Chess Computer Vintage (Hardware and Software)

[AlexChess]

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

How do you add these engines to Banksiagui? I have only used the emulator until now (or where I can find the tutorial, if is a complicate process to explain)

Thank you!
Best regards, Alex

[AlexChess]

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.

Danielsen then it's a very skilled programmer. It searches up to mate in 5!
Next time I'll test a stronger level. I've returned it to my granddaughter







Thank you for the info!
Best regards, Alex

[mclane]

Its not bad but has of course only 4 kb.
But for a beginner not bad.

The elo rating is of course pure marketing lie, as usual.

[Scally]

Hi Guys,

I just acquired this Mephisto ESB III from eBay to add my collection.

I took a chance on a new seller and only paid £136 + £15 shipping (@ $207 or €176)

I have a tracking number and should receive it by next Monday the 27th September.

I hope it’s as good as it looks:





(Click on the thumbnails for a larger image)


Cheers,

Al.

[mclane]

Congratulations. Looks like a marvellous chess board.

[AlexChess]

Hi Guys,

I just acquired this Mephisto ESB III from eBay to add my collection.

I took a chance on a new seller and only paid £136 + £15 shipping (@ $207 or €176)

I have a tracking number and should receive it by next Monday the 27th September.

I hope it’s as good as it looks:




[/img]
(Click on the thumbnails for a larger image)


Cheers,

Al.

Congratulations!!! I miss it, I have sold my Exclusive with Richard Lang's Roma 68020 for 750€ (1.500.000 Lires) before 1994. (Now I remember that I owned also a Mephisto Modular empty and bought in Munich a Polgar Module for it, Ossi Weiner's "Hobby computers" (?) was closed and I took it from a hypermarket there.

[towforce]

I have a Novag Diamond that is in perfect shape and plays very strong at longer time controls. Bought it new in 1994 or so, also I have a Mephisto Atlanta, that is very lightly used, both excellent machines.

Novag and Fidelity were my very respected commercial competitors. Then Saitek-Kasparov bought Mephisto + Fidelity (this last one sold in 1989 to H&G Mephisto), and Renaissance had finally the Sparc Risc module from consorts Spraklen (authors of the mythical Sargon Chess!!!) ...but with Windows 95 the dedicated chess computer decline was near...

More precisely it was the 80486 that killed the dedicated chess computer industry.

Why not make dedicated chess computers using the 80486?

[AlexChess]

I have a Novag Diamond that is in perfect shape and plays very strong at longer time controls. Bought it new in 1994 or so, also I have a Mephisto Atlanta, that is very lightly used, both excellent machines.

Novag and Fidelity were my very respected commercial competitors. Then Saitek-Kasparov bought Mephisto + Fidelity (this last one sold in 1989 to H&G Mephisto), and Renaissance had finally the Sparc Risc module from consorts Spraklen (authors of the mythical Sargon Chess!!!) ...but with Windows 95 the dedicated chess computer decline was near...

More precisely it was the 80486 that killed the dedicated chess computer industry.

Why not make dedicated chess computers using the 80486?

Always asked to myself... Today I'm tempted to buy an Intel NUC Core i7 or a Ryzen mini PC + DGT board, to fix my limit of not having AVX or BM2 on my hardware, very often requested by top chess engines

[vb4]

Hi Alex,

Well I never forgot my chess computers from back in the 80's

Started out with Boris, a cigar shaped wooden box with an LED screen and push buttons to make your move. What I always found interesting with this unit was you can watch, one row at a time and see Boris looking at all its moves which was kind of cool.

Then it was Sargon 2.5, I don't remember a lot about this unit but that it was a lot stronger compared to Boris.

Then it was the Prestige chess challenger, a wooden hand crafted auto sensory board with an LED in each chess square. This has to be and in my opinion still the most prettiest board you will ever find even looking at todays computers. They only made 1000 of them and I have #267. 100% totally functional, I did have to buy a new transformer for the unit but that's it. If you are not familiar with this chess computer look it up and I hope the picture does it justice. Those familiar with the chess machines from back then already know how treasured this unit is still till today.

Les

[AlexChess]

Hi Alex,

Well I never forgot my chess computers from back in the 80's

Started out with Boris, a cigar shaped wooden box with an LED screen and push buttons to make your move. What I always found interesting with this unit was you can watch, one row at a time and see Boris looking at all its moves which was kind of cool.

Then it was Sargon 2.5, I don't remember a lot about this unit but that it was a lot stronger compared to Boris.

Then it was the Prestige chess challenger, a wooden hand crafted auto sensory board with an LED in each chess square. This has to be and in my opinion still the most prettiest board you will ever find even looking at todays computers. They only made 1000 of them and I have #267. 100% totally functional, I did have to buy a new transformer for the unit but that's it. If you are not familiar with this chess computer look it up and I hope the picture does it justice. Those familiar with the chess machines from back then already know how treasured this unit is still till today.

Les

I remember both, the brown Boris and the very elegant Prestige (similar to Kasparov Leonardo, Galileo and Reinassance)