Chessbase/Chess Machine emulators

[MikeB]

Familiar territory with some of you, but a well written article regarding Chess Machine emulators.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-wonde ... -emulators

My apologies if this link was already posted, I'm not checking this board as much I used to...

[AdminX]

Hi Mike,

It's fun watching these old classics play!

[pgn]
[Event "banksia game"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.09.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fidelity Elite Avant Garde V11"]
[Black "Mephisto TM London 68040"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B13"]
[PlyCount "241"]
[EventDate "2021.??.??"]
[TimeControl "40/7200+1:0"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 {B13: Caro-Kann, exchange variation} cxd5 4. Bd3 Nf6
5. c3 g6 6. Nf3 Bg4 {B13: Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation and Panov-Botvinnik
Attack.} 7. Qa4+ {[#]} Nc6 $146 ({Predecessor:} 7... Bd7 8. Qb3 Qc7 9. Bg5 Bc6
10. Bxf6 exf6 11. O-O Be7 12. Na3 O-O 13. Rfe1 a6 14. Re3 {1-0 (37) Frometa
Castillo,Z (2030)-Llantada,M Dubai 1986}) 8. Ne5 Bd7 {White is slightly better.
} 9. Nxd7 Qxd7 10. O-O Bg7 11. Na3 {0.03/31} (11. Re1 $14 {0.46/29}) 11... O-O
12. Re1 a6 13. Nc2 Qd6 14. Qa3 Qc7 15. g3 e6 16. Bf4 Qb6 {0.56/26} (16... Qd8
$11 {0.00/27}) 17. Re2 (17. Qb3 $5 Qa7 18. Ne3 $14) 17... Rfc8 18. Rae1 {
-0.08/31} (18. Ne1 $14 {0.44/32}) 18... Qd8 19. Bg5 b5 20. Qb3 Na5 21. Qb4 {
-1.95/32} (21. Qa3 $17 {-0.73/33 was the only chance.}) 21... Bf8 $1 $19 22.
Bxf6 Qc7 $36 {Black has strong initiative.} 23. Qxf8+ {-2.96/27} (23. Be5 Qb6
$19) (23. Qc5 {-1.79/31 is a better defense.} Bxc5 24. dxc5) 23... Kxf8 24. Ne3
Nc4 25. Ng2 {-3.15/30} (25. Bxc4 {-2.09/30 was the only defense.} bxc4 26. Ng4)
25... Qa5 26. Bb1 {-4.38/30} (26. Nf4 {-3.09/29 might work better.}) 26... b4
27. cxb4 Qxb4 28. Nf4 Nd2 29. Rd1 Nxb1 30. Rxb1 a5 31. Rbe1 Kg8 32. Ng2 Ra7 33.
Ne3 {White hopes to continue with Nxd5!} Kf8 34. Be5 a4 35. Ng4 Rb7 36. Nf6 h5
37. Bf4 Kg7 38. Be5 Kh6 {-1.96/28} (38... Kf8 $142 {-3.80/25} 39. Bf4 Qc4) 39.
h4 $2 {-4.56/25} (39. g4 {-1.96/28 only move.}) 39... Qc4 40. g4 g5 $4 {3.67/29
} (40... Qxa2 $19 {-4.49/29 and life is good for Black.} 41. g5+ Kg7 42. Nxd5+
Kf8 43. Bd6+ Kg7) 41. hxg5+ $18 Kxg5 42. f4+ $2 {0.98/29} (42. gxh5 $18 {
3.93/29 is the precise move to win.} Kh6 43. Re3) 42... Kh6 $16 {next ...Qd3
is good for Black.} 43. Rh2 $1 Kg7 (43... Qxa2 $2 44. Rxh5+ Kg7 45. Rh7+ Kg6
46. Rf1 $18) 44. Rxh5 {0.00/33} (44. gxh5 $16 {1.37/28} Kh8 45. Rg2) 44... Qc6
$2 {3.89/28} (44... Rxb2 $2 45. f5 $18) (44... Kf8 $11 {0.00/33} 45. Bd6+ Kg7)
45. Nxd5+ $2 {0.31/28} (45. Nd7+ $1 $18 {3.89/28} f6 46. Bxf6+ Kf7 47. Ne5+
Kxf6 48. Nxc6 Rxc6 49. f5) 45... f6 $1 $14 46. Nxf6 {[#] d5 is the strong
threat.} (46. Bxf6+ $2 Kf7 $19) 46... Kg6 $2 {8.67/25} (46... Rxb2 $2 47. d5
$18) (46... Kf7 $14 {0.33/28}) 47. d5 $18 {White wants to mate with f5+.} Qb6+
48. Kh1 Kf7 49. Rh6 ({Less strong is} 49. dxe6+ Qxe6 50. Kh2 (50. Rh7+ Kf8 $14)
50... Re7 $16) 49... Rg8 50. Nxg8 Kxg8 51. f5 $2 {0.00/41} ({White has to play
} 51. Rc1 $18 {10.59/26} Qf2 52. Rc8+ Kf7 53. dxe6+ (53. Rh7+ Kg6 $11) 53...
Ke7 54. b4 (54. Rh7+ Kxe6 55. Re8+ Kd5 $14) 54... axb3 55. Rg8 Qe1+ 56. Kg2
Qe2+ 57. Kh3 Qf1+ 58. Kh4 Qh1+ 59. Kg5 Qxh6+ 60. Kxh6 Kxe6 61. axb3) 51... Rh7
$11 52. Rxh7 Kxh7 53. dxe6 {Endgame KQ-KRB} Qf2 54. Rg1 {Hoping for Bg3.} Kg8
$2 {1.67/35} (54... Qe2 $11 {0.00/41 and Black stays safe.}) 55. a3 $2 {0.00/38
} ({Only move:} 55. Bg3 $1 $18 {1.67/35} Qd4 56. b3) 55... Kf8 56. Bg3 Qd2 {
4.44/26} (56... Qxb2 $11 {0.00/38} 57. Rd1 Qe2 58. Rd8+ Kg7) 57. f6 $2 {0.00/49
} ({White must play} 57. Re1 $1 $18 {4.44/26} Ke8 58. Re5) 57... Qh6+ 58. Kg2 {
Intending Bd6+ and mate.} Qd2+ 59. Kh3 Qh6+ 60. Bh4 Qe3+ 61. Rg3 (61. Kh2 {
is interesting.} Qxe6 62. g5 Qe4 63. Kh3 Qd3+ 64. Rg3) 61... Qxe6 62. Rf3 Qe4
63. Rf2 Qh1+ 64. Kg3 Qg1+ 65. Kf4 Qc1+ 66. Kf5 Qc8+ 67. Kg5 Kf7 68. Kf4 Qc1+
69. Kf5 Qe3 70. Rf4 Qd3+ 71. Re4 Qf1+ 72. Ke5 Qb5+ {[#] Double Attack} 73. Kd4
Qxb2+ {Double Attack} 74. Ke3 $2 {-152.50/46} (74. Kd5 $11 {0.00/50}) 74...
Qxa3+ $19 75. Ke2 Qc5 $2 {-0.98/38} (75... Qa2+ $19 {-152.51/43 is more deadly.
} 76. Kf3 Qd5) 76. Kd3 $2 {-152.58/43} (76. Re7+ $17 {-0.98/38} Kf8 77. Bf2
Qc4+ 78. Kf3) 76... a3 77. Re7+ Kf8 78. Bg3 Qd5+ 79. Ke3 Qg5+ 80. Kd3 Qxf6 81.
Re3 a2 82. Be5 Qf1+ 83. Ke4 Ke7 84. Bd4 Ke6 85. Rf3 Qe1+ 86. Kd3 Qd1+ 87. Ke3
Kd5 88. Rf5+ Kc4 $2 {0.00/57} ({Black should play} 88... Ke6 $19 {-152.62/42}
89. Rf6+ Ke7) 89. Bf6 $11 Qg1+ (89... Qd6 {is interesting.} 90. Rf4+ Kc5 91.
Kf3 Kc6 92. Kg3 Qd7) 90. Kf4 Qf2+ (90... Kd3 {seems wilder.} 91. Kg5 Qc1+ 92.
Kg6 Qc2 93. Rf4 Qh2) 91. Kg5 $1 Qd2+ (91... Qh2 {keeps more tension.} 92. Rf1
Kd5 93. Rf5+ Ke4 94. Bg7 Qd2+) 92. Kh5 Qd1 93. Ra5 Kb4 (93... Qb3 {looks
sharper.} 94. Rf5 Qe3 95. Ra5 Qh3+ 96. Kg5 Qg2) 94. Ra6 $2 {-152.60/39} (94.
Rf5 $11 {0.00/49} Kc4 95. Ra5) 94... Qf1 {-13.16/50} (94... Qd3 $142 {-152.60/
39} 95. Rb6+ Ka4) 95. Re6 $19 Qf3 96. Rb6+ Kc5 97. Ra6 Qf1 $2 {0.00/66} (97...
Kb4 $19 {-152.50/53} 98. Rb6+ Kc5) 98. Ra5+ $1 $11 Kb4 99. Rf5 Qd1 {White must
now prevent ...Kc4.} (99... Qh1+ {with more complications.} 100. Kg6 Qh3 101.
Kg5 Kc4 102. Bg7 Qg2) 100. Rf4+ Kb3 101. Kg6 Qd3+ 102. Kh5 Qe3 103. Rf5 Qe8+
104. Kh6 Qe4 105. Kh5 Qe2 106. Rf4 Qh2+ 107. Kg5 Qd2 {And now ...Kc2 would win.
} 108. Kf5 Qc2+ 109. Re4 $2 {-56.62/41} (109. Kg5 $11 {0.00/51} Qd2 110. Kf5)
109... Qf2+ $2 {0.00/67} (109... Qd3 $19 {-56.62/41} 110. g5 Kc2) 110. Rf4 {
The position is equal.} Qc5+ (110... Qc2+ {feels hotter.} 111. Kg5 Qc1 112. Bd4
Qb1 113. Bf6 Ka3) 111. Kg6 Qc6 112. Rf1 Qg2 113. Rf4 $1 Qg3 114. Kf5 Qd3+ 115.
Kg5 $1 Qd5+ 116. Rf5 Qd1 (116... Qc6 {is more complex.} 117. Rf2 Qe4 118. Rf5
Qb1 119. Rf3+ Kc4) 117. Kh5 Ka4 {Threatens to win with ...Kb3.} 118. Rf4+ Ka3 {
aiming for ...Kb3.} 119. Rf5 Kb3 {Strongly threatening ...Kc4.} 120. Rb5+ Ka4
121. Rf5 {A wild game. Weighted Error Value: White=0.35/Black=0.11} 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

[Rubinus]

I've been playing with it for over half a year now. But I'm not sure if the libraries are accurate - I played a lot of games with such a Mephisto Modular MM1 in 1984-87 and only had two answers against 1.e4 - mainly e5 and occasionally c5. And the other thing is speed, I feel that the Mephisto MMI of the time was getting to higher depths in the preset level 3. It's possible to speed up the emulator, but that just means that it plays the tournament game much faster, but the low depth reached, detectable in that type via the "info" key, doesn't change in any way. (translated by DeepL)

[F.Huber]

I've been playing with it for over half a year now. But I'm not sure if the libraries are accurate - I played a lot of games with such a Mephisto Modular MM1 in 1984-87 and only had two answers against 1.e4 - mainly e5 and occasionally c5.

The libraries are ok (they are dumps of the original ROMs), but of course you have to activate them (they are NOT used by default)!
If you select any machine in the list, then you may see any extra modules in the right column (if such a module exists).
To activate this module, don't double-click on the machine (in the list) but on the module name in the right column -
then this module is used. Since this is stored in the machine's ini-file, you have to do this only once.

And the other thing is speed, I feel that the Mephisto MMI of the time was getting to higher depths in the preset level 3.

You feel? Well, feelings are often wrong!
The machines are emulated with their original speed, and the run quite exactly like the real device (at least as long as your
computer is fast enough to run the emulation at full speed.

[Rubinus]

I don't have time for that now, but we can do an experiment sometime. We didn't have any competitions in my country because of the virus, so I bought a couple of those old machines through e-bay. Maybe I have a Mephisto Mirage, that would test well, run the machine and the emulator at the same time, disable pondering for both so that the different operator time doesn't play a role, and then track via depth info and ratings. Some of those machines aren't there, but I don't know how to pull ROMs from them to send to you.
Current collection:
Millenium Chess Genius Pro
Mephisto Master Chess
RadioShack Master Chess
Novag Obsidian
Mephisto Chess Chalenger
Saitek Cosmos (not working - electrical fault)
Mephisto Milano
Mephisto Supermondial
Excalibur Igor
Krypton Regency
Fidelity Designer 2000
Radioshack Champion 2150L
Novag Constelation 3.6
Lexibook Chessman Elite
Mephisto Mirage
Mephisto Junior Master (not working - defective field)

Mirage and Constelation are interesting to me for historical reasons. They started at the 1995 Prague Open, I think it was 5 and 4.5 points out of 11 back then. People didn't know how to play against the machines, so they looked better than they actually were.