User manual SAITEK ATLAS

[. . . ] QUICK START To play a game right away, without reading the entire manual first, simply follow these steps! 1 2 3 4 5 6 Insert two "AA" (AM3/R6) batteries into the computer, making sure to observe the correct polarity. If the unit doesn't respond, reset it as described in Section 1. 1. Set up the chess pieces in the initial starting position for a new game, with the White pieces closest to you, as shown in this diagram. 2x AA/AM3/R6 GO/STOP NEW GAME TAKE BACK LEVEL NON AUTO SOUND TEACH MODE HINT PLAY GO/STOP Press NEW GAME to reset the computer. NEW GAME Enter moves by making them on the board, pressing the chess pieces down gently on the from and to squares for each move. PRESS KEYS AND FEATURES 1. Uses two "AA" (AM3/R6) alkaline batteries. [. . . ] On the higher levels, the computer thinks more deeply and becomes a progressively more challenging opponent. The highest level in each of the groups produces the best moves the computer can make within the constraints of that particular level setting. Experiment a little--start out with some of the lower level settings, and advance to the more difficult levels as your skills grow!Note that on some of the higher levels, the computer may take a long time to complete its search. If you want to force the computer to stop thinking and make a move, simply press PLAY at any time. Press LEVEL to enter Level Mode, and the current level is shown, with the display alternating between the Level Square and the Level Name. As an example, Level A4 (Fun Level 4) displays as L:A4 and Fu 4. To change the level, simply press a board square (using the Level Selection Chart as a guide), and that level will be displayed. Press LEVEL again to exit Level Mode, with your newly selected playing level in effect. Other important points to remember regarding levels: · If you press LEVEL to verify the level, but you don't want to change levels, press LEVEL again to exit without making any changes. · You can use LEVEL to check the playing level while the computer is thinking, but you cannot change the level until it's your turn to move. · Pressing NEW GAME resets the computer and retains the current playing level. 3. 1 Fun Levels (Squares A1-B8) LEVEL SQUARE ALTERNATING DISPLAY LEVEL SQUARE ALTERNATING DISPLAY A4 . . . . . . . L:B8 / Fu16 If you are a novice or beginning player, the Fun Levels are especially for you--they'll give you the opportunity to beat the computer for a change!Here, the computer does not exhaustively search for the best available move, as you would normally expect. Instead, it disregards scores and uses a strong randomizer to deliberately weaken play-- which causes it to sometimes make moves that are not necessarily the best it has found. This variability makes the computer prone to some very human errors in judgment. Beat the computer by capitalizing on its mistakes, and you may soon discover that you can win games against friends in the same manner!The Fun Levels start out easy and get a little stronger as they go, allowing you to strengthen your playing abilities along the way. 3. 2 Fixed Depth Levels (Squares C1-D8) LEVEL SQUARE SEARCH DEPTH ALTERNATING DISPLAY A1 . . . . . . . L:c8 / Fd 8 -----------------------------------------------------------D1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L:D8 / Fd16 On the Fixed Depth Levels, the computer's search depth is limited to a certain number of moves, or ply. [. . . ] · Make sure that you are familiar with the rules. Use TAKE BACK to reconstruct the last move that was made. · To interrupt the computer, press PLAY. Press the correct square to complete the computer's move. The display is dim. [. . . ]