Excalibur Ivan II User manual
Contents
1. CREATING A PASSED PAWN WHICH PAWN TO ADVANCE FIRST In positions with only kings and pawns on the board the key to victory lies in creating passed pawns and marching them up the board to promotion Usually the player who first makes a new queen will be the one who wins the game In the above position Black has the only passed pawn on the board his h pawn White has a 2 1 pawn majority on the queen s side but has not yet converted this into a passed pawn How can he do so White s king must keep an eye on Black s h pawn and prevent it from advancing to promotion so White must advance either his a pawn or his b pawn Which should it be 1 b3 b4 With this move White creates a passed pawn The alternative 1 a3 a4 allows Black to blockade the queen s side with 1 a6 a5 when White can not advance his b pawn without losing it for nothing 1 da Kh7 g8 29 Black sees what is about to happen and rushes back to try to stop White from promoting 2a3 a4 Kg8 f8 3 b4 b5 a6xb5 4 a4 a5 The only good move If White recaptures on b5 Black can catch the passed pawn in time 4 a4xb5 Kf8 e7 5 b5 b6 Ke7 d7 6 b6 b7 Kd7 c7 and the white pawn will be captured so the game will end in a draw 4 z b5 b4 5 a5 a6 b4 b3 6 Ke4 d3 and White s king prevents the black b pawn from promoting so White will be able to promote his own a pawn for an easy win 30 A SACRIFICIAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR PROMOTION Here White has a v2. would be a serious mistake because it allows 2 h7 h5 under favorable circumstances White would no longer have the reply h2 h3 at his disposal 37 2 Kd6 c7 3 Bb7xaG Kc7 b6 4 Ba6 c8 Kb6 c7 only safe squares for the white bishop are a6 and 55 and if the bishop returns to a6 then the black king returns to b6 So White plays 5 Bc8 f5 Bg6xf5 6 g4xf5 And White will eventually win because of his extra pawn GOOD BISHOP vs BAD BISHOP We refer to a bishop that has plenty of scope as a good bishop and one which is restricted by its own pawns as a bad bishop In the above position the black bishop on c8 is bad because its own pawns at e6 d5 c6 and b7 create what is almost a coffin keeping the black bishop out of play for several moves In order to escape from behind this pawn chain Black must go through the somewhat tortuous maneuver Bc8 d7 Bd7 e8 f7 f6 and Be8 g6 or Be8 h5 The problem with this plan is that it takes 4 moves to carry out and in the meantime White will be doing something active It is rare in chess to be given the luxury of 3 or 4 free moves to carry out a plan without the opponent being able to use his reply moves very productively Contrast the restricted scope of the bishop on c8 with that of the good white bishop on e2 This bishop is ready to come into play on the Q side or K side whichever is appropriate It is also able to switch from one side of the board
3. computer will normally go on thinking to find the best possible move until you press the MOVE key Otherwise it will not move unless a it has a book move available b it runs out of memory for its analysis of the position or 9 it completes the analysis to its own satisfaction e g by finding a forced mate MATE Solving Levels Levels 95 100 are mate solving levels LEVEL 95 Mate in 1 LEVEL 96 Mate in 2 LEVEL 97 Mate in 3 LEVEL 98 Mate in 4 LEVEL 99 Mate in 5 LEVEL 100 Mate in 6 SETTING UP POSITIONS AND PROBLEMS By using the SET UP button you may change the position on the board by adding or removing pieces or setting up a problem you want IVAN to solve You can also change the direction of the game strengthen your side or the computer s resurrect lost pieces or even move your king out of an imminent checkmate situation To change a position on the board press the SET UP 18 button The display will show SETUP Press the symbol on the keyboard of the piece you want to place or remove on the board Then press the square of the piece you want to move and then the square where you want to place the piece Note the symbol color in the top left of the square to tell the computer which color choice you are selecting The open square denotes whites pieces and the shaded square denotes black pieces To choose a piece color you would press the square with the piece once for white and twice for black If you press the
4. its openings book the program will move instantly Once the program is out of its openings book the thinking times for the various playing levels are Level times and Responses LEVEL 1 User Adaptable The computer calculates the average time you have taken over your past 6 moves and will respond in the same average time If you slow down the computer will also slow down If you start to play more quickly the computer will also play more quickly FIXED PLY SEARCH Levels 6 is the fastest and weakest level and your computer will respond almost instantly on every move The playing strength improves progressively from level 6 the weakest of this group of levels to level 2 the strongest of this group When you put in new batteries or when you switch on the computer while using a power adapter it will be set to level 6 This level is designed for a beginning player using only a 1 ply search A ply is a half move When the player moves and the computer responds with a move this is one complete move There are 2 plies for one move If you are a beginner and you are not winning in level 6 we have some additional things you can do to help with your chess training process One option would be to use the SETUP feature and remove the computer s Queen and then begin the game With a Queen advantage a beginner should have a better chance against the computer When you win in this position return the queen and then try to win by 14 removing the
5. off By pressing the ON and OFF keys this will control the in the options mode Therefore S P C H means that your Ivan s speech and personality are on Move Announce If you choose you can have Ivan only announce the legal moves of chess and leave out his comments He will announce piece movements and other necessary chess terms This feature can also be combined with the SPEACH feature to have Ivan announce moves and to comment on your play This feature could actually allow a blind player to play chess with Ivan To activate this feature press OPTION until A N N C appears in the LCD display This can be controlled by using your ON and Off keys to adjust the in the display Beeper If you choose you can turn off all of the previous sound features and play only with a move beeper To do so just make sure that the other sound features are turned off and that the beeper is on To activate the beeper press OPTION until B E E P appears in the window By pressing the ON and OFF keys you can control the which turns your beeper on and off B E E P means that your beeper is on Coach Ivan has the ability to coach you during play This feature is designed for beginner to intermediate players who could use some additional help during play In this mode Ivan will warn you if he thinks you have a major piece in danger He will give you the option to change a move if you are about to lose a piece He will ask you i
6. rook Continue returning pieces until you are winning against the computer with an even set of pieces on the board Then go to level 5 etc LEVEL2 5PLY LEVEL3 4PLY LEVEL4 3PLY LEVEL5 2PLY LEVEL6 1PLY FIXED TIME LEVELS The computer will always respond in exactly the specified amount of time unless it has only one legal move in which case it will play instantly or unless it sees that it can force checkmate or can not avoid being checkmated in which case it will make its move as soon as it finds the mating sequence Remember the longer you allow the computer to think the stronger it will play 7 secs 13 7secs 19 16secs 8 2secs 14 8secs 20 18secs 9 3secs 15 9secs 21 20secs 10 4secs 16 10secs 22 25secs 11 5secs 17 12secs 23 30secs 12 6secs 18 14secs 24 35secs 25 40secs 31 min 45secs 26 45secs 32 2min 27 50secs 33 2min 15secs 28 60secs 34 2min 45secs 29 1min 15secs 35 2min 45secs 30 1min 30secs 36 3minutes 15 AVERAGE TIME LEVELS The computer will take an average of the specified amount of time If it has only one legal move it will respond instantly COUNTDOWN LEVELS You or the computer must try to make all of the moves in a fixed amount of time When set to any of these levels the computer will display the total amount of time taken by each of the players instead of the amount of time taken over a particular move Th
7. s Play Chess rules found in your box En Passant 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 display This is to remind you to remove the captured pawn You must press down on the captured pawn before removing it from the board Castling The computer automatically recognizes castling maneuvers after the King is moved two squares After you have pressed the King down on its FROM and TO squares IVAN S display will remind you to press down on the Rook s FROM and TO squares to finish the move Remember you must always move the King first when castling It is illegal to move the rook first See U S Chess Federation s rules of chess if you do not fully understand the rules for Castling Pawn Promotion For Pawn Promotion make your next pawn move to the last row as usual Then press the piece symbol button for the desired piece to enter your promotion choice into the computer The computer immediately recognizes your new piece and begins thinking about its next move The computer can also under promote Under promoting is when you would like another piece other than the Queen If you wanted let s say a Knight you would just press the Knight symbol when promoting your pawn When the computer promotes it displays the newly promoted piece Remember to change the piece on the board after a pawn promotion 11 ILLEGAL MOVE
8. square again that will remove a piece Therefore If there is a white piece on a particular square it becomes a black piece if you press that square again If it is a black piece it becomes an empty square if you press that piece If it is an empty square it then becomes a white piece once you press that square again For example if you want to start a new game with the computer having a handicap of no queen you would do the following Press SET UP then press the queen symbol The computer will show you the piece location for whites queen D1 Now press the queen symbol again and you would now see the black queen D8 in the LCD Press that square until it shows only the Queen symbol and no piece location or color That would now mean that the computer is playing without its queen Proceed until you have reached the position you want When you are finished press the CLEAR button and continue playing You may want to verify the positions before continuing the game When you want to set up a problem you may find it easier to clear the board first then press SET UP and then OPTION The display will show Ivan is asking you to confirm you really wish to clear the board Press OPTION once more and the board will be clear You will hear an error beep if you try to exit this mode without placing the kings on the board Ivan is reminding you that the position on the board is illegal because there are no kings Place the kings or any other piece b
9. stored in its book opening library The computer s opening library consists of many positions from grandmaster play If the current board position is in its opening book instead of thinking about a move Ivan instantly plays a response to that position from its collection of moves THINKING ON THE OPPONENTS TIME As you play you will notice that the computer may reply to your moves instantaneously This is because the computer thinks while you are thinking using the time you are contemplating a move to plan ahead and develop its strategies The Ivan will try to anticipate the move you are likely to make and calculate a response for that move before you have made the move If it has guessed right it will strike immediately and play the move it found while you were thinking 13 GAME MEMORY You may interrupt a game and save your position at any time by pressing the ON OFF button Play is then suspended and the computer will remember the current position Ivan will remember your position as long as you do not interrupt the power supply When you switch on again the computer is ready to resume your game LEVELS Ivan has 100 different levels Levels 1 94 are used when you are playing a game against the computer Levels 95 100 are used to make your computer perform a position solving search THE PLAYING LEVELS At the start of the game the computer uses its openings book which contains thousands of moves and when it is still in
10. the above position 1 e2 e4 e7 e5 2 Bfl b5 a7 a6 3 Bb5 a4 b7 b5 4 Ba4 b3 a6 a5 Can you see what Black is threatening 5 d2 d3 White is anxious to get his cl bishop into play and completely overlooks Black s idea Better moves for example would be 5 a2 a4 or 5 c2 c3 5 sz a5 a4 6 Bb3 d5 c7 lt c White s bishop on d5 is attacked and has no safe place to go so White loses a bishop in return for only a pawn 35 THE TRAP THAT BEAT BOBBY FISCHER There is a very common trap which almost all beginners fall into at some time or other One player say White captures a pawn at a7 or h7 with his bishop only to see his bishop trapped when his opponent advances the neighboring pawn one square Here is an example starting from the position in the previous diagram 1 e2 e4 e7 e6 2 d2 d4 Bf8 d6 3 Bfl d3 Bd6xh2 4 g2 g3 So Black has won a pawn but the bishop on h2 is now shut in by the white pawn chain on f2 and g3 Black must act quickly to try to save his bishop k h7 h5 Black s plan is to advance the pawn to h4 then to exchange pawns on g3 and finally to capture on g3 with his bishop extricating the bishop Alternatively when the black pawn advances to h4 if White captures g3xh4 then the black bishop can escape from h2 But here this plan is too slow 5 Kel fl Black has no satisfactory way to meet the threat of Kfl g2 De ee h5 h4 Of course White must not now play g3xh4 because then the bishop on h2 w
11. to moisture or extreme temperatures Never use chemical agents to clean the unit Never use anything except a soft damp cloth to clean the unit Never mix new batteries with old batteries Never mix Alkaline and Carbon Zinc batteries If you have any questions please call our customer service department between 9 5 Miami time 1 800 59 CHESS 592 4377 OR 305 477 8080 46
12. Chess pamphlet GAME SYMBOLS SHOWN IN THE DISPLAY Checkmate U LOSE or I LOSE Draw Stalemate STALEMATE Draw 3 Fold Repetition DR3 Draw 50 Move Rule DR 50 12 TERMINATING THE COMPUTERS SEARCH To interrupt the computer while it is thinking press MOVE This forces the computer to play the best move it has found so far This feature can be very useful on the higher levels where the computer can take a long time to move On the Infinite Level for instance the computer keeps thinking indefinitely until it either finds a mate or determines that it cannot avoid mate but you can stop its search on this level at any time with MOVE Note On the Position Solving Levels pressing MOVE does not cause the computer to make a move Instead the computer sounds an error beep to indicate that it was interrupted before it found a mate To continue your game switch to another playing level CHANGING SIDES WITH THE COMPUTER You may change sides with the computer at any time by pressing MOVE when it is your turn to move This causes the computer to make the next move for your side You may change sides as often as you wish Note Pressing MOVE twice at the beginning of a game causes the computer to make the first move for White playing from the top of the board see Black From The Bottom BOOK OPENINGS At the beginning of a game Ivan s reply is usually instantaneous on many levels because the computer is playing moves that are
13. HING WRONG AND WITHOUT REALIZING IT PUTS THE BLAME ON THE COMPUTER Often a fault is due to the user having misunderstood something about the way the pieces move You may wish to consult the rules of chess to make sure you are not making an illegal move Just in case you do encounter a problem when using your computer we have prepared this troubleshooting guide THE DISPLAY SHOWS NOTHING If there is nothing showing on the display and the computer does not react to any key press or to pressing any of the pieces down on its square 1 If you are using a power adapter make sure that the adapter is the correct voltage and polarity as shown on the label on the underside of the computer Also ensure that the adapter is plugged in properly to the computer and plug outlet has not blown a fuse 2 If you are using batteries make sure that they are held firmly by the battery clips and that you have observed the correct polarity See the diagram engraved in the battery compartment If you have had the batteries a long time they may have run down so try replacing them 3 If the batteries or power adapter appear to be OK the computer may have been affected by a static discharge which may have caused it to lock up Press a thin object or paper clip in the RESET hole in the base of the computer and press it down firmly once 44 THE COMPUTER REFUSES TO MAKE A MOVE If the computer has been playing normally but then refuses to make a mo
14. ROM square the symbol for the captured piece will be illuminated on the LCD You then take the appropriate piece and press it down gently on the TO square of the move you have just taken back When you press on this square the piece symbol will go out When taking back your moves you must complete the computers last move Once you have completed the computer s move you can then take back your move NOTE That in the case of En Passant capture the captured pawn does not get replaced on the TO square of the capturing pawn Ifyou decide to take back a move you may only do so when it is your turn to move Once you have taken back the position to your desired move choice just begin again with your new choice or press MOVE if it is the computer s turn to move Following this procedure allows you to take back up to 12 moves previously made in the game If you press the FROM square and change your mind just press the FROM square again to clear your entry and make another move You may also use the CLEAR button to do the same thing SOUND FEATURES Volume You have the ability to control the volume of Ivan s voice and features By pressing OPTION you will see L O U D appear in the LCD window You will also see a number ranging from 1 8 These numbers are the eight different volume levels that are available with 1 being the softest and 8 being the loudest You can increase the volume by pressing gt and you can decrease by pressing lt Soun
15. S WRONG MOVES IVAN never accepts illegal moves If you attempt such a move the computer sounds a low double beep and the display will continue to indicate the square the piece came from Since the computer will not allow you to move to an illegal square it completely disregards that square and waits for a legal entry Either move that same piece to another square or press the piece back down on its original FROM square and move a different piece If you press down on a piece and the from square appears in the display but you decide not to make that move press down on that same square again to cancel the input This has the same effect as using CLEAR You may also use the CLEAR button to change the move Now make another move of your choice If you change your mind after entering your whole move you must use the TAKE BACK button CHECK MATE AND DRAW When a King is in check the computer displays a flashing CHEC on the display If you are in check the computer will only allow you to make a move which will bring you out of check Any other move and the computer will respond that it is an illegal move When a game ends in checkmate the computer displays the move as usual and then displays U Lose or I lose The computer recognizes draws by stalemate consecutive 3 fold repetition and the 50 move rule See the following chart for the various draw displays If you are unfamiliar with these draws refer to the Let s Play
16. ack on the board by pressing the piece symbol and then the square where you wish it to be In set up mode you may also change the color of the side to move Simply press the WHT BLK button and the computer will show S I D E in the display Just choose either the black square for black or the white square for white You may only do this when you are in the set up mode When you have finished setting up your problem press the CLEAR button to exit from the set up mode Now make your move or if it is the computers turn to move just press the MOVE button 19 VERIFYING POSITION Whenever you think a piece is in the wrong position on the board or if you want to restore a previously saved position VERIFY will tell you what Ivan believes the position is You may use the VERIFY button at any time before or during a game as long as it is your turn to move Press the VERIFY button and the display will show the symbol for white the queen and the location of the white queen if there is one Press the button a second time and the display will show the symbol for black the queen symbol and the location of the black queen Proceed by pressing each of the piece symbol buttons and the display will show the location of each piece When you have finished verifying the pieces simply press the CLEAR key to exit the verification mode and resume play DON T KNOW WHAT TO DO ASK FOR A HINT If you do not know which move to make or you think the computer mig
17. attery life or 1 month when switched to SAVE when using new alkaline batteries When you wish to insert new batteries remove the plastic battery cover on the base of the computer and insert the batteries making sure that the polarity of the batteries is correct If the computer fails to respond Static discharge from new batteries may cause it to lock up use a paper clip or other pointed object to press into the hole marked RESET in the base of the unit This will act as a master reset for your computer 1 1 LOW BATTERIES When battery power drops the low battery indicator will show in the LCD On the left side of the display BAT will appear The batteries should be changed soon or else your computer may begin behaving erratically or signaling impossible or illegal moves Ivan s voice may also begin to sound unclear 1 2 AC OPERATION OPTIONAL For AC operation plug the transformer into an AC wall outlet and plug the connector into the right side of Ivan We recommend using an AC adapter with a voltage range of 6 8 volts and 100 200 Miliamps The tip of the connector should be positive Depending on how frequently you play you may want to purchase an AC adapter available for this game to achieve the best performance If you have difficulty locating an Excalibur adapter locally you can fill out the order form inside your box or call our customer service department for more information 2 STARTING A GAME A Set up the pieces on the
18. chess diagrams are similar to those used on the piece type keys on your chess computer CHESS NOTATION We describe the moves of a chess game using a system called algebraic notation The files or vertical columns of squares on the chessboard are identified by the letters a h looking at the board from White s side and reading from left to right The ranks or horizontal rows are numbered 1 8 starting from the White end Black plays from this side zd ogiupjejjii White plays from this side So every sguare can be named by the letter of its file and the number of its rank like a grid reference on a map At the start of the game the white king is on el and the black queen is on d8 23 eo ce between the from and to sguares indicates a simple move x between the from and to squares indicates a capture The initial letter K king Q queen R rook B bishop or N knight to distinguish it from a king is used before the from square whenever a piece other than a pawn is being moved Thus Ng1 f3 means knight moves from gl to f3 while Relxe7 means rook on el captures on e7 X 24 A C KINGS AND PAWNS When you press the NEW GAME key to start a new game you will see CHESS displayed on the LCD Instead of beginning from the usual initial position you may now press the MODE button then the PAWN key to indicate that you wish to play with the kings an
19. chess board in their starting positions with the white pieces nearest to you see the USCF s LETS PLAY CHESS rules found in your Ivan box if you are unsure of the piece positions If you choose to play black then go to the section Black from the bottom B Press the ON button C Press NEW GAME Ivan will now introduce himself and ask you to prepare for battle The display will scroll the words PLAY CHESS indicating that Ivan is now ready to play It is now your move D To make a move lightly press down on the center of the square with the piece you want to move This will be the FROM square Now pick up the same selected piece and press down on the square you want to move to This is called the TO square The sensor board registers your move The display window also indicates your move for example E2E4 Make your moves and those of the computer by pressing down lightly with the piece on its current square and then press down with the same piece on its new square If the move does not seem to have registered press down with the edge of the piece Ivan displays its moves with the FROM and TO square plus the piece and color symbol illuminated in the LCD After you have pressed the computer s piece on the FROM square the display will show you only the TO square reminding you to finish the computers turn The clock will now begin to count the time it takes you and Ivan to make your moves For example if you press t
20. d Effects Ivan comes equipped with many different sound effects You can hear anything from sword battles when you capture a piece to the galloping of a horse when moving your knight Ivan has even been known to laugh and tease his opponents You can also combine this feature with the other different speaking modes To control the sound effects you must do the following Press OPTION until S N D F appears in the LCD window This stands for Sound Effects IF a appears next to S N D F then that feature is on If there is no then that feature is off By pressing the ON or OFF keys this will control the in the options mode Therefore S N D F means that your sound effects are on Speech and Personality Ivan has the ability to actually interact with you during your game He can ask you questions which are answered by the YES and NO keys He will be nice and humble if you should happen to be winning the game Beware Ivan enjoys winning He will amuse and most likely abuse you if he gets ahead Even though it may sound like Ivan is laughing at you we would like to say he is only laughing with you In coach teach mode Ivan will always be nice He loves training new warriors for battle You control his speech feature by using the OPTION key Press OPTION until S P C H appears in the LCD window This stands for Speech If a appears next to S P C H then that feature is on If there is no then that feature is
21. d pawns only The computer will then be ready to start from the position shown in the above diagram after it has removed the other pieces By playing many games against the computer from this position you will learn how the kings can be used to attack and defend pawns and to help create passed pawns which can later be promoted to queens This is a very good way to learn the fundamentals of chess Once you are confident that you understand how the kings and pawns relate to each other you can use the modes which allow you to commence a game with only the kings and knights on the board or kings and bishops or kings and rooks or kings and queens You can now press move for each side to watch the computer play a random game or you can choose to play our example From the above position let us assume that the game begins as follows 1 e2 e4 d7 d6 2 d2 d4 e7 e5 3 d4xe5 d6xe5 25 ACTIVE KING AND PASSIVE KING In this position which is completely even we shall see what happens if White uses its king ACTIVELY while Black does nothing and hides its king away PASSIVELY in the comer 4 Kel d2 Ke8 f8 5 Kd2 d3 Kf8 g8 6 Kd3 c4 Kg8 h8 In just three moves White s king has advanced to a menacing position while Black s is taking no active part in the game 7 Kc4 d5 White threatens the pawn on e5 If this pawn falls White will be a pawn ahead which is usually enough of an advantage to force a win 7 vee 7 6 8 Kd5 e6 Altho
22. display When you have selected your desired level press the CLEAR button and continue playing PIECE SYMBOLS SHOWN IN THE DISPLAY A im CN AN Pawn Knight Bishop mg E Col O Queen Rook King CAPTURING MOVES Captures are performed just like any other move The moving piece is pressed down on the FROM and TO squares while the captured piece is removed from the board without being pressed If the computer makes a capture move it flashes the right most Symbol when displaying the FROM and TO squares on the LCD When making an en passant capture the computer directs you to move the capturing pawn in the usual way It then indicates the square from which the captured pawn is to be removed Press down with this pawn as you remove it from the board 10 THE CHESS RULES Remember that your computer knows the rules of the game including the rules about castling en passant captures pawn promotion and stalemate It will never break any of these rules Sometimes it may seem that the computer has made an irregular move What may have happened is that you accidentally made a mistake when entering a move or you may have accidentally put one or more of the chess pieces on the wrong square during the game If this happens you should verify the locations of all the pieces by using Verify Position mode If you are in any doubt about the rules of chess you should take another look at the U S Chess Federation s Let
23. dz Ore Sag icy FES cm Mlad war ae Libur z Ms WAIN ome rerreue USER MANUAL ENTER THE FUTURE OF COMPUTERIZED CHESS Excalibur Electronics is the pioneer of computerized chess games In the last few years through spectacular growth and widened horizons Excalibur has become one of the most prominent electronic game manufacturers in the world The highlight of our collection is the Mirage This unique robotic chess set has the advanced technology to move chess pieces by itself It also has the intelligence to beat over 90 of all chess players By using our Robotic Technology and powered by an 8 bit 10 MHz processor the Mirage will amuse and dazzle everyone With automated chess pieces the computer moves effortlessly across the board the Mirage will provide the most unique chess playing experience in the world Match wits with the computer or simply sit back and watch the computer play itself The Mirage comes with an extensive list of features that can help beginners improve their game and challenge advanced players as well Other innovative Excalibur products include a two in one chess and checkers set and Ivan The Terrible the chess game with a personality that actually talks to you We have upgraded our products with new looks new designs and more user friendly features So experience the future of electronic chess and see why the most innovative games in the world have the name Excalibur Electr
24. e clock will countdown the remaining time left in the game When either player consumes the permitted total time a sour beep sounds and the word TIME appears in the display Then a sour beep sounds which indicates a loss due to surpassing the fixed time If you so choose the game will still allow you to continue the game and disregard the time controls 16 37 1secs 43 7secs 49 16secs 38 2secS 44 8secs 50 18secs 39 3secs 45 9secs 51 20secs 40 4secs 46 10secs 52 25secs 41 5secs 47 12secs 53 30secs 42 6secs 48 14secs 54 35secs 55 4Osecs 61 min 45secs 56 45secs 62 2min 57 50secs 63 2min 15secs 58 60secs 64 2min 45secs 59 imin 15secs 65 2min 45secs 60 t1min 30secs 66 3minutes 67 2mins 72 7mins 77 20mins 68 3mins 73 8mins 78 25mins 69 4mins 74 9mins 79 30mins 70 5mins 75 10mins 80 35mins 71 6mins 76 15mins 81 40mins 82 45mins 87 90mins 83 50mins 88 105mins 84 55mins 89 120mins 85 60mins 86 75mins 17 TOURNAMENT LEVELS The computer will play within the specified rate The clocks will show the total time consumed Time saved during the first time period can be added to the next time period LEVEL 90 60 moves every 60 minutes LEVEL 91 40 moves every 60 minutes LEVEL 92 40 moves In 120 minutes then 20 moves every 60 minutes LEVEL 93 20 moves every 60 minutes INFINITE LEVEL On level 94 the
25. e piece on its current square and then press down with the same piece on its new square If the move does not seem to have registered press down with the edge of the piece Ivan displays its moves with the FROM and TO square plus the piece and color symbol illuminated in the LCD After you have pressed the computer s piece on the FROM square the display will show you only the TO square reminding you to finish the computer s turn The clock will now begin to count the time it takes you and Ivan to make your moves For example if you press the pawn on E2 the E and the 2 will appear on the display along with the symbol for white and the pawn Then press on the TO square E4 The computer will display your full move E2 E4 and then display its move 6 WATCH COMPUTER S MOVE When the computer makes its move it will show the move in the display The display will then begin counting your move time Make your next move and continue the game Enjoy the fascinating Ivan 7 SWITCH OFF AND SAVE POSITION At anytime you wish to stop playing just press the OFF SAVE key The computer will switch off and go into a sleep mode IVAN will now remember the last position as long as you do not interrupt the power supply To resume play press the ON Clear key GETTING STARTED 1 THE BATTERIES AND POWER SUPPLY Your chess computer works with 4 AA batteries Based on normal playing conditions you should experience approximately 40 hours of b
26. ery neat way to win The idea is to force through one of his pawns to promotion before the black king can rush back to the queen s side Can you see how 1 b5 b6 a7xb6 If Black tried 1 c7xb6 then 2 a5 a6 sacrifices a second pawn to decoy the black pawn on b7 away from its defense of c6 2 b7xa6 3 c5 c6 followed by 4 c6 c7 and 5 c7 c8 Q winning 31 2 c5 c6 b7xc6 3 a5 a6 And the promotion of White s a pawn cannot be stopped 32 KINGS KNIGHTS and PAWNS After pressing MODE and seeing TEACH displayed on the LCD if you press the KNIGHT key the computer will be ready to start play from the above position with the kings knights and pawns on the board Even in a symmetrical position such as this it is very easy for an unsuspectin y al p ry easy 8 player to overlook a simple threat 1 Nblec3 Ng8 6 This move appears to be a serious mistake because it does not take into account white s threat Safe moves for Black include 1 Nb8 c6 or 1 a7 a6 2 Nc3 b5 Nb8 a6 Defending the c7 pawn 3 Nb5xa7 So White has won a pawn Does this mean that the game will be a relatively easy win for white Not at all Be ween c7 c6 33 The white knight on a8 cannot escape and now Black is threatening to march his king to b8 and pick up the errant knight 4 Ng Ke8 d8 5 NB g5 Kd8 c7 6 Ng5xf Kc7 b8 White is already two pawns up but his knight on a7 is attacked and has nowhere safe to go Under t
27. es with the black pieces If instead of pressing MOVE again you press CLEAR the computer will play white from the bottom of the board REPEAT You may use the REPEAT button to repeat the last phrase said by Ivan MULTI MOVE If you want to use the computer as a monitor and referee while you play against a friend you can use the Multi Move Mode This feature allows you to enter moves for both black and white pieces Simply press the MULTI MOVE button to enter the mode When you are in Multi Move the display will show PLAY Then proceed with your game Should you or your opponent make an illegal move the computer will beep and or notify you of your illegal move The Hint feature does not work in this mode But if you do require assistance you can press the MOVE key and the computer will make what it thinks is the best possible move You can have the computer by pressing the MULTI MOVE button allow you to enter your own book opening line by making moves for both sides and then by exiting this feature you can begin to play your game To exit Multi Move just press Multi Move again and you are back into regular computer play 21 HOW TO USE YOUR PIECES A Special Teaching Method Built into your Chess Computer WHAT IS OUR SPECIAL TEACHING METHOD Our special teaching method teaches beginners in a simple methodical way the fundamentals of chess ranging from individual piece moves to strategies for the whole game New players can c
28. f lt gt Used to increase or decrease the volume or levels On Clear Used to turn Ivan ON or to Clear an entry BLK WHT Used to choose color of side to move in Setup Mode REPEAT Used to repeat the last phrase spoken by Ivan YES Used to answer YES to a question or to turn a feature ON NEW GAME Starts a New Game MODE Used to enter the teach mode and to learn piece movement QUICK START 1 POWER Insert the batteries in the base of the computer as specified by the label near the battery compartment remembering to ensure that the positive tip of each battery matches up with the sign in the battery compartment This game may be operated using an optional AC adapter which should be in a voltage range of 6 8 volts and 100 200 Milliamps The tip of the connector should be positive 2 SET UP CHESS PIECES Place the chess pieces in their initial starting position with the white pieces closest to you If you choose to play black then go to the section Black from the bottom 3 TURN ON Press the ON button to power up the IVAN If the display does not scroll CHESS then press a pointed object such as a paper clip into the RESET hole on the bottom of the unit to clear any data which might be stored in the game 4 START THE GAME Press NEW GAME and Ivan will introduce himself PLAY CHESS will scroll in the display 5 MAKE YOUR MOVE Make your moves and those of the computer by pressing down lightly with th
29. f you are sure you want to make that particular move You must answer with a yes or no answer To activate Coach press the OPTION until C O C H appears in the LCD window By pressing the ON and OFF keys you can control the which turns your coaching feature on and off CO C H means that your coaching feature is on Total Silence If you want total silence when you play Ivan just make sure all of the above sound features are turned off GAME OVER START A NEW GAME ANYTIME Whenever you finish a game or if you decide to abort your current game you may reset the computer to start another game simply by pressing NEW GAME the display will show C H E S S The computer will automatically reset the board IMPORTANT Pressing NEW GAME clears the current game from the computer s memory be careful not to press this key by mistake 9 TOO EASY OR TOO HARD CHANGE THE LEVEL When the computer is first turned on it is set to Level 6 which is the weakest level However you may choose a different level To change the level simply press LEVEL and the computer will display the current playing level You can change levels one at a time by pressing the arrow buttons or by 10 levels at a time by holding down the arrow button for a full second To lower the level of play press the arrow pointing to the left To raise the level press the arrow pointing to the right Continue pressing the desired arrow until the level you want appears in the
30. he circumstances White extracts as much as he can for his knight 7 Na7xc6 d7xc6 An interesting choice Should Black capture the knight with the d pawn or the b pawn If Black captures with the b pawn then White will have a passed a pawn The a pawn will not have any enemy pawns to oppose it on its path to promotion and so Black will need to use his king or one of his knights to keep the a pawn under observation If Black captures on c6 with his d pawn he leaves the pawn on e7 isolated that is to say it has none of its own pawns on adjacent files to protect it But by capturing on c6 with his d pawn Black avoids leaving White with a passed pawn and although the black e pawn on e7 represents a weakness it is less important than allowing White a passed pawn So 7 d7xc6 is stronger than 7 b7xc6 After recapturing on c6 Black has won a knight for 3 pawns In pure material terms a knight is worth roughly the same as 3 pawns but in this position White has no passed pawns and none of White s pawns is any kind of a threat to Black so Black has a clear advantage 34 KINGS AND BISHOPS After pressing MODE and seeing TEACH displayed on the LCD if you press the BISHOP key the computer will be ready to start play with kings bishops and pawns on the board The bishop is often a mobile piece but it is important that it does not get hemmed in and even trapped by the enemy pawns Here is an example of what can happen from
31. he pawn on E2 the E and the 2 will appear on the display along with the symbol for white and the pawn Then press on the TO square E4 The computer will display your full move E2 E4 and then display its move Ifyour move does not seem to have registered press down lightly with the edge of the piece to activate the sensor under your playing surface Pressing harder on the square will not make your piece register any better it may only damage your game IVAN is a player who can speak but cannot see If you move a piece on the board without using the sensory technology the computer will still think there is a piece at the previous location The same is true when you remove a piece If you ever have a question concerning the board position just use the VERIFY mode pg 15 to check the position Note At the beginning of a game the computer s reply is often instantaneous on many levels because it is playing moves that are stored in its book opening s library and therefore does not need anytime to think TAKE BACK If you press the TO square and change your mind or if you just do not like the outcome of your last few moves then press the TAKEBACK button The display will now show the last move in the window Press on the corresponding squares until you have taken back the moves of the game to your desired position If the move you have just taken back was a capturing move once you have moved the capturing piece back to its F
32. hoose from five easy to follow teaching modes In the first mode for example you compete against the computer in a game in which only the pawns and kings are used Once you have understood that mode you progress to the next modes where more chess pieces are used The five teaching modes are MODE 1 Uses kings and pawns MODE2 Uses kings knights and pawns MODE 3 Uses kings bishops and pawns MODE 4 Uses kings rooks and pawns MODES Uses kings queens and pawns This simple teaching method has proven to be the most effective teaching method in chess HOW THE SPECIAL TEACHING METHOD WORKS You can start a new game in which each player has only the king and eight pawns By playing this form of mini chess you will gain valuable experience as to how the pawns and kings interact with each other For example how a king can be used to attack enemy pawns or to prevent a passed pawn from being promoted To start a game of mini chess with only the kings and pawns on the board press NEW GAME followed by the MODE the display will now read TEACH then by selecting PAWN symbol Similarly you can learn how each of the other piece types interacts with the kings and pawns by pressing NEW GAME MODE and then followed by one of the other piece type keys KNIGHT BISHOP ROOK or QUEEN 22 In the following pages you will learn about the pawns and the other piece types and how they interact with each other The piece symbols in the
33. ht have a better idea you can ask Ivan for a hint Press the HINT once and the computer will display what it thinks you should do based on its previous search If you choose to accept the hint then make that move If you choose not to accept the hint and you want to make another move then simply press CLEAR and make another move Pressing the HINT button twice this will cause the display to show you the score of the position The score is always displayed from the Ivan s point of view A plus score is good for Ivan and a minus score is good for you The numbers range from 0 0 to 9 9 where 1 0 means a pawn and 0 5 means a half a pawn value because of superior position The values are pawn 1 knight 3 bishop 3 rook 5 queen 9 Position superiority goes from 0 1 to 0 9 Example 1 75 Ivan thinks you are up in the position by 1 3 4 of a pawn Pressing the button one more time will cause Ivan to display the depth of search that was just used to arrive at this move The left number is the node number and the right number is the ply number Nodes are legal chess positions the IVAN is examining each move Example 3 5 The IVAN is examining the third position of the fifth ply 20 BLACK FROM THE BOTTOM If you want to play black from the bottom of the board press MOVE at the beginning of a game and the display will show FLIP Ivan is asking you to confirm your choice Press MOVE again and the computer will flip the white piec
34. ing position The second rule for rooks is that they are very well placed on their 7th rank in the endgame For Black this means putting the rooks on the rank numbered 2 in the above diagram After 5 Rf8 c8 White should continue with the plan Kgl fl Kfl el Kel dl followed only now by Rclxc8 and then Ral cl challenging for control of the open file 41 If instead of playing 5 Rf8 c8 Black forgets about the open file White can quickly build up a completely overwhelming position Watch how easy it is for Black to go astray To o e7 e6 This innocuous move probably loses the game for Black 6 Rcl c7 b7 b6 Safeguarding the b pawn 7 Ral cl Now there is no way that Black can challenge White s control of the c file 7 m g7 g6 8 Kgl Kg8 g7 9 Kflel Kg7 f6 10 Kel d2 White will continue with Kd2 c3 Kc3 b4 Kb4 b5 Kb5 a6 and then Rc7xa7 winning the a pawn at once and the b pawn soon afterwards Black is virtually helpless against this plan which could not have worked if Black had neutralized the c file This example demonstrates not only the importance of controlling open files with your rooks it also illustrates the power of rooks on the 7th rank All pawns start life on their 2nd rank i e the opponent s 7th rank and even in the late stages of the game there are often pawns still on their starting squares By placing a rook on the 7th rank you therefore put pressure on your opponent s pawns and hopefully win one o
35. move puts your king in check either by moving the king to a square attacked by an enemy piece or by moving something away from a square where it blocked an attack on your king by an enemy piece 45 GENERAL INFORMATION The RESET hole Ivan may occasionally lock up due to static discharge or some other sort of electrical disturbance If this occurs press the RESET button on the bottom of the game Use of this button will clear the computers memory NOTE Afier using the RESET the computer will have forgotten any game positions that may have been in its memory ON AND OFF The IVAN is never really off as long as batteries are installed or the adapter is plugged into a wall outlet It will be in a sleep mode and continue to draw power It is very important that you remember this if you are using only batteries to power your computer If the computer has a position in its memory and you put it away for a period of time you may find that the batteries are drained when you go to use it again Ifyou do not play with your IVAN for a period of time and do not remember whether or not you cleared the board the last time you played with it you should use the RESET button to clear any data that may be stored in its memory You may also use the VERIFY button to remind you of the position the last time you played THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO Never handle the IVAN roughly It is a precision electronic device Never expose the IVAN
36. onics on them Excalibur Electronics We make you think Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 2 cea ee eee a E E ee A E ounces EIN AA J GETTING STARTED 5 aa AR E E ction A A O a NE eee oS i ne EI IR Ss h TROUBLESHOOTINGGUIDE CS 44 pe a ee KP odi ooo re eni Henne INTRODUCTION Congratulations You now own Ivan The Terrible a wonderful chess computer that will surprise you with its strong chess program and delight you with his outrageous speaking vocabulary If you are a strong chess player you will find IVAN to be an admirable opponent that will challenge you to one exciting chess game after another Ifyou are just learning to play chess IVAN will be a helpful friend and instructor As you play the computer IVAN will help you to grasp the essentials of chess If you would like to play a game of chess against your chess computer immediately without first reading the entire instruction manual simply turn to the QUICK START section and let the game begin When you first look at IVAN you will see the Control Panel The control panel contains the buttons that access different functions and features during a game You will find the Control Panel described in detail later in this manual First take a moment to look at the playing surface You will see each square is numbered by a rank and file coordinates that will help you to enter piece locations for your moves There is a magnetic sensor under each square to help keep your
37. ould escape This is one of the ideas behind the advance of Black s h pawn 6 Kfl g2 h4xg3 7 f2xg3 And on the next move Black loses his h2 bishop Even though Black could play 7 Bh2xg3 the material advantage of a bishop for two pawns is normally sufficient to guarantee a win Amazingly the famous American Grandmaster Bobby Fischer lost the first game of his 1972 World Championship match against Boris Spassky in 36 exactly this manner Fischer black grabbed a pawn at h2 with his bishop expecting the bishop to be able to extricate itself eventually Unfortunately for Fischer he was wrong he lost the bishop and the game but he won the match ACTIVE BISHOP vs PASSIVE BISHOP In this position White has a well posted bishop in the center which is free to maneuver over much of the board Black s bishop in contrast is biting on granite It has no scope because of the white pawn chain e4 f3 g4 If Black were to try the move h7 h5 to break open the prison bars White would simply respond with h2 h3 so that if Black exchanged pawns on g4 White could recapture with the h pawn thereby keeping the prison intact So although White s bishop and Black s bishop have the same material value Black s piece is useless to him White already has the unstoppable threat of Bd5 b7 picking up the a6 pawn er Ke7 d6 Bd5 b7 The attempt to trap Black s bishop by 2 h2 h4 threatening 3 h4 h5 does not work and in fact
38. pieces in place and to automatically sense all game moves The voice feature enables the computer to communicate more information to you than conventional models You will learn more about features and controls as you play In this instruction manual we use WHITE and BLACK to describe the white square and black square symbols that appear on the computer s display The display itself is called an LCD liquid crystal display The piece names PAWN KNIGHT BISHOP ROOK QUEEN and KING describe the symbols that appear on the LCD and on the keys to represent these chess pieces Right now why not sit down face to face with your new opponent and challenge him to a game Only if you dare risk being crushed by one of the strongest manipulating forces in chess and to find out why they call him Ivan The Terrible j FUNCTION OF IVAN S KEYS SETUP Used to add or remove chess pieces and to enter special positions LEVEL Used to change skill levels HINT Used to obtain hints and scoring VERIFY Used to verify the position of the chess pieces on the board MULTI MOVE Used to enter multiple moves for both sides MOVE Used to switch sides or to control the length of time Ivan is thinking OFF SAVE Puts IVAN into a sleep mode and saves your game OPTION Used to change the many available sound options TAKEBACK Used to take back moves and mistakes NO Used to answer NO to a question or to turn a feature of
39. r more of them 42 KINGS QUEENS AND PAWNS After pressing MODE and seeing TEACH displayed on the LCD if you press the QUEEN key the computer will be ready to start play with only the kings queens and pawns on the board The Queen is the most active piece and can move around an open board with great speed The most important advice to remember about the Queen is Be Careful Always think about every move that your opponent can make with his Queen in case one of them would cause you serious problem Here we can see how easy it is to overlook a powerful queen move 1 e2 e4 d7 d6 From the normal starting position with all 32 pieces on the board this would be perfectly acceptable first move In the above position however it is a fatal mistake that loses a pawn 2 Odl h5 Threatening the pawn at h7 De ss h7 h6 3 gh5 b5 No matter how black evades check White will reply 4 Qb5xb7 and should win comfortably because of his extra pawn 43 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Your computer has been manufactured and tested to very high quality standards and it is most unlikely to have a fault We have found in the past that almost all so called faults can be traced to the user accidentally pressing a wrong key or moving a piece to the wrong square which makes it appear later in the game that the chess computer is not operating as expected THE MOST COMMON FAULT TO BE FOUND WITH CHESS COMPUTERS IS THAT THE USER HAS DONE SOMET
40. ssed pawns White can do no more than draw Since the presence of opposite colored bishops very often heralds a draw in the endgame if you find yourself behind in material you should always try to trade off the bishops and knights in such a way as to leave opposite colored bishops on the board preferably without any knights rooks or queens on the board On the other hand the presence of opposite colored bishops can sometimes help a player who is attacking his opponent s king with the assistance of his queen 40 KINGS ROOKS AND PAWNS After pressing MODE and seeing TEACH displayed on the LCD if you press the ROOK key the computer will be ready to start play with only the kings rooks and pawns on the board There are two important rules to remember about using your rooks The first and most useful is that you should nearly always try to place your rooks on open files that is columns of squares such as the column from al to a8 which have no pawns on them A rook on an open file has plenty of scope to advance at the correct moment into the enemy camp I 0 0 0 0 We use the symbols 0 0 to indicate castling king s side 2 c2 c4 c7 c6 3 d2 d4 d7 d5 4 c4xd5 c6xd5 5 Rfl c Now after 5 Rf8 c8 it would be a mistake for White to play 6 Rclxc84 because then Black s recapture 6 Ra8xc8 would leave BLACK in command of the only open file on the board Black would then follow up with 7 Rc8 c2 with a dominat
41. to the other very rapidly 38 WHEN TO EXCHANGE BISHOPS There will be many instances in your games when you are unsure about whether to exchange off a particular bishop A useful rule is to first decide whether the bishop is good or bad In general you should be happy about exchanging a bad bishop for a good one or for an enemy knight OPPOSITE COLORED BISHOPS The above position provides an excellent example of what are called opposite colored bishops This does not mean that White has one bishop and Black has one bishop It means that each player has only one bishop and they stand on squares of opposite colors Here for example white has a bishop on a dark square whereas Black has a bishop on a light square What then is the significance of opposite colored bishops If you think about this position you will soon realize that half of the squares on the board are completely safe for each player Black s king for example cannot be dislodged from the e6 square because it can NEVER be checked by the white bishop and by leaving his own bishop occupying or controlling the d5 square Black prevents his opponent from advancing the pawn from d4 to d5 39 To put it very simply Black can simply move his bishop back and forth between the squares for example a8 d5 and hl and refuse to move his king There is absolutely no way that White can then make progress So although White is two pawns ahead and they are both pa
42. ugh Black has defended his e5 pawn White s king marches on mercilessly The target is now the group of black pawns on c7 b7 and a7 26 8 Kh8 g8 9 KeG d7 c7 c5 10 Kd7 c7 b7 b5 11 Kc7 b7 a7 a5 12 Kb7 b6 Black s pawns at a5 b5 and c5 will now fall like ripe plums and White will win easily PROBING FOR WEAKNESSES In the previous example we learned some very important advice for the endgame YOUR KING IS AN ACTIVE PIECE USEIT Here White s king is actively placed but this time Black has also placed his king near the center of the board How can White make progress The answer is to probe Black s position and try to create weaknesses White now starts an advance on the Q side where he has the advantage because of his well placed king 1 a2 a4 g7 g6 2 a4 a5 h7 h6 27 A mistake Black has completely overlooked White s idea 3 a5 a6 A fine move No matter how Black responds the black pawns on the queen s side will be forced to weaken their formation allowing the white king to decimate them 3 ui b7xa6 White was threatening simply 4 a6xb7 followed by 5 b7 b8 promoting to a queen Black s only alternative was equally unpalatable 3 b7 b6 4 Kc5 c6 followed by Kc6xc7 Kc7 b7 Kb7xa7 and the white a pawn will then promote in a few moves 4 Kc5 c6 White s king will pick up the c7 pawn then it will capture the pawns on the a file and finally White will advance his b and c pawns to promotion 28
43. ve 1 If the computer s color symbol is flashing then the computer is still thinking Be patient if you can or press the MOVE key and the computer will respond immediately with the best move it has found so far 2 If your color symbol is on and the clock is ticking the computer thinks that you have not made your last move Make sure that the pieces on the board are on the same squares as those in the computer s internal memory You can do this by using Verify Position mode If the pieces all appear to be on the same squares as the computer thinks they should be this means that it is still your turn to move THE COMPUTER REFUSES TO ACCEPT YOUR MOVE Ifyou make a move but the computer refuses to accept it as a move 1 Make sure that you have completed your move by pressing down on the TO square 2 If you your move was castling make sure that you have moved your rook and king Always making sure to move the King first 3 If the move was an en passant capture make sure that you have moved the capturing pawn in the correct way and that you also pressed down on the square of the captured pawn before you removed it from the chess board 4 If your move was a pawn promotion make sure that you pressed down on the promotion square with the newly promoted piece 5 Look to see if the computer s last move put you in check and if so make sure that your reply move does not leave you in check 6 Look to see if your
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