HOW TO PRACTICE BLINDFOLD PLAY IN CHESSMASTER 9000

1. Log in and go to Game Room.

2. Click on "Game" in upper menu bar and then on "New Game" on the pull-down menu. "Set Up Game Details" window comes up.

3. If your name (the one you log in with) isn't in one of the player-name slots, type it in. (Put the cursor at the end of the name in the box, backspace to erase, then type your name. I suppose that the bottom slot is more convenient for starters, but the board can always be reversed.)

4. For the other player, make sure that the computer button (to the right of the button with the human face) is pushed down, then push (click once) the "Select" button. "Select Personality" window comes up.

5. Select your opponent (as you have done before for playing regular games). Click OK and get "Set Up Game Details" window.

6. Click once on the "Rules" button. A board with "Odds" above it's top left corner comes up. Put a checkmark in the "Blindfold Play" box to the right of the chessboard.

7. Click once on the "Time Controls" button, and set playing times as you have done before for regular games. You probably want to start by giving yourself more time and your computer opponent less by selecting separate time controls and specifying them with the appropriate scroll buttons.

8. Click OK and get an empty chessboard in the next window. If "Game Status" doesn't show to the right of the board, click on "Windows" in the upper menu bar and then make sure that "Game Status" is checked in the pull-down menu.

9. You can now start to play by clicking and dragging your pieces (or pawns) from their starting squares. They show up momentarily and disappear when you release the mouse button. If they don't, or if the the game status window doesn't register them, then your move is impossible or illegal, and you can try again. Your opponent's moves show up on the board for a fraction of a second and disappear. All legal moves are being recorded and shown in square-to-square notation in the game status window.

10. If you wish to pause the game, offer draw, or resign, click on the "Actions" menu in the upper menu bar and select an action from the pull-down menu.

11. If you get far into the game and get stuck, you can try to "feel" for pieces and keep moving, but it probably would be more worth your time to start another game. See how many moves you can complete before you decide to give up on the game. But,try again! The next game will be easier. We hope that with enough practice, we get good enough to see in how many moves we can checkmate Stanley (the monkey), when we try it blindfold.

12. If you wish to see the board position in the middle of the game, so far I know only of one way, which is to click on "File" in the upper menu bar, turn on your printer, click on "Print" on the pull-down menu and then on "Board Position" in the side menu.

THAT'S IT. If you can contribute more tips to these instructions, please, send them to coach Henry, and KEEP TRACK of your progress (How many moves before giving up? How many moves to checkmate Stanley? How long before the game is finished?) Just remember one thing: DON'T NEGLECT YOUR SCHOOLWORK because of chess!)