Saitek Mephisto Maestro Chess Mode D'emploi page 8

SELECT YOUR PLAYING LEVELS FROM THE 64 BOARD SQUARES
30 seconds
per move
8
L0:30
20 seconds
per move
7
L0:20
15 seconds
per move
6
L0:15
10 seconds
per move
5
L0:10
5 seconds
per move
4
L0:05
3 seconds
per move
3
L0:03
2 seconds
per move
2
L0:02
1 second
per move
1
L0:01
A
NORMAL
PLAYING LEVELS
(Average Time Per Move)
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
These unique "Fun Levels" are meant especially for
beginners and young players—these levels allow those
who might otherwise never win a game of chess to come
up on the winning side for a change! On these Fun Lev-
els, your computer acts 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 don't ever make
mistakes, on the Fun Levels, your computer actually will!
Chess books often advise of basic rules—warning not
to give away material, not to bring the Queen out too
early, and advising on the development of pieces before
starting an attack. Yet players see their opponents break-
ing these rules and getting away with it! The Fun Levels
provide a way of practicing the punishment of these
typical mistakes, enabling the beginner to strengthen his
game against the human opponents he is likely to face.
15 minutes 40 moves 90 minutes
per move in 3:00 per game
L15:00 3:00;40 1:30;99
10 minutes 50 moves 60 minutes
per move in 2:00 per game
L10:00 2:00;50 1:00;99
5 minutes 45 moves 45 minutes
per move in 2:30 per game
L5:00 2:30;45 0:45;99
3 minutes 40 moves 30 minutes
per move in 2:00 per game
L3:00 2:00;40 0:30;99
2 minutes 35 moves 20 minutes
per move in 1:30 per game
L2:00 1:30;35 0:20;99
1.5 minutes 40 moves 15 minutes
per move in 1:45 per game
L1:30 1:45;40 0:15;99
1 minute 35 moves 10 minutes
per move in 1:45 per game
L1:00 1:45;35 0:10;99
45 seconds 40 moves 5 minutes
per move in 1:30 per game
L0:45 1:30;40 0:05;99
B C
TOURNA- SPEED
MENT CHESS
LEVELS LEVELS
Infinite Mate in 8
Level
=in:8
9:99;99
Fun Level Mate in 7
#7
=in:7
Fun:7
Fun Level Mate in 6
#6
=in:6
Fun:6
Fun Level Mate in 5
#5
Fun:5 =in:5
Fun Level Mate in 4
#4
Fun:4 =in:4
Mate in 3
Fun Level
#3
Fun:3 =in:3
Mate in 2
Fun Level
#2
Fun:2 =in:2
Mate in 1
Fun Level
#1
Fun:1 =in:1
D E F
PROBLEM
FUN LEVELS/
SOLVING
INFINITE
LEVELS
LEVEL
Various handicaps are built into the Fun Levels, dem-
onstrating common mistakes made by beginners. Level
33 (displayed as Fun:1) is the weakest level. On this
level, the value of material is set so that the computer will
not only "hang" pieces (leave pieces unguarded), but will
also actually try to lose material. Even watching the
computer throw away its Queen would not be uncommon
on this level! Levels 34, 35, and 36 are similar to Level
33, in that they also give away material, but they do not
do it as consistently. They progressively start to consider
the value of pieces more and more, and Level 36 only
occasionally gives pieces away.
On Fun Levels 37 to 38, the computer does not actu-
ally give away material. Here, the computer plays more
like a beginner who has learned the basics of the game,
and the levels get progressively smarter when it comes to
material. Players will see the computer make errors like
bringing its Queen out too early, leaving its pieces un-
guarded, and opening itself up to threats of check and/or
checkmate. Therefore, although Levels 37 to 39 may be
"smarter" than Levels 33 to 36, they are still very much
"fun" levels, offering beginners a winning edge!
Even after a player has mastered the Fun Levels, they
8
Search Depth Search Depth
8 ply 16 ply
PLY:8 PLY:16
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7 ply 15 ply
PLY:7 PLY:15
Search Depth Search Depth
6 ply 14 ply
PLY:6 PLY:14
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5 ply 13 ply
PLY:5 PLY:13
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4 ply 12 ply
PLY:4 PLY:12
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3 ply 11 ply
PLY:3 PLY:11
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2 ply 10 ply
PLY:2 PLY:10
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1 ply 9 ply
PLY:1 PLY:9
G H
TRAINING LEVELS
(Fixed Search Depth)