Saitek Mephisto Touch Screen Travel Chess User Manual

Page 9

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ENGLISH

9

seconds to show, but it may sometimes take longer. To accept the
hint, make the displayed move on the board. To make a different
move, simply disregard the hint and make a move of your own. You
can also cancel the hint display by pressing CLEAR.

2.7 Interrupting the Search

To interrupt the computer while it’s thinking about a move, press

ENTER. This forces the computer to play the best move it has found
so far. This feature can be extremely useful on the higher levels,
where the computer may take a long time to move, and on the Infinite
and Tactical Levels, where it thinks indefinitely unless you stop it.

On the Problem Solving Levels, pressing ENTER while the com-

puter is thinking will not cause the computer to make a move. Instead,
the computer will display

No move found!

to indicate that it was

interrupted before finding a mate. To continue, switch to another level.

2.8 Changing Sides

To change sides with the computer, press ENTER on your turn—

and the computer will make the next move for your side. You can
change sides as often as you wish by pressing ENTER repeatedly.

Want the computer to play the first move for White at the start of a

new game? Press NEW GAME twice, and then press ENTER!

Want to see the computer play chess against itself? Press ENTER

after each move—and watch as it plays for both sides of the board,
one move after another. Study its strategies, and you might just
improve your own game!

2.9 Built-In Openings

At the beginning of a game, the computer’s reply is often instanta-

neous on many levels, because it is playing moves from its

openings

library. The computer’s library includes most major openings and
many positions from grandmaster play. If the current board position is
in its library, the computer plays a response to that position from
memory, instead of thinking about the move. Note that the openings
library is used on all levels except the Problem Solving Levels.

2.10 Thinking on the Opponent’s Time

As you play, you’ll probably notice that the computer sometimes

replies to your moves immediately, even in the middle of games
played on the higher levels. This is because the computer thinks on
your time, using the time you are contemplating your next move to

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