Excalibur electronic Video Games 901E 02 User Manual

Excalibur  
Electronics  
OPERATING  
MANUAL  
Model 901E-4  
 
Excalibur Electronic Chess  
TABLE OF CONTENTS  
CHAPTER 1: Installing Batteries . . . . . . . . page 4  
CHAPTER 2: Play Right Away. . . . . . . . . .page 4  
2.1 Getting Started  
2.2 How to Register Your Move  
2.3 Notes on Special Moves  
CHAPTER 3: Key Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page5  
3.1  
3.2  
3.3  
3.4  
3.5  
3.6  
3.7  
3.8  
3.9  
OFF/SAVE Key  
ON/CLEAR Key  
NEW GAME Key  
TAKEBACK Key  
SET UP Key  
VERIFY Key  
MULTI-MOVE Key  
HINT Key  
LEVEL Key  
3.10 MOVE Key  
3.11 SOUND Key  
3.12 MODE Key  
3.13 BLACK/WHITE Key  
CHAPTER 4: Setting Up Special Positions. . . . . . . page7  
CHAPTER 5: Special Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 8  
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page8  
CHAPTER 7: Rules & Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page9  
CHAPTER 8: Special Care & Batteries. . . . . . . . . page11  
CHAPTER 9: Limited One-Year Warranty. . . . . page11  
 
CHAPTER I: Installing Batteries  
To insert new batteries, carefully turn  
your Electronic Chess so that the display  
side is face-down. Remove the battery-  
compartment panel on the left by losen-  
ing the screw and using your thumbnail to  
pull up gently on the raised latch. Install  
three fresh AAA batteries, making sure to  
follow the diagram in each battery slot so  
that the polarity (+ or -) of the batteries is  
correct. Replace the battery compartment  
panel by fitting the two tabs into their  
receptacles and pushing down on the  
panel lightly. Re-tighten the screw, but be  
sure not to over-tighten it.  
then registering the to square of the move  
you wish to make.  
2.2 How to Register Your Move  
To make a move, press down lightly on  
the from square with the bottom edge of  
the piece or pawn you wish to move. You  
will hear a beep, and the coordinate of  
that square will appear in the LCD. (You  
might see, for example, E2 ...) Next press  
down on the to square, the square you  
wish to move the piece or pawn to. You’ll  
hear another beep letting you know your  
move has been registered.  
CHAPTER 2: Play Right Away  
2.1 Getting Started  
After you have installed the batteries, the  
LCD will show PLAY. (If it doesn’t, press  
the ACL button on the back of the unit.)  
This indicates you are at the first move of  
the game. Set up the magnetic chess  
pieces, found in the piece-storage com-  
partment located next to the battery com-  
partment, according to the chess rules  
found in Chapter 7..  
If you hear an error buzz, you have made  
an illegal move, and the illegal move will  
appear on the screen. To take back that  
illegal move and make a different move,  
simply press first on the to square and  
then on the from square again to cancel  
the illegal move.  
Excalibur Electronic’s Sabre gives you  
the white pieces—the ones at the bottom  
of the board. White always moves first.  
(You’ll see a white square at the bottom  
of the LCD indicating it is White’s turn to  
move.)  
After you’ve successfully made your  
move, Electronic Chess will reply with its  
move shown automatically on the LCD,  
for example E7 E5 . (You’ll also notice a  
black square appearing on the LCD, indi-  
cating that it is now Black’s move.) Next  
make the computer’s move accordingly,  
pressing down with the bottom edge of  
Your Electronic Chess is equipped with a  
sensory board. The way you select and  
make your move is very simple. Think of  
communicating your move as a two-step  
process—registering the from square and  
 
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the pawn or piece on the designated from  
square and then on the to square. The  
chess computer will beep, and the white  
square will appear again in the LCD to  
indicate it is White’s turn again to move.  
BACK a second time and press on the  
squares, again in reverse order, for the  
move you made which you wish to take-  
back, as shown on the LCD. (Remember  
to replace any captured piece you might  
have removed. Taking back a capture  
move requires that you press on the cap-  
tured piece square with the captured  
piece.) The computer is now ready for  
your next move.  
2.3 Note on special moves  
The castling maneuver does require the  
rook move also to be registered by press-  
ing on the rook move squares. Also, en  
passant capturing requires the captured  
pawn square to be pressed. (Refer to  
Rules and Tips for more information on  
these special moves.)  
3.5 SET UP Key  
Use this key if you’d like to change the  
color of a piece, remove or add a piece, or  
move a piece to another square. Press  
SET UP and the display will first show  
the position of the white king. (If youd  
like to see the position of a different  
piece, press SET UP and then press the  
red key which has the correct piece sym-  
bol located above it, that is, the PIECE  
key. If there are no pieces of the selected  
type, the display will show nOnE.) You  
can next press the pieces square to  
change the piece’s color, and press the  
same square again to remove the piece.  
You may also press on any legal square to  
place the piece elsewhere on the board.  
The above steps may be repeated as  
desired. Press CLEAR to exit this mode  
at anytime. (Note:You cannot exit Set Up  
mode unless there is at least one white  
King and one black king on the board.)  
CHAPTER 3: Key Functions  
Your Excalibur Electronic Chess partner  
has many valuable special features that  
can help you learn to play better and bet-  
ter chess—and to have a lot of fun!  
3.1OFF/SAVE Key  
This key turns the unit off, automatically  
saving a game in progress. (Press this key  
when it is your move.) Use the ON key to  
resume the game.  
3.2 ON/CLEAR Key  
Use this key to turn on Electronic Chess.  
Also press it to clear an incorrect “from  
square” entry or to exit from other modes  
such as VERIFY or LEVEL. (See below.)  
3.3 NEW GAME Key  
Press this key either to begin a new game  
or to clear the computer’s memory.  
Keep this procedure and sequence in  
mind,and the SET UP procedure will be  
easy to use: After you press SET UP and  
the piece-symbol key you select, by push-  
ing the square the piece stands on, you  
can change its color or remove it. If the  
piece is White, one push changes it to  
Black, a second push removes it. If the  
3.4 TAKEBACK Key  
This key lets you take back a move  
you’ve decided against. (Press TAKE -  
BACK only when it is your turn.) To take  
back your move, first press TAKEBACK  
and then press on the squares of the com-  
puter’s reply move, in reverse order, as  
indicated on the LCD. Next push TAKE - piece is Black, one push removes it, a  
 
5
second push reinstates it as White.  
Press HINT a second time to view the  
computer’sevaluation of your position.  
See also Section 4, “Setting Up Special  
Positions.”  
3.9 LEVEL Key  
Use this key to set the level of play. The  
higher the level you select, the better your  
Excalibur Electronic Chess computer will  
play, and the longer it will think during its  
moves. The first four levels (1, 2, 3 and 4)  
are beginner levels and take approximate-  
ly 4, 8, 12 and 16 seconds per move,  
respectively. Level 5 is a fixed 1-ply (one-  
half move) search. Levels 6 through 15  
take about 1 second per level number, so  
level 10 will average about 10 seconds  
per move. Levels 16 through 72 take  
about 2 seconds per level number.  
3.6 VERIFY Key  
Press this key if you need to verify the  
position of a piece or pieces on the board.  
When it is your move, press VERIFY to  
check the position of the white queen.  
Press it a second time to check the posi-  
tion of Black’s queen. To verify the posi-  
tions of other pieces on the board, simply  
press VERIFY and the red key labeled  
with the desired piece symbol above it. If  
there are no pieces of the selected type on  
the board, the display will show nOnE.To  
exit this mode, press CLEAR.  
Press LEVEL once to display the current  
level. (The default level is set to Level 6,  
which allows six seconds for an average  
response.) Press LEVEL again to  
increase the level by one. You can press  
the MODE key to increase the level by  
ten. (The levels start over again after  
Level 73 with Level 1 if you want to  
choose an easier level.) Press CLEAR to  
exit this mode.  
3.7 MULTI-MOVE Key  
If you want to have the computer monitor  
two human players, press MULTI-  
MOVE. A zero (0 ) will appear in the dis-  
play, and a beep will signal if an illegal  
move is made. You may now enter moves  
for both sides (rather than allowing the  
computer to play.) When you wish to  
resume normal play again with one  
human playing against the computer, sim-  
ply press MULTI-MOVE again.  
Level 73 is an infinite level. Electronic  
Chess will take as long to move as you  
want it to, or until either it finds a mate  
position in its search or its search memo-  
ry is exhausted. Level 73 is good for  
problem solving, or it can be used to play  
against. When you are tired of waiting for  
the computer to move, press the MOVE  
3.8 HINT Key  
Press this key if you want to get hints  
from your Electronic Chess chess partner.  
A recommended move will appear on the  
screen. You may accept and make the  
move, or press CLEAR to enter a differ-  
ent move.  
 
6
key while the computer is thinking. The  
computer will stop thinking and play the  
best move it’s found so far.  
Mode 4: Kings, rooks and pawns  
Press the ROOK symbol key  
Mode 5: Kings, queens and pawns  
Press the QUEEN symbol key  
Be sure to remove the pieces not in use  
from your board. Then make the first  
move. Your object is, of course, to check-  
mate the opposing king.  
3.10 MOVE Key  
You may press this key when it is  
Electronic Chess’turn to move and there-  
by force the computer to move right away.  
If it is your turn to move, you may press  
MOVE to switch sides with the computer.  
(The computer will then make the next  
move as White.) And if you’d like to play  
the black pieces from the bottom of the  
board, first press NEW GAME and then  
MOVE.  
3.13 BLACK/WHITE Key  
To begin a game with White on the bot-  
tom and the computer making the first  
move, press BLACK/WHITE.  
This key is also used to tell the computer  
whose move it is during problem solving.  
(See below.)  
3.11 SOUND Key  
Your chess computer is available for a  
game day or night, so you may wish at  
times to turn the sound off. Simply press  
the SOUND key to turn off the beeping  
sound, or push it again to resume.  
CHAPTER 4: Setting Up Special  
Positions  
This is a terrific feature that allows you to  
solve problems that you see in magazines  
or newspapers, or that you make up your-  
self. It also allows you to enter game  
positions you want to play, or that you  
want Electronic Chess to look at, perhaps  
using the Infinite Search level.  
3.12 MODE Key  
Electronic Chess offers a teaching mode  
to help you learn the rules of movement  
for each piece. To enter the teaching  
mode, press NEW GAME and then  
MODE. (You will see SPCL in the dis-  
play window.) Then select from one of the  
following modes:  
Normally it is easier to start from an  
empty board to set up such problems. So  
first, clear the board by pressing NEW  
GAME, SET UP and MODE. Place the  
desired pieces on the board by pressing  
the PIECE SYMBOL key and the square  
to be occupied--press once for White,  
twice for Black.  
Mode 1: King and pawns  
Press the PAWN symbol key  
Mode 2: Kings, knights and pawns  
Press the KNIGHT symbol key  
Mode 3: Kings, bishops and pawns  
Press the BISHOP symbol key  
After setting up the pieces, tell the com-  
puter whose move it is by pressing the  
 
7
BLACK/WHITE key. The word SIDE  
will appear on the display. Press the key  
repeatedly until the black or white indica-  
tor box in your display is the color you  
wish to have move first. Next, press  
ON/CLEAR, followed by LEVEL. Set  
the computer to LEVEL 73, the problem-  
solving level, and press ON/CLEAR again.  
er uses one of these moves, its display  
will read OPEn.  
NOTE: We recommend using the VERI -  
FY function after setting up a problem-  
solving position to check that the posi -  
tions of all the pieces.  
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting  
The display is blank.  
Check the batteries to see that they are  
installed correctly and that they are not  
too weak. Otherwise, insert a safety pin  
(or another sharp, thin object such as a  
pen) into the ACL hole (reset) located on  
the lower back of the computer.  
CHAPTER 5: Special Features  
Position Score  
During a game, you may press the HINT  
key twice to get your computer’s evalua-  
tion of the position. The scoring totals the  
following values: Pawns—1, Knights—3,  
Bishops—3, Rooks—5, and Queen—9.  
Computer gives an improper response.  
Use the VERIFY function to check  
whether a mistake was made in moving  
the pieces. Check also that the to square  
has been properly pressed for your move.  
Finally, check that the move you wish to  
make is legal. Check that en passant  
moves were performed correctly, for  
example, and remember you cannot move  
and remain in check. You also may not  
castle through check.  
Smiling Faces & Frowing Faces  
Whenever Electronic Chess evaluates  
your position as 2 points or more ahead, it  
will show a smiling face when it displays  
its move. Whenever it evaluates your  
position as 2 points or more behind, it  
will show a frowning face when it dis-  
plays its move.  
Opening Book Library  
LCD messages are dim or faded, your  
computer functions undependably or  
displays impossible moves.  
Install new batteries immediately. See  
Section 1 above.  
To speed play in the beginning of the  
game and make its moves accurate,  
Electronic Chess has an opening-move  
library of 250 moves. When the comput-  
 
8
knight, none of  
the pieces can  
jump over men  
of either color  
or change direc-  
CHAPTER 7: Rules & Tips  
Object of game: Checkmate  
Setting up to play: White moves first  
and so begins with a small advantage.  
The board is  
tion during  
a
positioned  
so  
move. The  
that each player  
has a white cor-  
ner square on his  
far right (“light  
on right”). The  
rooks are placed  
on the two cor-  
ner squares to the  
knight 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. The king moves  
in any direction. But it can’t move into  
check (attack by an enemy man).  
This knight can move to  
any square marked by a *.  
The starting position  
left and right. The two knights are placed  
on the squares next to the rooks. Next to  
these are placed the two bishops and, in  
the center, the queen and king. The White  
queen is always positioned on a light  
square and the Black queen on a dark  
square (“queen on her own color”). The  
eight pawns are placed on the squares in  
the second row in front of these chess  
pieces.  
Special Moves  
Capturing a piece: Apart from the pawn,  
all pieces capture in the normal direction  
of movement as described above. The  
pawns, however, which normally move  
only in a straight line, may capture only  
diagonally to the left or right in front of  
its square. A player doesn’t have to cap-  
ture an opponent’s man.  
Castling: This is an important move that  
whisks your king into safety and gets  
your rook into action. The move is exe-  
Moving the pieces: All legal moves for  
each selected piece will be shown at one  
time. With the help of Electronic Chess,  
you will quickly learn the movements of  
all the pieces “by doing.”  
cuted by moving  
the king two  
squares towards  
the rook and then  
The pawns can move only forward. For  
the first advance from its initial square on  
the second rank, a pawn has the option of  
moving one or two squares, but after that  
it can move only one square at a time. The  
rook can move any number of squares,  
but only on the ranks and files. The bish-  
op moves only on the diagonals. The  
queen can move in any direction over  
unoccupied squares, thus being able to  
move on any open line. Except for the  
placing the rook 
on the square  
passed over by  
the king. A play-  
er can castle only  
once in a game.  
After castling: kingside  
(White) & queenside (Black)  
Castling is legal if neither the king nor the  
involved rook has yet moved, if all the  
squares between the king and rook are  
vacant, if no enemy piece controls the  
squares through which the king has to  
 
9
move, and if the king is not in check.  
attacker.  
Capturing en passant: This is a special  
pawn capture that doesn’t happen often  
but comes in handy to know! This move  
has a good purpose—to keep the game  
End of game: If a player’s king is in  
check and can’t escape or block the  
check, the king is checkmated and the  
game ends in favor of the opponent,  
regardless of the number of men remain-  
ing on each side. At any time, a player can  
voluntarily resign—his opponent wins. A  
game is a draw (tie) when the players no  
longer have material required for check-  
mating, or one side is unable to escape a  
series of checks (not checkmate), or when  
one side is in stalemate—stalemate exists  
when one side has no legal moves but is  
not in check. A game can also be drawn  
by mutual agreement between the players.  
from  
blocked  
i n t e r l o c k i n g  
p a w n s .  
Capturing  
passant (French  
for “in passing”)  
is possible only  
when one sides  
pawn  
advanced to the  
fifth rank, and a  
being  
by  
En passant: Black just moved  
his pawn two squares; White  
can capture on the squar e  
marked with a *.  
en  
has  
Some Tips on Chess  
1. Move only one or two center pawns in  
the opening. Then develop your knights  
and bishops so that they control the cen-  
ter.  
neighboring enemy pawn then advances  
two squares at once from its original  
square. Then on the very next move, the  
player whose pawn is on the fifth rank  
can capture the opposing pawn as if it had  
advanced only one square. If the player  
does not capture in this way on his very  
next move, he loses the option.  
2. Chessmen that aren’t pawns are called  
“pieces.” Get your pieces (off the back-  
rank and into the game before beginning  
an attack!  
Promotion: 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 a queen is the most pow-  
erful piece, it is nearly always chosen as  
the promotion piece. Through the promo-  
tion process, there may be more than one  
queen on the board at the same time.  
2. Castle your king into safety and rook  
into play as soon as possible.  
3. View each of your opponent’s moves as  
a potential threat—look carefully to see if  
his move attacks one of your men.  
4. Exchange less valuable men for more  
valuable men. The chessmen who can be  
captured are valued as follows: pawn (1),  
knight and bishop (3), rook (5), queen  
(9).  
Check: If the king is attacked (in check),  
the player is then obliged to protect his  
king either by moving it to another  
square, moving one of his own pieces  
between the king and the threatening  
piece (blocking), or by capturing the  
Excalibur Electronics reserves the right to  
make technical changes without notice in the  
interest of progress.  
 
10  
Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc)  
CHAPTER 8: Special Care & Batteries  
8.1 Special Car e  
or rechargeable (nickel-cadium) batteries.  
pose of batteries in a fire or attempt to  
recharge standard or alkaline batteries.  
Do not use rechargeable batteries.  
To avoid explosion or leakage, do not dis-  
Avoid rough handling such as bumping or  
dropping.  
Avoid moisture and extreme temperatures.  
For best results, use between the temperatures  
of 39ºF and 100ºF (4ºC and 38ºC).  
Be sure to insert batteries with the correct  
polarities & always follow the toy and battery  
manufacturer’s instructions.  
Clean using only a slightly damp cloth.  
Do not use cleaners with chemical agents.  
Remove batteries and store them in a cool,  
dry place when not in use.  
Always remove old & dead batteries from  
the product.  
8.2 Battery Information  
Electronic Chess uses 3 AAA batteries.  
CAUTION: BATTERIES SHOULD BE  
REMOVED & REPLACED BY ADULTS ONLY.  
Do not mix old and new batteries.  
The supply terminals are not to be short-  
circuited.  
CHAPTER 9: Limited One-year Warranty  
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC., war-  
rants to the original consumer that its products  
are free from any electrical or mechanical  
defects for a period of ONE YEAR from the  
date of purchase. If any such defect is dis-  
covered within the warranty period, EXCAL-  
IBUR ELECTRONICS, INC., will repair or  
replace the unit free of charge upon receipt of  
the unit, shipped postage prepaid and insured  
to the factory address shown at right.  
not apply.  
The only authorized service center in the  
United States is:  
Excalibur Electronics,Inc.  
13755 SW 119th Ave  
Miami,Florida 33186 U.S.A.  
Phone: 305.477.8080  
Fax:305.477.9516  
The warranty covers normal consumer use  
and does not cover damage that occurs in  
shipment or failure that results from alter-  
ations, accident, misuse, abuse, neglect, wear  
and tear, inadequate maintenance, commer-  
cial use, or unreasonable use of the unit.  
Removal of the top panel voids all warranties.  
This warranty does not cover cost of repairs  
made or attempted outside of the factory.  
Ship the unit carefully packed, preferably in  
the original carton, and send it prepaid, and  
adequately insured. Include a letter, detailing  
the complaint and including your daytime  
telephone number, inside the shipping carton.  
If your warranty has expired and you want an  
estimated fee for service, write to the above  
address, specifying the model and the prob-  
lem.  
Any applicable implied warranties, including  
warranties of merchantability and fitness, are  
hereby limited to ONE YEAR from the date  
of purchase. Consequential or incidental dam-  
ages resulting from a breach of any applicable  
express or implied warranties are hereby  
excluded. Some states do not allow limita-  
tions on the duration of implied warranties  
and do not allow exclusion of incidental or  
consequential damages, so the above limita-  
tions and exclusions in these instances may  
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR  
UNIT WITHOUT RECEIVING AN  
ESTIMATE FOR SERVICING.  
WE CANNOT STOREYOUR UNIT!  
 
11  
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC.  
13755 SW 119th Ave  
Miami, Florida 33186 U.S.A.  
Phone: 305.477.8080  
Fax: 305.477.9516  
We make you think.  
 

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