Because the strategy used in a game of chess can be complicated, hundreds of helpful books have been written about mastering the game. As players become more interested in the game, they often look to these references for more advanced information. What we can explain to you here is limited to the object of the game, how to start a game, and how to move each piece on the board.
The object of the game is to put your opponent's king in checkmate. Each player has one king. As you capture your opponent's pieces, you'll gradually make the opposing king more and more vulnerable to capture. When your opponent's king cannot move out of the way of your pieces before your next turn, you've won the game. When you see a bold red square under your king, it's in check, and your opponent has won.
At the beginning of a game, the chess board features two groups of 16 pieces, each arranged in two rows, with one piece to a square. As you move your pieces forward across the board, you and your opponent will try to occupy the same squares. If you can move one of your pieces to a square that your opponent occupies, you capture that piece and remove it from the board. This reduces the size (and strength) of your opponent's set of pieces.
To play Chess Titans
Click to open Games.
Double-click Chess Titans.
If Chess Titans is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, Chess Titans starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
To make your first move, click a piece and then click the square where you want to move it.
Players take turns moving their pieces across the board, moving one piece per turn. Squares where you can move your pieces will be blue; squares where you can capture an opponent's piece will be red. Players can't move to a square occupied by a piece from their own army, but any piece can capture any other piece from the opponent's army. The six types of pieces that make up your army can move in the following ways:
Pawns. Pawns can only move forward, and only one square at a time. On the first move, however, a pawn can move forward either one or two squares. Pawns move forward diagonally to capture opposing pieces.
Rooks. Rooks can move forward, backward, or sideways in either direction for as many squares as you decide to move them.
Knights. Knights can move two squares in any direction, and then turn 90 degrees and move one more square. Knights are the only piece that can jump over other pieces while moving. All other pieces must stop when another piece (of either color) is in their path.
Bishops. Bishops can move diagonally, in any direction, and for as many squares as you decide to move them.
Queens. Queens can move as far as you want to move them in any direction (forward, back, sideways, and diagonal) as long as they travel in a straight line. Next to the king, the queen is the most valuable piece in your army.
Kings. Kings can move one space in any direction. Slow moving and hard to protect, the king is the prize you must guard from your opponent.
Tips
The first time you play the game, you'll select a difficulty level somewhere between one and ten.
Practice patience. If you see a good move, take the time to look for a better one before you take your turn.
Take advantage of castling. In a single move to protect your king, you can move your king two spaces sideways and your rook to the space that the king skipped over. You can only do this if there are no pieces in between them, neither piece has moved in the game, and your opponent does not gain a more direct attack at the king as a result of the move. Leaving yourself open to attack is called moving into check, and by doing this, you effectively resign the game because surrendering your king gives the victory to your opponent.
En passant. If a pawn is about to capture one of your pawns that hasn't moved, you may decide to move that pawn forward two squares. If you do, it's more exposed for one turn. During the next turn, your opponent can move to the square where your pawn is, or to the square behind that, and capture your pawn. After that one turn, your pawn is normally vulnerable again. Both armies' pawns are vulnerable this way.
Pawn promotion. If you advance a pawn all the way to the back row of your opponent's army, you can promote that pawn to rook, knight, bishop, or queen. This increases the number of powerful pieces in your army. Choosing the queen is usually the best strategic option.
To adjust the game options
You can adjust the difficulty level and other options in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Chess Titans.
If Chess Titans is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
To play FreeCell
Click to open Games.
Double-click FreeCell.
If FreeCell is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, FreeCell starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
To move a card, click the card you want to move, and then click where you want to move it. You can move cards according to these rules:
When moving cards to columns, cards must be moved in order from highest (king) to lowest (ace), alternating suit colors.
When moving cards to home cells, cards must be moved in order from lowest (ace) to highest (king) in the same suit.
A card from the bottom of a column can move to a free cell, the bottom of another column, or a home cell.
A card from a free cell can move to the bottom of a column, or to a home cell.
Tips
Plan several moves ahead. Like chess, each move you make will affect the entire game. Don't just move one card at a time. Move cards to establish long runs, clear columns, and bring home aces.
Try to uncover and clear low cards near the top of columns. When you see aces and deuces buried behind a lot of other cards in a column, make it a priority to clear that column and move aces up to the home cells early in the game.
Keep free cells open. You can leave one card at a time on each free cell (on the left). Use these free cells to shift runs and columns back and forth. With more free cells, it's easier to move long runs and shift cards around quickly; having four cells free means you have temporary spots for four cards. Try to move cards in such a way that free cells stay free after the move is done.
Right-click to reveal cards. If you can't see exactly what suit or number a buried card is, right-click it to reveal the whole card. Make sure to hold down the mouse button for as long as you need to see the card.
Clear whole columns whenever possible. Move every card off a column, start it over with a king, and then fill the column sequentially. If you can't start the column with a king, then start it with as high a card as possible. Many players try for nothing lower than a ten.
To adjust the game options
You can adjust the game options in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click FreeCell.
If FreeCell is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
Play InkBall
Open InkBall clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs , clicking Games, and then clicking InkBall.
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If InkBall is already open, click the Game menu, and then click New Game.
Click the Difficulty menu, and then click the level that you want.
Using the mouse or tablet pen, draw ink strokes to guide the balls into holes of the same color and to block balls from entering holes of a different color.
Pause and resume InkBall
Click outside the InkBall window to pause, and click inside the InkBall window to resume.
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Click the Game menu, and then click Pause. To resume, click Pause again.
Note
If you pause the game, you must click Pause again to resume the game.
The following table lists the number of points that are awarded based on the color of the ball.
Ball color
Points
Gray
0
Red
200
Blue
400
Green
800
Gold
1600
Tips
The game ends when a ball enters a hole of a different color or the game timer runs out. A game also ends if you choose a different level from the Difficulty menu, choose New Game from the Game menu, or close InkBall.
Gray is a neutral color. Gray balls can enter a hole of any color, and a gray hole can accept a ball of any color. However, no points are awarded.
When a ball bounces off an ink stroke, a wall, or another ball, it does so at the same angle that it struck.
An ink stroke disappears when a ball hits it. A single ink stroke can affect only one ball.
As you increase the level of difficulty, you can encounter increasing ball speeds, more balls, more holes, and more complex game boards, including puzzle-style boards.
To play Mahjong Titans
Click to open Games.
Double-click Mahjong Titans.
If Mahjong Titans is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, Mahjong Titans starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
Select the type of tile layout you want: Turtle, Dragon, Cat, Fortress, Crab, or Spider.
Click to select the first tile you want to remove.
Click to select the matching tile and both will disappear.
You must match tiles exactly to remove them. Both the class and the number (or letter) of the tile must be the same. The classes are Ball, Bamboo, and Character. Each class has tiles numbered 1–9. In addition to the classes, there are special tiles on the board known as Winds, Flowers, Dragons, and Seasons. You must match wind tiles exactly, but any flower can match any other flower, and any season tile can match any other season tile and be removed.
To remove two tiles, each of them must be free. That is, if the tile can slide free of the pile without bumping into other tiles, it is free. The game will tell you when a tile is not free.
Tips
Use Undo to go back. If you want to erase a move, click the Game menu, and then click Undo, and you will lose two points. You can do this as many times as you want. The only penalty is losing points.
Take advantage of hints. At any time, click the Game menu, and then click Hint, and two matching tiles will flash. Or, when you select a tile, you can right-click it, and if a matching tile is free, it will flash.
Try for combination bonuses. Depending on how you take tiles off the board, your score can increase dramatically. If you get a matched pair of one class and your next pair is of the same class, you get a bonus. If the next pair is the same number and the same class, the bonus is bigger. If your second pair after that is of the same class again, your bonus is even bigger. You also get bonuses for clearing both pairs of flower or season tiles in a row.
To adjust the game options
You can turn sounds, tips, and animations on and off in the Options dialog box. Also, you can set the game to automatically continue your saved games.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Mahjong Titans.
If Mahjong Titans is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
To play Minesweeper
Click to open Games.
Double-click Minesweeper.
If Minesweeper is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, Minesweeper starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
To start the timer, click any square on the playing field.
You can uncover a square by clicking it. If you uncover a mine, you lose the game.
If a number appears on a square, it indicates how many total mines are in the eight squares that surround the numbered one. You can use this number to help deduce whether a square is safe to uncover.
To mark a square you suspect contains a mine, right-click it. This will add a flag to the square. If you're not sure, right-click it again, which will add a question mark to the square.
Tips
The first time you play the game, you'll set a difficulty level. The fewer mines you select, the easier the game.
Try to mark all mines right away. If you know exactly where some mines are, take a second to mark them. Otherwise, you might forget them by the time you get back from another part of the board. This takes time, but it's worth it in the end.
Learn to recognize numerical patterns. If you see that three squares in a row display the numbers 2-3-2, then three mines are in a row next to one side of that row of squares. If a square displays an 8, then you know every square around it holds a mine.
Explore the unexplored. If a set of squares doesn't reveal a pattern and you're not sure where to click next, clear out some unexplored territory. You're better off clicking in the middle of unmarked squares than clicking in an area where you know some mines are located.
To adjust the game options
You can adjust the difficulty level and set other game options in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Minesweeper.
If Minesweeper is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
To start a game
Click to open Games.
Double-click Purble Place.
If Purble Place is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Select the type of game you want to play: Purble Shop, Purble Pairs, or Comfy Cakes.
If you don't have a saved game, you'll start a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game. The first time you play the game, you'll select a difficulty level.
Playing Purble Shop. Behind the curtain sits a mystery Purble, and you have to figure out what it looks like by building a model Purble. Select features from the shelf on the right to add them to your model Purble. When you have the right features (such as hair, eyes, and a hat) in the right colors, you win the game. The scoreboard tells you how many features you have correct, and the game will give you hints about which features are wrong. But it won't tell you which ones are right and which are wrong. Watch the score change with each feature you add or take away, and then try to guess which ones are right and which are wrong. When you have one of each feature on your model Purble, click the Guess button to see if you've matched the mystery Purble.
Playing Comfy Cakes. Chef Purble needs your help filling orders for cakes. He'll tell you what kind of cake he needs, and your job is to make it exactly right. He'll show you a picture of the cake and, as the cake moves down the conveyor belt, you need to pick the right kind of pan, batter, filling, icing, decorations, and final touches. You'll choose each of these things by pushing buttons under each station at the cake factory: round pan, chocolate batter, raspberry filling, and so on. When the timer starts, you have to think fast. When you get really good, you have to work on many different cakes at the same time.
Playing Purble Pairs. Can you find all of the matches on the board? Flip a tile over to reveal a picture, and then try to find its match somewhere else. Remember where the pictures are because if the pictures on the tiles you flip don't match, you'll have to try again. Match all the pictures to win. When you see a sneak peek token appear on a tile, find its match before the token disappears and you'll earn a free look at the whole board. Keep your eye on the timer, though, because you don't want to run out of time!
To adjust the game options
You can turn sounds, tips, and other settings on and off in the Options dialog box. You can set the game to automatically continue your saved games. The difficulty settings (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) are also in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Purble Place.
If Purble Place is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Select the type of game you want to play.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
To play Solitaire
Click to open Games.
Double-click Solitaire.
If Solitaire is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, Solitaire starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
If any aces are present, double-click them to move them to the free spaces at the upper right of the screen, and then make any other plays available on the board.
The card that is face up on the deck is always available for play.
To move a card or a stack of cards from one row stack to another, click and drag the card or stack.
To move a card from either the deck or a row stack to a suit stack, double-click it.
To move all playable cards to their respective suit stacks at the upper right, right-click the game board or press CTRL+A.
If a stack is open, you can move a king (along with any cards that might be in its stack) to it.
When you have made all available plays on the board, click the deck to turn over more cards.
Tips
Keep runs even. Runs are the stacks of visible cards you create by playing black on red in order. Don't let any one run get too far ahead of the others, if you can control it. Having one particularly long run makes it difficult to make other moves.
Turn cards first. Always turn over cards before playing more from the hand.
Play from stacks that contain more cards. The more face-down cards in a stack, the better off you are turning over cards from that stack first. Deeper stacks give you a greater chance of making more plays—which may give you more chances to turn cards in the shorter stacks.
To adjust the game options
You can adjust the draw options and scoring system, as well as set other game options, in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Solitaire.
If Solitaire is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
To play Spider Solitaire
Click to open Games.
Double-click Spider Solitaire.
If Spider Solitaire is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
If you don't have a saved game, Spider Solitaire starts a new game. If you have a saved game, you can continue your previous game.
Spider Solitaire is played with two decks of cards (you'll always use 104 cards, but suits are taken out in the beginner and intermediate settings). When you begin a new game, ten stacks of cards, each with one card facing up, are dealt. The remaining cards are placed in five stacks in the lower-right corner of the window and are used when you deal a new row. The first time you play a game, you'll have to set your difficulty level by choosing how many suits of cards you want to use. The more suits, the harder the game. You can change this setting at any time.
To move a card, drag the card from one stack to another. You can move cards according to these rules:
You can move a card from the bottom of a stack to an empty stack.
You can move a card from the bottom of a stack to a card with the next highest value, regardless of suit or color.
You can move a set of cards all of the same suit, and in numeric order, as if they were one card.
When you create a run of cards from king through ace, they will move as one card to the bottom of the playing field.
When you are ready to deal a new row of cards, click the deck, or click a stack of cards in the lower-right corner of the window.
There must be at least one card in each stack before you can deal a new row of cards.
Tips
Clear space right away. Get a space open as soon as possible by turning over all the cards in a stack, and try to play cards on the space you just opened. This will allow you to build the longest runs. To see the legal moves you can make, press the H key.
Uncover cards. Bring cards into play by clearing off the stacks and turning the lower cards over within the stacks. This opens up possibilities for you very quickly. If more cards are in play before you deal from the hand, you have more possibilities for runs, and fewer "missing" cards to stall your runs.
Don't block cards. When you play at more difficult settings, avoid placing lower cards on other cards of a different suit. That blocks them from play until the lower cards are moved.
To adjust the game options
You can adjust the difficulty level and set other game options in the Options dialog box.
Click to open Games.
Double-click Spider Solitaire.
If Spider Solitaire is not available, you might need to install the game. For more information about installing Windows features, see Turn Windows features on or off.
Click the Game menu, and then click Options.
Select the check boxes for any options that you want to turn on, and then click OK.
To save games and continue saved games
If you need to finish a game later, just close the game and click Save. The next time you start a game, the game will ask you whether you want to continue your saved game. To do so, click Yes.
