Greetings all, I just purchased a Millennium Exclusive board, with the Chess Classics Element computer. I was experimenting with the "Mate In" level tonight, using the set up position as seen in this image. I'm puzzled about why the computer was still working on the problem 45 minutes later.

That "mate in..." image is from a site where a person was using an emulator of older electronic chess boards on his computer, and the emulator was able to solve the problem on many of those old programs (emulations of them, anyway). Here's a link to that page: https://chessplayeratlarge.blogspot.com/2022/

So I'm wondering if maybe I'm just doing something incorrectly on my Millennium? If anyone has specific suggestions for settings to use, or other tips, please let me know.

Thanks in advance!
Paul

Hi Paul !

You are using the level "Mate In" - but there is no forced mate at all from this starting position, so the device can't find any !

Only after the move 1. Nxe5 Bxd1 it's mate in 2 - but Black isn't forced to take the queen - hitting the knight instead avoids being mated (quickly) losing only a pawn.

It's not really a task "Mate in..." - but a best move position !

Please try another level and your computer will show you the right solution 1. Nxe5! within a few seconds.

Hans-Jürgen

Hi Hans-Jürgen!

I greatly appreciate your reply. I’m probably not properly understanding the concept, though, so forgive my ignorance here. I was thinking that if I used the “mate in” level, then used the “move” function to make the computer do the first move here for White, it would have calculated how to reach mate from that position.

I think you may be saying that I should use the “mate in” level strictly for when the problem involves a forced mate (instead of something which has move move possibilities before you are in a forced mate position). Is that correct? If so, then for this particular setup, I should just set up the board, play that 1st move, and let the computer do its part on a normal level?

And if you can bear with me a bit further: if you do set up a lmate in” problem on the board, set White to move, then shouldn’t the computer start trying to figure out the next move for white? Or do you have to use “move” (as I did),in order to get thing started?

Hope my questions don’t seem too stupid. Just trying to better understand how all this should work as a new user of this set.

Paul

Hi Paul

You seem to misunderstand the function of the mate-level. It is explained
in the user manual as follows:

On this level, the computer searches for the quickest way to force checkmate
from the current position. If it fails to find a forced mate in 37 ‘ply’ or less, it
displays ‘No mate found’ on the ‘Analysis’ info screen (see Section 4.4).
Note that on this level, the ‘Analysis’ screen gives no evaluation of the
position.

Kind regards
Kurt

Hi Kurt,

Thanks for your reply. I did read what you noted in the manual. What I’m still unclear about, though, is how that works in practice on this machine. What I mean is this: do I set up some “mate in” problem on the board, then select the level of “mate in” and that sends the computer off trying to solve the problem? I’m curious because on this particular problem (which apparently isn’t a legitimate “mate in” problem — although seems like the computer won’t know that initially), once I set the level and went back to the info screens there was no indication that the computer was trying to do anything (no hourglass symbol).

I’m not trying to be dense here, but I’m still not certain about how it should work in this particular mode/level.

I appreciate your patience in providing further input.

Paul

Hi Paul !

How about testing the Mate In-level with a real mate problem like this:
White: Kd4, Qg2
Black: Kd1, Pe2
White to move, mate in 5

1. Kd3 ? e1N+ ! =
1. Kc3 ! e1Q+ 2. Kd3 Qg3+ 3. Qxg3 Kc1 4. Qb8 Kd1 5. Qb1#

Can you please check your computer with this little problem by Siers ?
In a few seconds, at least in a few minutes the solution should be shown as well as output on the info screen.

Hans-Jürgen

Hi Hans-Jürgen!

Thanks for your idea as well as theexample mate problem. I was just about to try that this morning, after checking here (but with a different mate problem).

Anyway, I set up the board using your example. Then set the level to “find mate” (the Millenium Chess Classics Element does not ask you to specify the # of moves, it always looks for shortest to mate). Upon returning to the main INFO screen on the computer, it sits there indicating it is my turn to move. If I go to the computer menu and select MOVE, it makes the move for white, but then I have to keep using the MOVE function to get it to play additional moves. Seems odd to me, and I suspect I may be doing something wrong here.

Do you happen to own one of these? If so, can you (or someone else here) please tell me the specific steps to use the ”Find Mate” level? What I have done, stepwise, is the following:

1. Set up position on board, with White to have next move
2. Verify position
3. Set level to Find Mate
4. Return to the systems INFO screen (at this point, it has started the clock and is waiting for me to make a move for white x this seems wrong to me).

Thanks for any additional suggestions!
Paul