Excalibur 366E-2 User manual

BACKGAMMON (366E-2)
USER MANUAL

Thank you for purchasing your Excalibur computer backgammon game.
With proper care it should provide years of reliable entertainment and
challenge.
1 Getting Started
Your Backgammon Computer is powered by 4 “AA” batteries. Install them
in the compartment on the underside of the computer, making sure that
the positive tip of each battery matches up with a + sign in the
compartment. You may purchase the optional Excalibur AC Adapter direct
from the factory or your dealer. If you choose to use your own, you must
make sure that it is 6V 100 Ma or else you will damage your computer.
In the Liquid crystal display (LCD) you should now see: ❑ ❑ r o l l
Occasionally after inserting new batteries or connecting an adapter the
computer may act abnormally. Push a thin object into the “Reset” hole in
the base of the computer and press down once to reset your game.
Place the men on the backgammon board as shown above. Note that the
“Points” on the board are numbered in a single sequence from 1 to 24.
The red men move towards the points numbered 1; the gray men move in
the direction of the 24 point.
You will find a pair of dice supplied with your backgammon computer.
One way of playing is to roll the dice by hand and enter the numbers into
the computer. For the moment, however, we assume that you want the
computer to roll the dice electronically.
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ENGLISH 2 Your Move; Rolling Dice
THE COMPUTER ALWAYS PLAYS BLACK
The word roll shows that the computer is ready for the dice to be rolled at
the start of a game. You may roll your own dice by entering their value on
the die keys, or you may have the computer roll the dice by pressing ROLL
DICE. If you use the computer to roll your dice, then the computer will
automatically roll it’s dice when it is it’s turn. If you switch to manual entry
on your move, the computer will then wait for you to enter the dice when it
is it’s turn.
At the start of the game, the die on the left of the LCD is red’s die and is
used to determine who goes first. If it is greater than black’s die on the right
WHITE goes first. If doubles are rolled, the machine displays “doub” asking
if you want to double the games value. Press ACCEPT for yes and
DECLINE for no. Pressing Decline will not cause you to forfeit the game.
The cube holder is not affected by this doubling, so neither player has the
cube.
Press the key marked ROLL DICE. The computer simulates the throw of
the dice and then displays the two numbers it has “rolled” in the left hand
part of the LCD, for example:
3 2 PLAY
The 3 indicates that red goes first, and that the human player will play the 3
2. Suppose you want to move a man from the 13 point to the 10 point.
Press down with one of the men on the 13 point. The computer beeps, and
the number 13 appears in the display window.
If the move does not appear to have registered, press down with the edge of
the piece.
Move your man to its destination, the 10 point and press it down on that
point. The display will then only show the 2 die for you to play. Now carry
out your move with the smaller number, pressing down on the “From” and
“To” points as before. For example, you may press the 10 point and move
the man to point 8. Once you have completed your move the dice will
automatically roll for the computer. The display will show the “From” and
“To” locations for the computer with the black square symbol indicating it is
the computers move. Move the pieces for the computer as indicated in the
LCD in the same way as before. The display will now show ❑ ❑roll.
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Once you have completed the computers turn you must then press ROLL
DICE to see the dice for your next turn. Of course, if a double is rolled (by
either side), you will normally carry out the move in four parts instead of
two.
For easy move entry, the computer has been programmed to recognize
entering a move using both die at the same time. Simply enter the source
and the final destination for your piece. If a hit is involved, DO NOT USE
this feature. Make sure you hit the computers point, and don’t jump over
it. Therefore you could move a roll of 32 in one stroke as follows: Press
point 13 and end your turn at point 8.
Hitting A Blot
If a man of either color hits a blot (opposing piece), you will see the symbol
b A on the right side of the display with the piece location number on the
left indicating the piece that has been hit. You must then move that piece
to either of the two BAR locations in the center of the board, remembering
to press the captured piece down first on its original location. Once you
have pressed the sensor under the Bar symbol the turn is completed. When
bringing your man back in from the bar, simply press the BAR area
followed by the “To” point. If the player on the Bar rolls two numbers that
cannot be played, then the display will indicate PASS.
Bearing Off
To “Bear off” one of your men, simply press it down on its point, transfer it
to the BEAR OFF area, and press down with it again. You can then
remove that man from the board. When the computer is moving it will
indicate bE in the display when the computer wants to “ bear off” a piece.
Errors
A valid press on a key or point produces a high toned beep. An incorrect
press produces the error signal - a low buzz. After an error signal simply
continue by pressing the correct key or point. Or you may press the clear
button to start again.
If you press a man on its “ From” point but decide not to move it after all,
press it down a second time. The number of this point will be cleared from
the LCD. The display will now show PLAY and you can now move any
man you like.
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Offering A Double
The backgammon computer allows the score to be doubled as though you
were raising the stake with a doubling cube up to a maximum value of 64.
To inspect the current value of the cube, press the CUBE key. The white
cube indicates that you have ownership of the cube. If the cube is dark
then the computer has ownership of the cube.
Press the DOUBLE / ACCEPT key to offer a double to the computer. If
the computer accepts the display will show ROLL. If the computer
declines the display will show LOSS. The game will then be over. If the
computer is asking you to double the display will read doub. To accept
press the DOUBLE / ACCEPT key. To Decline press the DECLINE key.
If you decline the game will end and you will be scored a loss for that game.
New Game
You can begin a new game at any time. Just press the NEW GAME key.
If you press a new game before the computer has begun to bear off its men,
the scoring feature will not be effected. You therefore have the ability to
protect your rating by cheating if you are off to a bad start. But, if the
computer has already one or more pieces already cast off, the computer will
assume you are resigning and will score the game as a loss for you and then
update the score and rating.
Levels of Skill
Your backgammon computer has 8 levels of skill. Level 1 is the weakest
and is designed for the beginner player. The strongest level is level 8 and is
designed for the tournament player. The computer weighs the higher levels
with a higher score value for your rating. If you lose a game on level 1 you
will lose more points than a loss on level 8.
The level may be checked or changed at any time at the beginning of your
turn. Press the key marked LEVEL, and the current level will appear in the
display, for example: LE 8
You can now change the level by re-pressing the LEVEL key. Each press
increases the level by 1. When the display shows the level you desire, just
press the Clear Key.
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Verifying the Position
In case of confusion you can check where all the men on the board should
be, according to the computer’s memory. This is possible at any time when
it is the start of your turn. Press the key marked VERIFY, and the display
will show the quantity of pieces on each occupied square. The first
number in the display will be the piece location and the second number will
be the quantity of pieces at that location. The white square will indicate
your pieces and the computer pieces will be identified by a dark square.
Example: 02 4 This indicates that there are 4 men on point number 2.
Taking Back moves
Sometimes, after you have completed your move on the board, you realize
that it was a mistake and would like to take it back. You may do so, even if
the computer has already made its reply move. To take back your move
press the key marked TAKE BACK display will now show the “From” and
“To” points of a man you have just moved. Now play your previous moves
in reverse. To take back the computers move simply press take back again
and retract the computers moves as described in the display. Once you
have taken back the move just press ROLL DICE to make your next new
move. This feature allows you to take back up to 2 moves. If you are using
the auto dice roller, you have to take back the computers move first then
yours.
Memory
If a game has to be interrupted, press the OFF/SAVE key. You can do this
anytime as long as it is the start of your turn and you have completed the
computers last move. The computer then switches off, but will still retain
the current position in its memory for while using a minimum of current.
The game will be stored for the life of your batteries which can be up to
several months. If you remove your batteries from your game or press the
ACL you will reset all stored memory and scores on your computer. When
you press ON/RECALL, the computer switches on and the position is just
the same as before. You may wish to verify the position before you
continue play.
Identification of Keys
SCORE - Pressing this key once will show you a white box and your score.
This score can be negative if you have lost more points than the computer.
The maximum score is 999 and the lowest score is -999. This score is the
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total for the cube for all games you have played. Pressing this key a second
time will result in your rating being displayed. Rating score evaluation are
as follows:
500 to 1000 Beginner
1001 to 1500 Intermediate
1501 to 2000 Advanced
2001to 2200 Expert
2201 and up Champion
On level 8, the machines rating is assumed to be 1536. On level 1 the
computer’s rating is assumed to be 640. The computer recomputes your
rating after every game depending on the level, cube value, and your
established rating before the game. At the end of a game you can have your
new rating and score displayed once you have pressed NEW GAME.
WON [games]
This key displays the number of games you have won.
PLAYED [games]
This key shows the number of games you have played.
GAMMONS
This key shows the number of Gammons you have made against the
computer. Pressing more than once will show the number of Gammons
the computer has made.
BACKGAMMONS
This key shows the number of Backgammons you have made against the
computer. Pressing it once more will show you the number of
backgammons the computer has made.
ROLL DICE
You press this key to have the computer roll the dice for you. Please note
that your computer uses a random roll generator to roll the dice. Even
though sometimes it may seem that some combinations of rolls may seem
bizarre, every roll is random. The computer will never cheat on the dice
roll. If you do not like the random roller then you are free to use the dice
included with your game.
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OFF/SAVE
This key is used to turn your computer off and to save your game in
memory.
CUBE
At the start of the game, this key may be used to turn Off or On the
doubling cube feature. It will also give you the Cube value during the game.
DECLINE
This key is used to decline the doubling offer by the machine or, if doubles
are rolled at the start, to not have the stakes doubled.
DOUBLE/ACCEPT
This key is used to double the opponent ( will work in Multi-Move) if the
display shows no one has the cube, or the cube is held by the player on the
move.
ON/RECALL
This key is used to turn your computer on or to recall a game saved in
memory.
LEVEL
This key is used to select 1 of 8 skill levels, where 8 is the highest.
HINT
This key is used to have the computer give you a hint to help with your play.
When it is your turn and after the dice have been entered press to look at a
hint. Press a second time to look at the second half of the hint move, or a
third and fourth time if doubles have been rolled. You make now make that
move or press hint again to allow you to make your own different move if
you do not like what the computer has offered.
TAKE BACK
This key is used to take back your last move if you have made a mistake.
NEW GAME
This key is used to reset your game and to start a new one. Pressing NEW
GAME will generally start the game over with no action on score or rating.
MULT-MOVE
Pressing this key turns the colon ON or OFF. When ON, this feature can
be used to play another person using the computer to roll dice and check for
legal moves. The computer will also update the scores but Not the rating
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while in Multi-Move. This is also known as monitor mode where the
computer acts as a referee.
VERIFY
Pressing this key repeatedly will allow you to check what is on every point,
bar and bear off.
CLEAR
Use this key to clear an undesired source point. You may also press on the
source point again, to clear the selection or see takeback for clearing an
already entered move.
ACL
Is located on the bottom of your game. Use this button if the unit does not
seem to be responding. If unit still is not operating correctly, insert new
batteries.
HOW TO PLAY BACKGAMMON
The Board and it’s Arrangement
Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board with men of two
different colors, usually red and black. In the diagrams of the backgammon
board in this instruction manual the red men appear as the wire circles.
Here you can see the arrangement of the backgammon board, set up for a
new game.
The board is rectangular and is divided into two halves by a bar. Each
numbered triangle on the board is called a point The six points numbered 1-
6 are know as red’s inner table or home board and those numbered 19-24 are
known as Black’s inner table or home board.
Each player begins the game with 15 men. In the course of play he moves his
own men around the board from point to point in the direction of his own
inner table, as indicated by the arrows in the diagram. The red men move
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RESTRICTIONS ON PLAY
A) A player may only move a man to a point which is:
1) vacant,
2) already occupied by one or more of his own men, or
3) occupied by a single enemy man.
In the case of (3) the enemy man is removed from the point and placed on
the bar
- see the section below on Hitting an Enemy Man (or Blot)
If a player has two or more men on a point, then he is said to have made
that point , and his opponent’s men may not land on it. For this reason, it
is a good idea to try to make a number of points that are adjacent to each
other, since this will impede the progress of your opponent’s men around
the board, and will often leave him with no way to use all or part of his roll.
There are no limits to the number of your own men that can occupy a
point at any one time.
b) If a man may move, he is obliged to do so. He cannot pass
c) A player must, if possible, play both parts of his role. As an example, let
us see what happens if red rolls a 6-1 in the following position.
By moving the man one step from the 10 point red would leave himself
unable to move either man six steps because of the two black blockades .
So this particular play is illegal
because there is an alternative play in which red uses both the 1 and the 6 -
he may move his man from the 20 point to the 19 point and then move
either man six steps. This play makes use of use of both the one and the
six.
d) If it impossible to use both parts of a roll a player must, if possible, use
the higher
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clockwise, the black men move counter-clockwise.
The Start of Play
In a game between two human players each player normally rolls one die to
determine who starts. The player who rolls the higher number makes the
first move - if they both roll the same number they must roll again. It is
therefore impossible for the very first roll
played in a game to be a double. At this time, if the doubling cube is being
used, the point value may double.
In a game between two human players, on the first move of the game the
player moves his men according to the two numbers rolled by himself and
his opponent. At the start of each subsequent move, the player rolls both
dice himself. His choice of moves is determined by the numbers that
appear on the dice when they are rolled.
Once a game has begun the players take turns to move.
Making Ordinary Moves
If the player’s roll of the dice results in a mixed roll such as 3-5 or 6-1,
then he moves one of his men the number of steps indicated by one of the
dice, and another of his men (or the same man) the number of steps
indicated by the other die.
Here red moves first, and the roll is 3-1. There are many ways to play this
roll.
DIAGRAM OF
THE INITIAL
POSITION
One way is to move a man one space from the 6 point and then another
man 3 spaces away from the 8 point. Then both these men will be
occupying the 5 point.
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If a player Cannot move Any of His Men
If a player is unable to use any of his dice roll to move any of his men, then
he must pass and it is his opponent’s turn again.
Hitting an enemy man (or Blot)
If a point is occupied by one enemy man then that man is called a blot
and is vulnerable. If one of your own men lands on it while making a
move, then the enemy blot is removed from that point and placed on the
bar in the center of the backgammon board. This process is called hitting
a blot .
Reentering the Board from the Bar
Once a player has one or more men on the bar he must bring that man (or
those men) back into play before moving any of his other men. Men on
the bar re-enter the game in the opposing player’s inner table. So a red
man on the bar can only re-enter play on one of the points numbered 19-
24: rolling a 1 allows red to enter on the 24 point, rolling a two allows him
to enter on the 23 point, rolling a three means the 22 point, and so on. A
black man on the bar can only re-enter play on one of the points numbered
1-6(the same number corresponding to the dice roll).
If the man re-entering the game from the bar hits an enemy blot, then the
enemy blot is sent to the bar.
Here red has a man on the bar. If he rolls a 3-3 he cannot come in off the
bar because Black has made the 22 point. With any other roll Red can
come off the bar. And if part of the roll is a roll is a 5 red can hit the black
blot.
Having used part of a dice roll to re-enter a man from the bar, a player may
then use the rest of the dice roll to re enter another man, or, if that is not
necessary, to continue with the game in the normal manner.
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part. So, if rolling a 3-2 gives the player a choice of only moving a man 3
steps or only moving a man 2 steps he must chose a play that moves a man
three steps.
If Red now moved two steps from the 9 point he would then be prevented
from moving
three steps because of the blockade on the 4 point. But Red may move this
man three steps, from the 9 point to the 6 point, even though he will then
be able to move it two steps because of Blackís blockade. The reason is
that he has used the higher part of the roll - the three rather than the two.
Rolling a Double
If a player’s throw of the dice results in a double such as 2-2 or 5-5, he
must (if possible) make four moves of the indicated number of steps. For
example, if he rolls a 2-2 a player may move four different men two steps
each, or he may move one man two steps and then another two steps and
another and another, or he may choose some combination such as moving
one man two steps, and another man two steps on three successive hops.
Here black has rolled a 5-5. He can move his last remaining man four
hops each of four steps.
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If black rolls 4 and 3, he uses the 4 to bear off a man from the 22 point
(which is opposite to the 3 point) or to move a man from the 21 point to
the 24 point.
A red man may also be borne off by using a dice number that is higher
than the number occupied. This is only possible, however, if red has no
other man to the right of the man being borne off., i.e. no men on higher
numbered points.
In this example, if red rolls 5 and 4, he bears off two men from the three
point.
In the same example, if black rolls 6 and 5, he bears off 2 men from the 21
point. The minimum roll required to bear a man off from this point
would be 4, but Black may use a
higher number for this purpose when he has no other men on lower
numbered points.
If he prefers, a player may also use all or part or all of his roll to move men
in the board rather than to bear men off.
In this position, notice that if red rolls 6 and 3, he has two options. He
may bear off two men (from the 6 and the 3 points), or he may move his
man from the 6 to 3 and then bear off one man from the 3 point. (In the
latter case he is not making the maximum use of the pips on the dice, but
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If a player rolls a double while he has one or men on the bar, he uses all
four parts of the roll in the usual way, provided of course that he re-enters
any men still on the bar.
Here Black has a man on the bar and has rolled 4-1. Black must move his
man off the bar before he moves another man, but coming in off the bar is
not possible with a four (or with a 2,3,5 or 6) because red has made all
these points. So black must come in with the 1 and use the four to move
another man.
BEARING OFF MEN
The object of the game is to move all of your men around the board and
into your inner table, and then to bear them off , i.e. remove them from
the board. You are not allowed to start bearing off until all your men are in
your inner table.
The player with Red may bear a man off when he rolls the same number as
the point on which the man is located. The player with black may bear a
man off when he rolls the number of the point opposite to his own man.
In this example, suppose red rolls 6 and 2. He must use the six to bear off
a man from the 6 point. He may use a 2 to bear off a man from the 2
point ( but if he prefers he may instead move the man from the 6 point to
the four point.
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the next highest face uppermost. This offers to double the stakes . The
first player to offer a double would turn the 2 uppermost. His opponent
must now decide whether or not to accept the double. If the opponent
accepts the double then the game continues but the stake is now 2. If the
opponent does not want to play for double the stake, he may decline the
double and hereby resign the game, losing 1 point.
A player who accepts a double keeps the cube on his side of the board. He
is now the only player who has the right to make the next double. If he
does decide to offer a double, making the stake 4, his opponent may either
accept the double or resign the game and lose 2 points. If the double is
accepted. the cube now shows 4 and moves over to the other side of the
player who accepted this latest double.
Once the value of the cube reaches 64, there may be no more doubles.
AT THE END OF THE GAME
At the end of the game the basic score, (1 point for a simple win, 2 points
for a Gammon or 3 points for a Backgammon) is multiplied by the final
value of the doubling cube in order to work out the winner’s score.
TO ENSURE PROPER FUNCTION:
Do not mix old and new batteries
Do not mix alkaline, standard or rechargeable batteries
Do not use rechargeable batteries
Battery installation should be done by an adult
Only batteries of the same or equivalent type as recommended are to be
used
Batteries are to be inserted or removed from the battery compartment at
the base of the unit
Batteries are to be inserted with the correct polarity
Exhausted batteries are to be removed from the toy
The supply terminals are not to be short-circuited
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is still complying with the rules because he is using both numbers rolled.)
If a player’s blot is hit after he has started bearing off, he must re-enter from
the bar and reach his own inner table again before continuing to bear off.
REMEMBER: You are only allowed to bear a man off the board if all of
your remaining men are in your inner table.
Who Wins?
The game is won by the first player who bears off all his own men.
Another way to win a game is by your opponent’s resignation. He may
only resign when you offer to double. (See the section on the doubling
cube, below.)
Scoring
The number of points scored when a player wins a game depends partly on
how much progress his opponent has made and partly on the status of the
doubling cube. (see below.)
If the loser has managed to bear off at least one man, then the winner’s
basic score is one point.
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’s
basic score is 2 points. This situation is called a Gammon .
If the loser has not managed to bear off any men and has at least one man
on the bar or in the winner’s inner table, then that winner has a
Backgammon and his basic score is 3 points.
The winner’s basic score is then multiplied by the status of the doubling
cube to obtain the actual number of points scored.
THE DOUBLING CUBE
Use of the doubling cube can make the game much more exciting. The
cube has it’s faces numbered 2,4,6,8,16,32 and 64. At the start of the
game the cube is in the middle (and usually shows the number 64 to
indicate that it has not yet been used). It does not have any effect at this
stage.
Before he rolls the dice to make a move the player may pick up the
doubling cube (provided that it is in the middle or on his side ), and turn
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