Author: Randy Schmidt
Date: 09:20:50 12/08/00
I just read a lot of threads below about what is going to be the best computer to run chess software. We have to consider the Athlon 1.2, Pent 3, and Pent 4, as well as what is coming down the pike. If I understand this correctly, current chess software relies heavily on integer arithmetic. When one looks at benchmarks, the best direct comparison is with how Office products work. I believe the benchmark is called Bapco or similar. You can look at Tom's Hardware for extremely recent benchmarks on all the current processors. **Buying today for Xmas? Go with the Athlon 1.2 and get at least 256 SDRAM-133. I think that Micron and Gateway are good choices, although there is a company called Sys Performance that has gotten very good reviews. This screamer will be faster for chess than any Pentium 4 and also any Pentium 3. I am NOT considering dual processors in this posting. **I can wait a few months... Then wait for the new DDR ram to find its way to the general public. Micron was the first on board with this, but all shipments have been halted, as there is a problem with the motherboard. Expect shipments to begin in early Feb. At that time, 1.5-1.6 Athlons will be available as will P4 1.8-2.0s. At that time, I believe that the fastest chess solution will be the Athlon 1.55 with DDR ram. It will be faster for chess than the Pent 4 1.9. **I want to be the World Champion at Postal Chess.... If you are playing now and you want to be on par with the others’ I have some BAD news for you. There is a person who has 8 computers working on each of his/her games at all times. So if you have one computer, and want to run each move overnight you will be overstepping the time control. This is especially true for email sections. Yes, you can probably buy the title, but it will be expensive! If you have any doubt that people are NOT using computers, wake up. :-) I have seen lots of revealing information lately on various boards around the web. I have seen 1800 players with IM titles, 1000 rated players with master ratings, 2000 players that are among the top players in the US, etc. Please understand that in ICCF play, computers are not illegal. Yes, you can meet players who started playing chess a couple of months ago, who will brutalize you with their chess programs. Even if you use your own program and have FAST hardware, the result is still in a way, predetermined, as the computers are going to determine the results. Depending on the position, any program can beat any other program. You all follow the "matches" posted here, and know this is the case. In 3-5 years, when you are playing in the semi-finals of the World Championship, computer programs WILL be better than the best postal players. If you doubt this, I ask you to recall the match, Kasparov vs. the World. How many times did you read that Kasparov’s "team" spent some anxious moments running multiple computers trying to get winning chances against the masses? Don't kid yourself, you know what was happening. I know that many players think that a STRONG player will be at an advantage when they use a computer AND their own mind. That is true, but when you get into that mindset, what are you really doing? Is that why you took up the game of chess in the first place? I obviously think that chess is dead in the realm of postal/email chess. If not right now, it will be in 3 years. Why waste your time and money? Satisfaction in parroting a computer program on "my hardware is faster than your hardware" is not going to be something that I intend to waste my life doing! **I want to be the best player (cheater) on Yahoo, Gaming Zone, et al.... Well my advice for you is to take a long look in the mirror...do you like what you see? Do you really take pride in being a 'top dog' and all the naive others thinking you are some great player, thrilled that you will even talk with them? I had an experience about 5 months ago that totally opened my eyes. I had "shouted" a request for a strong player to play against my Belgrade Gambit that I had been studying for some weeks. I really wanted to test my knowledge and see if this opening really had a place in my repertoire. To my amazement, a very strong player agreed to take my UNRATED challenge. I think he was rated around 2500! Well, damn if this guy didn't have a line well prepared for this Gambit. I thought, man...these IM's are ready for anything. The game went right down the pike of a line I had just studied last night. Amazing... Well at about move 15, I was on my own and I dug in hard trying to come up with a plan when I did not have a good feel for the position. About move 20, I was faced with a problem. I could see no way to avoid a mate, and resigned. I thanked my opponent for taking the time to teach me something about this opening and he told me that this is why the "Belgrade Gambit" is frowned upon. Well, that was interesting. Right then and there, I decided that I was not going to play this kind of chess anymore. So what do you think happened? I fired up my Fritz 6 program and went through the game. I discovered to my horror, that in that 'forced mate' position, I had a simple draw that he HAD to take, otherwise he was lost. My fear of his rating, coupled with my unfamiliarity with the opening, caused a severe brain freeze. I simply missed a move I would see 100 % of the time in normal circumstances. Well, maybe you saw this coming, but when I went through that game, I discovered that I played most moves that Fritz would have played except the last one! But do you know what? So did my opponent!! He was using Fritz to play his game. I asked a human to play me a game and teach me something. Instead, I got a person using a computer who cheated. I could have made MUCH better use of my time just playing my own program. This says nothing of my altered opening repertoire due to my incorrect perception of how well IM level players have their openings prepared. Maybe this lesson I learned will strike a chord with you. My recommendation then for you is nothing. I could not care less about those who intend to cheat. **I want to improve my game and understand chess better... To this person, I have a simple suggestion. Is your current computer doing everything you need it to? If yes, then stand pat. The only reason to upgrade your computer should be when it stops running the software you need it to. At that time, buy the most cutting edge thing you can afford and then you will lengthen the time before you need to spend your money again. **But I am rated 2000+ and I want something that will run my chess software faster... Then see the above categories. **To all... Enjoy this game, play it to get better, use the computer as a tool, not a master of you. Buy all the software you want and enjoy the variety of programs and training software that exist. Upgrade when you need to, not when something is faster. Nobody cares if you have the fastest machine in your neighborhood. Actually, it might even work against you. Remember how jealous people can be when you "one-up" them?
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