Chess Computer Vintage (Hardware and Software)

[AdminX]

Bryan Whitby created this wonderful piece set that works with MessChess which he once hosted on his website (https://chess-fonts--graphics.yolasite.com). The link is no longer there, so I placed it on my Google Drive if you like it.


Click Image For Larger View.

[AlexChess]

Bryan Whitby created this wonderful piece set that works with MessChess which he once hosted on his website (https://chess-fonts--graphics.yolasite.com). The link is no longer there, so I placed it on my Google Drive if you like it.

Thank you! You are right it very nice on the virtual Avantgarde. How many memories...!

[AdminX]

Now this was a fun gambit to watch between de Koning's The King 2.50 and Dan & Kate Spracklen's program.



[pgn]
[Event "Banksia Game"]
[Site "MessChess EMU"]
[Date "2021.09.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tasc ChessSystem R40 (King 2.5"]
[Black "Fidelity Elite Avant Garde V11"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C24"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2021.09.18"]
[TimeControl "40/7200+1:0"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4 {C24: Bishop's opening, Greco gambit} Nxe4 4. Nc3 {
[#]} Qh4+ $146 ({Predecessor:} 4... Nxc3 5. dxc3 c6 6. Qe2 d5 7. Qxe5+ Be7 8.
Bd3 O-O 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qf3 Re8 11. Ne2 {1-0 (27) Nagy,K (2175)-Raetsch,K (2140)
Budapest 1999}) 5. g3 Nxg3 {( -> ...Ne4+)} 6. Nf3 {C24: Bishop's Opening: 2...
Nf6.} Qh5 ({Not} 6... Qxf4 $2 7. d4 $1 $18) 7. Rg1 e4 $1 8. Rxg3 {Threatens to
win with Qe2.Black is clearly better.} exf3 9. Qxf3 Qxf3 10. Rxf3 c6 11. Re3+
Be7 $1 12. d4 Na6 $2 {-0.19/31} (12... d5 $19 {-1.93/24} 13. Bxd5 cxd5 14. Nxd5
Nc6 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Nxa8 Bf5) 13. Bd2 {-0.96/26} (13. d5 $11 {-0.19/31 keeps
the balance.} Kf8 14. a3) 13... d5 {0.00/27} (13... Nc7 $1 $17 {-0.96/26}) 14.
Bxd5 $11 g5 $2 {2.59/26 White leaves nothing to chance now.} (14... Nc7 $11 {
0.00/27 and Black is okay.} 15. Bb3 Be6) 15. fxg5 $1 $18 cxd5 $2 {5.12/25} (
15... Nc7 {2.30/29}) 16. Nxd5 Be6 17. Nxe7 Kxe7 18. d5 $1 {[#] Pin} Rhg8 19.
dxe6 fxe6 20. O-O-O Nc5 21. Ra3 b6 22. Bf4 Nb7 23. Bc7 Rgf8 24. Be5 Rf7 25. Re1
Kf8 26. Bd4 Na5 27. Bf6 Re8 28. Rae3 Rd7 29. Rxe6 Rxe6 30. Rxe6 {Endgame
KRB-KRN} Kf7 31. Re4 Nb7 32. Rf4 Kg6 33. h4 Kh5 34. b4 b5 35. a3 Kg6 36. Rf3
Kh5 37. Rf5 a6 38. Rf4 h6 39. c4 hxg5 40. hxg5 bxc4 41. Rxc4 a5 42. Kb2 axb4
43. axb4 Rd6 44. Kb3 {17.09/24} (44. Rc7 $142 {52.79/23} Nd8 45. Bxd8 Rd2+ 46.
Kb3 Rd3+ 47. Kc4 Rxd8 48. Rc5) 44... Rb6 45. Rc7 Nd6 46. Rh7+ Kg4 47. Bd8 {
53.78/27} (47. g6 $142 {152.60/30} Ne8 48. Bd4 Rxg6 49. b5) 47... Rc6 48. g6 {
Threatening mate with g7.} Nf5 49. g7 Rg6 50. Bf6 $1 Kf4 51. b5 $1 Rg3+ 52. Kb4
Ne3 53. Rh5 {White wants to mate with Be5+.} Nf5 54. Rg5 $1 {White mates.} Nxg7
55. Rxg3 Ne8 56. Be5+ $1 {[#] Deflection, Decoy} Kxe5 {KR-KN} 57. Re3+ {Skewer}
Kd6 58. Rxe8 {KR-K} Kd5 59. Rc8 Ke6 60. b6 Kf5 61. Rf8+ Ke4 62. Kc4 Ke5 63. b7
Kd6 64. b8=Q+ Kc6 65. Qa7 Kd6 66. Rf6+ Ke5 67. Qd4# {mate. Weighted Error
Value: White=0.22/Black=0.59} 1-0
[/pgn]

[AlexChess]

Now this was a fun gambit to watch between de Koning's The King 2.50 and Dan & Kate Spracklen's program.



[pgn]
[Event "Banksia Game"]
[Site "MessChess EMU"]
[Date "2021.09.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tasc ChessSystem R40 (King 2.5"]
[Black "Fidelity Elite Avant Garde V11"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C24"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2021.09.18"]
[TimeControl "40/7200+1:0"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4 {C24: Bishop's opening, Greco gambit} Nxe4 4. Nc3 {
[#]} Qh4+ $146 ({Predecessor:} 4... Nxc3 5. dxc3 c6 6. Qe2 d5 7. Qxe5+ Be7 8.
Bd3 O-O 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qf3 Re8 11. Ne2 {1-0 (27) Nagy,K (2175)-Raetsch,K (2140)
Budapest 1999}) 5. g3 Nxg3 {( -> ...Ne4+)} 6. Nf3 {C24: Bishop's Opening: 2...
Nf6.} Qh5 ({Not} 6... Qxf4 $2 7. d4 $1 $18) 7. Rg1 e4 $1 8. Rxg3 {Threatens to
win with Qe2.Black is clearly better.} exf3 9. Qxf3 Qxf3 10. Rxf3 c6 11. Re3+
Be7 $1 12. d4 Na6 $2 {-0.19/31} (12... d5 $19 {-1.93/24} 13. Bxd5 cxd5 14. Nxd5
Nc6 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Nxa8 Bf5) 13. Bd2 {-0.96/26} (13. d5 $11 {-0.19/31 keeps
the balance.} Kf8 14. a3) 13... d5 {0.00/27} (13... Nc7 $1 $17 {-0.96/26}) 14.
Bxd5 $11 g5 $2 {2.59/26 White leaves nothing to chance now.} (14... Nc7 $11 {
0.00/27 and Black is okay.} 15. Bb3 Be6) 15. fxg5 $1 $18 cxd5 $2 {5.12/25} (
15... Nc7 {2.30/29}) 16. Nxd5 Be6 17. Nxe7 Kxe7 18. d5 $1 {[#] Pin} Rhg8 19.
dxe6 fxe6 20. O-O-O Nc5 21. Ra3 b6 22. Bf4 Nb7 23. Bc7 Rgf8 24. Be5 Rf7 25. Re1
Kf8 26. Bd4 Na5 27. Bf6 Re8 28. Rae3 Rd7 29. Rxe6 Rxe6 30. Rxe6 {Endgame
KRB-KRN} Kf7 31. Re4 Nb7 32. Rf4 Kg6 33. h4 Kh5 34. b4 b5 35. a3 Kg6 36. Rf3
Kh5 37. Rf5 a6 38. Rf4 h6 39. c4 hxg5 40. hxg5 bxc4 41. Rxc4 a5 42. Kb2 axb4
43. axb4 Rd6 44. Kb3 {17.09/24} (44. Rc7 $142 {52.79/23} Nd8 45. Bxd8 Rd2+ 46.
Kb3 Rd3+ 47. Kc4 Rxd8 48. Rc5) 44... Rb6 45. Rc7 Nd6 46. Rh7+ Kg4 47. Bd8 {
53.78/27} (47. g6 $142 {152.60/30} Ne8 48. Bd4 Rxg6 49. b5) 47... Rc6 48. g6 {
Threatening mate with g7.} Nf5 49. g7 Rg6 50. Bf6 $1 Kf4 51. b5 $1 Rg3+ 52. Kb4
Ne3 53. Rh5 {White wants to mate with Be5+.} Nf5 54. Rg5 $1 {White mates.} Nxg7
55. Rxg3 Ne8 56. Be5+ $1 {[#] Deflection, Decoy} Kxe5 {KR-KN} 57. Re3+ {Skewer}
Kd6 58. Rxe8 {KR-K} Kd5 59. Rc8 Ke6 60. b6 Kf5 61. Rf8+ Ke4 62. Kc4 Ke5 63. b7
Kd6 64. b8=Q+ Kc6 65. Qa7 Kd6 66. Rf6+ Ke5 67. Qd4# {mate. Weighted Error
Value: White=0.22/Black=0.59} 1-0
[/pgn]

Wow! When R40 was released I was already out from this business

[AlexChess]

After 21 years that I've changed my job, for Christmas I have donated to my granddaughter this Cinese (?) chessboard paid 37€ on Amazon and used today for the first time

It looks nice, but the pieces are made of horrible light plastic without magnets and hard to distinguish (luckily I still have Saitek plastic pieces for replacement) . It doesn't play too weak, but I don't trust the 1800 ELO disclaimer (tried the default level C5 between 64) and has all the old loved features and functions...

Somebody here knows the obscure Lexibook maker, Chessman Elite technical specs (not present on the manual) and the author of the engine ?



Best regards, Alex

[mclane]

Lexibbook often sells kaare Danielsen engines.
As far a i remember he made 4kb and 16kb engines.

[AlexChess]

Lexibbook often sells kaare Danielsen engines.
As far a i remember he made 4kb and 16kb engines.

Thank you, it surprised me and the price is really low

[mclane]

Yes kaare danielsen often was used in the low market.

Nevertheless his 2 engines have been sold in many units.


Btw. I am doing 2 different dedicated chess computer tournaments in the moment:

New beginning

https://prodeo.actieforum.com/t536-new- ... ament#4580

Summer tournament

https://prodeo.actieforum.com/t479-summer-tournament

[AlexChess]

Yes kaare danielsen often was used in the low market.

Nevertheless his 2 engines have been sold in many units.


Btw. I am doing 2 different dedicated chess computer tournaments in the moment:

New beginning

https://prodeo.actieforum.com/t536-new- ... ament#4580

Summer tournament

https://prodeo.actieforum.com/t479-summer-tournament

Hey, the wooden Novag Expert like new!!! I had also it in my my stock when I was working for the importer, to know the competitors (together with plastic Novag Scorpio) ...From 1994 to 2000 I was a private little Saitek-Kasparov mail order seller, but dedicated chess computers magic was over and chess programs were not enough to integrate poor sales.

Kaare Danielsen (1987). The 7th World Microcomputer Chess Championship, Rome, Italy, September 14-20, 1987.
https://www.chessprogramming.org/Kaare_Danielsen
Organized by Mr Angelo Provera (my boss) and International Master Stefano Tatai ICCA Journal, Vol. 10, No. 3 » WMCCC 1987 I was there too, with Ossi Weiner operating Mephisto and I spoke with the myth Richard Lang. It was at Venice Square (Piazza Venezia, Altare della Patria) https://www.chessprogramming.org/WMCCC_1987

Summer tournament - I have searched these tournaments on Ed's site before, but there are too many interesting things inside, and I didn't find them. Now I'll follow this topic too.

Thank you!!
Best regards, Alex

[mephisto]

All Lexibook chess computers contain Danielsen's 4kb engine.

His 16kb engine can only be found in a few dedicated chess computers like the CXG Super Enterprise.