
       ͻ
            This file gives you some extra information about       
            the REBEL Decade 2.0 program and also contains the     
            last minute changes not mentioned in the manual.       
       ͼ

        The REBEL FAQ (frequently asked questions)
        ------------------------------------------
        The REBEL FAQ is maintained by Manfred Rosenboom and
        contains lots of valuable information and hints.
        You can find the REBEL frequently asked questions at:

        http://www.rebel.nl/faq.htm


        Below is a list of useful hints in case you experience
        a problem running REBEL Decade 2.0 on your PC.



        Graphical problems (VESA)
        -------------------------
        Some (older) graphical adaptors are not fully VESA compatible.
        You can bypass REBEL's VESA mode by running REBEL with the "V"
        option. Example: REBEL.EXE V
















        Graphical problems (MODE)
        -------------------------
        Some graphical adaptors while running REBEL do give
        problems due to the MODE + EGA setting in your
        AUTOEXEC.BAT startup file. Since REBEL is a VGA related
        application, on some PCs you must remove the following
        line from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

        MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((850) C:\DOS\EGA.CPI)

        and restart your PC again to activate the new setting.
        This seems to be *not* needed using Win95.









        Graphical problems (Matrox and Cirrus)
        --------------------------------------------
        If you have an old version of the Matrox or Cirrus Logic
        graphical adaptor, the pull down menus in REBEL Decade 2.0
        may be unreadable. You can fix this in the following way:
        - Start REBEL Decade 2.0
        - Press "F6" (is CFG menu)
        - Press "UP ARROW" 4 times
        - Press ENTER

        Menu is now ok!
        Press ALT_X (exit program) plus save changes.

        Problem solved forever. Your Cirrus Logic or Matrox video
        card does not support a font of REBEL Decade 2.0.
        You can find a bugfix for your Matrox card on the Internet
        at: http://www.matrox.com/




        Memory problems (64 MB)
        -----------------------
        On *some* PCs with 64 MB of memory, REBEL may report
        "Insufficient memory". Reason unknown. All we know is that
        it is HIMEM.SYS related.

        From input we received from REBEL 8 users we recommend:


        Running DOS 6.x
        ---------------
        Remove HIMEM.SYS from your CONFIG.SYS and the problem is over.









        Running Windows 95
        ------------------
        1.  Run REBEL Decade 2.0 by using the REBELWIN shortcut provided
            in the DECADE20 directory. Problem solved.

        2.  Don't run REBEL Decade 2.0 from the Win95 MSDOS prompt
            because this seems to be the problem maker. Again, reason
            unknown. There seems to be a different HIMEM.SYS behavior
            under Win95 than under the Win95 MSDOS prompt while having
            a 64 MB PC.

        3.  However if you insist on playing on MSDOS another solution
            is to bypass this 64 MB problem is to follow the exact rules
            as pointed out in the "Windows 95 (F8 trick)" described below.
            This will also work.






        Mouse not working
        -----------------
        Be sure that MOUSE=ON in the CFG menu.


















        Mouse problems Windows
        ----------------------
        In case you (sometimes) experience an unexpected crash
        while moving the mouse, run REBEL Decade 2.0 with START.BAT.
        You might have an incompatible mouse driver. Running the
        START.BAT fix may fix the problem.















        Windows 95 (F8 trick)
        ---------------------
        - Start / Restart your computer.
        - Press F8 as soon as "Starting Windows 95" appears.
        - Select MSDOS SAFE mode from the menu.
        - Load your mouse driver (MOUSE.COM, LH MOUSE etc.)
        - Start the program with REBEL.EXE from the DECADE20 directory.
        - You have started REBEL Decade 2.0 with the strongest settings.













        Other platforms (Mac)
        ---------------------
        - We officially do not support the Macintosh.
        - REBEL Decade 2.0 will most probably work using Softwindows 95.
        - REBEL Decade 2.0 will most probably run with a PC card.
















        Other platforms (OS/2)
        ----------------------
        - We officially do not support OS/2.
        - REBEL Decade 2.0 may or may not run on OS/2.

















        Other platforms (WIN NT)
        ------------------------
        - We officially do not support WIN NT.
        - REBEL Decade 2.0 may or may not run on NT.

















        Additions to the manual (part 1)
        --------------------------------

        1. Under the CFG pull down menu you'll have the capability
           to switch on/off the mouse.

        2. When in the database screen you can go back to the normal game
           by using [ESC] or clicking in the upper left corner or selecting
           the option of pull down menu DB-files "Leave database ESC".

        3. In the database with small boards activated there will appear
           two symbols above the boards "" and "" meaning that the
           position on the last board will go down or up by 3 moves.
           Keyboard users: CTRL PGUP and CTRL PGDN.

        4. When you have entered a PGN-database and have selected and
           loaded some games, then ALT-N (next game) and ALT-P (previous
           game) will work for your selection of PGN games.



        Additions to the manual (part 2)
        --------------------------------

        5. When you save a game into a database this game will become
           automatically selected. When you overwrite a selected game,
           this game will stay selected in the database of course only
           if "Keep Selection" is activated.














        General database information
        ----------------------------

        The Rebel Database is alphabetically organized.
        The advantages are clear: you will get all players
        properly sorted by name on your screen or printer.

        The Rebel Database is based on the famous B-Tree algorithm.
        This means in practice that if you have a Database of more than
        for example 1,000,000 games and you then search for specific
        game(s), the function "Search Names" will find those game(s)
        within seconds!

        The Rebel Database is also fully ELO based.
        All players in the standard Database on your system, are
        provided with their corresponding ELO rating of the latest
        FIDE ELO-list.




        In "Overviews", the calculation of a new ELO for any given
        player is based on his results in the Database.

        You therefore have the possibility of creating your chess
        club's own Database and thereby keeping a detailed track of
        the club players' ELO-progress.

        In principle you can make a Database as big as you want.
        The only disadvantage is that it makes the "Overviews" slow,
        because of all the sorting the program has to do.











        ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE "TEACHER" FEATURE:
        ------------------------------------------------

        When active the program shows the following information of the
        CURRENT BOARD POSITION:

        1).. Hanging pieces  : - The two most important hanging pieces
                                 are displayed. Be sure, don't lose a
                                 piece!
        2).. Passed pawns    : - Shows your passed pawns. Maybe you can
                                 promote?
        3).. Weak pawns      : - Shows the weak pawns you have. Be
                                 careful you can easily lose such a pawn.
        4).. Pinned pieces   : - Shows your pinned pieces. Be careful
                                 moving these pieces, you can easily
                                 lose material.

        Points 1 to 4 above have given information about the most
        important fields of your position. Points 5 to 8 will perform
        a quick judgement about your position.

        5).. Pawn Structure  : - All aspects of your pawn structure are
                                 taken into account (structure / isolated
                                 pawns /backward pawns) and a judgement
                                 is given.
        6).. Passed Pawn     : - A judgement of your passed pawns chances
                                 for possible promotion is given.
        7).. Your Mobility   : - A judgement of your mobility is given.
                                 Always be careful not to have a bad
                                 mobility. You can lose very quickly.
        8).. Your King safety: - A judgement of your king safety is given.
                                 Take special care not to have bad king
                                 safety. You can be mated very quickly.









        Possible judgement descriptions for points 5 to 8 are:

        - VERY GOOD         ... You have a superior position.
        - FINE              ... You have great advantage.
        - GOOD              ... You have advantage.
        - SLIGHTLY BETTER   ... You have a small advantage.
        - BALANCED          ... The position is in balance.
        - SLIGHTLY WORSE    ... You have a small disadvantage.
        - MODERATE          ... You have a disadvantage. (be careful)
        - BAD               ... You are in the danger zone.
        - VERY BAD          ... Red alert !










        Remarks and limitations of the TEACHER function:
        ------------------------------------------------

        Clicking in an empty place in the INFO MENU will swap the
        "TEACHER INFO" with the "POSITION INFO". Keyboard users use
        "ALT_T" here.

        The TEACHER information is always given from the mover's point
        of view.

        The judgement texts are always given as a SUM of black and white.










        This may have the following effects:

        a).. Your king is well protected and TEACHER says "Your King
             safety is VERY GOOD" then this means you have an enormous
             pressure on your opponent's king.

        b).. You have a normal pawn structure and TEACHER reports "Your
             pawn structure is FINE" this means that your opponent has
             certainly some (very) bad pawns.

        TEACHER is not allowed to conduct a very deep search about the
        current position because of time restrictions.

        Its calculation is very superficial and therefore, its
        judgements will not always be 100% correct.






        The super warroom (limitations)
        ===============================

        From the 4 main lines displayed in the super warroom, only
        the first one is 100% reliable (from the point of view of
        the program of course.)  The second/third and fourth main lines
        are not always correct but in most cases the moves will show
        you *WHY* the move is worse than the best move found so far!

        The reason for this is the typical behavior of the
        ALPHA-BETA algorithm used in the chess program. Without this
        algorithm the 4 main lines will look better, however the ELO
        rating of the program would drop 700-800 points without the
        ALPHA-BETA algorithm!







        An example
        ----------
        e2e4 e7e5 g1f3 b8c6 f1b5  (the main line)
        d2d4 d7d5 g1f3 g8f6 a2a3  (the second choice of the program)
                            ^^^^
        Of course a2a3 is not a good move here.
        Such a variation may happen because of the ALPHA-BETA concept.
        However the SECOND move (d7d5) is ALWAYS reliable (from the point
        of view of the program of course)












        DEALER INFORMATION:
        -------------------

        Rebel products are sold worldwide in 30 countries by a dealer
        network of more than 100 specialized chess shops.

        The below is a shortened list how to contact your nearest dealer
        by phone or by email.













U.S.A.                     PHONE            EMAIL
ICD/Your Move Chess&Games  800-645-4710     ICD@ICDchess.com
WWW Chess Superstore       800-425-3555     hodges@smartchess.com
The American Chess Shop    800-498-1130     yespan@aol.com
The Chess House            800-348-4749     sales@chesshouse.com
Thinkers' Press/Chessco    800-397-7117     tpi@chessco.com

GERMANY                    PHONE            EMAIL
Schach Niggemann           02867-8088       Schach.Niggemann@t-online.de
Gambit Soft                0741-46413       seifriz@gambitsoft.com
Schach Depot Harald Wohlt  0711-657.20.02   SchachDepot.Wohlt@t-online.de
Schachv. Norddeutschland   511-988.76.50    Schachversand@t-online.de
Martin Fette               030-45.60.60.35  MFette6065@aol.com
Juergen Daniel             02153-91.27.94   JuergenDaniel@CompuServe.COM
Steinwender (CSS-Shop)     040-832.93.133   Steinwender@t-online.de
Schachhaus Maedler         351-34.00.151   
Electroschach              030-78.576.74    
Robert Ullrich             09524-6610       



FRANCE                     PHONE            EMAIL
Telepat                    91-52-51-34      100072.2226@compuserve.com
Activ Echecs               01-45.47.80.83   orellana@worldnet.fr
Advantage Decisif          56.73.02.94      
Variantes                  161-4326-01-01   

ENGLAND                    PHONE            EMAIL
Chess & Bridge Ltd         0171-388-2404    chesscentre@easynet.co.uk
Eric Hallsworth            01353-741.514    eric@elhchess.demon.co.uk
BCM LTD                    0171-603.2877    100561.3121@compuserve.com
Countrywide Comp LTD       01353-740.323    
CB Software                0181-959-0670    
Tournament Chess Supp.     01707-659.080    

BELGIUM                    PHONE            EMAIL
Limbourg                   053 78 93 03     bvba100425.2424@compuserve.com
Marchand S.A.              322 649 39 97    

NORWAY                     PHONE            EMAIL
Miljo-Produkter A/S        52.72.72.52      miljo@intercom.no

SWEDEN                     PHONE            EMAIL
Mstarting AB              155.21.96.70     info@mastarting.se
Schack-Kompaniet J&Z       31.24.87.32      Ari.Ziegler@psysun.psy.gu.se

HOLLAND                    PHONE            EMAIL
Schrder BV                0570-610.632     info@rebel.nl
van Stockum                070-365.68.08    vstockum@bart.nl
Computercollectief         020-638.90.03    verkoop@comcol.nl
Schaak & Go Winkel         020-624.11.71    paard@xs4all.nl
Edelman ten Have           020-683.09.40    
Fidelity Electronics       010-425.25.94   

DENMARK                    PHONE            EMAIL
Chess Import & Consult     42.18.31.13      Per_Rasmussen@dk-online.dk
Chess Dansk Skaksalg       63.44.00.13      sales@skaksalg.dk

LUXEMBURG                  PHONE            EMAIL
Maison Schneider           57.12.44         



AUSTRIA                    PHONE            EMAIL
Schach Mattes              01.310.9318      
Rochade                    05244.5732       

SWITZERLAND                PHONE            EMAIL
ChessBase Data             01.940.86.22     

SCOTLAND                   PHONE            EMAIL
Chess Suppliers Scotland   0141.248.2887    

ITALY                      PHONE            EMAIL
Intelligent Games Srl      06.321.69.71     A.Provera@agora.stm.it
Prisma Editori SRL         06.8621.9434     prisma@corelli.nexus.it

SPAIN                      PHONE            EMAIL
Chessformat                3.265.46.25      chessformat@mail.seric.es
Gambito                    3.415.00.52      gambito@mail.seric.es

PORTUGAL                   PHONE            EMAIL
Infoxadrez                 1.354.1454       Luis.Costa@ip.pt

ICELAND                    PHONE            EMAIL
Rokver Ltd.                564.1440         rokver@centrum.is
Johannes Thordarson        568.7144         karri@ismennt.is

FINLAND                    PHONE            EMAIL
Tapio Heilala              (9)0-694.39.08   taphe@dlc.fi

POLAND                     PHONE            EMAIL
Piotr Kaczorowski          22.10.86.44      Kaczorowskikaczor23@telbank.pl

ISRAEL                     PHONE            EMAIL
Akid Ltd.                  9.741.77.13      burstein@netvision.net.il
Slav & Sons Ltd.           93.84.478        slav@inter.net.il

ARGENTINA                  PHONE            EMAIL
Ajedrez Integral           1.34.9531        roberto@alvarez.satlink.net

AUSTRALIA                  PHONE            EMAIL
Chess Discount Sales       2.211.2994       100026.2761@compuserve.com
Chess World                3.9380.1399      chesswd@ozemail.com.au

        Credits
        =======
        Chess program   : Ed Schrder
        IO and graphics : Robert Kemper
        Database design : Ed Schrder
        Book opening    : Jeroen Noomen
        Engine testers  : Jeroen Noomen, Ed Schrder
        Manuals         : Robert Kemper, Jeff LaHue, Manfred Rosenboom,
                          Gerda Croese, Jack van Rijswijck, Dennis
                          Breuker

        You can contact us on the Internet on our home page at:

                          http://www.rebel.nl







End.
