Saitek III Games User Manual


 
10
NEED HELP CHOOSING A LEVEL?
SOME TIPS FOR YOU!
Are you a beginning player?
You have lots of choices!
Check out the Fun Levels or the lower Training Levels. They
restrict the computer’s search depth in different ways, result-
ing in weaker play and giving you the chance to learn about
the game and maybe even beat the computer.
Are you an intermediate or more advanced player?
Tr y the
Normal, Training, or Tournament Levels. The Normal Levels go
from easy up to a difficult 15-minute response time, and the
Tournament Levels are extremely challenging. Don’t forget to
try the Speed Chess Levels for some fast and exciting games!
By the way, for Tournament and Speed Chess games, you can
activate the Bronstein Clock option, as noted in Section 5.1.
•Want to experiment?
Use the Problem Solving Levels to
solve problems up to mate in eight—try searching from a
position in one of your own games, or set up an actual mate
problem. Or, choose the Infinite Level to have the computer
analyze complicated positions for hours or even days.
along with the elapsed time, to show that the game is over. If you wish,
you can continue to play even after the time has run out.
If you choose a Tournament Level, you may want to set the clocks to
display countdown time instead of elapsed time (see Section 5.1). When
game time runs out, the countdown clock automatically reverts back to
the normal clock display.
You also have the option of using Bronstein Clock time controls when
playing Tournament games. For details, see Section 5.1.
3.3 Speed Chess Levels
LEVEL TIME PER GAME DISPLAY
25 ....................5 minutes................... 0:05;99
26 ..................10 minutes................... 0:10;99
27 ..................15 minutes................... 0:15;99
28 ..................20 minutes................... 0:20;99
29 ..................30 minutes................... 0:30;99
30 ..................45 minutes................... 0:45;99
31 ..................60 minutes................... 1:00;99
32 ..................90 minutes................... 1:30;99
On the Speed Chess Levels (also called
Blitz
or
Sudden Death
Levels), you set the total time for the whole game. If game time is
exceeded, the computer flashes “time” (TImE) along with the elapsed
time, to show that the game is over.
If you select a Speed Chess Level, you may want to set the chess
clocks to display countdown time instead of elapsed time (see Section
5.1). When game time runs out, the countdown clock automatically
reverts back to the normal clock display.
You also have the option of using Bronstein Clock time controls when
playing Speed Chess games. For details, see Section 5.1.
3.4 Fun Levels
LEVEL TIME PER MOVE DISPLAY
33 .................. 1 second ..................... Fun: 1
34 .................. 2 seconds ................... Fun: 2
35 .................. 3 seconds ................... Fun: 3
36 .................. 4 seconds ................... Fun: 4
37 .................. 5 seconds ................... Fun: 5
38 .................. 6 seconds ................... Fun: 6
39 .................. 7 seconds ................... Fun: 7
Are you a novice or beginning chess player? If so, these levels are
meant especially for you! On these unusual playing levels, the Senator
Module causes your computer to be much more “human” than most
chess computers—it gives everyone a chance to win, in a world where
chess machines are typically relentless and often quite difficult to beat.
Even though the general consensus seems to be that computers never
make mistakes, on the Fun Levels, your computer actually will. Various
handicaps are built into the Fun Levels, demonstrating common mis-
takes made by beginners. Level 33 is the weakest level.
Even after you have mastered the Fun Levels, they can still be a
valuable training tool. You can start a game on a Fun Level, for example,
and, when the computer makes a bad move, you can switch to a normal
level and try to convert your advantage to a win, playing against the
stiffer opposition of a higher level!