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Subject: Something More About Chess Challenger 7

Author: Fernando Villegas

Date: 17:38:27 04/06/98


Hi Jan:
After my previous post, and thinking than perhaps there are more people
interested in these antiquarian kind of things, I can add a couple of
data to what I already said to you about Chess Challenger 7.
It was my first computer -as probably it was for many people here- and I
remember I wrote a letter to the technical department -or whatever it
was-  of Fidelity asking some questions and they answered me kindly with
a sheet full of data that sadly I lost many time ago.
Nevertheless, I recall that:
a) The very first levels did not go beyond two plys search
b) The "experienced" level that took 45 seconds in average made a three
full width search and was capable of finding some little combinations
rather quickly.
C) Tournament levels, as I said before, did just 5 plys search, one of
them, the ten minutes average time of search, with one more ply of full
width than that used 3 minutes.
d) The "expert" level took 20 minutes -I was sadomasochistic enough to
use that level most of the time- and did as much as 4 plys full width
search.
e) The postal level could take 24 hours and it did 6 plys search, the
firts two selective. The search stopped at around 1 millions moves, the
most the little Zilog processor could do with it's tiny 8 bit structure.
Non of that levels had any kind of extension search techniques. That is
claer looking at the kind of traps CC/ fell and besides this technique
was first implemented -at least in micros- by the Spracklen in the I and
II sargon programs.
Another curiosity for antiquarians: In a movie with Christopher Walken
performing as a soldier of fortune, he appears in his sordid apartment
playing CC7 surrounded by dust, bugs, pistols and solitude.
Bye.
fernando




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