Saitek BARRACUDA User Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK START
KEYS AND FEATURES
INTRODUCTION
1. LET’S GET STARTED!
1.1 First, Install the Batteries
1.2 Ready to Play? Here’s How to Move!
1.3 Now It’s the Computer’s Turn
1.4 Change Your Mind? Take Back!
1.5 Game Over? Why Not Play Again!
1.6 Too Easy/Hard? Change the Level!
2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE
2.1 Whose Move? Check the Display!
2.2 Special Chess Moves
2.3 Illegal Moves
2.4 Check, Mate, and Draw
2.5 Interrupting the Computer’s Search
2.6 Changing Sides with the Computer
2.7 Built-In Openings
2.8 Thinking on the Opponent’s Time
2.9 Game Memory
3. THE PLAYING LEVELS
Setting a Playing Level
3.1 Normal Playing Levels (Squares A1-G2)
3.2 Infinite Level (Square H2)
3.3 Tournament Levels (Squares A3-H3)
3.4 Blitz Levels (Squares A4-H4)
3.5 Beginner Levels (Squares A5-H5)
3.6 Mate Search Levels (Squares A6-H6)
3.7 Training Levels (Squares A7-H8)
4. INFO MODE: WATCH AND LEARN!
Using Info Mode
4.1 Principal Variation
4.2 Search Information
4.3 Chess Clock Information
4.4 Move Count/Game Moves
4.5 Want a Hint? Just Ask!
5. OPTIONS FOR FUN AND VARIETY
Selecting Game Options
5.1 Operation Mode Options
Silent Mode, Ticking Clock, Countdown Clock, System Test, Auto
Power Down, Play White from Top)
5.2 Playing Mode Options
Play, Passive Book, Active Book, Complete Book, Tournament
Book, Book On/Off)
5.3 Rotating Display Options
6. VERIFYING/SETTING UP POSITIONS
6.1 Verifying Positions
6.2 Changing and Setting Up Positions
7. TECHNICAL DETAILS
7.1 The ACL Function
7.2 Care and Maintenance
7.3 Technical Specifications
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
(Auto Answer, Sound with Keypress,
(Selective Search, Easy Mode, Random
INTRODUCTION
Ready to enter the exciting world of computer chess?
You’ve come to the right place! Your new computer offers so
many game options, playing levels, and special features—
you’ll never look at chess the same way again! The
Start
at the front of the manual will get you playing right
away, and you’ll find more details on basic game operation in
Section 1. Once you learn the basics, be sure to go on and
explore the rest of this manual, even if you normally don’t like
to read instruction booklets! You’ll discover that this chess
computer has all kinds of other interesting and fun-filled
features that will delight you—we guarantee it!
Your new computer knows and follows all the rules of
chess—you can be sure that it will never cheat! For those of
you who haven’t played before, we have included a short
overview of the rules to get you started. For more detailed
information, why not visit your local library, where you’re sure
to find lots of interesting chess books!
Quick
SOME SOUND OPTIONS!
• Beeper volume too low or too high? Take a look at
Keys and Features
for the location of the Volume
Control Switch!
• Keypress beeps can
be turned on or off, as
you’ll see in Section
5.1 (Option B1).
• Want completely silent
game operation? Find
out how in Section 5.1
(Option C1).
• You can even make
the built-in clock tick like an actual chess clock! For
details, see Section 5.1 (Option D1).
unit, making sure to observe the correct polarity. Use fresh
alkaline batteries for longer battery life!
If you would rather not power your unit with batteries, you
may purchase an optional AC-DC adapter. Please use only
the adapter specified in Section 7.3. Using any other adapter
could damage the computer and will invalidate your warranty.
Please also read the precautionary information regarding
adapter use in Section 7.2. When using an adapter, first plug
it into a wall outlet, and then into your computer.
Important: To ensure that the computer’s memory contents are not lost, keep good batteries installed in the unit
even when you are using an AC-DC adapter.
Turn the computer on by pressing GO/STOP, and a beep
will signal that the game is ready to play. If the computer fails
to respond (static discharge may cause it to lock up), use a
paper clip or another sharp object to press down into the hole
marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one second.
This will reset the computer.
Tip: To conser ve energy and extend battery life, turn on
the Auto Power Down option (see Section 5.1)!
1.2 Ready to Play? Here’s How to Move!
Okay, now it’s time to start a game! It’s so easy—just follow
these steps:
a. Press GO/STOP to turn the computer on, if you haven’t
already done so.
b. Press NEW GAME to reset the computer for a new
game of chess. Set up the pieces in their starting positions, with the White pieces nearest to you, as shown in
the
Quick Start
c. To make a move, lightly press down on the piece you
want to move until you hear a beep and two board lights
turn on to indicate that square. The sensory board will
recognize your piece automatically. Don’t believe it?
Just look at the display window, which is suddenly full of
information—it shows your piece, along with the piece
color and the square you just pressed!
d. Take that piece and gently press it down on the square
to which you are moving. You’ll hear a second beep as
the computer confirms your move. That’s it—you’ve just
made your first full move of the game! Next, it’s the
computer’s turn.
You’ll notice that the computer often moves instantly at the
beginning of a game, instead of taking time to think. This is
because it is playing from memory, using a built-in “book” of
opening moves (for more information, see Section 2.7).
.
ENGLISH
1. LET’S GET STARTED!
1.1 First, Install the Batteries
Your computer runs on four “AA” (Type AM3/R6) batteries.
Insert the batteries into the compartment in the base of the
1.3 Now It’s the Computer’s Turn
When the computer moves, it beeps and turns on two
board lights indicating the square of the piece it wants to
move. It also shows its full move in the display window.
Check it out—you’ll see the from and to squares of the
1
computer’s move, along with the color and type of piece it is
moving. Press the indicated piece down on the from square
until you hear a beep. Move that same piece to the indicated
to square and press it down to complete the computer’s
move. And it’s your turn again…
1.4 Change Your Mind? Take Back!
When you’re playing chess against this computer, nothing
is “set in stone”—you can change your mind or decide to play
a different move whenever you want! When it’s your turn to
move, simply press TAKE BACK. The display shows the
move to be taken back, and the to square of that move is
also indicated by board lights. Press the piece down gently
on the indicated square, and the computer shows you where
that piece came from. Press the piece down on the from
square to complete the take-back. Repeat this as often as
you’d like, taking back up to 30 individual moves (or 15
moves for each side). To continue playing at any point, just
make another move on the board!
After taking back a capture or/and pawn promotion, the
computer will make sure your board is still set up correctly by
reminding you to put the captured piece or/and pawn back on
the board respectively! It does this by displaying the piece
symbol and its location, and turning on the board lights for
that square. Put the indicated piece back on the board and
press that square to complete the take-back.
1.5 Game Over? Why Not Play Again!
Whenever you finish a game (or if you give up on your
current game), it’s easy to start over again! Reset the computer by pressing NEW GAME, and a New Game tone tells
you that the computer is ready. The same playing level will be
in effect, but you can change it if you’d like, as explained in
Section 3.
Note that pressing the ENTER and CLEAR keys together
will also reset the computer for a new game.
IMPORTANT: Resetting the computer for a new game
clears your current game from the computer’s memory—be
careful not to press the NEW GAME key by mistake!
1.6 Too Easy/Hard? Change the Level!
When you first turn your computer on, it’s automatically set
to Normal Playing Level D1 (five seconds a move). However,
you have 64 different levels to choose from—you’ll want to try
them all out! For descriptions of the playing levels and how to
change levels, see Section 3.
2. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE
2.1 Whose Move? Check the Display!
When the computer plays Black, it flashes a black square
in the display while it is thinking. After it has moved, a white
square shows that it is now White’s tur n to move. You can tell
at a glance if the computer is currently thinking, and which
side is to move!
2.2 Special Chess Moves
Captures: To capture, press down on the piece you want
to move, remove the captured piece from the board, and
press your piece down on the square of the captured piece.
Captures are displayed as in E5•F6.
En Passant Captures: In this type of capture, the computer reminds you to remove the captured pawn by using two
board lights to indicate that square. You must press down on
the captured pawn before removing it from the board.
Castling: The computer automatically recognizes castling
after the King is moved. After you have pressed the King
down on its from and to squares, the computer uses board
lights to remind you to move the Rook. Press down on the
Rook’s from and to squares to complete the move. Note that
Kingside castling is displayed as 0-0, and Queenside castling as 0-0-0.
MAKING THE COMPUTER’S MOVE:
AN EXAMPLE!
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8jbielchd8
7agagagag7
6MmMmMmMm6
After the computer display
its moves, it’s up to you to
make its move on the
board! Here, the display
indicates the computer
wants to move its Black
pawn (]!) from E7 to E5.
Pick up the E7 pawn
(indicated by the board
lights) and press it down
lightly on Square E7. The
board lights now point to
Square E5. Press the
pawn down on Square E5
to complete the computer’s
move. Now it’s your turn
again!
Pawn Promotions: When you promote a pawn, first
make your move as usual, pressing your pawn down on its
from and to squares. Next, press the Piece Symbol Key for
your desired promotion piece (%, $, #, or @). The computer
recognizes your new piece immediately, displays it briefly,
and then begins thinking about its next move. Remember to
change your piece on the board! When the computer pro-
motes a pawn, the display shows both the pawn and the
promoted piece. Don’t forget to replace the computer’s pawn
with its new piece.
2.3 Illegal Moves
Your computer will never accept an illegal move! If you try
to make one, you’ll hear a low double beep, and the board
lights and display will show the square the piece came from.
Either move that same piece to another square, or press the
piece back down on its original from square and move a
different piece.
If you don’t make the computer’s move correctly, you’ll also
get an error message. This means you are either moving the
wrong piece, or moving the computer’s piece to the wrong
square. If the computer wants to move its pawn from D7 to
D5, for example, and you press down on D7 and then D6, the
display shows Er:D5 briefly, pointing out your error. The
display then returns to showing the move again (D7-D5),
and the computer expects you to press down on D5 to complete its move.
If you press down on a piece and the from square is
displayed, but you decide not to make that move, simply
press down on that same square again to cancel. Then make
another move. If you change your mind after entering your
whole move, take the move back as described in Section 1.4.
2.4 Check, Mate, and Draw
When a King is in check, the computer first displays its
move as usual. After the move is made, CHECK flashes in
the display for a few seconds, along with the checking move.
The display then goes back to showing the clock.
If the computer discovers a forced mate against its opponent, it first displays its move as usual. After the move has
been made on the board, the computer flashes a mate announcement along with the move for several seconds (e.g.,
=in2 for a mate in two moves). The display then goes
5mMmMmMmM5
4MmMmGmMm4
3mMmMmMmM3
2GAGAMAGA2
1DHCKFIBJ1
TrstuvwxyU
RrstuvwxyS
8jbielchd8
7agagmgag7
6MmMmMmMm6
5mMmMaMmM5
4MmMmGmMm4
3mMmMmMmM3
2GAGAMAGA2
1DHCKFIBJ1
TrstuvwxyU
2
back to showing the clock.
When a game ends in checkmate, the display flashes
MATE (along with the mating move) for a short time after the
move has been made. The display then goes back to showing the clock.
The computer recognizes draws by stalemate, three-fold
repetition, and the 50-move rule. After a draw has occurred,
the display flashes EnD (along with the drawing move or with
the clock display) for a brief time after the move has been
made. The display then goes back to showing the clock.
2.5 Interrupting the Computer’s Search
Think the computer is taking too long to move? You can
interrupt it any time! Simply press ENTER while the computer
is thinking, and it will stop and play the best move it has
found so far. This feature can be handy on the higher levels,
where the computer can take a long time to move, and on the
Infinite Level, where the computer thinks indefinitely unless
you stop it.
On the Mate Search Levels, pressing ENTER won’t force
the computer to make a move. Instead, the computer will
display ––––– to indicate that it was interrupted before it
found a mate. To continue play, switch to another level.
2.6 Changing Sides with the Computer
To change sides with the computer, simply press ENTER
when it’s your turn—and the computer will make the next
move for your side. Change sides as often as you wish!
Want the computer to play the first move for White at the
start of a new game? Press NEW GAME; then press ENTER!
Want to watch the computer play chess against itself?
Press ENTER after each move—watch as it plays for both
sides of the board, one move after another. Study its strategies, and you might improve your own game!
NEED HELP CHOOSING A LEVEL?
SOME TIPS FOR YOU!
• Are you a beginning player?
Beginner Levels or lower Training Levels. These
levels restrict the computer’s search depth, resulting
in weaker play and giving you the chance to learn
about the game and perhaps even win! For even
more of a shot at winning, combine one of these
levels with the Easy Mode option (Section 5.2), so
the computer can’t think on your time!
• Are you an intermediate or more advanced
player?
Levels. The Normal Levels range from easy all the
way up to a difficult 10-minute response time, and
the Tournament Levels are extremely challenging.
The Training Levels allow you to set your desired
search depth—as you conquer each level, go on to
the next! And don’t forget to try the Blitz Levels for
some fast and exciting games of Speed Chess!
• Want to experiment?
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. Choose the Infinite Level
to have the computer analyze complicated positions
for hours or even days!
back on again, you can continue right where you left off!
Try the Normal, Training, or Tournament
Use the Mate Search Levels
preserve the memory in case the unit is unplugged, keep
batteries installed even when using an adapter.
Start out with the
ENGLISH
To
2.7 Built-In Openings
At the beginning of a game, the computer will often move
instantly on many levels. This is because it is playing from
memory, using its own built-in “book” of opening chess
moves. This book contains most major openings and many
positions from grandmaster play. If the current board position
is in its book, the computer plays a response to that position
automatically, instead of having to think about the move!
A special feature of this computer’s opening book is its
ability to handle
position reached by a certain set of moves can also be
reached when those same moves occur in a different order.
The computer’s integrated Automatic Transposition Manager
handles these cases with ease!
Also included is a unique user-selectable book feature,
which lets you choose from different types of opening books,
or even turn the book off, if desired. For complete details, see
Section 5.2.
2.8 Thinking on the Opponent’s Time
As you play, you may 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 taking
for your move to think ahead and plan its own strategies. It
tries to guess the move you are likely to make, and then
calculates its responses for that particular move while you
are still thinking. If the computer has guessed right, there’s
no reason for it to keep on calculating—it immediately plays
the move it has already found!
transpositions.
A transposition occurs when a
To disable this feature, turn on the Easy Mode option, as
described in Section 5.2.
2.9 Game Memory
You may interrupt a game at any time by pressing GO/
STOP. Play is then suspended, and the computer stores your
current game (up to 30 individual moves). When you switch
3. THE PLAYING LEVELS
Your chess computer offers 64 different levels of play!
When you set the level, keep in mind that when the computer
has more time to think about its moves, it becomes stronger
and plays better—just like a human chess player! For an
overview of all the levels, refer to the Level Chart. The levels
are also described individually in this section.
Setting a Playing Level
See “USE THIS CHART TO SELECT A PLAYING
LEVEL!” for an illustrated look at how to set a level and
a chart showing all the levels at a glance.
There are two methods of setting levels—by using the
game keys or pressing the board squares. Whichever
method you use, always press LEVEL first to enter Level
Mode, and the computer will display the current playing level.
When you enter Level Mode the first time, the computer is set
on Normal Playing Level D1 (with an average response time
of five seconds a move), and the display shows L0:05.
• To select a level by using game keys: After entering
Level Mode by pressing LEVEL, change levels one at a
time by using the BLACK/> and WHITE/< keys. As a
shortcut, press LEVEL repeatedly to skip over eight
levels at a time. When the display shows your desired
level, press ENTER to enter your new level into the
computer and exit Level Mode.
• To select a level by pressing board squares: As indicated in the Level Chart, each of the 64 squares corresponds to one level. After entering Level Mode by pressing LEVEL, press a square to activate a level, using the
chart as a guide. When you press down on the desired
square and that level shows in the display, press ENTER
to enter your new level into the computer and exit Level
Mode.
When making your selection via the board
squares, pressing CLEAR has the same effect as press-
3
USE THIS CHART TO SELECT A PLAYING LEVEL!
L
E
V
1. Press to enter Level Mode.
E
L
2. Next, select your level, using the chart below. There are two ways to do this.
• Cycle through the levels until your level is displayed:
Press BLACK/> to increase > levels by one.
Press WHITE/< to decrease < levels by one.
Press LEVEL to increase > levels by eight.
• OR, simply locate your level square and press it to display that level!
TRAINING
LEVELS
MATE
SEARCH
LEVELS
BEGINNER
LEVELS
BLITZ
LEVELS
TOURNA-
MENT
LEVELS
NORMAL
PLAYING
LEVELS +
INFINITE
LEVEL
9 ply
search
PLY:9
A8
1 ply
search
PLY:1
A7
Mate in
1 move
=in:1
A6
1 sec.
per move
bEG:1
A5
5 min.
per game
bL: 5
A4
40 moves
in 1:30
tr40
1:30:00
A3
45 sec.
per move
L0:45
A2
1 sec.
per move
L0:01
A1
10 ply
search
PLY:10
B8
2 ply
search
PLY:2
B7
Mate in
2 moves
=in:2
B6
2 sec.
per move
bEG:2
B5
10 min.
per game
bL:10
B4
35 moves
in 1:45
tr35
1:45:00
B3
1 min.
per move
L1:00
B2
2 sec.
per move
L0:02
B1
11 ply
search
PLY:11
C8
3 ply
search
PLY:3
C7
Mate in
3 moves
=in:3
C6
3 sec.
per move
bEG:3
C5
15 min.
per game
bL:15
C4
40 moves
in 1:45
tr40
1:45:00
C3
1.5 min.
per move
L1:30
C2
3 sec.
per move
L0:03
C1
12 ply
search
PLY:12
D8
4 ply
search
PLY:4
D7
Mate in
4 moves
=in:4
D6
4 sec.
per move
bEG:4
D5
20 min.
per game
bL:20
D4
35 moves
in 1:30
tr35
1:30:00
D3
2 min.
per move
L2:00
D2
5 sec.
per move
L0:05
D1
13 ply
search
PLY:13
E8
5 ply
search
PLY:5
E7
Mate in
5 moves
=in:5
E6
5 sec.
per move
bEG:5
E5
30 min.
per game
bL:30
E4
40 moves
in 2:00
tr40
2:00:00
E3
3 min.
per move
L3:00
E2
10 sec.
per move
L0:10
E1
14 ply
search
PLY:14
F8
6 ply
search
PLY:6
F7
Mate in
6 moves
=in:6
F6
6 sec.
per move
bEG:6
F5
45 min.
per game
bL:45
F4
45 moves
in 2:30
tr45
2:30:00
F3
5 min.
per move
L5:00
F2
15 sec.
per move
L0:15
F1
15 ply
search
PLY:15
G8
7 ply
search
PLY:7
G7
Mate in
7 moves
=in:7
G6
7 sec.
per move
bEG:7
G5
60 min.
per game
bL:60
G4
50 moves
in 2:00
tr50
2:00:00
G3
10 min.
per move
L10:00
G2
20 sec.
per move
L0:20
G1
16 ply
search
PLY:16
H8
8 ply
search
PLY:8
H7
Mate in
8 moves
=in:8
H6
8 sec.
per move
bEG:8
H5
90 min.
per game
bL:90
H4
40 moves
in 3:00
tr40
3:00:00
H3
Infinite
Level
9:99:99
H2
30 sec.
per move
L0:30
H1
ENTER
3. Finally, press to exit Level Mode, using your new level!
ing ENTER—it enters your level into the computer.
• To verify the level without changing it: If you press
LEVEL to verify the level but you don’t want to actually
change levels, press CLEAR. This returns you to normal
play without changing the level or clock settings, even
while the computer is thinking.
Some more important points to remember regarding
playing levels:
• Changing the level always resets the chess clocks.
• We do not recommend changing levels while the computer is thinking. If you must do this, first press ENTER
to abort the computer’s search, and make its move on
the board. Then, take back the computer’s move and
change the level. Finally, press ENTER to make the
computer start thinking on the new level.
• If you change the level while the computer is thinking,
the clock is reset and the current search is aborted.
• If you press LEVEL while the computer is thinking but
3.1 Normal Playing Levels (Squares A1-G2)
4
For more details, see Section 3.
the level is not changed (if you press CLEAR instead of
ENTER), the computer will also abort its search.
LEVEL TIME PER MOVE DISPLAY
A1 .................1 second ................ L 0:01
B1 .................2 seconds .............. L 0:02
C1.................3 seconds.............. L 0:03
D1.................5 seconds.............. L 0:05
E1 ...............10 seconds .............. L 0:10
F1 ...............15 seconds.............. L 0:15
G1...............20 seconds.............. L 0:20
H1...............30 seconds.............. L 0:30
A2 ...............45 seconds .............. L 0:45
B2 .................1 minute ................ L 1:00
C2.................1.5 minutes............ L 1:30
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