2024-11-04
2024-10-31
2024-10-26
Testing old chess computers through emulation
In the days before everyone had computers, if you wanted to play chess, your only option was to play with another person. In the late 1970's Fidelity introduced a series of electronic computer chess games. These early models played poorly, but I knew people who bought them just to be able to play and practice whenever they wanted. I managed to borrow a few of these so that I could get a feel for how well they played.
Although the early machines did not play well, things started to improve in the 1980s. There was a golden age of dedicated chess computers that went from 1983 to about 1993. In 1984, I purchased the Novag Super Constellation electronic chess game for what I think was $200, which was quite a bit of money in 1984. The U.S. Chess Federation had given it a rating of 2018, which is better than at least 90% of all adult tournament players. Any rating between 2000 and 2199 is considered to be the skill level of "Expert" and a higher rating of 2200 is considered to be "Master."
Although I am currently rated 2016, at the time I bought the
Novag Super Constellation I was rated just a little over 1700. In a few months, I would reach a rating of 1800 which is considered to be "Class A." Nevertheless, what I remember about the Novag Super Constellation is that it played better than me, which is surprising since it only contains an 8-bit processor running at just 4 MHZ. That is not very fast compared to modern 64-bit processors with multiple cores running at gigahertz speeds.
Over time, I bought a couple of better chess-playing computers and I have fond memories of practicing with all of them. I sold all these machines when I got a desktop computer in the mid-'90s, but I kind of regret it because they all were fun to play with it.
This became an issue when I was researching these old chess-playing computers where I saw many online claims that these computers were not as good as the ratings that had been assigned to them. For example, I saw the claim that the Novag Super Constellation was only about 1750 strength, and two other computers that I owned rated 2100 and 2265 were also claimed to be weaker than their advertised ratings. None of these claims match my experience, since all of the computers played better than I did.
I was so curious about this that I wanted to get my hands on one of the old chess computers, assuming that one can be found, however unlikely, and see how it compares to my current chess ability. Fortunately, I found software that allows me to emulate dozens of old chess computers on my Windows PC.
In my first game against the emulated Novag Super Constellation on level 1, the lowest level, I was able to win by only the slimmest of margins. I tried the same thing on the Fidelity Designer 2100, a slightly better machine, and I lost. I have no doubt that the other computer I owned, the stronger Fidelity Designer 2265, would stomp me like it used to when I played it 30 years ago. I will confirm this eventually.
So I tested a variety of chess computers with a somewhat difficult chess problem..
Based upon my testing, this is how long various chess computers take to solve this chess problem...
# | Model | Year | Processor | Speed | ROM | Time | Depth | Nodes/S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
It is noteworthy that the Super Constellation solved the problem in roughly 2 minutes, which is within tournament time controls. I am disappointed in Chessmaster on the Super Nintendo because it failed to achieve this. It is running on a similar processor, and it is a port of Chessmaster 2000 written by Dave Kittinger, who also wrote the Super Constellation program!
* The second version of the Constellation 3.6 solves this problem on its top two tournament levels, but the first version moves too quickly to see the answer. It can only solve the problem on its infinite level, even though it takes about the same amount of time to see the solution. The second ROM set is based upon the Novag Expert program.
Super Constellation game #1.Thoughts on Getting Better at Chess
2024-10-18
Chess Level 02: Black to Play
2024-10-14
Magnus explained why Chess is popular
KQ vs. KR Endgame
2024-10-02
Trying out the NEW Internet Chess Club
The different speeds of playing chess from the fastest to the slowest are called: Bullet, Blitz or Speed Chess, Rapid or Quick Chess, Action Chess (Antiquated. Between 30 and 59 minutes per player.), Standard, and finally Correspondence or Postal Chess, also known online as Daily.
@john2001plus
9 minutes ago (edited)
As far as I know, ICC was the first place on the Internet to play chess.
I joined ICC back around 1995. I didn't even have the World Wide Web at that point. I had used a text-only version of the Internet called "Usenet" for about five years. Within a few months, I downloaded Netscape and accessed the World Wide Web for the first time. It was slow and I had no idea what to do with it. There was hardly any content.
So back then to play chess on ICC you had to download a program that would act as a graphical user interface. It communicated with the server using text but displayed the board on the screen. The most popular program was called "Ziics", but it would be later replaced by a program called Blitzn which was the standard until recently.
BTW, back in the mid-90s, I was having an online chat with the owner of ICC, who told me that he was inventing a new time control, which was less than 3 minutes for the whole game. He wanted to know if I had any ideas for a name for the new time control. I tried to come up with something, but he suddenly had an inspiration and called it "bullet". I told him that this was a terrible name because what do guns have to do with chess? However, he stuck to his guns, sort of speak.
2024-09-27
2024-09-24
Hitler vs Lenin | Chess Game in 1909
There is an old story about Hitler and Lenin playing a chess game and there is even a drawing depicting this, but many historians think that it is a myth.
Many famous people played chess. Albert Einstein played Robert Oppenheimer. Mike Tyson played Muhammad Ali. Humphrey Bogart and John Lennon were both officially Experts. Many movie stars would play chess on movie sets while waiting for their scenes, such as John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and Tony Randall.
Benjamin Franklin was an avid player and met the French master Philidor.
2024-09-16
2024-09-08
2024-08-30
2024-08-21
2024-08-15
2024-08-14
Magnus on Generational Shifts
2024-08-09
2024-08-06
2024-08-03
2024-07-27
Symmetrical English Opening
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 6:57 PM
Subject: Symmetrical English Opening
To: Jay, John, Craig
This is the last game I want to share from our group coaching session.
It is most likely the best ten-minute game I have ever played.
https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/07/symmetrical-english-opening.html
I am in the process of updating both of my chess lesson websites, which mirror each other. I plan to drop my web-hosted site next year and stop paying for it because the free blog page is good enough.
On the blog page, I have ordered the games chronologically, which is meant to show the advancement of my playing style over the last 50 years.
I have a detailed endgame lesson I could give some time. It would take maybe 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
P.S. Although I have added a bunch of games, both sites contain a bunch of unnecessary posts that I am going to remove.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Slav Defense
2024-07-21
Utah Senior Championship, June 2010
2024-07-18
2024-07-15
Fwd: French Advance Variation
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 12:21 PM
Subject: French Advance Variation
To:
2024-07-04
2024-06-27
Chess Game as best as I can remember
[Site "Lewellen Chapel"]
[Date "Jun 27, 2024"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Omar"]
[Black "John Coffey"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. f3 Nxh2 8.
Bf4 Bxf4 9. gxf4 Qh4+ 10. Ke2 Qxf4 11. Qd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Nxf1+ 13. Rxf1 Nc6
14. Nd5 Be6 15. Ne2 Rad8 16. c4 Ne5 17. Kc3 g6 (17… Nxc4?? 18. Ne7+ Kh8 19. Rxh7+!) 18. Nef4 Bxd5 19. cxd5 Kg7
0-1 eventually
2024-06-26
2024-06-05
2024-06-04
2024-06-02
Familiar Endgame
The rise of American Hikaru Nakamura
2024-06-01
2024-05-06
2024-05-04
2024-04-30
2024-04-23
2024-04-21
2024-04-19
Re: KPPPP vs. KPPPP
https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/588620/practice
2024-04-11
2024-03-18
Chess Puzzles
2024-02-17
2024-02-14
Chess IS IN DANGER...
2024-02-03
2024-01-26
Push to 3000 on chess.com puzzle rating
2024-01-20
2024-01-11
2024-01-10
HIKARU vs LEVY: EPIC CHESS
I found this very instructive, more than the recap videos. I would like to see more like this.