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1989-01-08
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COLOSSUS CHESS X DEMO
Colour STs
Folders: ADVERTS, LANGUAGE, PIECES
Files: CC.PRG, COLOSSUS.PRG, COLOSSUS.SET
For chess players of all levels, CDS's newest challenger should prove
a worthy opponent. Certainly the full version we reviewed this month
reached the heady heights of Grand Master of the Format Offices with
little difficulty. To get this exclusive demo version going, either
use the CLICK_ME menu program or double-click on the COLOSSUS.PRG icon
at the main window.
The first thing to do is to set the level of play - you do
this by specifying a time limit in which Colossus has to move. Move
the mouse up to the top of the screen and from the 'Play' menu click
the left mouse button on the 'Type of Play' option. Click on 'Average'
in the box that appears, then use the up and down arrows to set the
ST's time limit. As a guide, 10 seconds thinking time is an average
game, 1 minute would be quite a strong play. Set it to 1 second if you
want an easy win!
After this, you've got 15 moves to assert your mastery. The
demo will end after this time, or if you enter an 'endgame' phase. The
endgame happens if you spend all your moves frantically swapping
pieces so that there are only a few left on the board, but that's
unlikely to happen on the demo.
To move a piece, click on it and click on the square it is to
go to. Alternatively, drag it to its destination. It is possible to
win in 15 moves!
One nice feature is the ability to view the boeard from any
angle. Using the right mouse button, just drag the board to the
viewpoint you want and it'll be redrawn for you.
Have fun exploring the menus - you can have soothing
background music playing, make the ST read its moves out to you, list
your legal moves, have a simple 2D display, change the set pieces to
mediaeval, oriental or futuristic styles, or even play blindfold!
THE FULL VERSION
So what's missing in this stripped-down version of Colossus? Well,
obviously the full game has no limit to the number of moves for a
start. The opening book has been removed too - usually the program has
a library of hundreds of standard openings, which adds variety to the
start. On the demo version, if you make a particular opening move the
computer's response will be the same for every game you play.
You can't save or load a game, nor can you specify a
particular opening position (handy for pondering newspaper chess
problems) as you can in the full version.
For more details contact CDS Software, Beckett Road, Doncaster,
South Yorks DN2 4AD (0302 321134)
WIN THE FULL GAME
So you reckon you're sharp at chess, do you? Here's a challenge then:
in this demo version you've only got 15 moves, but it is possible to
win. The so-called 'Fool's Mate' takes four moves, but needs a
wilfully suicidal opponent! We want to know the best solution to
beating Colossus Chess on this demo version - set its time limit to
however low you like, then work out your winning strategy. Send your
moves to us at: Colossus Chess Competition, ST Amiga Format, 4 Queen
Street, Bath BA1 1EJ by Friday 16th December 1988. The best solution
wins a copy of the full game, courtesy of CDS.