Checkers Users' Manual
Stand Alone, Inc.

Table of Contents

1 Welcome
    1.1 Included Files
    1.2 System Requirements
    1.3 Registering Checkers

        1.3.1 How to Register
        1.3.2 Necessary Information
        1.3.3 Entering the Registration Code

    1.4 Contacting Stand Alone, Inc.

        1.4.1 Business Hours
        1.4.2 Email
        1.4.3 Phone
        1.4.4 World Wide Web

    1.5 Reporting Problems
2 Installation
3 Playing Checkers for the Palm OS®
    3.1 Basic Rules
        3.1.1 Goal
        3.1.2 Moving Pieces
        3.1.3 Jumping
         3.1.4 Kings

    3.2 Checkers for the Palm OS®
        3.2.1 Starting a Game
        3.2.2 Moving Pieces
        3.2.3 Jumping
        3.2.4 Undoing a Move
        3.2.5 AutoPlay
        3.2.6 Ending a Game

    3.3 Keeping Score
    3.4 Getting Help
    3.5 Preferences and Optional Rules

        3.5.1 Computer Player
        3.5.2 Computer Skill
        3.5.3 Handicaps
        3.5.4 Optional Rules

 

1 About Checkers for the Palm OS®
Checkers for the Palm OS® brings the classic game of checkers to your Palm Powered™ device.

1.1 Included Files
Included in this archive are the following packages:

Checkers.prc
This is the software package that you need to install on your Palm Powered™ device .

Manual Folder
This folder contains both a text and html version of the user’s manual, as well as an images folder which contains the graphics for the html manual. To use the html manual, open it using any web browser.

Please refer to the Checkers product page at http://www.standalone.com/palmos/ for any updates to the list of supported Palm Powered™ devices. Throughout this manual, Palm Powered™ device is used to refer to all of these units.

1.3 Registering Checkers
Checkers is demoware, and costs $10.00
Stand Alone, Inc.'s software is called 'demoware', which means that we allow our users to try our software, fully functional, for 30 days.After 30 days, our software expires and becomes disabled until you register it. In order to register our software, you must purchase it. However, once you purchase our software, the lifetime registration allows you free upgrades to any future version of the software.

1.3.1 How to Register
There are several ways you may order your registration code from us.

You can order online at [WebPage], using our shopping cart. Please Note: Our Shopping Cart requires that you use a current browser, such as Internet Explorer 4.5 or better, due to security precautions.

Fax us at 773-477-2579
Email us at sales@standalone.com

1.3.2 Necessary Information
Please submit the following information when you contact us: your Palm User Name, your Palm Serial Number, and the Program Name

1.3.3 Entering the Registration Code
You can enter your registration code by one of two ways:

If your program has expired, simply enter into the program that you have registered and then tap the Enter Registration Code or Enter Password button on your screen. Then enter in the registration code.

If your program has not expired, then you must go into the program and then tap on your Menu button. The Menu button is located on your graffiti pad. Then tap on Option at the top of the screen. Finally, tap on Enter Registration Code or Enter Password and enter your registration code.

If you have any questions about registration or our registration policy, please feel free to email us at sales@standalone.com.

1.4 Contacting Stand Alone Inc.
There are several ways to get in touch with us here at Stand Alone, Inc. Email is the preferred form of communication. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or compliments, please do not hesitate to contact us through any of the methods listed below.

1.4.1 Business Hours
Stand Alone is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday. We are closed on Saturday and Sunday. These times are CST and GMT -6.

1.4.2 Email
Internet: info@standalone.com

1.4.3 Phone
Fax: (773) 477-2579

1.4.4 World Wide Web
www.standalone.com

1.5 Reporting Problems
If you find a problem in our software, it would be helpful if you reported it to us. To report a problem, please email us with Problem Report Request in the subject line. The email should include the following information: the type of Palm device you are using (i.e. Palm IIIx), the software name and version number (i.e. Super Names v1.5), the error message, a brief description of how we can recreate the error, and your name and email Address so we can contact you when the problem has be fixed

When reporting problems, it is best to email us, rather than calling, so that the programmers have a written record of the information they need to solve the problem.

2 Installation
When installing Checkers for the Palm OS®, follow the normal procedure for installing any third party software for your Palm Powered™ handheld. These instructions can be found in your handheld’s user manual.
Once Checkers for the Palm OS® is installed, open the program through the Applications screen, by tapping on the Applications icon. Then, tap the Checkers for Palm OS® icon to launch the software.

3 Playing Checkers for the Palm OS®
This section explains the basic rules of checkers and how to use the special features of Checkers for the Palm OS®.

3.1 Basic Rules
This section explains the basic rules for checkers.

3.1.1 Goal
The goal is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces without losing all of your own. The game ends when one side can not move, either because of board position, or because she has no more pieces.

3.1.2 Moving Pieces
To play checkers, you and the computer alternate turns. Each turn you may move one piece. Normal pieces may only be moved forward on the diagonal to an empty space. A forward move is when a piece is moved away from you and towards your opponent.

3.1.3 Jumping
You may jump an opponent’s piece rather than making a normal move. You may only jump opponent’s pieces which are adjacent to your piece on the forward diagonal. To jump you must move forward on the diagonal over the enemy piece to an adjacent open square. Jumped pieces are removed from the game.

3.1.4 Kings
If you move a piece to your opponent’s back row, it becomes a King. Kings may move and jump both forward and backwards.On color Palm Powered™ devices, Kings are marked with a yellow center. On Palm Powered™ devices without color, Kings are marked with the letter K.


3.2 Checkers for the Palm OS®
This section explains how to play checkers on your Palm Powered™ device.

3.2.1 Starting a Game
To start a game of checkers, tap the Menu button and select New Game from the Game menu. The default position of the board is with Red at the bottom and White on the top. You can reverse the board by tapping the Menu button, and selecting Reverse Board from the Game menu.

3.2.2 Moving Pieces
First, tap the piece you wish to move. When a piece is tapped, the legal moves are displayed with shaded piece. Tap the shaded piece to move the piece to the indicated square.


3.2.3 Jumping
Jumping is similar to moving pieces. First, tap the piece you wish to move. If it can jump, the shaded piece indicating legal moves is displayed across from the piece which can be jumped. Tap the shaded piece to move your piece to the indicated square.


3.2.4 Undoing a Move
You can undo a move if you make a mistake moving. To undo a move, tap the Menu button and select Undo move from the Game menu. This restores the game to turn before you made your last move.

3.2.5 AutoPlay
Use the AutoPlay option to have Checkers for the Palm OS® make your move for you. Go to the Menu button, and select AutoPlay from the Game menu. Your Palm Powered™ device will then take your move for you.

3.2.6 Ending a Game
You may choose to end a game before either side has been reduced to zero pieces. To do so, tap on the Menu button and Select End Game from the Game menu. A screen will appear and offer you three choices. Select Play to continue playing. Select Forfeit to give the victory to the computer. Select Offer a Draw to propose that the game is a tie. The computer will not always accept when you offer it a draw.

3.3 Keeping Score
Checkers for the Palm OS® keeps track of the winner of all of the games. To view the score, tap the Menu button, select the Options menu, and then select Score. The score screen records the wins and losses for each color, as well as for the computer and human players. To reset all scoring categories to zero, tap the Reset Score button.


3.4 Getting Help
Checkers for the Palm OS® has a built in help menu which contains information both the rules and the special features of the program. To get help, tap the Menu button, select the Options menu, and then select Help.

3.5 Preferences and Optional Rules


Checkers for the Palm OS® contains a number of preferences and optional rules which you can use to customize the program. To set the preferences, tap the Menu button, select the Options menu, and then select Preferences to open the Preferences screen. Tap the Help box in the lower right corner to provide an explanation for each of the preferences.

3.5.1 Computer Player
Check this box for the computer to play one side. Uncheck this box to play against another person. Tap the box to the right of Computer Player to set the computer to play the Red or White pieces. The shaded box indicates the current selection.

3.5.2 Computer Skill
Below the Computer Player line is a row of boxes which sets the computer skill level from Beginner to Expert. Tap a box to select the level of computer skill. The shaded box indicates the current selection.

3.5.3 Handicaps
If one player is better than her opponent, then a handicap can be set to aid the weaker player. If, for example, Red has a handicap of three, then White begins the game with three fewer pieces. To set the handicap, tap the arrow next to the current handicap. Then, select the desired handicap from the list.

3.5.4 Optional Rules
The Preference screen contains seven optional rules. Check the box next to the rule to enable the rule.

Must Jump
Checkers for the Palm OS™’ default setting is to have this rule enabled. When enabled, this rule states that any piece which can jump must do so. If multiple pieces can jump, or one piece has several possible jumps, the player may decide which jump to take.

Give Away
Give away is an optional rule which reverses the goal of checkers. If it is enabled, the goal is to lose all of your checkers. The winner of the game is the player who loses all of her checkers first.

Flying Kings
When the Flying Kings rule is enabled, Kings may move any number on spaces on a single diagonal. There movement is similar to a bishop’s in chess.

If a King jumps a piece, it must end its more directly on the other side of the jumped piece.

Numbered Board
Check Numbered Board to display the number of each square on the board. Use this option if you want to record the moves of game. In addition, to make it easy to follow recorded games, you can enter a move using the Graffiti® pad. To do so, enter the nuber where the piece begins the move, follwed by Return, folowed by the square where the piece will move.


While Plays First
Check this option to give White the first move. If it is unchecked, Red takes the first move.

Men Jump Backwards
Check this option to allow all pieces, rather than only Kings, to jump along both the forward and backward diagonals. Even if this option is checked, Kings are the only pieces which may move forward and backward.

Random Ballot Openings
This option automatically makes the first three moves of the game according to a random pick from a list of moves. After the first three moves, play returns to normal.

HotSync, Graffiti, and Palm OS are registered trademarks of Palm, Inc.
Palm Powered is a trademark of Palm, Inc.