Up To The Tasc?

[Steve B]

The Tasc series are considered the Mercedes Benz of dedicated chess computers
A Strong engine coupled with beautiful wooden board,pieces and display unit
when first released for sale they sold for $2500-$3000
they were was outfitted with an 32 bit ARM2 Processor running at 30-40 Mhz and 512k Ram - 256k Rom
the Engine was the King(Chessmaster Program) with a 55,000 move opening book
only four different versions of Tasc dedicated chess computers were ever released for sale
photos of all of the Tasc computers here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N ... 922173034/


As shown in another thread here ,there was no Mephisto engine that could defeat Crafty 19.01 running on my laptop.. so i set up another match against Crafty ,this time with the Tasc R30(1993 version 2.2) Rated 2302 Elo

all match conditions the same as with the Mephistos:
Crafty 19.01-30 Sec Avg,Pondering OFF
Tasc R30-40/2..playing Style Normal

Game one features the R30 with white
both engines are in book until move 14
the R30 held its own well into the middle game however once reaching the endgame it drops a pawn and then it is simply out searched by Crafty
even on my laptop Crafty hits 25+ ply in a pawn endgame while the R30 hits about half that ply depth


[White "Tasc R30 v.2.2 1993]
[Black "Crafty 19.01"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nb5 d6 6.
c4 Nf6 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 Be7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O b6 11. Be3 Ne5 12. f4 Ned7 13.
Bf3 Bb7 14. Bf2 Rc8 15. Rc1 Qc7 16. Re1 h6 17. Qd2 Rfd8 18. Qe2 Re8 19. Qe3 Nh7
20. Qd2 Red8 21. g3 Nc5 22. Bg2 Bf6 23. b4 Nd7 24. Red1 Be7 25. Rc2 Nhf6 26.
Qe2 Nb8 27. b5 a5 28. Nab1 Nbd7 29. Nd2 Nc5 30. Rcc1 Nfd7 31. Nb3 Bf6 32. Rc2
g6 33. Nd4 Bg7 34. Nc6 Re8 35. Qd2 Bf8 36. Bd4 Nb8 37. Nxb8 Rxb8 38. Re1 Qe7
39. Rcc1 Bg7 40. Bxg7 Kxg7 41. Rcd1 Rbd8 42. Qf2 Kg8 43. Qe2 e5 44. fxe5 Qxe5
45. Nd5 Bxd5 46. Rxd5 Qc3 47. Red1 Re6 48. Kh1 Rd7 49. g4 Qf6 50. Qe3 Qh4 51.
R1d4 a4 52. h3 Qe7 53. Kg1 Kh7 54. Qf3 Rd8 55. Qf4 Kg7 56. Qe3 Re8 57. Rd1 Nxe4
58. Qxb6 Nc3 59. Qd4+ Qf6 60. Qxf6+ Rxf6 61. Rxd6 Nxd1 62. Rxd1 Re2 63. c5 Rxa2
64. c6 Rc2 65. b6 Rcxc6 66. Bxc6 Rxc6 67. Rb1 Rc8 68. Kf2 a3 69. Ke3 Rb8 70.
Kd4 a2 71. Ra1 Rxb6 72. Rxa2 Rb3 73. Rh2 Kf6 74. Kc4 Rf3 75. Kd5 Kg5 76. Ke4
Rg3 77. Ke5 Re3+ 78. Kd4 Kf4 79. Rh1 Rf3 80. Kd5 Kg3 81. Ke4 Rf4+ 82. Ke3 g5
83. h4 Rf3+ 84. Ke4 gxh4 85. Rxh4 Kxh4 86. Kxf3 Kh3 87. Kf4 Kg2 0-1*

[d] 8/5p2/7p/8/5KP1/8/6k1/8 w - - 0 88
R30 throws in the towel here

Thankless Tasc Regards
Steve

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Thanks Steve,a great article,I follow your post with great interest....
If I ever come to the states someday,I want a match against your best 10 deidcated units
Preparing for the match regards,
Dr.D

[Steve B]

Would be great fun to see you play against my top of the line models
the Creme De La Creme of my collection clock in at 2600+ Elo..but thats only two of them
the other 8 would all weigh in at the 2100-2400 Range

here is the Fidelity V9...Only 50 made for sale and tipping the scales at 2113 in 40/2


wouldnt be a well rounded exhibition if i didnt throw in at least one Robot to play you:
http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/videos/distract1.mpg

more videos of some of my rarer computers here:

http://www.zanchetta.net/echecs/NovagRobotHeader.htm

Organizing Committee Regards
Steve

[CRoberson]

Tsc, tsc, tsc.

Your close up of the SB30 board shows incorrect piece placement.
The king and queen are on incorrect squares.

[Steve B]

Tsc, tsc, tsc.

Your close up of the SB30 board shows incorrect piece placement.
The king and queen are on incorrect squares.

Sigh...this is what i get for outsourcing simple tasks like setting up the board to the hired help ... while i am busy with the far more important Tasc of snapping the photo


i take full responsibility for the photo but none of the blame regards
Steve

[F. Bluemers]

oh
painfull

[Steve B]

Game Two
A draw! and with Black no less
finally ..

Match conditions were the same as in the first game however i Changed the playing style on the Tasc from Normal to Active(other styles the user can choose from are Offensive and Defensive)

In the Game the R30 is in book until move 10
An early flurry of activity results in the R30's K losing the right to Castle and in the center of the board by move 16..however Crafty is unable to break through a closed position and the game fizzles out to a draw..

[White "Crafty 19.01"]
[Black "Tasc R30 v 2.2 1993"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6.
Nxd7 Bxd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. c4 c6 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Qh4 11. g3 Qh3 12. Re1+ Be6
13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Qa4+ Ke7 15. Rb1 b6 16. c4 Kf6 17. c5 Bc7 18. Qd1 Rhe8 19.
Qf3+ Bf5 20. Be3 Rad8 21. Bf1 Qg4 22. Qxg4 Bxg4 23. c6 Bf5 24. Rb3 Re6 25. Rc3
Rdd6 26. Rec1 Rd8 27. a4 Ree8 28. Be2 h6 29. g4 Bc8 30. h4 g5 31. Kg2 Kg7 32.
Rh1 f6 33. Bd3 Re7 34. hxg5 fxg5 35. Be2 Rde8 36. Bf3 Rd8 37. Rhc1 Ba6 38. R1c2
Kg6 39. Be2 Bxe2 40. Rxe2 Rc8 41. Rb2 Rce8 42. Rb5 Rd8 43. f3 Re6 44. Rb2 Rc8
45. Rbc2 h5 46. gxh5+ Kxh5 47. Bf2 Kg6 48. Re3 Rxe3 49. Bxe3 Rh8 50. Bf2 Rh2+
51. Kf1 Rh1+ 52. Bg1 Kf5 53. Kg2 Rh8 54. Rc3 1/2-1/2

FINAL POSITION
[d]7r/p1b5/1pP5/3p1kp1/P2P4/2R2P2/6K1/6B1 b - - 0 54
DRAW ADJUDICATED

the R30 has been showing 0.00 for several moves with Crafty scoring the position +.02
i called the game a draw as i was not interested in playing this out until the 50 move rule kicked in

BTW..did i fail to mention that the match rules for this match were the same as the GM Benjamin draw odds match v Rybka?
well if i did let me mention that now..
All Draws for the R30 count as a win

Match score 1-1
Tie-Breaker Up Next Regards
Steve

[Steve B]

The third game tie breaker has the R30 with White("active" playing style) and out of book at move 17

almost an exact replica of the first game with the R30 down a pawn in the endgame
and the deeper searching Crafty going on to win

[White "Tasc R30 v 2.2 1993"]
[Black "Crafty 19.01"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Ng4 12. Qa4 Bb7 13. Nbxd4 Qb6 14. O-O Bc5 15. Be3 Nxe3 16. fxe3 h6 17. b4 Qxb4 18. Qxb4 Bxb4 19. Rab1 Bxf3 20. Nxf3 Bc5 21. Kf2 Ra7 22. Rb3 O-O 23. Rc1 g5 24. g4 Rd8 25. Rbc3 Bf8 26. Rc6 a5 27. Be4 Bg7 28. Rc8 Rf8 29. R8c7 Rxc7 30. Rxc7 Nxe5 31. Nxe5 Bxe5 32. Rc5 Bxh2 33. Rxa5 Kg7 34. Ra7 Rc8 35. a4 Rc4 36. Bf3 Rc2+ 37. Kf1 Ra2 38. Bc6 Bb8 39. Rb7 Bg3 40. Bb5 Kf8 41. Rd7 Bf2 42. e4 Bb6 43. Rd6 Bc5 44. Rc6 Be3 45. Rc3 Bd4 46. Rc4 Be5 47. Rc8+ Kg7 48. Ra8 h5 49. gxh5 g4 50. Bc4 Rc2 51. Bd3 Rd2 52. h6+ Kxh6 53. Be2 g3 54. a5 g2+ 55. Kxg2 Rxe2+ 56. Kf3 Ra2 57. Ra7 Ra3+ 58. Kg2 Kg6 59. a6 f6 60. Kf1 Kg5 61. Rh7 Kf4 62. a7 Kf3 63. Ke1 Kxe4 64. Kd2 Ra2+ 65. Kc1 Bd4 66. Rh4+ Kd3 67. Rh3+ Be3+ 68. Kb1 Rxa7 69. Rf3 Rb7+ 70. Ka2 c2 0-1


FINAL POSITION
[d] 8/1r6/4pp2/8/8/4bR2/K1k5/8 w - - 0 71
R30 calls it Quits here

Game and Match to Crafty Regards
Steve