CHECKERS
Cartridge Instructions
(For 1 or 2 Players)

New tricks to the old game! Beat a friend, electronically. Or take on the canny
computer in the time-honored contest of strategy, patience, and skill. Think
you've played checkers? You've never played it like this! INTELLIVISION checkers
is a game with all the moves!

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To sweep the board of your opponent's men (checkers) by "jumping" them, or to
trap them so that your opponent is unable to make a move.

CHECK YOUR CONTROLS

[1] YOU VS. OPPONENT (2 Player Mode)
[2] YOU VS. COMPUTER -- You Move First
[3] YOU VS. COMPUTER -- Computer Moves First

[5] COMPUTER SUGGESTS MOVE -- Gives advice on your best next move.
[6] HI SKILL

[8] LO SKILL -- Determine difficulty of game. (Use ONLY when playing computer.)

[Clear] CLEAR -- Lets you change a move.
[0] SELECT MAN -- Registers choice of man to move.
[Enter] ENTER -- Makes choice of move final.

DIRECTION DISC -- Moves man/cursor. Imagine Disc divided into 4 quarters. Press
quarter that corresponds to direction you want to move.

SIDE BUTTONS - Not used in INTELLIVISION Checkers.

BRING ON THE BOARD

Press the Direction Disc and the checkerboard appears on the TV screen. This is
the standard board you're familiar with. Board has 8 rows of 8 alternating red
and black squares.

NAME YOUR GAME!

There are 5 different ways to play INTELLIVISION Checkers. Pit your wits against
the computer and choose between 2 different game modes (YOU MOVE FIRST or
COMPUTER MOVES FIRST) and 2 different skill levels (LO SKILL or HI SKILL). Or
play another person (YOU VS. OPPONENT).

Press one of the 3 control buttons on the top row of your Hand Controller to
select your game mode. Checkers will appear on the board in their starting
positions.

In both YOU VS. OPPONENT and YOU MOVE FIRST modes, white checkers appear at the
top of the board, blue on the bottom. In COMPUTER MOVES FIRST mode, this order is
reversed.

When playing the computer, whoever moves first controls the blue checkers. (Use
either Hand Controller.) When playing another person, the right Hand Controller
moves the blue checkers, left Hand Controller moves the white checkers.

INSPECT YOUR MEN!

At game's start, checkers are called SINGLE MEN. Single Men may move diagonally
on the black squares IN A FORWARD DIRECTION ONLY.

When a Single Man reaches his KING ROW (opposite his starting end of the board),
he is CROWNED and becomes a KING. A King may move EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD on
the black squares.

SINGLE MAN appears as a plain disc.

KING appears as a disc with a DASH in its center.

CURSOR is a tan disc with a square "WINDOW" in its center. It is used to move
your men around the board.

YOU ARE NOW READY TO PLAY INTELLIVISION CHECKERS!!!

HOW TO PLAY INTELLIVISION CHECKERS (YOU VS. COMPUTER)

1. Select who moves first and skill level of game.

If computer moves first, it will make its move after you select skill level.

If you move first, computer will instruct you to SELECT MAN TO MOVE. The
instruction will print out on your TV screen.

2. Use the DIRECTION DISC to move the CURSOR into position over the man you wish
to move. Press SELECT MAN button. A LOW TONE will sound.

3. Computer will instruct you to SELECT MOVE. Use the Direction Disc to move man
to an open, adjacent black square.

4. Press ENTER button to complete your move. You will hear a series of VARYING-
PITCHED BEEPS as computer "thinks over" its next move. When the computer moves, 2
LOW TONES will sound.

5. TO JUMP, follow instructions for a regular move. Although you will move more
than one square, press the Direction Disc only ONCE for each jump. Computer will
advance your man to the correct square and move the "jumped" man to the side of
the board. (Press the Disc twice to double-jump, 3 times to triple-jump, etc.)

6. To change a move, press CLEAR button. Man and cursor will return to their
original position and you may then select a different square or man. AFTER ENTER
BUTTON IS PRESSED, YOU MAY NOT CHANGE YOUR MOVE.

7. If you attempt an illegal move (moving more than one square, not taking a
jump, etc.), a BUZZER will sound and computer will not complete your move.

8. When a Single Man reaches his King Row and is crowned, a DASH appears in the
center of the checker to mark it as a King. Crowning completes a move, even if
the new King is now in position to jump an opponent's man.

9. You may pick the computer's brain for advice on your next move by pressing
COMPUTER SUGGESTS MOVE [5]. Cursor will automatically move to the suggested man
and a small white arrow will indicate the suggested move. If you wish to take
this move, follow instructions for a regular move. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW
COMPUTER'S SUGGESTION.

10. END OF GAME. If you win, computer plays a VICTORY TUNE. If you lose, computer
gives a BRONX CHEER and prints "YOU LOSE" on the screen.

(YOU VS. OPPONENT)

1. Flip a coin to decide who controls the blue checkers (right Hand Controller).
This person moves first.

2. Computer will print out instructions on the TV screen for BOTH you and your
opponent to SELECT MAN TO MOVE and SELECT MOVE. These will appear for you in the
color of your men, for your opponent in the color of his/her men.

3. A LOW TONE will sound for you and your opponent after SELECT MAN and ENTER
buttons are pressed.

4. Computer WILL NOT suggest move when you play another person. If you press
COMPUTER SUGGESTS MOVE button [5] in this mode, computer will print out "I CAN'T
HELP YOU."

5. END OF GAME. Computer plays a VICTORY TUNE for the winner and prints out "YOU
LOSE" in the loser's color.

SOME BASIC CHECKERS RULES

* Your moves must be DIAGONAL, one space at a time.

* You MUST jump your opponent's man when he occupies a black square adjacent to
and in front of your man, and when there is an empty square beyond him into which
you can jump.

* YOU CANNOT JUMP YOUR OWN MAN.

* If more than one jump move is possible, you may CHOOSE which jump to take. If
you can jump more than one of your opponent's men in a row, you MUST take a
double-jump.

* A KING MAY JUMP EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD.

* TIED GAME (DRAW). The game will end in a draw if neither player can capture the
other's men or prevent the other from making a move.

* ILLEGAL MOVES won't work. BUZZER will sound. No time limit on moves and you can
change your mind on a move.

HOW TO WIN

* Think before you move! Try to stay one "jump" ahead of your opponent.

* Sacrifice a man if his loss puts you in a position to jump 2 of your opponent's
men.

* Keep your men in tight formation. The more they are strung out, the more
vulnerable they are.

* Keep your opponent from getting crowned. The first player to be crowned has a
decided advantage.

* Use kings wisely. Remember: Kings can move both forward AND BACKWARD.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(c)1979, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.

