Backgammon Wizard
Model No. E125
2
Items Included
1 Einstein Backgammon Wizard Unit
1 User’s Manual
“ALBERT EINSTEIN and related rights TM/© of HUJ, used under license.
Represented exclusively by Corbis Corp.”
Quotes:
“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked
by the laughter of the gods.”
“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
Born: March 14, 1879
Ulm, Württemberg, Germany
Died: April 18, 1955 (aged 76)
Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Residence: Germany, Italy, Switzerland,
USA
Citizenship:
German (1879-1896, 1914-1933)
Swiss (1901-1955)
American (1940-1955)
Notable Awards:
Nobel Prize in Physics (1921)
Copley Medal (1925)
R.A.S Gold Medal (1925)
Max Planck Medal (1929)
Benjamin Franklin Medal (1935)
Honorary Doctorates: Princeton (1921)
Oxford (1931)
Harvard (1935)
C
ongratulations on your purchase of Einstein LCD Backgammon Wizard.
Now, the challenging game of Backgammon can travel with you anywhere. Einstein LCD Backgammon Wizard offers varying levels of challenging computer opponents, and has simple, intuitive controls.
Albert Einstein is probably best known for his famous formula, E=mc2, but
this German-born theoretical physicist made unparalleled contributions to
modern scientific thought. In the field of physics, he introduced his special theory and general theory of relativity and, in 1921, his work on the photoelectric
effect won him the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Einstein enjoyed playing the violin and for much of his life, greatly enjoyed
the game of chess. He routinely asked children he met if they liked music or if
they could play chess. He would then teach them the basics of the game, and
would play that child every time that they met.
ABOUT ALBERT EINSTEIN
Install the Batteries
Using a small Phillips screwdriver,
remove the battery-compartment panel
screw on the back of LCD Backgammon.
Then remove the panel by pulling gently
from the top. Install two fresh, alkaline
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.
Play a Game Right Away
After you have installed the batteries, the
display will show the backgammon board
with all the pips (pieces) on their starting
points or triangles (see figure on right).
The LCD will also show SidE. This
indicates you are at the first move of the
game and ready to roll the dice to see who
goes first. If it doesn't display SidE, use
a thin object to press RESET.
Deciding Who Goes First
Press the ROLL key. You will see the dice
roll, then stop. If the die on the top is less
than the die on the bottom, LCD
Backgammon will go first and play it’s
move. If the die on the top is larger, you
move first so the display will show
PLAy. If doubles (the same value dice)
are rolled, the display will show dOUb,
which means the stakes for the game can
be doubled. You may accept the double
or decline it by pressing the ACCEPT or
decline DECLINE keys.
After the computer’s move or after your
move, the display will show rOLL,
press the ROLL key to roll the dice.
Making Your First Move
The way you select and make your move
is very simple. You always have WHITE.
• Press on the SELECT key to choose
the pip you want to move. An arrow will
point to the pip if it can be legally moved.
• To move the pip the number shown
on the top die, press the TOP key.
• To move the pip the number shown on
the bottom die, press the BOTTOM
key.
Putting a game “on hold”
Any time it's your move and you wish to
stop playing for awhile, just press the
ON/OFF key. LCD Backgammon will
switch off and go into a sleep mode. It
will remember the last position, including
the score, as long as you do not interrupt
the power supply-for example, by removing the batteries. To resume play, just
press the ON/OFF key.
NOTE: If no key has been pressed for a
period of time, LCD Backgammon will
turn off, saving your game position. Use
the ON/OFF key to resume the game.
Special Messages
During the game the following messages
may appear on the display:
PASS - This means you or the computer cannot use the dice or remaining die to
3
4
make a legal move. Press the ROLL key
to continue play.
rOLL - Press the ROLL key to roll the
dice.
dOUb - This means the computer wants
to double the stakes, because it thinks it is
winning. To accept the double, press the
ACCEPT key. To decline the double
press the DECLINE key, BUT
this
means LCD Backgammon wins, so the
game will end.
LOSS - Shows that the game is over.
The color Icon or will be on for the
side that lost. Press any key to continue.
the display, and the dice will be rolled.
ON/OFF KEY
Use this key to turn LCD Backgammon
off and on. LCD Backgammon will
remember the board position while it is
off.
LEVEL KEY
The level may be checked or changed
before you roll your dice. Pressing this
key will show the current level, for example:LE 8. You can change the level by
pressing the + key or the - key. Each press
increases or decreases the level by 1.
When the display shows the desired level,
press the LEVEL key again to resume
play.
Generally, the higher the level you select,
the better your LCD Backgammon will
play. Level 1 is the weakest, and plays a
running game from the start of the game.
This means it will tend to first play it pips
that are furthest from its home. Level 8 is
the strongest and is designed for tournament players.
HINT KEY
Press this key if you want to a hint from
your LCD Backgammon partner. It
shows an arrow to the pip it thinks is the
best one to move. It shows another arrow
pointing to the triangle to which it should
be moved. If you must move in from the
bar, it will show an arrow to your best
entry triangle.
SCORE KEY
• Before a game begins, press this key to
display your score or accumulated winnings. This score can be negative if you
have lost more points than you have won.
• During the game, press this key to see
your pip score. This is the total of all dice
KEY
LAYOUT
Function Keys
TOP KEY
Press this key to move your pip (piece)
the number shown on the top die.
BOTTOM KEY
Press this key to move your pip (piece)
the number shown on the bottom die.
UNDO KEY
This key lets you take back a move or
moves you’ve decided against, BEFORE
you have pressed the ROLL key. Pressing
the ROLL key enters your move, so the
computer can roll the dice for it’s move.
ROLL KEY
Press this key when rOLL is shown on
5
you need to roll in order to win the game.
Press this key a second time to see the
computer’s pip score.
/ KEY (CONTRAST)
Press this key to view the current display
contrast setting. You increase or decrease
the setting by pressing the + or - keys.
This allows you to compensate for differences in lighting and battery strength.
Press the / key again to resume play.
OPTIONS KEY
Pressing the OPTIONS key repeatedly
will display all selectable options. To
select or change an option, use the
+SELECT or the -DECLINE key. A
colon (:) will be shown, if the option has
been accepted.
First press of the OPTIONS key -
bE:EP - Sound is on.
bE EP - Sound is off. However, the low
tone for illegal moves or illegal key
presses does not turn off.
Second press of the OPTIONS key -
CU:bE - The doubling cube can be used.
CU bE - Cube is off, so no doubling will
be permitted.
Third press of the OPTIONS key
resumes play.
NEW KEY
You can begin a new game at any time.
+SELECT KEY
Press this key to select which pip you
would like to move. It will only point to
pips that can be legally moved. Also use
it to increase the level and contrast setting.
-DECLINE KEY
Press this key to decline a double by LCD
Backgammon. Also use it to reduce the
level or contrast setting.
ACCEPT KEY
Press this key to accept a double by LCD
Backgammon.
DOUBLE KEY
Press this key if you think you are winning and want to double the stakes. You
can only double if no one has the cube, or
you have the cube. You have the cube
when a WHITE cube and it’s value is
shown on the screen. You may only double before you roll the dice for your turn.
Rules Of The Game
The Objective
The objective of the game is to be the first
player to move all their 15 pieces around
the Board into their home table(refer to
the figure on page 3), and then remove
them or “bear off” from the Board . See
figure below:
Playing the Game
• Each player moves their pieces according to the numbers shown on the dice.
• A player moves the same piece or any
two pieces, once for the number on one
die. And again for the number on the
other die. But you cannot add the total of
the two die.
• A player must, if possible, play both
6
parts of his roll.
• If it is impossible to use both parts of a
roll, a player must (if possible) use the
higher part. Then the player must “pass”.
• If a player is unable to use any part of
his roll to move any of his pieces, he must
“pass” and it is his opponent’s turn again.
• When a player rolls doubles, you can
make four moves of the same piece or
any combination of pieces you choose.
• Each player moves their pieces from his
opponent’s inner table to his inner table
as shown below:
The three type of moves shown are:
I - clear of any other pieces
II - occupied by one or more of his own
pieces.
III - occupied by any single opponents’s
piece (called a blot). You may hit the
opponent’s piece and move it to the BAR.
• When you have two or more pieces on
a point it is called a “closed point”. Your
opponent is not permitted to land on it.
See the top figure in next column.
How To Get In From Bar
• If one of your pieces has been placed on
the BAR, you must re-enter into your
opponents inner home table before you
may move any of your other pieces. For
example, refer to the figure below:
If you have a piece on the BAR and throw
2 and a 4, you cannot re-enter your pieces
on point 2 or 4 since they have been
closed by your opponent. You would
need to “pass”. You can only get off the
BAR if you land on points 1,5, and 6. If
you land on point 5, your opponent’s
piece will be removed to the BAR.
How To Bear Off
• When all 15 pieces are in a player’s
inner home table, the player must remove
or “bear off” the pieces from the board.
• If a number thrown is higher than any
points occupied by the player’s pieces,
then you may bear off from the highest
points. For Example, if you throw a 6 and
a 4, you can bear off from points 5 and 4,
because you have no pieces on point 6.
see below:
• If the number thrown corresponds
exactly to a point with a players’s piece,
the player may bear it off.
• If a number thrown is lower than any
points occupied by the player’s pieces,
then you must move the piece further
7
Computers can sometimes "lock
up" due to static discharge or
other electrical disturbances. If
this should happen, use a slim,
pointed object to press the buton
marked “RESET.”
along in your home table.
Gammons
If the loser has not managed to bear off
any men but does not have any of his own
men in the winner’s inner table or on the
bar, then the winner scores 2 points. This
situation is called a “Gammon”.
If the loser has not managed to bear off
any men and also has at least one man on
the bar or in the winner’s inner table, then
the winner has made a “Backgammon”
and his basic score is 3 points.
The winner’s basic score is then multiplied by the value of the doubling cube to
obtain the actual number of points scored.
Doubling Cube
Use of the doubling cube can make the
game much more exciting. The cube has
its faces numbered 2,4,8,16,32 and 64. At
the start of the game the cube is “in the
middle”, it does not have any effect at
that stage.
Before he rolls the dice to make a move,
a player may take the cube from “the
middle” and offer it to his opponent. If
the opponent accepts the doubling cube,
it is turned up with the number 2 showing
on it. On any of the opponents turns,
before he rolls his dice, he may offer the
doubling cube to the other player. If the
other player accepts it, the face with the 4
is turned up and the cube is held by that
player. This can continue to happen until
the maximum cube value of 64 is
reached.
Hints On Strategy
Early in play it is best to leave your back
pieces alone, unless you can bring them
out on good throws (6-5, 6-6, 4-4, or by
hitting a blot). As the game moves on,
you should try to make a prime which is
six consecutive closed points. Your opponent cannot move over a prime, so you
have blocked him in, thus increasing your
chances of winning.
You should hit your opponent’s men
when he leaves blots far from your home
table. Enemy blots in your home table are
dangerous to hit, since your opponent
may re-enter and hit your blot sending
you back to the bar and your inner table.
As your opponent makes points in his
home table you should play more cautiously because it will be more difficult
for you to enter a man after being hit.
Special Care
• 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).
• Clean using only a slightly damp cloth.
Do not use cleaners with chemical agents.
Battery Information
• Your LCD Backgammon uses 2 “AAA”
batteries.
• Do not mix old and new batteries.
• Do not mix alkaline & standard or
rechargeable batteries.
• Install batteries so that the polarity
(+ and -) matches the diagrams in the battery
compartment.
• Use only batteries of the same type and
equivalency.
• Remove exhausted batteries from the unit.
• Do not short circuit battery terminals.
Excalibur Electronics reserves the right to
make technical changes without notice in the
interest of progress.
8
FCC Notice
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:
-- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
-- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
-- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
-- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Limited 90 Day Warranty
Limited 90 Day Warranty
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC., warrants to the original consumer that its products
are free from any electrical or mechanical
defects for a period of 90 Days from the date
of purchase. If any such defect is discovered
within the warranty period, EXCALIBUR
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.
The warranty covers normal consumer use and does not
cover damage that occurs in shipment or failure that results
from alterations, accident, misuse, abuse, neglect, wear and
tear, inadequate maintenance, commercial 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.
Any applicable implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness, are hereby limited to 90 Days from the date of purchase.
Consequential or incidental damages resulting from a
breach of any applicable express or implied warranties are hereby excluded. Some states do not
allow limitations on the duration of implied warranties and do not allow exclusion of incidental
or consequential damages, so the above limitations and exclusions in these instances may 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
www.ExcaliburElectronics.com
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
problem.
DO NOT SEND YOUR UNIT
WITHOUT RECEIVING
AN ESTIMATE FOR
SERVICING.
WE CANNOT STORE
YOUR UNIT!
E125-072908-00
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