Correct your move by first replacing the piece on
its original square and then making a legal move.
3.7 Checkmate, stalemate, draw
It you make a move that checkmates the com
puter, you will see the tollowing message in the
display:
.-, .-,
.
'
f
,-, '
lf the computer has no legal moves left but is not
in check, this means you have stalemated it. After
you have made your move, the display will look
like this:
("Pati" is the German word for stalemate.)
According to the Laws of Chess, there are three
cases where a draw may be claimed:
e
lnsufficient material for delivering
checkmate.
e
Threefold repetition
ot
a position.
•
Draw by the 50-move rule.
6
PART 2: THE ADVANCED USER'S GUIDE TO
YOUR CHESS COMPUTER
So far, you have been provided with the essential
intormation you need to play a game against your
computer. Obviously, your MEPHISTO can do a lot
more than just accept and play moves. These
manifold and in some cases unique features will
be discussed in detail in the second part of this
manual.
4. User interface
Your MEPHISTO is operated by means of three
rows of six keys each. The keys in the upper row
are the so-called function keys. Below them there
are two rows of input keys. Each of the function
keys corresponds to a specific mode of operation
which can be selected by pressing the respective
key. The following modes are available:
•
LEVEL MODE
e
INFORMATION MODE
O
MEMORY MODE
e
POSITION MODE
Once you have selected a certain mode, the LED
In all three cases, the computer will indicate that it
is claiming a draw in a way that will be described in
detail in part 2 of this manual. For the moment, it
will suffice tor you to know that even if one of
these drawn positions is reached, you can stil! go
on playing as lcffl
g
as you like.
3.8 Starting or interrupting the calculation of
a move
Pressing the ENT key while it is your turn to move
will start the computer calculating the next move in
your stead. Pressing ENT while the computer is
analyzing will interrupt its current thinking process
and cause it to play the best move it has found so
tar.
3.9 New Game
It you have just finished a game and want to start a
new one, press the two keys labelled RES (for
"reset") toget„1er. The "PLAY" message will
appear in the display. Set up the chessmen in the
starting position, and your MEPHISTO will be
waiting tor you to make your opening move.
5. Level Mode
By entering Level Mode {press the LEV key, the
corresponding LED will light up), you can set your
computer to a specific type of game, level of skill
and tirne limit as well as select or de-select some
of its special options.
Level Mode can be entered only when it is your
turn to move.
5.1 General remarks:
When it is first switched on or after the two RES
keys have been pressed together to start a oew
game. the computer is autqmatically set to the
default playing leve! with an average response tirne
of 5 seconds per move.
In case you want to play at a level other than the
default setting, your MEPHISTO offers you a
choice between the following types of playing
levels:
e
Normal levels
e
Blitz levels
e
Problem levels
above the corresponding key will light up to After pressing �he LEV key (to enter Level Mode),
indicate this. Fram any of these modes you can the playing level that the computer is currently set
always get back to the normal playing mode by to will be displayed. You can leave Level Mode at
pressing the CL key.
any tirne by pressing CL.
7
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