Playing Mode Options (Squares A2-H2) - Saitek Cougar Quick Start Manual

moves or when an illegal move or keypress is made, or when
NEW GAME is set.
c. Silent Mode (Square C1)
On:+SIL Off:-SIL
Normally, the computer always beeps when it has found its
move. For completely silent operation, turn on Silent Mode.
d. Coach Mode (Square D1)
On:+Co:ch Off:-Co:ch
Selecting +Co:ch turns on special coaching features that
encourage you to concentrate on your strategic planning! In
Coach Mode, the computer looks over your shoulder while
you play, watching what you do and helping you when you
need assistance! In this unique "Guardian Angel" capacity,
the computer will warn you with a Capture Alert if you are in
danger of losing a piece. If one of your pieces is threatened
by a lesser valued piece, for example, the computer will
sound a series of warning beeps and flash the board lights of
the threatened piece for a few seconds. To continue the
game, make your next move (or take back your last move
and make a different one).
With Coach Mode on, the computer will also sound a
Tactical Alert if it thinks you have committed a blunder and
your move is about to lead to an avoidable material loss. It
does this by sounding a series of warning beeps and flashing
the move it intends to make. You can either enter the
computer's move, or take back your own move and make
another one.
e. Ticking Clock (Square E1)
On:+tic Off:-tic
When you turn this option on, you activate a ticking sound
that makes the computer's clock sound like a real chess
clock! Just imagine—you can create the atmosphere of a
championship chess tournament in your own living room!
f. Countdown Clock (Square F1)
On:+c:dn Off:-c:dn
Turning this option on causes the computer to display the
countdown time instead of the elapsed time. Notice that the
piece symbols also reverse direction, counting "down" from
King to pawn. This option is only available in combination
with the Tournament and Blitz Levels.
g. Play White from the Top (Square G1)
On:+toP Off:-toP
Want to depart from the usual standard and let the com-
puter play the White pieces from the top of the board? Then
try out this interesting option! Choose +toP at the beginning
of a new game, and set up the board with the Black pieces
closest to you, as shown in the diagram in this section. Then,
press ENTER to start the game. Watch as the computer
makes the first move for White from the top of the board!
See "PLAYING BLACK FROM THE BOTTOM?
HERE'S THE POSITION!" for a diagram showing the
correct piece set-up when using this option.
When the computer plays White from the top, board nota-
tion is automatically reversed. Additionally, this option will go
back to its default setting of OFF when you start a new game.
h. Auto Power Down (Square H1)
On:+aPd Off:-aPd
Auto Power Down option is a handy battery-saving feature.
With this option activated, the computer will automatically
turn itself off if no keypresses or moves are made for about
15 minutes. To continue the game where you left off, press
GO/STOP to turn the computer back on. Note that the com-
puter will not turn itself off while it is thinking about a move.

5.2 Playing Mode Options (Squares A2-H2)

Press OPTION twice to select the Playing Mode Op-
tions. Then use the BLACK/> and </WHITE keys to
select options within this group, and press ENTER to turn
options on (+) or off (–). Or, simply press the option squares
to turn options on or off.
a. Selective Search (Square A2)
On:+SEL Off:-SEL
The program in this chess computer normally uses a
Selective Search algorithm. This allows the computer to see
combinations that would otherwise take much longer to
compute. Turning this option off by choosing -SEL makes the
program switch to a powerful Brute Force algorithm. This
search method minimizes the risk of an occasional oversight.
Note that the Mate Search Levels always use the Brute
Force method.
b. Easy Mode (Square B2)
On:+EAsy Off:-EASy
Want to win more games against the computer? Try turning
on Easy Mode, which prevents the computer from thinking on
your time! This weakens all the playing levels without affect-
ing the computer's time controls. Normally, as described in
Section 2.8, the computer thinks on your time, using the time
you are contemplating your next move to think ahead and
plan its strategies. This is part of what makes your computer
such a tough opponent! By using Easy Mode to make all the
levels weaker, you effectively have many more levels to
choose from!
c. Randomize Play (Square C2)
On:+rand Off:-rand
Turn this option on for greater variety of play. Instead of
selecting one single best move, the computer will then
choose one of the best moves to play by consulting its built-in
Randomizer!
d. Book On/Off (Square D2)
On:+book Off:-book
If you ever want to completely lock out the computer's built-
in book of openings, set this option to -book. When the book
is off, the computer is forced to take time to think of its moves
from the beginning of the game, rather than making its moves
from memory. For details on openings, see Section 2.7.
If you turn the book completely off, the other book options
(described below) are also automatically disabled.
e. Full Book (Square E2)
On:+bk:FL Off:-bk:FL
Turning on the Full Book option gives the computer the
freedom to choose any move from its built-in book of open-
ings, so you'll see a greater variety of opening lines being
played. If this option is selected, the Passive, Active, and
Tournament Book options are disabled.
With this option on, you may see the computer make some
questionable moves. This is because its built-in book of
openings must contain responses to certain lines of play
(even questionable lines), in case they are played. While the
computer would not make these moves on its own, it needs
to know how to respond to them in the best way. Therefore,
when you turn on the Full Book, the computer could poten-
tially play one of these moves.
f. Passive Book (Square F2)
On:+bk:Pa Off:-bk:Pa
Selecting the Passive Book option forces the computer to
give preference to passive and closed positions when decid-
ing which lines to play. If this option is selected, the Active
Book and Tournament Book options are disabled.
g. Active Book (Square G2)
On:+bk:at Off:-bk:at
When this option is activated, the computer will give prefer-
ence to active lines and open positions when deciding which
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