Author: Fernando Villegas
Date: 08:21:06 03/29/01
Hi: In 1989, in Paris, the very first day of my very first visit to that lovely city, I went to "Le damier de l'Opera", a shop like ICD specialized in chess stuff, and there I met with a surprise: the guy that was in charge was chilean like me. He was living in Paris since ever. Eventually this guy was going to produce his own magazine, La puce Echiquien, dedicated top chess computers. As many others, it is by now completely dead. The magazine, I mean. Well, this guy said to me the Mephisto MM IV unit was the best buy at the moment even if it was somewhat old for the time. But it was not too much; besides the price was good so I got it and since then I played againts "him" lot of games until the day came when advanced software and fast PC's made of MMIV not only a somewhat old piece of chess computer, but an awfully obsolete one. Nevertheless, from time to time I put it again to life exhumating it from the drawer where usually sleeps and I play a game to see if my years of hard trainning againts top programs have had some value after all. Well, yes. It is in these ocasions when you perceive that your chess has improved even if you are mauled 9 times of ten by the current crop of Tigers, centuries or Fritzses. MM IV is tactically strong and can give you more than a surprise if you are carefree and lazy, but it is enough strategically weak to give to a decent club player more than a chance to trash him IF you avoid his tactical blows. So this post has the this purpose: to advice you to do as me, playing at least one game in five to any of these old and venerable monster in order to boots your ego with some victories and to see how much better player you has became. I clearly recall that my first games agains MMIV were almost all defeats even if I worked hard at every move, but yesterday I trashed the poor criature almost without thinking. Clearly, with time, a chess fan get more and more tactical acumen and so the only weapon of those old programs is absolutely dented. And now, Ed, tell me if I am right you was the programmer. And tell me about it. How much Kb the program has? Which is his relation with programs that came after? Any story about this loved monster of mine, now again sleeping in the drawer, would be cherished and welcome. Fernando
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