ChessGenius Exclusive M820 User manual for version 2018, C23
CONTENTS 1 2 3 Important information .................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Safety instructions................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Notes on storage and cleaning ................................................................................ 5 1.3 Notes on the power supply...................................................................................... 5 1.
5.4.1 Overview of the playing levels ........................................................................ 17 5.4.2 Selecting a playing level ................................................................................. 17 5.4.3 Normal levels (0–9) ........................................................................................ 17 5.4.4 Blitz levels (0–8) ............................................................................................. 17 5.4.5 Fun levels (0–8) ..........
7.4 Can I save games? ................................................................................................. 30 7.5 Can I load games onto the ChessGenius Exclusive? ............................................... 30 7.6 Is there a firmware update? ................................................................................... 30 7.7 Can I go back to an older firmware? ...................................................................... 30 7.
1 Important information Before using this device, please read the following safety notes and operating instructions completely, and pay careful attention to them. Please store this user manual with the device, so that you can refer to it later if needed. If you later give this device to another user, please also give them this manual. 1.1 Safety instructions Please note that this product is not a child’s toy within the meaning of Directive 2009/48/EC.
Regularly check the product and the AC adaptor for damage, and do not use either of them if they are damaged. Never open them up. 1.4 Please observe any safety information printed on the AC adaptor.
On/Off Switches the device on or off. NEW Starts a new game. BACKLIGHT Adjusts the display’s backlighting. Clockwise arrow Retracts moves. Anticlockwise arrow Replays moves. RED, bottom Same as the top RED button. GREEN, bottom Same as GREEN, top. LEFT arrow Returns to the previous screen. Moves the cursor left. RIGHT arrow Proceeds to the next screen. Moves the cursor right. UP arrow Switches directly between the ‘Large clock’ and ‘Game score’ screens. Moves the cursor up.
2.4 Selecting the language The chess computer’s display can show its screen text in any of the following 7 languages: Language Shown on display English English German Deutsch French Français Dutch Nederlds Italian Italiano Spanish Español Russian Pусский Connect the chessboard and computer unit, as described in 2.3.
2.6 Preparing for a new game After you have connected the chessboard and computer unit (see 2.1) and selected the language (see 0), you can prepare for a game. The display shows the ‘Large clock’ info screen. (For more information on the ‘Large clock’ info screen, see 4.2). German: English: 1. Place the chess pieces on their starting squares. Either Black or White can play from your end. 2. Press NEW. 3. Press GREEN. 4.
Or if you press RED, it reverts to the previous situation. If switched off in the correct manner (as above), the computer will still retain the current game in its memory, even if you afterwards disconnect the power. When the power is reconnected, the computer automatically switches on. To switch on when the power has not been disconnected, press the ON/Off button. After switching on, you can carry on from exactly where you left off. 3 Playing against the computer 3.1 Your move 3.1.
3.3 Symbols displayed during the game The following symbols appear in the bottom line as appropriate: A rotating hourglass: The computer is thinking about its move. : You are to move with White. : You are to move with Black. 3.4 Errors If you try to make an illegal move, the computer reacts with a sour buzz. Replace your piece and start your move again. You cannot start your move if the position on the board is incorrect.
3.5.3 Continuing the game At any time, you can resume play from the current position on the board; carry out a move in the normal way, or give the MOVE command (see 5.2) to make the computer play next. You will then be playing for the opposite colour. 3.5.4 Replaying moves You can use the anticlockwise arrow button (the one below the backlight button) to replay a move or sequence of moves that you have retracted.
To begin the new game, press the NEW button. The computer asks, ‘New game?’. Press GREEN to answer yes. Instead, a press on RED would cancel the command and leave the position unaltered. 4 The info screens 4.1 Switching between info screens The computer offers six different screens or ‘pages’ on which information is displayed: ‘Large clock’, ‘Game score’, ‘Analysis’, ‘Permanent brain’, ‘ECO data’ and ‘Small clock’. You can switch between the screens by using the left arrow and right arrow buttons.
The current ‘search depth’ is indicated by the figure at the top left: the computer is currently looking 11 ‘ply’ ahead. (One ‘ply’ is a single move by White or Black.) In this example, there are 37 legal moves in the position. The one being considered is h2h3, the 28th move that the computer has analysed to the current depth. The best move the computer has so far found is Qd1–a4.
a3… etc. The computer considers it has an advantage worth 0.56 of a pawn. 4.6 Info screen: ‘ECO’ data In this screen, the top two lines indicate the opening of the current game; you will see the name together with the ‘code’ assigned to the variation in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO). Lines 3 and 4 give information on the number of positions per second evaluated by the computer (this display is updated at varying intervals).
5 Special functions 5.1 Overview of the special functions menu The special functions menu is accessed by pressing GREEN from one of the ‘Info’ screens (see section 0). The menu comprises 12 functions, which are shown in the first four rows of the display: German: English: One character on the display is ‘blinking’. This is the cursor. By using the arrow buttons (), you can move the cursor around. In order to select a function, move the cursor to it and press GREEN.
5.4 Menu: LEVEL of playing strength 5.4.1 Overview of the playing levels The computer’s levels of play fall into seven categories: ‘Normal’, ‘Blitz’, ‘Fun’, ‘Easy’, ‘Tourn’ (= Tournament), ‘User’ and ‘Find mate’. The following section describes how to choose a level. The levels are then described. 5.4.2 Selecting a playing level When you select LEVEL from the menu, the current level is shown, for example: *Normal 0. The * preceding the level category ‘blinks’. Press GREEN. The * is replaced by .
From ‘Fun 0’ to ‘Fun 8’, the seriousness of the errors decreases. On the ‘Fun’ levels, the “Permanent Brain’ is never active even if it has been switched ‘on’. See section 5.11.5. 5.4.6 Easy levels (0–8) This is another category in which the computer plays at reduced strength, to give practice to inexperienced opponents. On these levels, the computer cuts short its calculations after examining a certain number of positions (100 on the lowest of the ‘Easy’ levels; 40,000 on the highest).
German: English: There are six different parameters. A * can be seen before each parameter. The ‘blinking’ * acts as a cursor. By repeatedly pressing or , you can bring the cursor to each of the parameters in turn. Bring the cursor to the left-hand parameter in the second row. This is the number of moves for the first time control. Press GREEN. The * is replaced by . You can now change the parameter by using the direction buttons.
5.4.9 ‘Find mate’ level On this level, the computer searches for the quickest way to force checkmate from the current position. It will not make a move until a forced mate is found. 5.5 Menu: NEXTB (next best move) If you select this item, the computer will discard its last move and compute and play the one it rates as second best. The display and the lights will guide you in retracting the old move and carrying out the new one.
5.10 Menu: AUTO (computer playing both sides) The AUTO command instructs the computer to play against itself. At the start of the game especially, the play may be very fast; before you can carry out a move for White, the lights and the LCD may indicate Black’s reply and then the next few moves for both sides…. Once the pace slackens, you can use the ‘Verify’ function (see 5.13) to arrange the pieces in the current position.
5.11.3 OPTS: INVERT BOARD If White is playing ‘up the board’, the first line on the Options screen shows: German: English: If instead you want Black to play ‘up’, change the X to a (see section 5.11.2) and rearrange the pieces accordingly. The VERFY function (see 5.13) can help you with this. However, this operation is unnecessary at the start of a game. The computer automatically detects whether the white or black pieces have been arranged at your end, i.e. whether the board is ‘inverted’ or not. 5.11.
You may now press RED and take your move back (see 3.5), or press GREEN if you want your move to stand. 5.11.7 OPTS: STYLE Proceeding as in section 5.11.2 you can choose between three styles of play: Risky The computer places value on aggression and is averse to a drawn result Normal The strongest style, avoiding undue risk or caution Solid The computer plays more defensively 5.11.8 OPTS: BOOK ChessGenius can utilize various ‘books’ (or ‘libraries’) of standard chess openings.
5.11.10 OPTS: CONTRAST You have a choice of ten different LCD contrast settings. The contrast can be adjusted as in section 5.11.2. 5.11.11 OPTS: CPU SPEED Reducing the computer’s speed of calculation is another way to make it an easier opponent. The CPU SPEED option offers 6 settings, ranging from 50 to 300 MHz, which may selected as in section 5.11.2. 5.11.12 OPTS: SLIDING As explained in section 3.1.1, you may adjust the computer’s reaction time, i.e.
presses on (or on ) will display more parameters and move the cursor (a ‘blinking’ *) to each one in turn. To change the colour to move: Bring the cursor to the WHITE TO MOVE line. Press GREEN to switch between (White) and X (Black). To specify the move number: Bring the cursor to the MOVE NUMBER line, and press GREEN. (The * is replaced by .) Left arrow or right arrow increases/decreases the number in steps of one.
6 USB mode – Communicating with a PC 6.1 Connecting to the PC If you wish to use the functions described below, please register with MILLENNIUM 2000 (see http://www.millennium2000.de/registration/chessgenius ) so that we can inform you of changes and/or software upgrades relating to your ChessGenius Exclusive computer. To connect the computer unit to a PC or laptop, you will need an A to B USB cable (not included into delivery). This is the type that is used (e.g.) for printers.
You can now copy and paste the game into a document or text file. Note the ‘Event’ header. This or another suitable header must precede the game score if the game is to be incorporated in a composite PDF file – see section 6.2.3. 6.2.2 Loading a game You can simply copy a game into the PGN Tool window, and then click on ‘Send PGN’. This loads the game into ChessGenius’s memory, replacing the data of any other game.
marks. The PGN tool requires each game to have at least one header with any of these three labels: Event White Black A template for the ‘Event’ header is automatically supplied by the PGN Tool when a game is acquired from ChessGenius. The string in quotation marks can be edited in the PGN Tool window, e.g.
(If the PGN file is only to be used in conjunction with the PGN Tool, it is unnecessary to preserve the header labelled ‘SetUp’. This header may be required if the file is to be read by other applications.) 6.3 Further downloads With the tool ‘CGX_Update’, obtainable from the Millennium website http://www.millennium2000.de/support, it is possible to load updated versions of the chess program into the ChessGenius computer unit. New openings books may also be loaded (see 5.11.8).
7.2 A chess piece does not work as intended This should not happen. Please contact the shop where you purchased the board for help and/or a replacement. 7.3 I need spare chess pieces We included a spare queen for a pawn promotion to a queen. If you want additional other pieces, or a spare set, you can contact the shop where you purchased the board. Most shops sell spare sets. 7.4 Can I save games? You can save a game on your computer. You need to install the PGN tool on your computer, see 6.2.
7.8 7.8.1 CGX or PGN tool does not recognize the clock Driver update Depending on your computer, you might need to update a driver on your computer. Check for driver updates online. 7.8.2 Cable and connection Check that you have got the right cable. It must be connected to your computer, as well as to your clock. See setup 2.3. 7.8.3 USB mode If the clock is not in USB mode, the CGX or PGN tool will not recognize the clock.
8 Disposal Dispose of packing materials in an environmentally friendly manner by using the relevant collection containers provided for the purpose. Within the European Union, the device must be disposed of properly at the end of its service life, according to EC Directive 2012/19/EU. Suitable parts of the device will then be recycled, reducing environmental pollution. For more information, please contact your local waste disposal company or your municipal administration.
LIBRARY: Classic London Book (approx. 57,000 positions) New Master Book (approx. 300,000 positions) NOTE: This product is not protected against the effects of electrostatic charges, strong electromagnetic radiation or other electrical interference, as malfunctioning as a result of these conditions is not critical. Modification of specifications (especially in respect of technical advances) reserved and errors excepted.
