Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

This is the place for any magazine-related discussions that don't fit in any of the column discussion boards below.
Post Reply
User avatar
imurillo723
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:20 pm
Location: Mokena, IL
Contact:

Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by imurillo723 »

Hi all, I am new to this forum. I hope that I can be of help to anyone out there, as I am sure I can count on all of your help as well. Well anyways, here is my problem:

I have a problem with an old Kasparov Blade Chess game. When the game is turned on, the game will not play, but it will say "White to move, illegal move". I think that one of the membrane switches in the board playfield may be sticking, but I don't know which one it is. Can anyone direct me to a web site that can help me to troubleshoot this problem? I am thinking that there may be a keypress combination that must be done on power-up that will put the game into a diagnostic mode. Any help you can think of will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Have a great day.....

Sid
User avatar
MrAl
Posts: 3862
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2002 1:01 am
Location: NewJersey
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by MrAl »

Hi,


One way to tell is to open the case and use an ohm meter to test each switch. You'll have to find out where the
matrix connects to the pc board. You'll have to look for a low ohm reading between two matrix row and column
lines and trace it to the actual switch causing the problem. Many times the row and column lines are distinctly
separate connections on the pc board so they may be easy to find. Of course the unit should not be powered
during the test with the meter, so remove batteries or unplug the wall wart if using that.

Let me ask you this:
When you press any board square does one or more LED's light up? That's typical for membrane chess games,
and if so that would tell you which switch it is. If not, you probably have to use the ohm meter.

Another problem might be that one of the switches doesnt make contact when depressed.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
User avatar
imurillo723
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:20 pm
Location: Mokena, IL
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by imurillo723 »

This game has 8 LEDs on the side of the vertical and 8 LEDs along the bottom for the horizontal of the board matrix. This way, it only lights 1 horizontal and 1 vertical LED to tell you which piece is moving. After you press that switch, it will then light the next combination to let you know where that piece is moving to. That is how it is supposed to work.

What it is doing now: After turning on the power, it will say "White to move....Illegal move". When I open it up and disconnect the ribbon cable that comes from the board matrix switch and power it up again all it will say is "White to move". Which is what it is supposed to do. :x

I can try like you say and test different points on the ribbon cable that comes from the switch matrix. Problem is, the cable comes through the plastic front side of the game and you can't really tell which pins are for the horizontal or vertical points. But, theoretically, if nothing is pressed on the keyboard matrix, I should be reading no continuity between any pins on the ribbon connector. :idea:

Anyhoo....I appreciate your help on this. Do you or anyone else know of a website that can give me more technical data on this? Thanks again in advance. :cool:


Have a great day.....

Sid
User avatar
MrAl
Posts: 3862
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2002 1:01 am
Location: NewJersey
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by MrAl »

Hi again,


That's how i thought it worked, except for the ribbon cable and connector. That ribbon cable makes it
easier because you can work on the switch matrix itself.

(please see next post)
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
User avatar
MrAl
Posts: 3862
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2002 1:01 am
Location: NewJersey
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by MrAl »

Hi again,


The original method i previously posted did not work in simulation because several lines become connected during the test.
A better method seems to be as follows...

Number all the lines from 1 though 16. Use an ohm meter for the tests.
Starting with the common on line 1, test lines 1 to 2, then 1 to 3, then 1 to 4, etc., and then from
2 to 3, then 2 to 4, etc., and then from 3 to 4, then 3 to 5, etc., then 4 to 5, 4 to 6, etc:

(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),...,etc., then
(2,3),(2,4),(2,5),...,etc., then
(3,4),(3,5),(3,6),...,etc., then
follow that same pattern.

Eventually we will test a pair that shows a short. That shows the bad switch, but we still dont know where it is,
so we need to test some more...

Lets say we tested (2,11) and got a short there. Now we put the common on line 2 and test every
other line while pressing a8, then while pressing b7, then c6, etc, along that diagonal, until we find more
shorts. For the same example as before (b3 bad) we would find shorts at lines 10 and 15 when we pressed
b2 and b7 respectively. This also means line 2 might be b because that didnt change.
Next, we would do the same test only this time pressing h8 through a1 along that diagonal.
Doing that we would get shorts at lines 3 and 6 for pressing c3 and f3.
Now all we do is look at the results:
b7, b2, c3, and f3, and note that we found 'b' twice and we also found '3' twice, so the presumption is
that we found switch b3 to be bad.

Unfortunately if the bad switch is directly on the diagonal, then you get two results. For say c3 bad,
we get closures at c6 and f3, which means it can be either c3 or f6. We'd then have to test both
of those possibilities.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
User avatar
imurillo723
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:20 pm
Location: Mokena, IL
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by imurillo723 »

I get the picture. I can then test to see what works. After I eliminate that, whatever is left has to be the bad switch. The problem still remains: How do I fix this? The switch board is a membrane keyboard. I am afraid of taking it off without damaging it. My oldest son had an idea: How about using a heat gun? Maybe that can warp the bad switch back into place.

Still....Does anyone know of any place where I can get a replacement membrane switch assembly?

Thanks for the great ideas. With that, I can at least narrow it down to a single switch.


Have a great day.....

Sid
User avatar
Janitor Tzap
Posts: 1707
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:17 pm
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by Janitor Tzap »

imurillo723,

I found this website for Saitek.
And here is the contact & support page.
http://www.saitek.com/uk/info/contact.htm

They still sell Chess Games.
So you may just luck out, and they have a replacement key pad.

Hope that helps you.


Signed: Janitor Tzap
User avatar
MrAl
Posts: 3862
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2002 1:01 am
Location: NewJersey
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by MrAl »

Hi again,


If you can get a new board as Janitor suggests that would be great. If not, i suggest
cutting the entire square out with a sharp razor knife. If you cut right on the exact
edges of the square you can lift the whole square, then work on the switch under it.
You can glue it back down when done. I think the top layer is just glued down anyway
if i remember right. It will be hard to tell it was fixed if you do it carefully.
I fixed one once that got a hole in one of the squares when something dropped on it.
I think i used silicone to fill the hole. Looked fine after that.

What i did back in the 1980's was took one of those chess games and connected
CMOS CD40xxx series analog switches across the rows and columns so that when
the switch ic's were sent a number like 0x18 that would depress key a8. The
switches were fed from the parallel port of a TRS80 computer, which i had written
software for to also detect a board square depression, so i could store all the games
and replay them using the computer. It was pretty cool but a heck of a lot of
tiny wires. These days we have decent chess software right on the PC so we dont
really need these interfaces really anymore, which brings us to the next idea...

There are many chess programs out there for the PC computer which probably blow
that old chess game you have right out of the water. Even the free ones can probably
beat that old game in every single game! You dont need a chess board then either,
just a mouse to move the virtual pieces.
A good example of a free one is:
GNU Chess with Winboard

The older dedicated chess machines used processors with clock frequencies around
8MHz or even lower, while today's PC's run upwards of 800MHz, which is a 100 fold
increase in speed. It shows up as much much better chess playing.
With some of the commercial chess programs you'll actually have to be a Grand Master
to beat them, literally. They cost near 50 dollars US, but may be a little higher too now.
Most times they will beat those old machines in 25 moves or less.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
User avatar
imurillo723
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:20 pm
Location: Mokena, IL
Contact:

Re: Kasparov Blade Chess Game problem

Post by imurillo723 »

Thanks Mr. Al. Actually, my 7 year old grandson has Chessmaster 10 loaded on his laptop and loves to play it all the time. :grin:

I just like to fiddle with repairing things and this game seemed like just the thing to keep me occupied these days. Thanks for the support and ideas. I'll get right on testing the playfield through the ribbon cable and see if I can narrow it down to a key position, then work from there. I'll keep you all up to date on my progress.

Thanks again. :mrgreen:


Have a great day.....

Sid
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot] and 11 guests