Alexandra the Great Chess Instructions Control Panel: On first feeling the Alexandra chess games surface you will feel a large smooth surface, this is the main game playing board. On one side of this you will feel a section with the control buttons. For this description we have this control panel on your right hand side, when playing the Alexandra chess game by yourself it is best to have the unit in this position. The squared playing area is lettered and numbered. This runs as follows; along the bottom left to right it is lettered A to H, up from the bottom to the top it is numbered 1 to 8. At the top right hand corner is a ridged section this is the speaker for the unit. Feeling down from this corner, you will find a small rectangle dip, this is the screen, where information is also displayed while the unit speaks. Coming further down this side you will reach the first button. The buttons are in two columns. Firstly we shall describe the keys in the column on the left. Function keys and Special features: Left hand column buttons: ON/CLEAR button: It is used to turn the Chess game on, as well as to exit any of the special modes, for example: Options, Setup and Level. This key may also be used during move entry to clear your From square. OFF/SAVE button: This key turn the unit off, automatically saving the game in progress. NOTE: if there is a lapse in playing the unit will automatically turn off after a period of time, saving your game position. Use the ON button to resume game. SET UP button: Press this key to set up special positions this will be discussed later on. This button is also used to promote a pawn that reaches your opponents back rank to a piece other an a queen. ( The promotion to a queen is the most common so it is automatic). This button also transfers the verifying piece to the kings. (described in the following section). VERIFY button: This verifies the position of the queens (this is automatically set to verify the queens options first. To verify the other pieces positions use the four next described keys to change the piece). Note: The positions are not spoken only displayed on the screen. TAKEBACK button: This allows you to take back a move or moves you’ve decided against. Press this key repeatedly to continue taking back moves. This button also acts as the BISHOP when using the verify function. HINTS/WHY button: This button is used if you wish to receive a hint from Alexandra. The screen will display ‘Hint’ and the ‘Move,’ as well being announced. The screen may display ‘open’ or ‘rplay’ instead of ‘hint’, this means the move is a book move or a replay move. Also use this button when you are warned of a threat and when the threat (!) warning appears on the screen to find out why and where the threat is! This key is also used as the KNIGHT when using the verify function. LEVEL button: Press this key to check the level of play. Use the arrow keys (position described later) to change the level. Repeatedly press the Level button to change the level type (described later ‘Levels of Play). This button is also used as the ROOK when using the verify function. The final button is MOVE. When it is your move, press this key to switch sides (colours) with Alexandra. If Alexandra starts thinking and takes to long, press the MOVE key to force Alexandra to stop thinking. Also use MOVE to replay moves in the takeback move mode, as described previously in ‘Takeback’. Starting at the top of the control panel again with the right hand side column; NEW GAME button: When turning the unit on, it will proceed with the last saved game, if one was saved. However, if you wish to abandon the last game and start a fresh press the NEW GAME button. OPTION button: Pressing the OPTIONS button displays the last changed option. To select or change an option use the arrow keys (described later). To view a different option, repeatedly press the OPTIONS. REPEAT button: If you forget where Alexandra moved, use this button (before any other) to hear the move announcement. This button also will usually repeat the last phase said. SOUND button: this turns the sound off. Please note: some warning messages will still be announced. MULTI-MOVE button: Press this key to toggle between ‘2PLAYR’ and ‘1PLAYR’. While in 2 player mode the symbol ‘=‘ will be displayed. Note: the unit does not announce 1 player or 2 player, when the unit is switched on it is automatically set in 1 player mode, except if the last saved game was 2 players. Use 2-player mode to play another person, or to enter a favourite opening (described later). YES button, with RIGHT/INCREASE ARROW function (including CONTRAST function): press this key, the arrow keys to adjust the contrast of the screen. Also use this key in SETUP mode to change the colour to move. Use this key to increase a setting or to answer a question like “Are you sure?”. NO button, with LEFT/DECREASE ARROW function: Use this button to decrease a setting or to answer a question like “Are you sure?”. WHERE button: Press this key, and then to find out where one of your pieces can move, repeatedly press on the square occupied by the piece. Also use this key to find out where the threatened piece is located. When the threat warning (!) is enforced, press the WHY button and the WHERE button. Play a game right away. After you have installed the batteries, the display will show “ENGLISH?” asking you if you wish her to speak English. If you do, press the YES button. If you would like Alexandra to speak in French, press the NO button until your desired language is shown and then press the YES button. Place the chess on their starting squares. The screen will display “01CHESS”. This indicates you are at the first move of the game and ready to play chess. Unless you instruct Alexandra otherwise, she will give you the end closest to you with the button panel on your right. This end always moves first, and is classed as the white end. Making your move: Besides deciding on a good move, you have to move the piece in a way that Alexandra will recognise what has been played. Think of communicating your move as a two-step process-registering the FROM square and then registering the TO square. Lift the piece or pawn you want to move. Press the edge of the piece’s base own gently on the centre of it’s FROM square. Alexandra will say and display the coordinates of the FROM square-for example “E2”. Then press the edge of the piece on the square you want to move it to, for example “E4”. Alexandra will announce the coordinates of the TO square, confirming that she has registered your move. Place the piece upon its new square. If there are any problems with your move Alexandra will announce them to you, if she starts to announce her co-ordinates, your go is over until the next time. Moving Alexandra’s Piece. You will notice Alexandra almost immediately responds to you move. She will announce her FROM and TO co-ordinates. You will have to move her instructed pieces for her, using the same method to register the move as you did with your own. Putting a game “on hold” Any time it is your move and you wish to stop playing for a while, just press the OFF/SAVE button. Alexandra will switch off and go into sleep mode. She will remember the last position, including the elapsed time as long as you do not interrupt the power supply - for example, by removing the batteries. To resume play, just press the ON/CLEAR button. Options before the game starts: “OPEN”: select one of the 32 book opening lines of play. (Details to follow later). “TRAIN”: select one of five training positions. (Details to follow later). Options before and during the game: When in “OPTIONS”, press the button to go through the menu. Please be aware none of the menu titles are announced only displayed on the screen. At each press of the Options button there will be a noise to indicate the menu title has moved on to the next title in the list. Please note: the list does not start at the same title each time the Options button is selected, it starts at the last title you visited. “SCORE”: If you want to see the piece score of your current position, turn this option on. To do this press the “OPTION” button, once Alexandra says OPTIONS, “SCORE” will be displayed on the screen, and by pressing the “YES” button the announcement will go between on and off. The scoring totals the following values: Pawns-1, Knights-3, Bishops-3, Rooks-5, and Queen-9. “INFO”: when turned on, this option will display the score, depth of search (number of moves Alexandra is “thinking ahead”) and best move she is considering. These will be displayed while the computer is thinking at its higher levels. “MMOVE”: Use this option alternatively to the Multi-Move button, to turn Multi-Move on (2 player) or off (1 player). “RATE”: view your current rating. Turning this option ON will enable your rating to be updates if you select a tournament or a sudden death type level to play against. Turn this option off when you want to practice on those levels. During a rated game the “O” symbol will appear as a reminder. When the “O” symbol is on, you will hear an “Are you sure?” warning if you try to TAKEBACK mistakes, add pieces in Setup mode, ask for a Hint, or try to start a New Game before the game is completed. If the score is greater than 9.0, you can claim a victory with the NEW GAME button. “CLRBR”: use this option to clear the chessboard for easier problem setup. Pressing the SETUP button will enter setup mode with the chess board cleared of all pieces. You must place a White King and a Black King on the board to exit setup mode. “VOICE”: use this option to change the language Alexandra speaks. You can also use this to turn most of the speech off. Some warnings such as “Check” and “Are you sure?” will still be heard. 1-English, 2-French, 4-None. “SNDEF”: use this option to turn the sound effects off. “ANNC”: use this option to turn the move announcements off. “COACH”: turn this option on to hear a warning message if one of your pieces is under attack. The threat warning “!” will be enabled when COACH option is on. “SOUND”: use this option as well as the SOUND button, to turn the sound on or off. “SLEEP”: adjust the automatic shut off time with this option. Setting it to “O” will disable auto shut-off altogether. “SPEED”: adjust the dot-matrix scroll speed with this option. Setting it to “O” will disable scrolling altogether. Special displays: Draw message: During the game, Alexandra will display the word “DAW” if a three-time repetition of position occurs, or if there has been no pawn moved and no exchanges for 50 moves. When either of these situations takes place, the rules of chess state that a player can claim a draw. If you wish, you can ignore the message and continue the game. When a stalemate is reached, the display will read “STALE”. Game ending messages: Alexandra will announce mate in two (“MATE2”) and mate in three (“MATE3”). It will also display “+MATE” when executing a checkmate or when you checkmate Alexandra. When a game has been won, Alexandra will announce “Checkmate”, followed by either “ I lose” or “You lose”. when you want to claim a win, draw or want to resign- press the NEW GAME button. Screen symbols: When a “+” appears on screen, it is a reminder that you are in check. When an “O” appears on the screen, the game you are playing can be rated. When an “=“ appears, it indicates you sure in two human-player mode. And lastly, when an “!” appears on the screen , you are being warned that one of your pieces is threatened with capture. Special Situation: Starting play with the black pieces (opposite end of the board): When you want to play the Black pieces (to let Alexandra move first), press the MOVE button before you make your first move as white, set the black pieces up at the other end. Castling: Remember, you must always move the king first when castling!! First press your King down on its FROM square, then move and press your King down in your new TO square. Alexandra will recognise castling manoeuvres after the king is moved to squares. She then reminds you to complete castling by moving the Rook. Move the Rook in the routine manner, pushing on its From and To squares normally. Promoting Pawns: When your Pawn reaches the other end of the board, Alexandra will automatically promote the pawn to a Queen, since this is the best choice in nearly every case. In the unlikely event you wish to promote your pawn to a piece other than a queen, take back Alexandra’s move, next use SETUP feature to make the piece change and then press MOVE. When Alexandra pushes a pawn to your back row, it will always promote to a Queen. Remember to replace the pawn with the proper piece on the board after either side promotes a pawn. En Passant - taking a pawn in passing: For an en passant capture, press the FROM and TO squares of the capturing pawn. The square of the pawn being captured will then appear on the screen. This is to remind you to remove the captured pawn. You must press down on the captured pawn before removing it. Taking back a capture: After you take back a capture, the square of the captures piece will then appear on the display. This is to remind you to put back the captured piece. LEVELS OF PLAY Alexandra offers six level types. Two types (PLY and MATE) are for analysis. The other our level types are for play. Within the Level menu none of the levels are spoken, they only appear on the screen. To scroll through the menu settings use the ARROW buttons. Press LEVEL to see the current level. On each press of the button as going through the levels a noise indicates when the current title has been changed. Beginner level type: Press the ARROW keys to select 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, or 15 seconds per move. Here are the choices: BE001 BE002 BE003 BE004 BE005 BE007 BE010 BE015 BA001 BA002 BA003 BA004 BA005 BA007 BA010 BA015 BH001 BH002 BH003 BH004 BH005 BH007 BH010 BH015 Fixed time level type: Press the ARROW buttons to select 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 seconds or 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 5:00 minutes per move. Fixed time level “inf” is infinite time, and Alexandra will stop thinking only when the MOVE key is pressed or a mate is found. Here are the choices: FE001 FE002 FE003 FE005 FE010 FE015 FE020 FE030 FE045 FE100 FE130 FE200 FE230 FE300 FE500 FEinF FA001 FA002 FA003 FA005 FA010 FA015 FA020 FA030 FA045 FA100 FA130 FA200 FA230 FA300 FA500 FAinF FH001 FH002 FH003 FH005 FH010 FH015 FH020 FH030 FH045 FH100 FH130 FH200 FH230 FH300 FH500 FHinF Sudden death level type: Press the ARROW buttons to select the amount of time in minutes for the entire game. If you run out of time, you lose or forfeit, “FORFT” will be shown on the display. Here are the choice: SE05 SE10 SE15 SE20 SE30 SE45 SE60 SE90 SA05 SA10 SA15 SA20 SA30 SA45 SA60 SA90 SH05 SH10 SH15 SH20 SH30 SH45 SH60 SH90 Tournament level type: Press the ARROW buttons to select the amount of time in Hours, Minutes format to play the number of moves shown on the left side of the display. If you run out of time before you play the indicated number of moves, you lose or forfeit. “FORFT” will be shown on the display. Here are the choices: 40 TE030 45 TE045 40 TE100 40 TE130 35 TE130 45 TE155 40 TE200 45 TE225 40 TA030 45 TA045 40 TA100 40 TA130 35 TA130 45 TA155 40 TA200 45 TA225 40 TH030 45 TH045 40 TH100 40 TH130 35 TH130 45 TH155 40 TH200 45 TH225 Ply level type: Press the ARROW buttons to select the depth of search from 1 to 8 ply. A ply is one-half move. PLY 1 PLY 2 PLY 3 PLY 4 PLY 5 PLY 6 PLY 7 PLY 8 MATE solver level type: Press the ARROW buttons to select the number of moves to mate the program will search. “NONE” will appear if no mate is found. MATE 1 MATE 2 MATE 3 MATE 4 MATE 5 MATE 6 MATE 7 MATE 8 Note: You can only change the level while it is your turn to play. Book Opening Trainer: Alexandra the Great allows you to learn openings that world chess champion’s play! At the beginning of a game, you may choose to learn one of 32 popular book openings - ways to begin the game. After you have turned on, press NEW GAME and then press the OPTIONS button once, “OPEN” will be displayed. Use the ARROW buttons to select the number of the opening you want to learn (refer to list). When using the arrow buttons to select the opening you wish to learn, use the RIGHT/INCREASE button (which is also the YES button), to increase through the number of openings, and the LEFT/DECREASE button (which is also the NO button) to decrease through the numbers. The opening numbers are on a loop, therefore once you are in OPEN, if you press the decrease button it will instantly take you to opening number 32. Once you have selected the opening you wish to use, press the CLEAR button to return to normal play. Now play a move as normal. Alexandra will tell you if your move is not the correct opening move. To learn the correct move press CLEAR and then press HINT. When the computer comes back with its move, the word “OPEN” will briefly be displayed on the screen if you have another opening move to make. If the word “OPEN” does not appear, you may continue normal play. You have completed the training for that opening line. The names of the openings are: Ruy Lopez, Open Defence Ruy Lopez, Zaitsev Defence Ruy Lopez, Exchange Scotch Game Scotch Four Knights Giuoco Piano Two Knights Defence Four Knights Petroff’s Defence Sicilian Alapin Variation Sicilian, Najdorf Variation Sicilian, Dragon Variation Sicilian, Keres Attack Caro-Kann Defence Panov-Botvinnik Attack Caro-Kann Exchange Variation Queen’s Gambit Declined Lasker Defence, Queen Gambit Declined Queen Gambit Declined Exchange Variation Slav Defence Queen’s Gambit Accepted Nimzo-Indian Defence, Classic Variation Nimzo-Indian Defence, Rubinstein Variation Semi-Slav Defence Queen’s Indian Defence Queen’s Indian Defence, Petrosian Variation Bogolubow Indian Defence Catalan Gruenfeld Defence King’s Indian Defence Modern Benoni Defence Benko Gambit The moves and explanations of these famous openings are given in many books on chess. Entering your own opening: Alexandra also allows you to set up any book opening you want - or even an opening you invent - to practice. Press MULTI-MOVE, then make moves for both sides until the opening position you want to practice is reached. Now press MULTI-MOVE again. Press CLEAR to play against the computer in this position. Piece Training: There are five special mini-games. These mini-games of chess are designed so that you concentrate on just one or more types of pieces. First make sure you are at the start of a game by pressing the NEW GAME button. Now press OPTIONS until “TRAIN” is displayed, PLEASE NOTE: Within Options words are only displayed not announced. Once “TRAIN” is displayed press the button of the mini-game you wish to play. These buttons are the ones marked with either the symbol of the queen, bishop, knight, rook or pawn). The mini-games always include the king and pawns for both sides. If you press the pawn button, the game will consist of only the kings and pawns. The other four mini-games use the kings and pawns, but add a different single piece to the exercise. Start with basic king and pawns mini-game. Make your first move. Your object, as in regular chess, is to checkmate the king. Normally, this means both sides will try to force a pawn through to the other side of the board safely to promote it to a queen. You will learn lots of principles, tricks, and traps in this training mode that will win you many full fledged chess games. Ratings: To view your rating, press OPTIONS until “RATE” is displayed. Your current rating appears on the display. To have your rating change, you must complete a rated game on a tournament or sudden death level. When you are ready to play a rated game, select the “RATE” option. 1) Press the OPTIONS button until “RATE” appears on the screen. 2) Use the ARROW buttons to turn the option ON, when it is switched on it will announce this. 3) Press CLEAR. Finally select the Tournament Level or Sudden Death Level you wish to play against. When an “O” appears on the display (not announced), the game you are playing can be rated. Since the game you are playing is rated, you cannot ask for HINTS or TAKEBACK a bad move, nor use SETUP to improve your position. You also cannot use the NEW GAME key to start over during a rated game. If you try to use any of these buttons Alexandra will ask “Are you sure” and say what result (draw, win, or loss) will be scored if you press the YES button. During a rated game, if you are winning by 9.0 or more points and want Alexandra to resign, press NEW GAME. Alexandra will say “Are you sure I lose?” Alexandra will then wait for you to press YES. Using Verify Mode: At any time during the game when it is your move, pressing VERIFY will display but not announce the position of the black queen. The letters B or W will be shown next to the co-ordinates of the pieces depending on whether they are black or white. Press VERIFY a second time to check the position of the White’s queen. To verify the positions of the other pieces on the board, press the buttons labelled with desired piece symbol, (As described previously). If there are no pieces of the selected piece on the board the word “NONE” will be displayed. To exit this verifying mode, press the ON/CLEAR BUTTON. Using Setup mode At any time during a game when it is your move, you may change the position on the board by adding a piece, removing a piece, or changing any of the pieces - for example, from a queen to a knight. Removing a piece: Press the SETUP button. Then on the large sensory board, press the square the piece is on until the square on your display is empty. Press CLEAR to continue the game. Adding or Changing a piece: Press the SETUP button. Next press the button that indicates the type of piece you want to place on the board./ then on the large sensory board, press the square until the piece appears as the correct colour on your display. Press CLEAR to continue the game. Setting up special positions: Normally, it is easier to start from an empty board to set up such problems,. So first, press the OPTIONS button repeatedly until “CARBR” (clear board) is displayed. Now press the SETUP button. The screen will now display “NONE” indicating no kings. On the large sensory board, press the square the White king is on. Next press the square the Black king is on once to place a White king there, and then again to change the White king to Black king. Next, pick out another piece in the problem or position you want to set up, and press the appropriate piece button to the left of the display. Then press the square on the sensory board where this piece should stand. Press the square repeatedly until the piece appears in the correct colour on the display. Follow this procedure until all the pieces in the problem or position are completely set up. Make sure that Alexandra knows which colour is to move. You may change the colour of the side to move by pressing the YES button which is also used to switch between white and black. Finally, press CLEAR to play or to have Alexandra analyse the position. General rules of chess. 1) The two players must alternate in making in move at a time. The player with the White pieces moves first to start the game. In this instance this is the player which has the screen on their right and furthest away from them. 2) With the exception of castling (discussed later), a move is the transfer of a piece from one square to another square which is vacant or occupied by an enemy piece. 3) No piece, except the knight, may cross a square occupied by another piece. 4) Apiece moved to a square occupied by an enemy piece captures it as pat of the same move. The captured piece must be immediately removed from the chess board by the player making the capture. 5) When one player moves into a position whereby he can attack the king, the king is in “check. His opponent must either a) move the king; b) block the path of the attacking piece with another piece; c) capture the attacking piece. 6) The game is over when there is no escape for the king from an attacking piece. This is known as “Checkmate”. 7) The game is over when the king of the player whose turn it is to move is not in check and the player cannot make any legal moves. This is known as “stalemate” and is considered a drawn game. Individual moves: Use the WHERE button and all legal; moves for each selected piece will be shown one at a time. You will quickly learn the movements for each piece with practice. 1) The queen can move to any square along the same row, column or diagonals on which it stands, but cannot pass over an enemy piece. 2) The rook can move to any square along the same row of=r column on which it stands, but cannot pass over an enemy piece. 3) The bishop can move to any square along the diagonals on which it stands, but cannot pass over an enemy piece. 4) The knight’s move is in the shape of an “L”, moving two squares up or down, and then one square over. Or it can be one square up or down and then two over. 5) The pawn can move one square forward. On its first move it may move to squares forward. When capturing, it moves diagonally (forward) one square. 6) The king can move one square in any direction, as long as it is not attacked by an enemy piece. Some of these moves are effected by the En passant and Castling. Special moves: 1) Castling is a move of both the king and either rook which counts as a single move (of the king). PLEASE NOTE: ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS EXPLAIN THIS MOVE IN DETAIL. CASTLING CANNOT OCCUR IF: a) the king has already been moved. b) the rook has already been moved. c) there is any piece between the king and the rook. d) the king’s original square, or the square which the king must cross, or the one which it is to occupy is attacked by an enemy piece. 2) A pawn may make an en passant capture if it is a reply move to a double pawn move, and it is a pawn which is side-by-side with the pawn that made the double pawn move. 3) A pawn can be promoted if it advances all the way to the far side of the board. It is immediately promoted, as part of the same move, into a queen, rook, bishop or knight, whichever its owner chooses. Since the queen is the most powerful piece, it is nearly always chosen as the promotion piece. Through the promotion process, there may be more than one queen of each colour on the board at the same time. Special Care: To prolong the life of your Alexandra Chess Set we suggest the following: 1) Avoid rough handling such as bumping or dropping. 2) Avoid moisture and extreme temperatures. 3) Clean using only a slightly damp cloth. DO NOT use cleaners with chemical agents.