Novag PRIMO User manual

4
K
King
Konig
Q
Queen
Dame
B
Bishop
Laufer
N
Knight
Springer
R
Rock
Turm
P
Pawn
Bauer
Character explanation
Various signs, symbols and terms are used in this manual to simplify the descriptions.
The following explanation should help you to understand the operating instructions for
the PRIMO more easily.
LCD This is the abbreviation for the information display of the
PRIMO (LCD = Liquid Crystal Display).
Coordinate LEDs This is what the 16 light-emitting diodes are called in these
instructions, which indicate the coordinates of the fields
(LED = Light Emitting Diode).
VERIFY-Modus All functions or modes of the PRIMO are shown in capital
letters in normal print.
Figure icon Letter Character name
in the LCD in the instructions international deutsch
NEW GAME
[E2 E4]
{ Comments }
—>
In the text and in the input examples, the designations for
the operating keys are always written in capital letters and
in bold type .
All LCD displays are enclosed in square brackets and
printed in bold in this manual.
All required comments within the input examples are set in
curly brackets and, in contrast to the key inputs and the
LCD displays, are shown in normal type.
These arrows are used in the input examples to separate the
individual commands and LCD displays.
The following abbreviations are used to designate the chess pieces in the PRIMO
LCD display: 1 = 4 digit display
2 color label
3 = Sign for captured piece
4 —Separation for times
5 = Sign for En Passant
8 = Computer calculates
9 = Sign for VERIFY function
Informations-LCD
6 = Signs for draws and stalemate
7 = Sign for check / checkmate
10 = Character for SET UP function
II III

We congratulate Imen on the purchase of the NOVAG PRIMO and hope that with it
you have found a chess computer for many enjoyable hours. The PRIMO will be an
ideal chess partner for the advanced player and a patient chess master for the
beginner. For beginners, we recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the
rules of chess. Specialist shops have a comprehensive range of relevant chess
literature ready for you. If in doubt, the PRIMO will show you how to move the
pieces and make extensive move suggestions.
The PRIMO is a chess computer with a strong and extensive program and a diverse
and interesting technical equipment in this price range, which makes working with
this chess computer interesting and instructive.
It is essential that you read these operating instructions carefully before using the
chess computer and in cases of doubt. The NOVAG customer service station is
entitled to charge processing fees for chess computers that are sent to the respective
NOVAG customer service station because the operating instructions have not been
read properly. The operating instructions are structured in such a way that each
section can be read individually if required. The required references to
supplementary sections are given in each case.
We have tried to write this manual as carefully as possible. Nevertheless, it is
possible that something has been overlooked in the abundance of functions. We
would be delighted if you let us know your suggestions so that we can take them into
account in future manuals.
1

I. Quick start Guide 6. Step With this preset you play with the white pieces against the
PRIMO. To make the first move (e.g. c2e4), press the pawn lightly on
the e2 square (FROM square) and place it with light pressure on the e4
1. Step
2. Step
3. Step
4. Step
5. Step
To insert the batteries, open the flap on the underside of the chess
computer and insert the batteries according to the engraved polarity.
Only use leak-proof alkaline batteries. They increase operational
reliability and enable a playing time of approx. 100 hours.
To operate with the adapter, plug the cable of the NOVAG adapter
item no. 8210 into the socket on the back of the chess computer and
connect the adapter to the socket.
Switch on the chess computer with the on/off switch on the back of
the chess computer. When the batteries are inserted and the adapter is
connected, the chess computer is powered exclusively by the adapter
and no battery power is consumed.
After switching on the chess computer, press the NEW GAME button
to delete any game information that may have been saved. When [ - - -
-} appears on the LCD, the PRIMO is ready to play. Place the figures
in the basic position on the playing field without any pressure. The
black pieces are on rows 7 and 8, the white pieces on rows 1 and 2.
To set the desired level, press the SET LEVEL button and the LCD
will show the default level (e.g. [ LE 1 ]). To change the level, you can
press the SET LEVEL button repeatedly until the desired level appears
on the LCD, or press one of the squares with a character or your finger.
The PRIMO has 44 game levels (from a1, a2, a3 etc. to f4 each field
corresponds to a game level), so it is advisable to set the game level by
pressing the fields (see under 2. SET LEVEL).
Press the GO button to exit the SET LEVEL setting mode.
7. Step
square (TO square). The coordinate LEDs of the fields light up, with
this the computer confirms that it has registered your move. If the
move is accepted, i.e. it is a legal move, the PRIMO immediately
begins to calculate its countermove. After entering your first move, the
LCD will show [ E2 E 4 ].
When the PRIMO has calculated the answer move, it appears in the
LCD [ C7 C6 ] and at the same time the coordinate LEDs for the c7
field light up. Execute the computer's countermove by pressing lightly
on the c6 square and the c6 square's coordinate LEDs will light up to
show you where to press the piece. If the coordinate LEDs of a field on
which one of your pieces is standing light up when the computer
moves, then this piece should be beaten. Remove the captured piece
from the field without pressure. In the LCD the capturing of a piece is
indicated by a small "x" between the field indications. As long as the
computer is calculating a countermove, [COMP] appears at the bottom
of the LCD,
2 3

II. Game features
The descriptions in this chapter cover the general game functions. A supplementary
description can be found in Chapter HI. under the respective function key.
Set game level
When the LCD shows [ - * • - ], the PRIMO is ready to play. Before you make your
first move, you should set the level you want to play at. For the first game it is, in our
opinion, perfectly sufficient if you set level 1 (you can find a precise list of the game
levels in the table of game levels on page 10). You can access the function for setting
the playing level by pressing the SET LEVEL button. Proceed as follows:
Input: SET LEVEL —> [ LE 2 ] —> { Setting the game level
by pressing the tumi on al }—> [ LE 1] —> GO
Explanation:By pressing the SET LEVEL button you select the setting function for the
game levels and the set game level appears on the LCD, in this example level 2. Since
the PRIMO has 44 game levels, you would have to press the SET LEVEL button 43
times to to reach level 1 - that is unreasonable. Therefore you press with a character or
your finger on the desired field to select the level to be set (see page 9).
The selected level appears in the LCD. If you have pressed a wrong field, you can
repeat the entry as often as you like. The input function is terminated with the GO
button and the last displayed level is saved.
Executing moves
The PRIMO has a modern SENSOR playing field, which enables direct move input on
the chessboard and greatly simplifies the execution of moves. With each move, first
press the square from which the piece is to be moved, place the piece on the desired
square and press this square again. When you press the FROM field, the coordinate
LEDs of this field light up and the coordinates of the appear in the LCD
FROM field. When the figure is placed on the TO field, the coordinate LEDs of this
field light up briefly to confirm this and the coordinates of the complete train appear in
the LCD. The PRIMO begins to calculate the return move. While the PRIMO is
calculating its countermove, the various information displays appear (a detailed
description of the individual displays can be found under 12. INFO).
Once the PRIMO has calculated its return move, the FROM field coordinate LEDs
will light up and the coordinates of the FROM and TO fields will be displayed on the
LCD. Execute the move of the PRIMO by pressing on the FROM field - the coordinate
LEDs of the TO field light up - place the figure with pressure on the indicated field.
Hitting figures
As soon as a piece is to be captured, remove this piece from the field without pressure
and place the capturing piece on this field with pressure. When the computer wants to
move a piece onto a square containing a piece, it is indicating that that piece is to be
captured. At the same time, a small ”x " appears in the LCD between the coordinates
of the train.
Unauthorized moves
The PRIMO displays all illegal moves with [ ERR ] in the LCD. The display then
jumps back to the starting field. (e.g. [ G 1 ]). You can correct your incorrect entry by
moving the same piece to another, legal square. If you want to move another piece, put
the piece back by pressing on the gl field and make another move.
Correcting a moves
If, after setting your piece, you find that you have made a mistake, then you can
correct this move as follows. Retrieve the computer's next move via GO and execute it
in the usual way. Now press the TRACE BACK button and trace the computer's trace
as it is displayed. Then press the TRACE BACK button again and reverse your
unfavorable move. Now you can make another move that is more favorable for you..
4 5

If a piece was captured in one of the withdrawn pieces and must be played again, the
coordinate LEDs of the field in question light up and the LCD shows which piece it is
(e.g. [ PG 3 ] means that on the square g3 is a pawn to place (the color of the pawn is
indicated by the color icons at the bottom of the LCD.)
The computer calculates
While the computer is calculating a countermove, [ COMP ] flashes at the bottom of
the LCD and all function keys cannot be operated. This does not apply to the NEW
GAME and GO buttons.
Castling
According to international chess rules, when castling, the king must always be moved
first, followed by the rook. The coordinate LEDs will light up prompting you to make
the moves in the correct order as soon as you have moved the king two squares to the
right or left (castling short or long). Do the same thing when castling for the computer.
En Passant
If you or the chess computer capture En Passant, please don't forget to remove the
captured pawn. The captured pawn is indicated by the coordinate LEDs and must be
removed with pressure. If you are unfamiliar with en passant, you should read about it
in chess literature. When the computer hits En Passant, [ ep ] appears in the center of
the LCD.
Pawn promotion
As soon as a direr pawn reaches the opponent's base line, the PRIMO asks you on the
LCD by displaying [PR O ? ] which piece you want to promote your pawn into. Press
the character key in the left row of keys that shows the desired character symbol.
When the computer wants to promote one of its pawns, it shows a letter in the LCD
for the type of piece and the coordinates of the square
on which he might have placed this piece. Complete the move by putting the desired
piece on the indicated square with pressure. If you have overlooked the display on the
LCD, you can use the VERIFY function to check at any time which character was
selected by the computer during the conversion (see under 9. VERIFY).
Remis - Patt
A stalemate is indicated on the LCD by the label [ D ST = ]. The PRIMO claims a
draw in the LCD, stating what type of draw it is. The display is as follows according to
the rules of the international chess federation:
[ d 3 = ] Draw by repeating the move 3 times [ d 50 = ]
Draw according to the 50-move rule
Chess / Checkmate
A check bid is indicated by a cross [ + ] on the right side of the LCD and you are not
allowed to leave your king in check.
Checkmate is indicated in the LCD with [ MATE 4 ].
Task of the game
If the PRIMO is of the opinion that he is in a hopeless situation, he offers to give up
the game. [ RE SN ] appears on the LCD. Despite the computer giving up the game,
you can play the game to the end. If the computer offers to give up the game in
automatic play (see under 18. AUTOPLAY), the automatic process is interrupted. To
continue the game, you must restart the AUTOPLAY function.
Dcr PRIMO offers the task of the game only 1 time during a game.
7
6

1. Function of the control buttons
2. NEW GAME
By pressing the NEW GAME button, all stored information is deleted and the figures
in the computer memory are reset. Accordingly, you must set up your figures again in
the basic position. The NEW GAME button can be pressed at any time, but in any case
before starting a new game.
After pressing NEW GAME, the previously set game level is retained. If the previous
game was played in EASY mode, it must be set again.
3. SET LEVEL
The PRIMO has 44 levels of play in order to be able to optimally adapt its playing
strength to the skill of every chess player and to be able to fully exploit the possibilities
of this chess computer in the area of analysis.
There are 2 ways to select a level:
*By repeatedly pressing the SET LEVEL button.
Input: SET LEVEL —> SET LEVEL SET LEVEL { usw.
until the desired level is reached } —> GO
*By pressing the fields a1, a2, a3 etc. up to f4 the game levels can be selected
directly.
Input: SET LEVEL —> { press the desired field } —> GO
The first method is only recommended if you want to raise the set level by one or a
few levels. The second method is highly recommended in most cases. The following
drawing shows you which field you use to enter the individual game levels.
The level can be changed at any time before or during a game, provided the computer
is not calculating and it is your turn.
The levels of play on the chess board
A B C D E F G H
Tournament Levels
At game levels 1-8, the moves are given, which are to be executed in a certain time.
These levels of play correspond to the conditions of tournament play, in which 40
moves usually have to be played within 2 hours. If a player exceeds the allotted time
before completing the required number of moves, the game is lost for him.
Fixed game levels
Levels 9 -16 have a fixed computing time per turn. If, in a certain game situation, there
is no other option than to make a specific move, then this move is dealt with
immediately.
89

Blitz and special game levels
At game levels 17 - 24, the PRIMO adjusts its computing times in such a way that
it finishes the entire game within the specified time.
Depth of play levels
Levels 25-44 are extraordinarily important for long-term analysis, if you want to
determine how many half-moves a certain solution is found in, or which solution is
found after so many moves in a problem that is not a checkmate problem. The
highest possible arithmetic depth that can be set is 20 half-moves at level 44.
For storage reasons, the PRIMO program could not accept any complaints about
the time being exceeded. Use the information display to see how game time is
progressing.
Level table
level
Description
Time
level
Description
Time
I
60
60
60
45
40
40
40
40
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
game in
game in
game in
game in
game in
game in
5 min
23
game in
90 min
2
30 min
24
game in
120 min
3
60 min
25
Calc. depth
1 half move
4
90 min
26
Calc. depth
2 half move
5
90 min
27
Calc. depth
3 half move
6
100 min
28
Calc. depth
4 half move
7
2 Std
29
Calc. depth
5 half move
8
2.5 Std
30
Calc. depth
6 half move
9
2 sec
31
Calc. depth
7 half move
10
5 sec
32
Calc. depth
8 half move
11
10 sec
33
Calc. depth
9 half move
12
15 sec
34
Calc. depth
10 half move
13
30 sec
35
Calc. depth
11 half move
14
1 min
36
Calc. depth
12 half move
15
2 min
37
Calc. depth
13 half move
16
3 min
38
Calc. depth
14 half move
17
3 min
39
Calc. depth
15 half move
18
5 min
40
Calc. depth
16 half move
19
10 min
41
Calc. depth
17 half move
20
15 min
42
Calc. depth
18 half move
21
30 min
43
Calc. depth
19 half move
22
60 min
44
Calc. depth
20 half move e
The PRIMO chess program uses the player's thinking time for the constant analysis of
the further development of the game, whereby the opposite moves to be expected are
taken into account in the computer calculations. In order to give the weaker player a
chance against the PRIMO, the EASY function was installed, in which the computing
time of the computer is switched off during the opponent's thinking time (see under 17.
EASY).
4. GO
The GO button is used individually or together with other function buttons. You could
call it an execute, command, or return key. In cases where there is a malfunction,
people often forget to press the GO button.
The main functions of the GO button:
* Prompts the chess computer to calculate the next move for the color to move.
10 11

4. RANDOM 6. HINT
*Prompts the computer as it calculates a countermove up to
*best calculated at this point in time
*Spend the move immediately.
*Completes the following functions VERIFY
SETUP SET
LEVEL
*Exits the AUTOPLAY function
Starlet the Mate Search (SOLVE MATE)
It may be interesting to let the computer play against itself at a certain score or to learn
how to play chess. In this case, call up the next move for both sides by pressing the GO
key.
If the GO button is pressed while a move is being calculated before the computer
displays the move, the most favorable move calculated up to that point is displayed
immediately. The result of the calculation of such moves does not correspond to the set
game level due to the cancellation with the GO button.
12 13