Chess Computer Vintage (Hardware and Software)

[AlexChess]

Dedicated chess computers and fossil software is an interesting thing.
In the moment i a watching the colossus 4 version of the acorn Electron.
The electron has only 32 kb ram, so martin Bryant uses the display memory as ram too.

You can see the program computing on the screen.

The resources of these machines were limited and the programmers fought with these limitations.

I find it very interesting to see how much strength they generated out of 8 bit cpus with 32-96 kb rom (some using bank switching)
And 4-8 kb RAM.

With Ipman (skilled compiler & tester) we have remembered Chess 1K for Sinclair ZX81 :lol:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1K_ZX_Chess
I had a lot of nice chess programs with my ZX Spectrum 16K expanded to 48K (16K reserved to the display, too and I was able to use it to switch programs from tape to mini drives ) Cyrus, Chess The Turk...

[AlexChess]

Sorry F.Huber, not on your web site, I was thinking that you are a https://www.schach-computer.info admin

Aah, ok. No, I'm not an admin there, just a normal member.
I'm only admin of my own website https://fhub.jimdofree.com/

This is wonderful!

Even better, I beat Boris!

[pgn][Event "Computer Chess Game"]
[Site "GRAHAM-PC"]
[Date "2021.09.12"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Graham"]
[Black "ACI Boris (rev. 00) (mess 0.220)"]
[Result "*"]
[TimeControl "1/86400"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ c6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Nf6 6. d4 Nxe4 7. O-O f6 8.
d5 cxd5 9. Qxd5 Nc5 10. Qf7#[/pgn]

I played one of my old machines, the Tandy 2150. I was too complacent and lost material.

I can confirm that it played the same style of chess as the original. I am impressed that you went as far as matching the buttons and the style of move selection!

Thank you for an unexpectedly good experience.

Wonderful

[AdminX]

As close to equal as can get.

[AlexChess]

I can confirm that it played the same style of chess as the original. I am impressed that you went as far as matching the buttons and the style of move selection!

Well, it's not only a simulation but in fact an exact emulation of the hardware (based on the MAME/MESSUI emulator) and it uses the original ROMs, so the programs play the same way as the original devices.

Yes I have downloaded them some months ago and I have tested all my never forgotten wooden chess computers Kasparov Reinassance with the EXACT chessboard display!!! Mephisto Exclusive Roma and Fidelity Elite Avantgarde A/S with 2 red digital clocks (also well done)

Best regards, Alex

[AdminX]

It's those beeps that really brings back the memories.

[AlexChess]

As close to equal as can get.

I have sold a lot of TASC R30 30 years ago, but never owned mine. Was already the PC era and MCHESS PRO DOS was better https://www.chessprogramming.org/MChess

[AdminX]

As close to equal as can get.

I have sold a lot of TASC R30 30 years ago, but never owned mine. Was already the PC era and MCHESS PRO DOS was better https://www.chessprogramming.org/MChess

I was a fan of Marty also!

[mclane]

Martys Mchess was a very serious thing. Coming out of nowhere.
Before we had rexchess by don and larry.

But mchess was a breakthrough.

[mvanthoor]

Wooden chess computer... CXG Sphinx Dominator...

Sorry. Dominator actually is the higher-end version of the Titan. The computer I actually had in mind was the CXG Sphinx Commander, one of the computers that looked a lot like the wooden Mephisto module boards. (In the Netherlands, CXG Sphinx and Scysis were MUCH easier to obtain than Mephisto for whatever reason.)

[AlexChess]

It's those beeps that really brings back the memories.

There were really a lot of dedicated chess computers until 2000. Millenniums and DGT are OK and still here, but I don't understand why other manifacturers don't sell anymore cheap plastic boards with all open source GM master level engines that could be easy imported from a USB pendrive using a Raspberry PI 4 8 GB and x64 in a Intel NUC i3 as CPU (but with only a simplified motherboard). Something like CT800 + chessboard, but stronger (3000 ELO). OR connected to a PC or Mac with tournament size sensory chessboard. Or I'm missing something? Today connected chessboards are relatively expensive!