BACKGAMMON ========== - 8 levels of play - Full colour display - Tumbling dice - Single game, points series or gambling series - Full instructions - Doublets - Hitting to the bar - Bearing off INTRODUCTION Backgammon is a game for two players (in this case you and the Sinclair Spectrum). To load the program enter LOAD "". It loads in two parts. Wait until a menu of options is offered: 1) Single game (S) 2) Points series (P) 3) Gambling Series (G) 4) Demonstration (D) To select a particular option enter the letter in brackets. If no options are selected after 30 seconds, the computer goes into the demonstration mode in which the computer plays against itself. To exit from the demonstration mode, press and hold down the key 'Y'. In all other modes, before each move, the dice will roll. When it is the player's turn, the prompt "Input Moves" will appear at the bottom of the screen. The computer will then wait for input start point first followed by dice number e.g A3 or D4. When all the player's moves have been input (see Object and Rules of Play), they are checked for legality and the moves are made. If the moves are legal "OK" is printed. It not an appropriate error response is made. The bottom part of the screen scrolls upwards so that a record of the last move is visible. After a successful move by the player, the dice rolls again and the word "Spectrum" followed by the move selected by the computer appears. The moves are not made on the screen until the player presses the ENTER key so that the player has an opportunity to assess the moves. Once the ENTER key is pressed the dice roll again for the player's next turn. SINGLE GAME The player and computer play just one game. Once this selection has been made you will be asked to input a tactic level (1-8). The tactics increase in complexity from 1 to 8 but due to the nature of the game of backgammon and the randomness of the throw of a dice it is possible for a good player to be beaten by the lowest tactic level (1) or for a novice to beat the computer at its best (level 8). Once a player has some experience level 8 will make the most satisfying opponent. You will be asked to choose "Who goes first?". You may elect to make the first move, or allow the computer to make the first move, or allow the computer to select who is to make the first move at random. POINTS SERIES Tactics and start conditions are selected as in the single game. The winner of the series is the one with the most points accumulated. The points at the end of the game are calculated as follows: 4 points for each opponent's stone on the bar or in the winner's inner table. 3 points for each opponent's stone in the winner's outer table . 2 points for each opponent's stone in the opponent's outer table. 1 point for each opponent's stone in the opponent's inner table. GAMBLING SERIES The players place a bet of £10 on each game. The stake may rise during the game (see rules on doubling). Both the player and the computer start with £200 each. DISPLAY The board is shown consisting of four quarters, the left hand side being referred to as the inner tables, the right hand side, the outer tables. Your direction of play is clockwise from your opponent's inner table (A to F) through his outer table (G to L) to your outer table (M to R) to your inner table (S to X) and finally off. The computer moves from X to A and then off (anticlockwise). The vertical strip in the middle is called the "Bar" and the computer recognises this as point 'Z'. Each player has 15 pieces (called stones). The computer has black stones, the player white. The pieces are set up in a set pattern, according to the rules of backgammon at the start of each game. To the right of the board is a record of the tactic level, a graphic display of the dice and, where applicable, the current stake. OBJECT AND RULES OF PLAY The object of play is to move all 15 of your stones into your inner table, and from there off the board. The first to bear off all his stones is the winner. The numbers on the dice indicate how many points a player may move his stones using the following rules. MOVES Two stones may be moved once in accordance with each dice, or the total may be applied to the move of one stone. Errors in the application of this rule will give the error response "Error no such dice". DOUBLET When both dice are the same forming a doublet (e.g. 3 and 3), each dice is taken twice over, so that as many as four stones may be moved. USING THE DICE THROW A player must use both numbers on the dice if at all possible (or all 4 numbers of a doublet). If he can use either but not both numbers, he must use the higher. He must use as many numbers as he can of a doublet. Errors in the application of this rule will give "Error, maximum not used" followed by an example of moves that could have been made. The Spectrum will process moves automatically if the maximum is used. If less is used, press "ENTER" to initiate processing. PERMITTED DESTINATIONS A player may move only his own stones. A stone may be moved to any vacant point, any point occupied by the player's own stones, or to a point occupied by only one of his opponent's stones. A player may not move a stone to a point occupied by two or more of his opponent's stones. Errors in application of this rule give the response "Error, blocked point". MOVING A STONE MORE THAN ONCE One stone may be moved by the total of the two dice only if it can be moved by one of the two numbers according to rule 4. The Spectrum deals with this by treating the move according to each number individually. The moves must be listed in the correct order. For example to move one stone by seven points from A to H given a throw of 3 and 4, a player must enter A3 and D4 or A4 and E3 and in either case, both the first and second moves must be legal. HITTING THE BAR A single stone on a point is called a blot. If a player moves one of his stones onto an opponent's blot then the opponent's stone is said to be 'hit to the bar' and the opponent's stone is moved from the point to the bar. CLEARING THE BAR A stone on the bar must be entered before a player can move any other stone. The stone is entered in the opposing inner table (e.g. the computer's stones must enter from the bar to the points X to S). The throw of the dice determines at which point the stone may enter (for the computer X = 1, W = 2 etc). If an entry cannot be made because two or more opposing stones occupy the relevant points, the player forgoes his turn. Errors in application of this rule result in "Error, clear bar first". It is possible for a stone to be entered and moved out the adverse inner table on the same roll of dice providing the move into the inner table is legal. BEARING OFF A player may not bear off when any of his stones are outside his own inner table. Bearing off is the act of removing stones from the inner table (never to return to the play). A stone may be borne off a point of the same number as on the dice (once again counting from the left) i.e. you may bear off from X using 1, W using 2 etc. Errors in application of these rules result in "Error invalid bearing off". If, when bearing off, a number higher than the highest occupied point is rolled then that number may be applied to the highest point e.g. if a player has number 6 on the dice and the highest point occupied is the W point (2 points) - then that number may be applied to that stone i.e. it may be borne off. When bearing off the last stone, the computer sometimes cannot distinguish between two equal winning moves and will give an error message if the highest number is not used. DOUBLING In the gambling series the game is played for a stake. This stake maybe increased by doubling or by a gammon or backgammon. A player may call the first double in a game, the computer the second, the player the third, etc. Doubling is permitted before the dice are rolled. The computer asks "Do you wish to double Y/N?" and waits the input Y for Yes and N for No. When a double is offered the opposing player has the option of accepting the double, thereby doubling the stake or declining the double and conceding the game at the original stake. You may only double if you have enough money to cover the new stake. GAMMON AND BACKGAMMON If the loser has borne off at least one stone, he loses the single value of the stake as it stands at that moment If he has not borne off any stones he is 'gammoned' and the stake is doubled. If in addition he has a stone on the bar or in the adverse inner table he is 'backgammoned' and loses three times the stake. GLOSSARY POINT Each of the twenty four positions on the board is called a point. INNER AND The four quarters of the board on which the game is player each OUTER TABLES containing six points. BLOT A single stone on a point BAR The centre line down the middle of the board. DOUBLET When both dice thrown are the same. BEAR OFF The act of removing stones from the board. DOUBLE To double the original stake on the game. GAMMON The loser is "gammoned" when his opponent has removed all his stones from the board and the loser has removed none. BACKGAMMON The loser is "backgammoned" when he has one or more stones on the bar and has not borne off any stones when his opponent completes bearing off. © Hewson Consultants February 1983