Video Chess

Video Chess is a strategy/board game software title created for the TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A home computer system. It was originally released during the 2nd quarter of 1979 on Solid State Software^TM Command Module with part number PHM 3008. It was programmed by Texas Instruments (TI) programmer Tom Merrow and originally retailed for $69.95.

Video Chess
Video Chess Manual (Front Cover)
Publisher(s)	Texas Instruments (TI)
Original Retail Price	$69.95 (USD)
Programmer(s)	Tom Merrow
Part#	PHM 3008
Format(s)	Solid State SoftwareTM Command Module
Release	1979 (2nd Quarter)
Genre(s)	Board Game, Strategy

Advertising Blurbs

Front Cover of Manual

Choose your own opponent - or play against the computer on any of 3 levels. With this module, your computer can serve as a willing teacher - or a challenging opponent.

Back Cover of Manual

For centuries, chess has been a challenging game enjoyed equally by beginners and masters. The Video Chess Command Module brings a new dimension to the game through your TI Home Computer. Now you'll always have a tireless opponent whose skill level you can set - from beginner, through novice, to intermediate. And if you want, you and a friend can play chess, with your computer making the moves, keeping track of time, noting whose move it is, all while keeping a complete record of the game.

Video chess module activities are designed to give you several playing options:

• Play Beginner Game - Play against the computer at the beginning skill level in a normal style of play.
• Choose Game Type - Choose the type of games you want to play against by selecting the computer's skill level and style of play (from losing to aggressive).
• Use Chessboard - Use the Video Chess module's chessboard to play a game against a friend.
• Set up a Problem - Set up a special chess position other than the normal games with your TI Home Computer.
• Play Simultaneously - Play as many as nine simultaneous games with your TI Home Computer (with 16K bytes of memory).
• Load Cassette Games - Use a cassette tape recorder to store and then re-enter a favorite fame of an unfinished game for later completion.

Triton Catalog - Fall 1984

A powerful, easy-to-use program for chess players of all ages and levels of skill. You play an opponent or the computer. Tracks moves, helps you when you wish, even stores games for later replay. You control the level of difficulty. Developed with the assistance of International Master David Levy

Manual

PREFACE

Chess is a wonderful game for many reasons. Its rules are simple enough to be learned in a few minutes; yet it is so complex that every game is different. It can be enjoyed equally by beginners and masters. It can be played quickly, with only a few seconds' thought spent on each move, or it can take many minutes, hours or even days to make a move. Chess can be played by telephone or by mail; by people suffering from almost any physical disability; in fair weather or in foul; for fun or for serious competition. It requires no special equipment, apart from the chess clocks used in competitions (and the Video Chess module has its own built-in chess clock). Above all, chess is great fun.

I have been playing chess for more than twenty years. It has given me untold pleasure, just as it has brought pleasure to those many millions of people who have played the game since it was invented, probably in India, some fourteen centuries ago. We have designed the Video Chess module so that you will be able to share in this wonderful experience and improve your game. W hether you are learning chess for the first time or have played before, the Video Chess module welcomes you to its club.

David Levy

International Master

INTRODUCTION

The Video Chess Solid State Software^TM Command Module is designed for your enjoyment of chess. It's easy to use - it keeps track of all of the moves, gives you help if you want it, and provides a challenging, tireless opponent. You decide the level of skill for the computer (beginner, novice, or intermediate). And if you just want to use the computer as a chess set when playing against another opponent, the Video Chess module will make the moves for you, keep track of time, note whose move it is and keep a running record of the game. Whether you're playing against a friend or the computer, you can save your game for later replay to review your brilliant plays - or to figure out the crucial move that cost you the game! All of this - and more - is readily available with your Video Chess module.

Because this module is designed not only for the beginner, but also for those who already know how to play chess, we've divided the manual into two major sections:

• If You're just Beginning The first section briefly describes "How to Play Chess." If you've never played chess before, or if you want to brush up on the rules, we suggest that you read this section before using the module.

• If You Already Play Chess The second section, "Using the Solid State Software Command Module," gets you right into how to use the Video Chess module. If you're familiar with chess, you can skip the first section, start on page 24, and immediately begin using the module.

HOW TO PLAY CHESS

Chess is a game of simulated combat for two players using a "battlefield" with a set of medieval style armies. You can either play against a friend, using the Video Chess module for your board and set, or you can compete against the computer itself. It will prove to be a challenging opponent.

The battlefield is an 8 X 8 board placed so that each player has a white square in his right hand corner. When using the Video Chess module, the white squares are colored white and the black squares are light blue.

Video Chess - Battlefield

Looking at the board from White's side we label the vertical columns A through H. These columns are called files. The horizontal rows, called ranks, are labeled 1 through 8, with the first rank being nearest to White and the eighth rank nearest to Black. This method of notation, called algebraic notation, enables us to identify each square of the board by its unique file-rank (column-row) coordinates, such as A3 or ES. It also allows us to record the moves of a game and to describe what is happening in a game situation.

The pieces and their moves

The opposing armies are made up of 32 pieces, 16 white and 16 black. On your color screen the white pieces appear as white or blue and the black ones as black. At the start of the game, these armies face each other on an 8 x 8 board, as shown.

Video Chess - Beginning Board

The King

Each player has one king ( ). At the start of the game White's king is on E1 and Black's king is on E8. The king, as its name suggests, is the most important piece in the game, and the game is over when this piece is "captured." The king can move one square in any direction - horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Video Chess - Possible King Moves

The Queen

Each player has one queen ( ). At the start of the game White's queen is on D1 and Black's queen on D8. Some players get confused about which way the kings and queens are placed at the beginning of the game. An easy rule to remember is "White queen on white square, black queen on black square."

The queen is the most powerful piece on the board, and after the king it is the most valuable. If you lose your queen without capturing an opponent's piece, you will almost always lose the game. The queen moves horizontally, vertically or diagonally, across as many empty squares as the player wishes.

Video Chess - Possible Queen Moves

The Bishop

Each player has two bishops ( ). At the start of the game White's bishops are on C1 and F1, Black's on C8 and F8. The bishops move only along the diagonals, but like the queen they can cross as many empty squares as the player wishes.

Video Chess - Possible Bishop Moves

The Rook (or Castle)

Each player has two rooks ( ), sometimes called castles. At the start of the game, White's rooks are on A1 and H1, Black's rooks are on A8 and H8. The rook moves horizontally or vertically, across any number of empty squares. Note that the queen combines the moves of the rook and the bishop - this is why the queen is so very powerful and so valuable.

Video Chess - Possible Rook Moves

The Knight

Each player has two knights ( ). At the start of the game White's knights are on B1 and G1, Black's on B8 and G8. The knight's move is unusual for two reasons: (i) it is the only piece that can jump over an occupied square; and (ii) it moves two squares horizontally or vertically, followed by one square at right angles to the first part of its move. This double maneuver is all part of the same move and counts as one move.

Video Chess - Possible Knight Moves

The Pawn

Each side has eight pawns ( ). At the start of the game, White's pawns occupy all the squares on the second rank (A2, B2, C2, ... H2) while Black's pawns occupy the seventh rank (A7, B7, C7, ... H7). The pawn is the most modest and least valuable piece. Normally it moves by advancing one square, but on its first move, each pawn has the right to move two squares. Pawns never move backwards and cannot move diagonally except when capturing.

Video Chess - Possible Pawn Moves

Capturing

Sometimes, as part of a move, a player may capture one of his opponent's pieces and take it off the board. This happens when a player decides to move a piece to a square occupied by an enemy piece. The opposing piece is then removed from the board. The pawn captures in a different way than the other pieces. It cannot capture a piece which is directly in front of it, but it can capture something which is one square diagonally in front of it.

Here is a layout showing several possible captures as described below.

Video Chess - Possible Capture Moves

The white queen on A4 can capture the black knight on D7.

The white knight on FS can capture the black pawns on G7, E3, and H4.

The white bishop on F3 can capture the black rook on B7.

The white bishop on D8 can capture the black pawn on H4.

The black king on E8 can capture the white bishop on D8.

The black rook on B7 can capture the white knight on B2.

The black pawn on C3 can capture the white knight on B2 but it cannot move backwards to capture the white pawn on D4.

The black pawn on E3 can capture the white pawn on F2 and vice versa, but the white pawn on F2 cannot capture the black pawn on H4 because pawns can only capture on the square diagonally adjacent to them.

Note: When a player's piece is in position to capture an opponent's piece it is said to be "attacking" the opponent's piece by attacking the chessboard square occupied by the opponent's piece. Often the term "attacking a square" is used to describe the possible chessboard squares on which a player's piece could capture an opponent's piece.

Video Chess - Attacking Squares

For example, the white knight is "attacking" squares C2, B3, BS, C6, E6, FS, F3 and E2 but can only capture the black pawn in square E6. (Note: The black pawn is attacking two squares - D5 and FS, but no captures are available. If the white knight were to move to square F5, it could then be captured by the black pawn.)

If you have a bigger army than your opponent, it will normally be easier for you to win. It is usually an advantage to capture an opponent's piece if you can do so without losing one of your pieces, or if you can capture a piece in return for a less valuable one of your own. As a rough guide the values of the pieces are:

Pawn = 1 Knight = 3 Bishop = 3¼ Rook = 5 Queen = 9

The king is not given a point value because you lose the game if you lose your king.

Special Moves

There are three special moves which are different from all other moves.

Castling

This is a double move (counting as one move) made with the king and one of the rooks, the purpose of which is to put the king in a safer place and to bring the rook into play. To castle, a player moves his king two squares in the direction of the rook and then the rook jumps over the king, landing on the square next to it.

Video Chess - Possible Castling Moves

In order for castling to be possible, all of the following conditions must be satisfied:

1. Neither the king nor the rook involved may have moved earlier in the game.
2. The squares between the king and the rook must all be empty.
3. The opponent must not be attacking (checking) the king - more on this in a moment - and he must not be attacking the squares over which the king passes or the square on which it lands.

Here White can castle king-side, (the right hand side of the board) moving his king to G 1 and his rook from H1 to Fl, but not on the queen-side (the left hand side of the board) because Black's bishop on G4 attacks D1.

Black cannot castle king-side because the white knight on H6 attacks G8, but Black can castle queen-side, moving his king to C8 and his rook from A8 to D8, even though White's queen on BS attacks B8.

Each player may castle only once during a game. Normally this is done during the first ten or fifteen moves.

Pawn Promotion

If a pawn succeeds in marching all the way up the board to the far rank, it is given a special bonus. It is removed from the board and changed, as part of its last move, into a queen, rook, knight, or bishop at its owner's choice. This is called "promoting" a pawn. Since the queen is by far the most valuable of these pieces, a pawn is almost always promoted to a queen.

Video Chess - White Pawn Advances from D7 . . .

Video Chess - . . . D8 and becomes a queen.

En Passant Captures

If a pawn advances two squares (on its first move) and lands on a square adjacent to an enemy pawn, the pawn which has just moved may be captured by its new neighbor, as though it had advanced only one square. This type of capture is called an en passant capture (from the French, meaning "in passing"). If a player wishes to make an en passant capture he must do so immediately when the opportunity presents itself. If the player makes any move other than the en passant capture, the right to make that en passant capture is lost, though he may be able to make another en passant capture later on.

Video Chess - White's pawn advances from C2 to C4,

Video Chess - and is captured, en passant, by Black's pawn from B4.

Being In Check

A player is "in check" when his king is attacked by an opposing piece. He must then move "out of check" immediately. This may be done in one of three ways:

1. Capture the enemy piece which is giving check.
2. Move the king to an unattacked square.
3. In the case of a check from a rook, bishop or queen, interpose a piece between the king and the checking piece.

When you check your opponent, it is considered polite to say "check" in case the move was not noticed. In tournament play, however, it is considered polite not to say "check" - you would not wish to insult your opponent by suggesting that the move went unnoticed.

Note: A player is never allowed to move into check.

Closing Moves

Checkmate

If your king is in check and there is no way out of the check, you have been checkmated. No matter what you do, your opponent could capture your king on his next move. The object of the game is to checkmate your opponent's king - once you have done so you have won the game.

Black has been checkmate

Stalemate

If a player is not in check, and all possible moves result in check, then that player is "stalemated" and the game is a draw - neither side has won. In tournament play a win counts as 1 point, a draw as 1/2 and a loss as zero. Therefore, a stalemate is an advantage to a player in a potentially hopeless situation.

Black to move Black is stalemated. He is not in check and has no legal move.

The Rules of the Game

The players move alternately, White having the first move. The game is won by the player who gives checkmate, or whose opponent declares that he resigns. If you have many fewer pieces than your opponent and you know enough about his ability to be absolutely sure that you will lose, it is considered good manners to resign the game. To continue would only be to insult your opponent's skill.

If neither player wins the game, the result is a draw. In addition to stalemate there are four other ways in which the game can end in a draw:

1) The Players Agree to a Draw

One player, when making a move, asks "Do you want a draw?" To turn down the offer of a draw, the opponent will normally say "No thank you," or simply make a reply move on the board. Making this reply move automatically rejects the draw offer. Once an offer of a draw has been made, it cannot be revoked, but when it has been declined the offer is no longer valid until it is made again. It is considered bad manners to offer a draw more than twice in a game. Once your opponent knows that you want a draw, he will offer you a draw when he also wants one.

2) Repetition of Position

If the same position for both players occurs three times with the same player having the right to move each time, the game is a draw.

3) The 50-move Rule

If each player makes 50 successive moves without capturing anything and without moving a pawn, the game is a draw.

Downloads

• 

  Video Chess 1979 Cartridge (Black label on Black Cartridge)

• 

  Video Chess 1983 Cartridge (Black label on Beige Cartridge)

• 

  Video Chess 1983 Cartridge (Red label on Beige Cartridge)

• 

  Video Chess 1979 Manual Cover (Black & White)

• 

  Video Chess Manual Cover (Old-Style)

• 

  Video Chess Manual Cover (Modern-Style)

• 

  Video Chess Manual Complete (pdf format)

• 

  TI Invaders MAME/MESS Rom (rpk format)

External links

• TI-99ers On-line User Group: TI-99 Cartridge Listing
• TI-99/4A Video Game House: Video Chess