[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] How About A Nice Game of Chess By Larry Atkin *** Softdocs by Buffalo Bill *** [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] How about a nice game of Chess is very similar to Odesta Chess 7.0 except that it is designed for the beginner and has a 6 chapter tutorial that teaches you the basics of chess. The game itself will play up to 10 levels of difficulty (0-9). The game is designed to operate in the Apple //c or //e with 64 k and a mouse if you have one, if you don't then you can use a paddle or the cursor keys to move about the menu and the board. The screen contains a chess board, a menu to the right and along the bottom and 2 status lines at the bottom left. When you first boot, the program goes through an intro which you can terminate by pressing the space bar or the return key. To use the menu, move the cursor to your selection and then press return or the appropriate paddle button or mouse button, The main menu is as follows: Flip Switches white and black on the board at any time, during or befor play. Change Allows you to change a piece for another piece or clear the board and set up your own situation. Level Change level of play (degree of difficulty). List Show moves in standard chess notation. Inward This feature will show what chess pieces are affecting any specific square (attacking or defending). To use this feature, move the square white cursor to the square you are interested in using the appropriate device and then press return or the paddle or mouse button. Outward Shows which squares or pieces are affected (attacked or defended) by the piece in question. Used the same way as inward. <-Board Allows you to begin a game by moving to the chessboard and selecting and moving a piece. Manual Computer will not move, allowing 2 players to play against each other. Switch Computer will switch sides. Auto Computer will play itself. You will be able to select the level of play for the other side also. Restart Sets up Board for a new game Quit Just what it says. Tutor Takes you to the chapter menu at the bottom of the screen so that you can go through the tutorial chapters Conditional Features. Advice Chess will suggest a move for you. Option Allows you to return to board from menu in order to continue play. Back Take move back, try again. Replay Shows a replay of a move that was taken back. Program When playing in manual mode, this instructs Chess to make the next move and return control to you. Rerun Replay all the moves in the game up to that point. Resume Restore Game to most advance point. Used if rerun is halted before entire game has been replayed. Messages will appear at the bottom of the screen explaining what each function is. To move a chess piece, select it with the cursor, press return. Then select the square you wish to move to and press return again. Using the mouse with Chess is a little different all you have to do is move the cursor to where you want and click, this goes for commands as well as moves, (much easier isn't it). Then move the mouse to the final location and click, if the move is valid the square will light up and all will go well, if it's not, you'll find out. Skill Levels 0...Introductory 2...Intro level, Chess averages about 5 sec./move + opening lib. 5...Moderate Strength, Chess averages about 20-40 sec/move The opening library contains around 7000 moves. Advice is usually only available above level 3. Levels in depth: Level time/move Search ply 0-2 Intro. 1-5 sec 0-1 3-6 Intermediate 10-80 sec 0-4 7-9 Advanced 1-6 min 2-6 Every Command is explained in a message line at the bottom of the screen, so it is very difficult to get lost. If you are in the middle of a game, pressing the "A", "I", or "O" keys will access the advice, inward or outward funtions directly, without the need to go to the menu (that is if they are available at the time). Experiment with the tutorial as it is quite good and will allow you to practice. Pressing return at any point in a demo or tutorial will interrupt the computer and put you back in control, however sometimes it is fun to just watch. Have patience though, the computer moves slowly. Have Fun !!!