and special features youll never look at chess the same way again! The Quick Start at the front of the manual will get you playing right away, and youll find more details on basic game operation in Section 1. Once you learn the basics, be sure to go on and explore the rest of this manual, even if you normally dont like to read instruction booklets! Youll discover that this chess computer has all kinds of other interesting and fun-filled features that will delight youwe guarantee it! Your new computer knows and follows all the rules of chessyou can be sure that it will never cheat! For those of you who havent played before, we have included a short overview of the rules to get you started. For more detailed information, why not visit your local library, where youre sure to find lots of interesting chess books!

1. LETS GET STARTED!

1.3 Now Its the Computers Turn
When the computer moves, it beeps and turns on two board lights indicating the square of the piece it wants to move. It also shows its full move in the display window. Check it outyoull see the from and to squares of the
1.1 First, Install the Batteries
Your computer runs on four AA (Type AM3/R6) batteries. Insert the batteries into the compartment in the base of the

ENGLISH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
computers move, along with the color and type of piece it is moving. Press the indicated piece down on the from square until you hear a beep. Move that same piece to the indicated to square and press it down to complete the computers move. And its your turn again
MAKING THE COMPUTERS MOVE: AN EXAMPLE!

1.4 Change Your Mind? Take Back!
When youre playing chess against this computer, nothing is set in stoneyou can change your mind or decide to play a different move whenever you want! When its your turn to move, simply press TAKE BACK. The display shows the move to be taken back, and the to square of that move is also indicated by board lights. Press the piece down gently on the indicated square, and the computer shows you where that piece came from. Press the piece down on the from square to complete the take-back. Repeat this as often as youd like, taking back up to 30 individual moves (or 15 moves for each side). To continue playing at any point, just make another move on the board! After taking back a capture or/and pawn promotion, the computer will make sure your board is still set up correctly by reminding you to put the captured piece or/and pawn back on the board respectively! It does this by displaying the piece symbol and its location, and turning on the board lights for that square. Put the indicated piece back on the board and press that square to complete the take-back. After the computer display its moves, its up to you to make its move on the board! Here, the display indicates the computer wants to move its Black pawn (]!) from E7 to E5. Pick up the E7 pawn (indicated by the board lights) and press it down lightly on Square E7. The board lights now point to Square E5. Press the pawn down on Square E5 to complete the computers move. Now its your turn again!

USE THIS CHART TO SELECT A PLAYING LEVEL!
1. Press to enter Level Mode. 2. Next, select your level, using the chart below. There are two ways to do this.
Cycle through the levels until your level is displayed: Press BLACK/> to increase > levels by one. Press WHITE/< to decrease < levels by one. Press LEVEL to increase > levels by eight. OR, simply locate your level square and press it to display that level!
9 ply search PLY:9 TRAINING LEVELS

10 ply search PLY:10

11 ply search PLY:11

12 ply search PLY:12

13 ply search PLY:13

14 ply search PLY:14

15 ply search PLY:15

16 ply search PLY:16

1 ply search PLY:1

2 ply search PLY:2

3 ply search PLY:3

4 ply search PLY:4

5 ply search PLY:5

6 ply search PLY:6

7 ply search PLY:7

8 ply search PLY:8

MATE SEARCH LEVELS

Mate in 1 move =in:1

Mate in 2 moves =in:2

Mate in 3 moves =in:3

Mate in 4 moves =in:4

Mate in 5 moves =in:5

Mate in 6 moves =in:6

Mate in 7 moves =in:7

Mate in 8 moves =in:8

BEGINNER LEVELS

1 sec. per move bEG:1

2 sec. per move bEG:2

3 sec. per move bEG:3

4 sec. per move bEG:4

5 sec. per move bEG:5

6 sec. per move bEG:6

7 sec. per move bEG:7

8 sec. per move bEG:8

BLITZ LEVELS

5 min. per game bL: 5

10 min. per game bL:10

15 min. per game bL:15

20 min. per game bL:20

30 min. per game bL:30

45 min. per game bL:45

60 min. per game bL:60

90 min. per game bL:90

TOURNAMENT LEVELS

40 moves in 1:30 tr40 1:30:00
35 moves in 1:45 tr35 1:45:00
40 moves in 1:45 tr40 1:45:00
35 moves in 1:30 tr35 1:30:00
40 moves in 2:00 tr40 2:00:00
45 moves in 2:30 tr45 2:30:00
50 moves in 2:00 tr50 2:00:00
40 moves in 3:00 tr40 3:00:00
NORMAL PLAYING LEVELS + INFINITE LEVEL

45 sec. per move L0:45

1 min. per move L1:00

1.5 min. per move L1:30

2 min. per move L2:00

3 min. per move L3:00

5 min. per move L5:00

10 min. per move L10:00

Infinite Level 9:99:99

1 sec. per move L0:01

2 sec. per move L0:02

3 sec. per move L0:03

5 sec. per move L0:05

10 sec. per move L0:10

15 sec. per move L0:15

20 sec. per move L0:20

30 sec. per move L0:30

3. Finally, press

to exit Level Mode, using your new level!
For more details, see Section 3.
ing ENTERit enters your level into the computer. To verify the level without changing it: If you press LEVEL to verify the level but you dont want to actually change levels, press CLEAR. This returns you to normal play without changing the level or clock settings, even while the computer is thinking. Some more important points to remember regarding playing levels: Changing the level always resets the chess clocks. We do not recommend changing levels while the computer is thinking. If you must do this, first press ENTER to abort the computers search, and make its move on the board. Then, take back the computers move and change the level. Finally, press ENTER to make the computer start thinking on the new level. If you change the level while the computer is thinking, the clock is reset and the current search is aborted.

If you press LEVEL while the computer is thinking but the level is not changed (if you press CLEAR instead of ENTER), the computer will also abort its search.
3.1 Normal Playing Levels (Squares A1-G2)
LEVEL TIME PER MOVE DISPLAY
A1.. 1 second. B1.. 2 seconds. C1.. 3 seconds. D1.. 5 seconds. E1.. 10 seconds. F1.. 15 seconds. G1.. 20 seconds. H1.. 30 seconds. A2.. 45 seconds. B2.. 1 minute. C2.. 1.5 minutes.

L L L L L L L L L L L

0:01 0:02 0:03 0:05 0:10 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:45 1:00 1:30
D2.. 2 minutes.. L 2:00 E2.. 3 minutes.. L 3:00 F2.. 5 minutes.. L 5:00 G2.. 10 minutes.. L10:00 When you choose one of the Normal Playing Levels, you are selecting an average response time for the computer. Note that the times are averaged over a large number of moves. In the opening and endgame, the computer tends to play faster, but in complicated middlegame positions, it may take longer to move. 3.2 Infinite Level (Square H2)

LEVEL TIME DISPLAY

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 Are you a novice or beginning chess player? If so, these levels are especially for you! Here, the computer restricts its search so that it deliberately plays weaker and gives you a better chance to win! The levels start out easy and gradually get a little harderas you beat each one, go on to the next! 3.6 Mate Search Levels (Squares A6-H6)

LEVEL PROBLEM DISPLAY

H2. No time limit. 9:99:99 On the Infinite Level, the computer will search indefinitely, until it finds a forced mate or forced move; until it has fully searched the position to its maximum depth; or until you stop the search by pressing ENTER. If you halt the search, the computer makes the move it currently thinks is best. Try experimenting with this levelset up interesting board positions and let the computer analyze them for you! It will think for hours or even days on end, trying to come up with the best possible move. And dont forget to watch the computer as it thinkstake advantage of the Rotating Display feature described in Section 5.3! 3.3 Tournament Levels (Squares A3-H3)
LEVEL MOVES/TOTAL TIME ALTERNATING DISPLAY
A3. 40 moves in 1 hr. 30 min. tr40 1:30:00 B3. 35 moves in 1 hr. 45 min. tr35 1:45:00 C3. 40 moves in 1 hr. 45 min. tr40 1:45:00 D3. 35 moves in 1 hr. 30 min. tr35 1:30:00 E3. 40 moves in 2 hrs. tr40 2:00:00 F3. 45 moves in 2 hrs 30 min. tr45 2:30:00 G3. 50 moves in 2 hrs. tr50 2:00:00 H3. 40 moves in 3 hrs. tr40 3:00:00 The Tournament Levels require you to make a certain number of moves within a given amount of time. If a player exceeds the allotted time for a given number of moves, the computer flashes TImE along with the elapsed time to show that the game is over. If you wish, you can continue to play even after the time has run out. If you choose a Tournament Level, you may want to set the chess clocks to display countdown time instead of the elapsed time (see Section 5.1). When the game time runs out, the countdown clock automatically reverts back to the normal clock display. 3.4 Blitz Levels (Squares A4-H4)

Using Info Mode How do you access all this game information? By using Info Mode at any time! If you do this while the computer is
A5.. 1 second. BEG:1 B5.. 2 seconds. BEG:2 C5.. 3 seconds. BEG:3
thinking, youll see the information displays change as the computer considers different moves and searches deeper!

INFO MODE AT A GLANCE!

For details, see Section 4.
See INFO MODE AT A GLANCE! for a chart summarizing all the Info Mode displays.
Game information is divided into four groups, and pressing INFO cycles from one group to another. The BLACK/> and WHITE/< keys can be used to cycle through the displays within each of the groups. Press CLEAR to exit Info Mode and go back to showing the normal chess clock. After learning about Info Mode, take a look at Section 5.3 for a description of the Rotating Display feature. Selecting this feature makes the computer automatically cycle through the requested information in one-second intervals every time it thinks about its moveyou can actually watch the computer think out loud! Whenever requested information is not available, the display will show dashes ( ). 4.1 Principal Variation Press INFO the first time to get information on the principal variation (the predicted line of play, or the sequence of moves the computer thinks will be made). The first display you will see is the move the computer is currently thinking of making. The principal variation is shown to a maximum depth of four individual moves. Press BLACK/> repeatedly to scroll forward through all the moves: Move 1 (predicted line of play) Move 2 (predicted line of play) Move 3 (predicted line of play) Move 4 (predicted line of play) Press WHITE/< to scroll backward and see previous displays again. Press CLEAR to return to the normal clock display. Since the first move of the predicted line of play is the move the computer assumes you will make, you can also consider this move as a hint! Sowhenever you need help, press INFO on your turn! 4.2 Search Information Press INFO a second time to get information on the computers search! Press BLACK/> repeatedly to scroll forward through these four displays: Evaluation of the current position (based on a pawn being worth 1.0 points; a positive number indicates White is ahead) Two numbers: The first is the current search depth, or the number of individual moves the computer is looking ahead; the second is the number of moves the computer has examined so far The move currently being considered The search speed, or number of positions (nodes) being searched every second Press WHITE/< to scroll backward and see previous displays again. Press CLEAR to return to the normal clock display. 4.3 Chess Clock Information Press INFO a third time for chess clock information. The chess clocks keep track of the time for both sides. Press BLACK/> repeatedly to scroll forward through the clock displays: Elapsed time since the last move was made Total elapsed time for the computer Total elapsed time for the player Remaining time for the computer (Blitz/Tournament Levels only) Remaining time for the player (Blitz/Tournament Levels only) Press WHITE/< to scroll backward and see previous displays again. Press CLEAR to return to the normal clock display.

PRINCIPAL VARIATION INFO:
Move 1 (predicted line of play) Move 2 (predicted line of play) Move 3 (predicted line of play) Move 4 (predicted line of play)

SEARCH INFO:

Evaluation of current position 2 numbers: Search depth + number of moves examined so far Current move under consideration Number of positions being searched per second

CHESS CLOCK INFO:

Elapsed time since last move Elapsed time for the computer Elapsed time for the player Remaining time for the computer* Remaining time for the player*
*Blitz/Tournament Levels only

MOVE COUNT INFO:

Number of White moves played so far
Moves of the current game
The clocks stop whenever you take back a move, check level settings, select options, verify or set up a position, or turn the unit off. In all these cases, however, the times are retained in memory, and the clocks resume as soon as play is continued. Whenever you change levels or press NEW GAME, the chess clocks are always reset to 0:00:00. 4.4 Move Count/Game Moves Press INFO a fourth time to show the move number in the game so far. You can then press WHITE/< repeatedly to scroll backward through the moves of your game (up to 30 individual moves). Number of White moves played so far Moves of the current game Press BLACK/> to go forward through the moves again at any point. Press CLEAR to return to the normal clock display. 4.5 Want a Hint? Just Ask! In case you missed this feature when it was mentioned in Section 4.1, we wanted to point it out againif you ever need advice on a move, you can always ask the computer for a hint. Simply press INFO when its your turn to move, and the computer will show a suggested move for your side!
5. OPTIONS FOR FUN AND VARIETY
In addition to all the features youve learned about so far,

1. Press

repeatedly to select a Mode: x1 = OPERATION MODE (AUt.) x2 = PLAYING MODE (SEL.) x3 = ROTATING DISPLAY MODE (rd:1.) x4 = back to OPERATION MODE.
2. Next, select your option(s), using the chart below. There are two ways to do this.
Cycle through the options within that mode: Press BLACK/> to cycle > forward. Press WHITE/< to cycle < backward. When your option is displayed, press ENTER to toggle it on (+) or off (). OR, simply locate your option square and press it to toggle that option on (+) or off ().

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 H4

ROTATING DISPLAY OPTIONS

Variation to ply 1

Variation to ply 2

Variation to ply 3

Variation to ply 4

Position Evaluation

Depth & Moves

Nodes Searched

Time per Move

PLAYING MODE OPTIONS

Selective/ Brute Force Search

Easy Mode

Random Play

Passive Book

Active Book
Complete Tournament Book Book

Book On/Off

OPERATION MODE OPTIONS

Auto Answer

Sound with Keypress

Silent Mode

Ticking Clock

Countdown Clock

System Test
Auto Power Play White Down from Top
to exit Option Mode, using your new option(s)!
For more details, see Section 5.
your chess computer also offers many other exciting game options! All of these options are user-selectable at any time during a game. They are described individually in this section, and summarized in the Option Mode Chart. Selecting Game Options There are two methods of setting options, as described belowby using the game keys or pressing board squares.
See THE BASICS OF OPTION MODE: HERES HOW! for a chart summarizing how to use Option Mode, and an overview of all the options.
The Game Options are divided into three groups: Operation Mode, Playing Mode, and Rotating Display Mode. Pressing OPTION cycles from one group to another. Each group contains eight different options, and the BLACK/> and WHITE/< keys are used to cycle through the options within each of the groups. For each option, a plus (+) in the display indicates the displayed option is ON, and a minus () means the option is OFF. Press ENTER to turn each option on or off as it is displayed. Remember that pressing OPTION cycles through the three main groups, so you can switch to any of the groups at any time. After you have made all your option selections from any or all of the option groups, press CLEAR to return to normal game play. Another method of selecting game options is by pressing the option squares. As shown in the Options Chart, Squares A1-H1, A2-H2, and A3-H3 can be used to turn options on and off. First, press OPTION to enter Option Mode; then press the desired square to access any option, using the chart as a guide. Youll see that pressing a square repeatedly turns that option on and off again, with plus (+) for ON and minus () for

b. Sound with Keypress (Square B1) On:+SNd Off:-SNd This option lets you turn off the sound that accompanies each keypress. You will still hear beeps when the computer moves or when an illegal move or keypress is made. c. Silent Mode (Square C1) On:+SIL Off:-SIL Normally, the computer always beeps when it has found its move. For completely silent operation, turn on Silent Mode. d. Ticking Clock (Square D1) On:+tICk Off:-tICk When you turn this option on, you activate a ticking sound that makes the computers clock sound like a real chess clock! Just imagineyou can create the atmosphere of a championship chess tournament in your own living room! e. Countdown Clock (Square E1) On:+cdn Off:-cdn Turning this option on causes the computer to display the countdown time instead of the elapsed time. Note that this option is only available in combination with the Tournament and Blitz Levels. f. System Test (Square F1) On:+tESt Off:-tESt The System Test is included primarily as a troubleshooting tool. After activating this option by selecting +tESt, pressing BLACK/> repeatedly will cycle through all the segments in the LCD display and all the board lights, in turn. To exit the test, press NEW GAME. CAUTION: Be careful not to activate this option during a game, since resetting the computer is the only way to exit the test, and your current game will be lost. g. Auto Power Down (Square G1) On:+aPd Off:-aPd The Auto Power Down option is a battery-saving feature! With this option activated, the computer will automatically turn itself off if no keypresses or moves are made for about 15 minutes. To continue the game where you left off, press GO/STOP to turn the computer back on. Note that the computer will not turn itself off while it is thinking. h. Play White from the Top (Square H1) On:+tOP Off:-tOP Want to depart from the usual standard and let the computer play the White pieces from the top of the board? Then try out this interesting option! Choose +tOP at the beginning of a new game, and set up the board with the Black pieces closest to you, as shown in the diagram in this section. Then, press ENTER to start the game. Watch as the computer makes the first move for White from the top of the board! See PLAYING BLACK FROM THE BOTTOM? HERES THE POSITION! for a diagram showing the correct piece set-up when using this option. When the computer plays White from the top, board nota-
tion is automatically reversed. Additionally, this option will go back to its default setting of OFF when you start a new game.
5.2 Playing Mode Options (Squares A2-H2) These options affect how the computer selects its moves. Press OPTION twice to select the Playing Mode Options. Then use the BLACK/> and WHITE/< keys to select options within this group, and press ENTER to turn options on (+) or off (). Or, simply press the option squares to turn options on or off.
a. Selective Search (Square A2) On:+SEL Off:-SEL The program in this chess computer normally uses a Selective Search algorithm. This allows the computer to see combinations that would otherwise take much longer to compute. Turning this option off by choosing -SEL makes the program switch to a powerful Brute Force algorithm. This search method minimizes the risk of an occasional oversight. Note that the Mate Search Levels always use the Brute Force method. b. Easy Mode (Square B2) On:+EASy Off:-EASy Want to win more games against the computer? Try turning on Easy Mode, which prevents the computer from thinking on your time! This weakens all the playing levels without affecting the computers time controls. Normally, as described in Section 2.8, the computer thinks on your time, using the time you are contemplating your next move to think ahead and plan its strategies. This is part of what makes your computer such a tough opponent! By using Easy Mode to make all the levels weaker, you effectively have many more levels to choose from! c. Random Play (Square C2) On:+RaNd Off:-RaNd Turn this option on for greater variety of play. Instead of selecting one single best move, the computer will then choose one of the best moves to play by consulting its built-in Randomizer! d. Passive Book (Square D2) On:+bk:P Off:-bk:P Selecting the Passive Book option forces the computer to give preference to passive and closed positions when deciding which lines to play. If this option is selected, the Active Book and Tournament Book options are disabled. e. Active Book (Square E2) On:+bk:A Off:-bk:A When this option is activated, the computer will give preference to active lines and open positions when deciding which lines to play. If this option is selected, the Passive Book and Tournament Book options are disabled.

f. Complete Book (Square F2) On:+bk:? Off:-bk:? Turning on the Complete Book option gives the computer the freedom to choose any move from its built-in book of openings, so youll see a greater variety of opening lines being played. If this option is selected, the Passive, Active, and Tournament Book options are disabled. With this option on, you may see the computer make some questionable moves. This is because its built-in book of openings must contain responses to certain lines of play (even questionable lines), in case they are played. While the computer would not make these moves on its own, it needs to know how to respond to them in the best way. Therefore, when you turn on the Complete Book, the computer could potentially play one of these moves. g. Tournament Book (Square G2) On:+bk:t Off:-bk:t When you turn the Tournament Book option on, the computer is forced to always select the best possible line of play in every opening. While this results in the best chess play, it also narrows down the computers choice of moves by limiting its available book lines. If this option is selected, the Active Book and Passive Book options are disabled. h. Book On/Off (Square H2) On:+bOOk Off:-bOOk If you ever want to completely lock out the computers builtin book of openings, set this option to -bOOk. When the book is off, the computer is forced to take time to think of its moves from the beginning of the game, rather than making its moves from memory. For details on openings, see Section 2.7. If you turn the book completely off, the other book options (described previously) are also automatically disabled.
5.3 Rotating Display Options (Squares A3-H3)
ITS EASY TO VERIFY PIECES!

NEW GAME

1. Press NEW GAME to reset the computer, and set up the chess pieces in their starting positions. Display: [ 0:00:00. 2. Press the KNIGHT Key. Display: [,@,b1 (the first White Knight). Board lights on: B+1. 3. Press KNIGHT again. Display: [,@,G1 (the second White Knight). Board lights on: G+1. 4. Press KNIGHT again. Display: ],@,b8 (the first Black Knight). Board lights on: B+8. 5. Press KNIGHT again. Display: ],@,g8 (the second Black Knight). Board lights on: G+8. 6. Press KNIGHT again. Display: @ (no more Knights left on the board).
7. Repeat the above steps for any piece you want to verify! Finally, press CLEAR to exit Verify Mode.
For more details, see Section 6.1.

TRY OUT POSITION MODE!

IMPORTANT: The Rotating Display feature is only activated WHILE THE COMPUTER IS THINKING.

If you should knock over the chess pieces or if you think your board position may be incorrect, the computer can verify all the piece locations for you! When it is your turn, press one of the PIECE SYMBOL KEYS (&, %, $, #, @, or !). The computer shows you where the first piece of that type is located on the boardthe display shows the piece symbol, color indicator, and square designation, and board lights also indicate the square. Press the same PIECE SYMBOL KEY again to see the location of the next piece of that same type. All the White pieces are shown first, then the Black pieces. When there are no more pieces of that type on the board, only the piece symbol remains in the display. Want to verify more pieces? Simply repeat the above procedure using the other PIECE SYMBOL KEYS, verifying the entire board if desired! Press CLEAR to return to normal game play. 6.2 Changing and Setting Up Positions
where a King is in check and is not to move. In such cases, the computer will simply beep when you press CLEAR, and you will not be allowed to exit Position Mode. Check the position using the PIECE SYMBOL KEYS, if necessary, and correct the position (by adding a piece, removing a piece, or moving an incorrectly placed piece). Then press CLEAR to exit Position Mode.

7. TECHNICAL DETAILS

7.1 The ACL Function Computers sometimes lock up due to static discharge or other electrical disturbances. If this should happen, take out the batteries and use a pin or another sharp object to press into the hole marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one second. This resets the computer. 7.2 Care and Maintenance Your chess computer is a precision electronic device, and should not be subjected to rough handling or exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture. Be sure to disconnect the adapter (if applicable) and remove the batteries before cleaning the unit. Do not use chemical agents or liquids to clean the unit, as they may damage the plastic. Weak batteries should be replaced promptly, since they can leak and damage the computer. Please also note the following regarding the use of batteries. Warning: Use only alkaline or zinc carbon batteries. Do not mix different types of batteries or new and used batteries. Do not recharge non-rechargeable batteries. Use only the recommended batteries or equivalent. Be sure to observe the correct polarity when inserting batteries. Worn out batteries should be removed from the unit promptly. Do not short circuit the supply terminals. If an AC-DC adapter is used with this unit, it must be as specified in Section 7.3. An adapter is not a toy and should be handled with care. Please also note the following regarding the use of an AC-DC adapter. Warning: Use a center positive adapter with safety isolating transformer. The polarity symbols confirming its center positivity should be clearly marked on the adapter, and the adapter must comply with CEE Publication 15 and with EN60742. The adapter should be regularly examined for potential hazards such as damage to the plug, cable or cord, casing or other parts. In the event of damage, the adapter should not be used. 7.3 Technical Specifications Clock Frequency: 10 MHz Keys: 17 LCD Display: 48-segments Batteries: 4 x AA/AM3/R6 (1.5V) cells Power Consumption: 330 mW maximum Dimensions: 308 x 230 x 29 mm Weight: 1 kg AC-DC Adapter: 9V/300mA center-positive (optional)

See TRY OUT POSITION MODE! to get an idea of how this feature works.
Position Mode is an exciting feature which lets you set up special board positions to play from, or problems you want the computer to solve! Caution: All previous moves in your current game will be erased from the computers memory if you make changes to the position during a game. Press POSITION to enter Position Mode, and the display shows -POS-. You can change or set up a position whenever it is your turn to move. After you have set up your new position, press CLEAR to exit Position Mode. To remove a piece from the board, press the piece down on its square and then remove it. Notice that the display indicates the piece type and color, along with a minus sign () and the square location. To move a piece from one square to another, press the piece down on its original square, pick it up, and then press it down on the new square. As you do this, the display will show a minus sign () for the first square, and a plus sign (+) for the second square. To add a piece to the board, first press the PIECE SYMBOL KEY for that piece (&, %, $, #, @, or !). Make sure the display shows the correct color symbol for the piece you want to add. If it does not, press BLACK/> or WHITE/< to change the color. When the display shows the correct piece type and color, place that piece onto the desired square and press down gently. The display shows a plus sign (+), along with the location for that square. To add another piece of the same type, simply press down on another square. To add a different piece, press a different PIECE SYMBOL KEY and follow the same steps outlined above. To clear the board, press ENTER while you are in Position Mode. The display will show _ to symbolize an empty chessboard. Press ENTER once more to confirm that you do want to clear the board. Then add pieces as described previously. If you decide not to clear the board, press CLEAR to cancel. This feature can be handy when you want to set up a position with only a few pieces, where it would be much easier to start out with an empty board! Once you have changed the board position as described above, make sure the color indicator in the display is showing the correct color of the side to move. Change the color, if necessary, by pressing BLACK/> or WHITE/<. To exit Position Mode, press CLEAR. You will return to normal game play, with your new board position! Note that any legal position can be set up using the above procedures. The computer will not permit you to set up an illegal position, such as one where there are more than the prescribed number of pieces for a normal game, or one

Please retain this information for future reference. The manufacturer reserves the right to make technical changes without notice in the interest of progress.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

SYMPTOMS
The computer doesnt react, behaves erratically, or freezes during a game.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Batteries are not installed correctly. Batteries are weak or bad. Static discharge or an electrical disturbance has caused a lock-up.

ACTION TO TAKE

Reinstall the batteries, making sure to observe the correct polarity. Replace the batteries. Press into the hole marked ACL to reset the computer (see Section 7.1). Replace the batteries with fresh alkalines. The computer only responds automatically if Auto Answer is on (see Section 5.1). To interrupt the computer and force it to make a move, if desired, press ENTER. Review the chess rules. Verify the position to make sure it is correct (see Section 6.1).
The display is difficult to read. The computer will not make a move.
Batteries are weak or bad. The Auto Answer option may be turned off. You may be on a level where the computer thinks for a long time.
The computer will not accept your move.
Is it your turn? Is your King in check? Will your move put your King into check? Are you trying to castle incorrectly? Are you moving to an illegal square? The computer is thinking (its color symbol is flashing in the display).
To interrupt the computer, press ENTER. Check the display, and press the correct square to complete the computers move. Check your position, and make the necessary changes (see Section 6.2). Then press CLEAR again to exit Position Mode. To clear the board, press ENTER once more; to cancel, press CLEAR (see Section 6.2). Review the chess rules. Verify the position as described in Section 6.1. Verify the position (see Section 6.1). Replace the batteries with fresh alkalines. Press LEVEL to see which level is selected (see Section 3). Change to another level, if desired. Replace the batteries with fresh alkalines. Check the option settings (see Section 5.1). Use only the recommended AC-DC adapter, as specified in Section 7.3.
An error message shows when a square is pressed. You cannot exit Position Mode with CLEARthe computer only beeps. The display is showing _. The computer seems to be making illegal moves.
You have not entered the computers last move correctly (wrong from or to square). You have set up an illegal position. A King may be in check, you may have too many pawns on the board, etc. You are in Position Mode, and have pressed ENTER to clear the board. The computer has made a special move, such as en passant, castling, or a pawn promotion. Your board position is incorrectpieces have been moved. Batteries are running out.

The computer is making instant or irrational moves.
The computer may be on one of the lowest Beginner or Training Levels, where it moves quickly and plays weaker than normal because its search depth is limited. Batteries are running out.
The computer is silent. You are using an optional ACDC adapter, but the computer does not work.
The Silent Mode option may be activated. Wrong adapter type, incorrect voltage rating, or defective adapter.