                               SKID ROW
 
                               presents

                    Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess
                         Amiga Reference Card

Thank you for purchasing Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess ("BC") for your
Amiga computer.  BC2 requires a minimum of 512k and one disk drive to
play, but is fully compatible with more memory, two disk drives or a 
hard drive.  BC2 is in stereo.  We suggest you copy your master diskettes
before play; BC2 has no disk copy-protection.

LOADING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISKETTE PLAY

1. Start your Amiga normally.

2. If you have two disk drives, insert Disk #1 in DF1: (your second 
drive).  BC2 will ask for Disk #2 when required.  If you are at the
Workbench screen, double-click on the BC2 icon to start the game.  If
you are at the CLI, type: DF1:CHESS2

3. If you have only one disk drive, open the boot disk and double-
click on the CLI icon.  After the CLI window opens - switch your boot
disk with BC2 Disk #1 and type: DF0:CHESS2

4. After pressing the mouse button at the title page, BC2 will ask
you for a move out of the back of the manual.  See Copy Protection, 
page 2 of the manual.

LOADING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HARD DRIVE PLAY

1. Start your Amiga normally. 

2. If you haven't installed BC2 to your hard drive, you will need to
do so.  Double-click on the BCII2HD icon from Workbench or type: 
BCII2HD from the CLI.

3. To load BC2 from here, double-click on the BC2 icon from Workbench
or from the CLI enter the proper subdirectory and type: CHESS2

4. Press a mouse button at the title page.  If you are playing for the
first time, you will need to enter a confirmation move from the back of
the manual.  See Copy Protection, page 2 of the manual.  If this is 
poses a problem, use the cracked version, See Skid Row.

MOVEMENT

Use your mouse to position the flashing square under the piece you want
to move, then press the left mouse button to select it.  Select the 
desired destination point by using the mouse, then press the left mouse
button.  You will notice that legal moves are solid green squares and
illegal ones are solid red.  There is no keyboard movement.

MENUS

See pages 4-7 of the manual for an explanation of the menus.  There is
no way to use the keyboard to bring up the menus.  Use your mouse to
operate the menus or use the following shortcut keys.

OA-F   Force Move
OA-M   Suggest Move
OA-T   Take Back
OA-S   Toggle Sound On/Off
OA-R   Replay
OA-L   Show Layout
OA-H   Toggle Help Move
OA-U   Toggle Music On/Off

   OA is the Open Amiga key, located on the right of the space bar.

PLAYING BATTLE CHESS II BY MODEM

   You can play BC2 over the modem with another Amiga or an IBM if both
of you have Hayes-compatible modems.  Refer to pages 8 and 9 in the
manual.

   You can get a list of credits and the current version number of the 
software by pressing ESC at the title page before you use a mouse button.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                       Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess


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Loading Instructions

For IBM/Tandy and 100% Compatibles

   Battle Chess II requires at least 640K to play.  Before you begin,
make a backup of your Battle Chess II disks.  (Refer to your DOS User's
Manual for instructions on how to make backups.)  MAKE SURE YOU PLAY 
WITH YOUR BACKUP DISKS ONLY.

1. Boot your computer with DOS.  If you have a mouse, make sure it is
connected and the driver installed.

2. Insert your backup of the BCII Startup disk.  The first time you play
CHINESE CHESS you must run the setup program.  Type a:setup <enter>.

   Follow the instructions on screen.  The setup program will configure 
BCII to your system (graphics, sound boards, input device).  If you are
not sure what you have or are having problems, configure your system to:

Graphics - CGA, Sound Board - Internal Speaker, Input device - Keyboard.

   When you are finished with configurations make sure you save them to 
disk.

3. If you want to play BCII from your hard disk, create a subdirectory
(we suggest creating one called CHESS2) and copy all files from all
disks into it.  (Refer to your DOS user's manual for instructions on
how to create directories and how to copy files.)

4. To load BCII from here, make sure you are in the proper directory
or at the proper directory prompt, and type CHESS2 <enter>

Copy Protection

   During the setup program, you will be asked to type in a move from
one of the fictional games in Appendix A of this manual.  Type in the 
move it requests and type <enter>.  For example, if asked for Blue's
third move in game #5, Morphy vs. Ching Ti, you would type K5F1 <enter>.
BCII will then be configured specifically for your system.  If you
change system configurations, you will need to run the setup program
again.

Page 3 \/

Movement

   NOTE: Mouse and joystick operations are the same.

   Using Keyboard - To move your chess pieces, use the arrows to 
position the flashing square under the piece you want to move, then 
press <enter> to select it.  Select the desired destination point by 
using the arrows and press <enter>.  (You will notice that legal moves 
are solid green squares and illegal ones are solid red.)  You can also 
move the flashing square by using algebraic notation.  For example, to 
move the Knight you would type 

           B1 <enter> 
           C3 <enter>.

  Using Mouse - To move your chess pieces, use the mouse to position the
flashing square under the piece you want to move, then press the left
button to select it.  Select the desired destination point by using the
mouse, then press the left button.  (You will notice that legal moves are
solid green squares and illegal ones are solid red.)

Page 4 \/

Battle Chess II Menus

   Using Keyboard - Press the <F1> key to bring up the menus.  Use the
arrows to switch between the menus and highlight an opponent.  Press
the <enter> key to select it.  Press the <ESC> key to exit without 
selecting any opposition.

   Using Mouse - Press the right mouse button to bring up the menus.
Keep holding the right mouse button down as you move the pointer over
menus titles and the appropriate oppositions will appear.  Move the
pointer down to the option you desire and when the option highlights,
release your hold on the right mouse button.  The four menus contain
the following options:

DISK

   Load Game, Save Game, New Game, Set Up Board, Quit

MOVE 

   Force Move, Take Back, Replay, Suggest Move, Show Layout, Help Move

SETTINGS 

   Sound On/Off, Music On/Off, 3-D Board, 2-D Board Roman, 2-D Board
Chinese, Human Plays Blue, IBM Plays Blue, Modem Plays Blue, Human
Plays Red, IBM Plays Red, Modem Plays Red

LEVEL

   Novice, Level 1-8, Set Time

   Menu options that have a "+" beside them are currently selected.
Note that the Boards you can change to will show up in the Settings
menu, while the one you are on does not.

Menu Options Explained

Load Game

   If you've saved a game before, this option recalls the game and
picks up where you left off.  After selecting Load Game, the Load
window will then appear displaying a list of your saved games.  Select
the game you wish to load by double-clicking with the mouse or using 
the arrow keys and pressing the <enter> key if you

Page 5 \/

don't have a mouse.  The game will be loaded with its saved settings.

Save Game

   Pick this option if you want to save a game to disk while the game
is in progress.  After Battle Chess II asks you to insert your save
disk, the Save window will appear.  Choose a slot with the mouse or
arrow keys, type a name for the game you wish to save, and then press
the <enter> key.

New Game

   This option lets you start a new game at any time.

Set Up Board

   This option lets you set up games for testing strategies.  Set Up
is performed on a 2-dimensional chess board with the additional
chess pieces arranged vertically on each side of the board.  Any of the
pieces can be selected and moved into any position by clicking on them
with the mouse.
Keyboard Users: To select a piece on the side of the chess board,
press the <F3> key, then using the arrows choose a specific piece, and
press the <enter> key.  This will return your chosen piece to the
chess board.

   From Set Up, you have four additional menu options:

   Clear Board: Removes all pieces from the board.

   Restore Board: While remaining in Set Up, this aborts any changes
you've made.

   Next Move Blue, Next Move Red: This determines who moves next.

   Done: Returns you to normal playing mode so you can play the game
you've set up.

   Note that once you've entered Set Up Board, all moves stored from
your current game are lost.

Quit

   You've had enough.  Exit to the operating system.

Force Move

   If you get impatient while waiting for Battle Chess II to make its
move, you can force it to move, you can force it to move with this
option.  This interrupts the computer's thinking process and makes it
take the best move that it has thought of so far (this command is not
instantaneous).

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Take Back

   This option will take back the last move made by either side.  You
can take back as many moves as you want, back to the first move you
made.

Replay

   Let's say you've just taken back a move, then decided it wasn't such
a bad move after all.  Just select Replay to put the piece back where it
was.

Suggest Move

   Want a hint for your next possible move?  The suggest Move option will
give you that hint.  Flashing highlights will appear on a point 
occupied by one of your pieces and the suggested destination point
(this command is not instantaneous).

Show Layout

   If this is selected, a window will appear showing the 2D board and
pieces.  This is advantageous when you want to see the board layout 
without the pieces in the way.

Help Move

   If selected, legal moves will be solid green squares while illegal
ones are solid red.  This defaults to on.

Sound On/Off

   Toggles the combat and animation sounds on and off.

Music On/Off

   Toggles the individual music scores for each piece on and off.

3D Board

   Shows the board in its splendid three-dimensional view with all
pieces animating.

2D Roman

   Shows the Two-dimensional board with Roman lettering carved into 
the pieces.

2D Chinese

   Shows the two-dimensional board with Chinese lettering beautifully 
engraved into each piece.

Human/IBM/Modem Plays Red/Blue

   Use these six settings to determine who plays which side.  For
example, if you wanted to play against another person, set Human

Page 7 \/

Plays Blue and Human Plays Red.  If you wanted the computer to play
against itself, set IBM Plays Blue, IBM Plays Red.  Any combination
of these is allowed (Exception: Modem Plays Red, Modem Plays Blue) as
long as one side plays Red and the other plays Blue.

Levels   

   Levels Novice through 8 are available.  Novice is the easiest,
and 8 is the hardest.

   The longer Battle Chess II thinks, the more carefully planned its
moves will be, and the better game it will play.  Under the Novice 
level, Battle Chess II only does one simplistic board evaluation.
Remember, if it's taking too long, you can always override the
thinking time by using the Force Move option.

Set Time

   This lets you change Battle Chess II's average thinking time to
any amount you want, from 1 minute to 10,000 minutes.  A window
will appear after you pick this option.  Type a number measured in
minutes and press the <enter> key, and Battle Chess II will take
approximately that long to think per move.

Shortcut Keys

   If you don't want to use the mouse to select the menus, certain
shortcut keys are available in combination with the ALT key.  See the
box below for the keys.

THINKING TIME PER LEVEL

Level  Time
Nov.   Special
1      5 seconds
2      10 seconds
3      30 seconds
4      1 minute
5      2 minutes
6      5 minutes
7      10 minutes
8      15 minutes

Check

   When your King is in check, the mouse pointer will change to a
"check" icon.  It will change back to the normal pointer when the King
escapes check.

Shortcut Keys

ALT F  Force Move
ALT M  Suggest Move
ALT T  Take Back
ALT S  Toggle Sound on/off
ALT R  Replay
ALT L  Show Layout
ALT H  Help Move
ALT U  Toggle Music On/Off

Page 8 \/

Playing Battle Chess II by Modem

   You can play Battle Chess II against a distant opponent if each of
you have a Hayes-compatible modem hooked up to your IBM.  If you have
only one com port, you cannot have a mouse driver installed.  If your
modem is properly connected, as shown in your modem manual, there
are 3 steps to start playing over the modem with Battle Chess II.
  
1. Arrange with your opponent who will be Red and who will play Blue. 
After you've agreed, both of you should load Battle Chess II and set
your opponent's color with the "Modem Plays Blue" or "Modem Plays Red"
menu option.  Hang up the phone on both ends before continuing.

2. One player must set his modem to auto-answer mode.  You can do this 
by pressing the <F2> then typing ATS0=1 and pressing the <enter> key.  
(That's a zero, not the letter "O".) 

3. The other player must call the player whose modem is set to auto
answer.  To dial a number, press the <F2> key then type ATD 555-1212,
substituting the correct phone number, and press the <enter> key.  You 
can use any phone number with the ATD command, including area codes.

   Your modem will pick up the phone and dial the number, and if all goes 
well, it'll then connect with the modem on the receiving end.  If you get
this far, you're set; you can start your chess game.  When you move a
piece, that move will happen on your opponent's end as well as yours.
Note that after the two players are connected, the menu options New Game,
Set Up Game, and Load Game will send an entire new chess board to both
sides, discarding the current game.

   When you set one player to Modem you can send text to your modem or
opponent by pressing the <F2> key.  This will bring up a dialogue box
in which you can enter a line of text.  The window will disappear when
you press <enter> and the line of text will be sent.  This is the way
you control your modem in Battle Chess II,

Page 9 \/

using the modem's AT commands, and it is also the way you send messages 
to your opponent once you are connected.  Press the <F2> key then type
one line and press the <enter> key.  A window will pop up on your
opponent's screen with your message.  After he or she dismisses the
window, the game can continue.  You can receive these messages at any
time except when a window is open on your screen.  If you type modem
commands in this way, the modem will act on them.  See your modem 
manual for details on AT commands.

   There are two steps to break the connection and hang up the phone.
First, press the <F2> key, then type +++ (three plus signs), press 
<enter>, and wait a moment.  This will get your modem's attention.
Then press the <F2> key and type ATH to tell your modem to hang up.
This will close the connection between the two players.

   Battle Chess II communicates at 300 baud with 8 bits and no parity.

Playing Battle Chess II With Serial Cables

   If you and an opponent have two IBM computers, you may play with one
person at each IBM.  Hook up a null modem cable between the IBMs' serial
ports.  Then one person should pick Modem Plays Red and the other, Modem
Plays Blue.  You can proceed to play as if you were connected by modem.
The only difference is that you never need to type any dialing commands.

Page 10 \/

A Brief History of Chinese Chess

   The central theme in all forms of chess is that chess is a 
representation of war without the randomness or inequalities of real war.
Both sides begin the battle with the same number of pieces, and except
for the privilege of first move, the sides are completely even.

    "Understand the Principles and the Enemy Will Be Vanquished."
                                           - Ping Fa

   The beginnings of chess can be traced back to seventh century India,
where the game was called 'Chaturang`.  Soon, it spread to the nearby
regions of Persia and China.  By the eleventh century, the game had 
migrated throughout Europe by way of Spanish and Italian traders.
During this time, it underwent many modifications until it became the
international version of chess that is seen today.

   While all this was happening in Europe, chess was undergoing 
different changes in China.  The Chinese version of chess differs 
from its western counterpart in that it more so reflects the Chinese
culture and philosophy.  For instance, since the Chinese were the
early developers of gunpowder, a piece representing a cannon was added 
to the set.  Each piece has a unique history associated with it which
reveals something of Chinese culture.  The river in the middle of the
board represents the 'Celestial River` or the 'Yellow River` dividing
the "Northern Territory" from the "Southern Territory".

   All in all, Chinese Chess is perhaps a more colorful representation
of war.  It combines a richer historical feeling characterized by
the symbolic presence of each piece with a greater scope of movement
allowed by the larger and more open board.

Page 11 \/
    
Basics of Chinese Chess

   The goal of playing a game of Chinese Chess is identical to that of
many other games - specifically, defeating your opponent.  In Chinese
Chess, this is done by placing your opponent's King in checkmate or
stalemate.

   Here are the rules of Chinese Chess in a nutshell:

   o Two opponents play against each other.  One player is usually red, 
and the other, blue.

   o Each player has one King, two Rooks, two Cannons, two Knights, two
Ministers (blue Ministers are sometimes replaced by Elephants), two 
Counsellors (or guards), and five Pawns.

   o The object of the game is to put the opponent's King in "checkmate"
or "stalemate".

   o The red player moves first then the two players alternate moves.
You must move when it is your turn.

   o You may only move one piece per turn.  A move is when a piece moves
from one intersection to another intersection.  Each kind of piece moves
in its own individual way, described in the section of the manual
titled, "The Individual Pieces."

   o No piece (except the Cannon) may jump over or pass through any other 
piece on the board when it moves.  Only one piece can be on an
intersection at a time.

   o Any piece may capture any of the opponent's pieces by landing on the 
same point with it.  The captured piece is removed from the board and is 
out of the game.  You may only capture one piece per turn.

   o When an opponent's piece threatens the King and that piece could
capture the King on the next move, the King is said to be in "check".

   o If your king is in check, you must either move the King out of 
check, block the attack with another piece, or capture the piece putting
your King in check.  If you cannot escape check in one of these ways,
the King is in "checkmate", you lose, and the game is over.

Page 12 \/

   o If your King cannot make a legal move and is not in check, your
opponent has achieved a victory through stalemate.  In Chinese Chess,
a stalemate victory is just as desirable as one achieved through
checkmate.
 
   o A draw occurs when neither side is capable of achieving a victory
in the ways described herein.

            "Nothing is more difficult than the art of maneuver.
             What is difficult about maneuver is to make the devious
             route the most direct and to turn misfortune to advantage."
                                       - Sun Tzu

Page 13 \/

The Board

   As you can see by looking at your screen, the chessboard consists of
nine vertical and ten horizontal lines.  When you boot Chinese Chess,
all the pieces are in their starting positions.  All Chinese Chess games
start from this initial position.

   Each side has an Imperial Palace made up of nine points in the 3 x 3 
square marked by the diagonal lines.  The open section, called the river, 
in the center of the board divides the northern territory from the 
southern.  The markings at some of the intersections denote the starting 
positions of the pawns and the cannons.

Page 14 \/

The Pieces

Kings:

   The King may move one point forward, backward, left, or right, but
may never move diagonally.  He is also restricted to movement within the 
Imperial Palace.  The King may never move so that he is in check or 
directly across the board from the enemy King with no pieces in between.  
Also, another piece may not move in such a way that the King will be in 
check or that he will be directly facing the enemy King.

           "The short men carry lances and halberds, and the tall men
            bows and crossbows.  The strong carry the banners and flags;
            the valiant the bells and drums; the weak are servants and
            prepare food.  The wise lay plans."
                                         - Wu Ch'I
 
Counsellors:

   Counsellors may move one point in any diagonal 

Page 15 \/

direction within the Imperial Palace.

Ministers:

   Ministers may move exactly two points in a diagonal direction along
the same line.  They may never cross the river and they cannot jump over 
or through obstructing pieces.

Knights:
     
   Knights may move one point forward, backward, left, or right, followed
by one point diagonally left or right.  Unlike conventional chess, the
Knight may not leap over pieces to make its move.  For example, if a point
directly ahead of the Knight is occupied, the Knight cannot move forward 
in that direction.

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Rooks:

   Rooks may move any number of unobstructed points in a horizontal or
vertical direction.

Cannons:

   The Cannon moves much like the Rook.  It may move any number of points
in a horizontal or vertical direction.  However, in order to capture a
piece, the Cannon must first jump over a single piece of either color. 
This piece is called a "bridge" or "screen."  The Cannon then moves to the
point occupied by the captured piece.

Page 17 \/

Pawns:
     
   Pawns may move a single point forward, until they cross the river. 
After crossing, they may move left or right in addition to forward.  Pawns
may never move backward and they never promote upon reaching the far end 
of the Board.  Unlike conventional chess, they capture by moving straight
ahead.

Roman Lettering

   Each piece is represented with the following letter on the 2D Roman 
board:

     K - Kings
     G - Counsellors
         (Guards)
     M - Ministers
     N - Knights
     R - Rooks
     C - Cannons
     P - Pawns

Page 18 \/

The Individual Importance of Each Piece

   By now, you should be getting a sense of the power of each piece.

   The Rook is considered the most powerful piece because of its ability
to move swiftly from one side of the board to the other.  It is considered
to have the roughly the power of a Knight and Cannon combined.  Its power
diminishes slightly toward the end of the game as it requires the help of
other pieces to penetrate a well-established enemy defense.

   The Cannon is considered the second most powerful piece because of its
ability to destroy from a distance and its swift movement.  Like the Rook,
its power diminishes toward the end of the game because its capturing power
is reduced as more pieces are eliminated from play.  However, it is perhaps
the most important piece during the opening both offensively and
defensively.

   The Knight is considered only slightly less powerful than the cannon
because of its restricted movement early in the game.  During that time, it
is used primarily for defense.  Its power greatly increases toward the
mid-game as fewer pieces get in its way.

   Ministers and Counsellors are extremely limited because the former can
never cross the river and the latter cannot leave the Imperial Palace.  
For this reason, both are used exclusively for defense. Ministers
provide the outer defenses while Counsellors block attacks within the
Imperial Palace.
 
   Pawns are considered the least powerful pieces because of their
limited movement.  Once across the river, however, the Pawn's power
increases as its movement abilities increase.  Initially, a Pawn is used 
to block the enemy's attacks and provide bridges for the cannons.  Unlike
conventional chess, Pawns are not promoted when reaching the far horizontal
line.  Therefore, it is not always wise to advance your pawns too far
across the board. 

   A way of remembering all of this is to think in terms 

Page 19 \/

of points: a Rook is worth about 9 points; a Cannon about 4.5; a Knight
about 4; a Minister or Counsellor about 2; and a Pawn about 1.  If the
Pawn has crossed the river, however, it should be considered about 2
points.

   Because of the King's importance in winning the game, his value
cannot assigned a point value.

   Keeping this in mind, you can see that you would come out well ahead in
power if you were able to trade a Knight for a Rook.  However, there will
be times when you may want to sacrifice a high value piece for one of much
lower value - if, for instance by trading a Rook for a Counsellor you can
set up for checkmate in the next move, then it doesn't really matter
how many points you have lost.  What ultimately matters in the game of
Chines Chess is whether or not you win the game.  Everything else, 
including points, is second.

Page 20 \/

Winning the Game

   Because of the limitations on many of the pieces' movements, Chinese
Chess games are generally shorter than conventional chess games.  
Basically, there are two ways to win: 

   1. Put your opponent in checkmate.

   1. Stalemate your opponent.    

   A checkmate occurs when a King is in check and he has no way to escape
and he has no way to escape the check.  A stalemate occurs when a player
has no legal moves to make.  A player is considered to be in check when his
King can be captured by an enemy piece on his opponent's next move.  A
player can escape check in one of three ways: 

   1. Move the King out of the way to a safe point.

   2. Move another piece to block the path of the check.

   3. Capture the enemy piece putting the King in check.

   A player who cannot escape check in one of these three ways is said to
be in checkmate and the game is over.  If a player is not in check, but any
move the player makes will put him in check (which is illegal), the player
has been stalemated and loses the game.

Page 21 \/

Drawn Games

   As in conventional chess, if neither side is able to capture the
opposing King, the game ends in a draw.  This often happens if neither side
has any pieces remaining which can cross the river.  There are two other
rules, unique to Chinese Chess, which help prevent draws:

   1. It is illegal for the same piece to put the opposing King in check
three times in a row.  "Draw By Perpetual Check", as it is called, is
NOT allowed.

   2. It is illegal for a piece to chase an opposing piece back and
fourth.  If either piece moves to more than two squares while the "chase"
occurs, then it is legal to continually threaten that piece.

   Also, if the threatened piece is protected at either point, the chase
can continue.

   For example, a Rook moves from point A to point B to avoid capture
by an enemy Knight.  The enemy Knight then moves from point Y to point
Z.  If the Rook moves back to point A, the Knight could not move back to
point Y unless the Rook is protected at either A or B.

   Therefore, draws usually occur when both sides are reduced in power
so that neither can penetrate the enemy's defenses.

Page 22 \/

Chinese Chess Notation

   For the purposes of playing Chinese Chess by computer, algebraic
notation is used to enter and note moves.  The letters "a" through
"i" run across the bottom of the board from left to right, while the
numbers "1" through "10" (or "0" for our purposes) run from bottom to 
top.  Therefore, to move the red Cannon on the left to capture the
blue Knight on the first move, you type 

                          B3 <enter>
                          B0 <enter>

   Descriptive Notation is more commonly used in texts containing games,
although it is rather awkward.  The vertical lines are numbered "1"
through "9", left to right for red.  Each move consists of a four
letter code.  The first letter is the piece's designation (eg. "C"
for Cannon), the next place is the number of the file (line) that the
piece is on.  The third letter represents the type of movement ("F"
for forward, "B" for backward, and "H" for horizontal).  The last digit
represent one of two things: if the piece remains on the same vertical
line, it is the number of steps taken forward or backward; if it
changed lines, then it is the new line the piece is on.

   The four opening moves in Fig. 1 can be represented as follows:

                              Algebraic

                                H3-E3
                                B1-C3
                                G4-G5
                                B3-B7

                             Descriptive

                                C2H5
                                N8F7
                                P3F1
                                C8F4

Page 23 \/

Strategy

   The Objective in Chinese Chess is the same as in conventional chess,
however, the strategies involved are much different.  In Chinese Chess, a
positional advantage is very important, since the King has such limited
mobility.  Often, a substantial material advantage can be offset by a
single Rook deep in enemy territory.  Remember that Chinese Chess is much
quicker and deadlier than conventional chess.  It's very common to win or
lose in the first few moves of a game.  Be aware of the many ways a King
can be checkmated and watch for these positions developing.

Openings:

   There are many different openings in Chinese Chess.  Whole volumes
have been dedicated to this single facet of the game.

   The most common opening is the "Central Cannon" opening.  This
consists of moving either Cannon directly behind the central Pawn. 
Subsequently, the Knights may be moved out to defend the central Pawn in
case the opponent decides to open similarly.  Otherwise, the central Pawn
can advance with little fear of being captured by the enemy Pawn because it
would place the opposing King in check by the supporting Cannon.

   Other variations on this opening consist of 'jamming' the enemy Cannon
by advancing your other Cannon to the seventh rank or, using the Cannons
to defend ranks adjacent to the river from attack.

   Other strategies involve moving pieces to free the most powerful 
piece, the Rook.  Carefully watch which pieces are endangered and which
ones you can capture.

   It's important to establish yourself offensively and defensively
from the start of the game.  For example, you can capture an enemy 
Knight with your Cannon on the very first move.  This is generally
not considered a good move since the resulting loss of your Cannon is

Page 24 \/

usually devastating in the opening game.  However, it is important
to note that you can threaten many pieces within one or two moves.

       "Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a
        situation to which he must conform; they entice him with
        something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible 
        profit they await him in strength."
                                       - Sun Tzu

Though the opening game is important, it is not absolutely necessary
to consume a vast knowledge of opening moves since the Chinese Chess
board is so much larger and more open than its western cousin.
Imagination and innovation in the opening game very often results
in a far superior position.

Midgame:

   Like conventional chess, there is no single "formula" for success
in the midgame.  There are several guidelines that may be helpful
in forming your own strategy:

   o Do not attack without enough reinforcements.

   o Try to shift your point of attack from side of the board to the
other in order to keep your opponent off balance.

   o Capture at least one Minister and/or Guard to help you set up your
final blow.

   o Keep pressuring your opponent's weakly protected pieces, even if 
they are only Pawns.

   o Move your Rooks out into an attacking position early, but not at 
the expense of your initiative.

   o If a piece cannot be protected from an attack very easily, it is
often better to use the 'extra` move to advance another piece to a 
much better position.

   When deciding whether or not to sacrifice a piece, you must take into
account how valuable that piece is at that point of the game.  For
instance, a Cannon is not worth as much later in the game simply
because there aren't that many pieces to jump over.  Knights generally
tend to become stronger later in the game because they benefit from
greater mobility.  Also keep in mind that a Cannon is invaluable when
attacking a

Page 25 \/

well defended King, since it is the only piece in the game that can
'jump` over other pieces.

Endgame:

   The end-game in Chinese Chess is not quite as complicated as 
conventional chess because

   a) the King is very limited in its mobility, and
   
   b) a stalemate is considered a victory.

   There are a few points to keep in mind when approaching the end-game:

   o The King cannot move diagonally.  Therefore, a Rook can effectively 
limit the King to only a few moves without the risk of being captured
itself.

   o The King cannot directly face the enemy King without another
piece between them.  This rule can effectively be used to contain
the enemy King to a smaller area.

   o Make sure you have enough pieces to overcome the defenses.  
Otherwise, you should try to force a draw by using your offensive 
pieces (ones that can cross the river) in defense.

   The side with the most pieces or points does not necessarily have
the advantage.  Many strategies exist to win the game or at least force 
a draw when you are at the disadvantage.  Learning and practicing end
game strategies by setting up boards with only a few pieces will
greatly improve your Chinese Chess playing.

           "Use the most solid to attack the most empty."
                                   - Ts'ao Ts'ao

           "If you are able to hold critical points on his strategic
            roads the enemy cannot come.  Therefore Master Wang said:
            'When a cat is at the rat hole, ten thousand rats dare not
            come out; when a tiger guards the ford, ten thousand deer
            cannot cross."
                                   - Tu Yu

Page 26 \/

Appendix A

Fictional Games from History

   1) Marco Polo (Red) vs. Kublai Khan (Blue), 1275 AD

   It is rumored that on one of his visits to China, Marco Polo engaged
the great Khan in a game of Chinese Chess.  Although-neither player was
a master, Kublai was the more experienced of the two.

   Marco Polo's fast and furious attack on the Khan's territory is at
first successful, but he sacrifices too many pieces.  The end result has
Marco Polo with only one offensive piece remaining and a certain 
victory for the Khan.

   Red     Blue

 1. C2H5   N2F3
 2. N2F3   C8H6
 3. R1H2   N8F7
 4. C8F4   C6F4
 5. P7F1   C2F7
 6. R9H8   C6H1
 7. C8F1   C1H7
 8. C8H3   C7B4
 9. N3F4   C7H5
10. R2F7   C5F4
11. C5F4   N3F5
12. R2H5   M3F5
13. N4F5   R9F1
14. R2F7   R9H4
15. N5F3   R4F4
16. R8B4   C5B2
17. R8H4   R4H5
18. G6F5   C5F4
19. G4F5   G6F5
20. R4F5   R5H3
21. K5H4   R3F4
22. K4F1   R3H7
23. N4F4   R7B1
24. K4B1   R7H5
25. R4B2   G5B6
26. R4F3   K5F1
27. R4B1   K5B1
28. R4F1   K5F1
29. R4B1   K5B1
30. resigns

   2)Tai Tsung (Red) vs. Emperor Chao (Blue), 975 AD

   Tai Tsung is one of the early masters of the game of Chinese Chess.
His strategy is unusual and worthy of observation.  Un-

Page 27 \/

like many players, Tai Tsung used his Pawns as offensive spearheads for 
his attacks.  Here is one of his rumored games against the Emperor.

   Notice Tai Tsung's early sacrifice of his Cannons for position.
Then he slowly advances his Pawn along the seventh rank to secure his
victory.

   Red     Blue
 
 1. C8F4   C8H5
 2. N8F7   N2F3
 3. C2F5   N8F7
 4. N2F3   C5H8
 5. R1H2   C8H9
 6. R2F6   P7F1
 7. R2F1   R9H8
 8. R2F2   N7B8
 9. M3F5   C9H7
10. P7F1   C7F4
11. N7F6   M3F5
12. N6F7   K5F1
13. M7F9   C7H1
14. R9H7   R1F1
15. P7F1   N7F6
16. P1F1   R1H4
17. R7F3   C1H5
18. N3F5   R4F6
19. P7H6   R4H5
20. G6F5   R5H1
21. P6F1   R1F2
22. G5B6   R1H2
23. C7B3   C2F1
24. P6F1   N3B1
25. C8H9   R2H4
26. K5H4   C2F6
27. P6F1   K5B1
28. C9F5   C2H6
29. C9F1   G4F5
30. P6F1 mate

   3) Su Hsun (Red) vs. Tai Tsung (Blue), 989 AD

   It is rumored that the aging Tai Tsung put his undefeated record
on the line against the poet Su Hsun.

   Tai Tsung as usual moves his Pawns out early, but Su Hsun reacts well
to this movement.  It is Su Hsun's Rooks, however, that move in for the
kill to give Tai Tsung his only recorded defeat.

    Red     Blue

 1. C8H5    N8F7
 2. C2F4    C2H5
 3. N2F3    C5F4
 4. N3F5    N2F3

Page 28 \/

 5. C5H3    M3F5
 6. C3F4    P3F1
 7. P3F1    N3F2
 8. P7F1    P5F1
 9. P9F1    P5F1
10. P9F1    P1F1
11. P3F1    M5F3
12. N5F7    P1F1
13. N7F5    M7F5
14. N5F6    K5F1
15. C3H6    N7F6
16. C6H5    K5H6
17. C2H4    C8H4
18. P3F1    N6F4
19. C5B1    R1F3
20. C5H4    K6H5
21. R1H2    R1H6
22. R2F8    K5B1
23. C6H5    R6H5
24. C5H8    N4B2
25. R9F4    M5F7
26. R2H6    C4H7
27. R9F5    C7F7
28. K5F1    P5H6
29. K5H6    C7H4
30. R9H6 mate

   4) Timur (Red) vs. Yung Le Ti (Blue), 1395 AD

   The great general of Southeast Asia, Timur, is rumored to have avoided
a conflict with the Ming Dynasty in China by challenging the best Chinese
player at the time, Yung Le Ti, to a game of Chinese Chess.  The winner 
would be allowed all of the territories in Indochina without interference
from the loser.  One can only guess at how the history of that region 
might be different if the outcome of this game had been different.

   Timur moves into attack position early, while Yung Le Ti establishes
his defenses.  Through careful sacrifices, it is the great general
and strategist, Timur, who comes out with a victory.  Note also Timur's
use of both Rooks to achieve his checkmate.

   Red     Blue

 1. C2H3   C2H3
 2. R1F2   C8H5
 3. N8F7   C3F4
 4. C3F4   P3F1
 5. P3F1   P3F1 

Page 29 \/

 6. P1F1   C3F3
 7. R9H7   N8F9
 8. P3F1   R8H8
 9. C8F5   R8F9
10. C8H1   M7F9
11. P3H4   R8H7
12. P4F1   R7H6 
13. K5H4   P5F1
14. P4F1   C5H3
15. C3H5   P3F1
16. P4H5   G4H5
17. P5F1   K5F1
18. R1H6   C3F5 
19. R4F6   K5F1
20. R4F1   N2F3
21. R4H5   K5H4
22. C5H7   C3B4
23. R7F3   C3F1
24. R7F2   R1F2
25. R7F1   M3F5
26. R7H6 mate
 
   5) Morphy (Red) vs. Ching Ti (Blue), 1860 AD

   The great American chessmaster, Palos Morphy, is rumored to have
agreed to play the Chinese master, Ching Ti, one game of Chinese Chess
and one game of European Chess.  After soundly defeating his opponent
in the European game, Morphy was quite shocked to lose the Chinese
game in only eleven moves.

   Morphy attempts one of the standard openings in Chinese Chess, but
his experienced opponent uses it to set up the kill.  Notice the power
Ching Ti has when his Cannons are lined up together.  Morphy can move
out of the way briefly, but not for long.

   Red     Blue

 1. C8H5   N8F7
 2. P5F1   C2H5
 3. C2F4   K5F1
 4. N2F3   C5F3
 5. C5F4   N7F5
 6. C2H5   C7H6
 7. R1H2   C6F4
 8. K5F1   C6H5
 9. K5H4   C5B3
10. N3F4   C5H6
11. N4F3   C5H6 mate  

Page 30 \/

           "It is sufficient to estimate the enemy situation correctly
            and to concentrate your strength to capture him.  There is
            no more to it than this.  He who lacks foresight and under-
            estimates his enemy will surely be captured by him."
                                   - Ts'ao Ts'ao

Index

Loading Instructions                      2
Movement                                  3
Battle Chess II Menus                     4
Load Game                                 4
Save Game                                 5
New Game                                  5
Set Up Board                              5
Quit                                      5
Force Move                                5
Take Back                                 6
Replay                                    6
Suggest Move                              6
Show Layout                               6
Help Move                                 6
Sound On/Off                              6
Music On/Off                              6
3D Board                                  6
2D Roman                                  6
2D Chinese                                6
Human/IBM/Modem                           6
Levels                                    7
Set Time                                  7
Shortcut Keys                             7
Check                                     7
Playing By Modem                          8
History of Chinese Chess                  10
Basics of Chinese Chess                   11
The Board                                 13
The Pieces                                14
The King                                  14
The Counsellor                            14
The Minister                              15
The Knight                                15
The Rook                                  16
The Cannon                                16
The Pawn                                  17
Importance of the Pieces                  18
Winning the Game                          20
Drawn Games                               21
Chinese Chess Notation                    22
Strategy                                  23
Openings                                  23
Midgame                                   24
Endgame                                   25
Appendix A                                26
Fictional Games                           26

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