Author: John Coffey
Date: 08:57:29 11/30/98
I bought the Novag Jasper. I wrote ICD and they said that the unit was more like 1400 than 1750 (as claimed on the package.) I bought it anyway. I wanted a calculator style unit for its portability and for practicing blindfold chess, and I wanted to use it for teaching to my students. I also prefer not to have an attached board because I don't like using the small boards, especially the pegboard units. I had high hopes for this unit because of the claims made and because it supposedly runs at 8mhz. I have owned chess computers that had slower clock speeds but still played a good game of chess. Considering the claims made about the products strength (USCF said "*very* strong 4K program" and the package said estimated rating of 1750) my disappointment is extreme. It would be a useful unit for beginners, but even the 1400 estimate is too high. At 30 seconds a move it failed to see a 3 ply combination that would prevent it from losing material. I put the unit on 40 seconds per move and it failed to see the combination. I put the unit on 60 seconds per move and it made the correct move. (the game is below.) Novag Jasper vs. Coffey at 30 seconds per move: d4 Nf6 Nf3 d5 Bf4 c5 Be5?! Nc6 c3 cxd5 cxd5 Bg4 e3 e6 Nc3 Bb4 Bd3 0-0 0-0 Bxc3 bxc3 Nxe5 dxe5 Ne4 c4?! Bxf3 Qxf3 Nd2 Qh5?? At this point I was ready to throw the unit accross the room because it could not see that Qh3 saves the material. I played numerous blindfold games beating it at 15 seconds per move. i.e. Coffey (blindfold) vs. Jasper at 15 seconds per move e4 e5 Nc3 Bc5 f4 Qh4+ g3 Qf6 Nd5 Qd6 fxe5 Qxe5 Bg2 Nc6 d4 Nxd4 Bf4 Nxc2+ Qxc2 Bxf2+ Kxf2 Qd4+ Be3 c5 Bxd4 cxd4 Rc1 Kd8 Qc7+ Ke8 Qxc8+ Rxc8+ Rxc8 mate. I gave the unit a mate in 3. The Radio Shack 1850 from 10 years ago (which is really a weak B player) solved this mate in *2* seconds. The Novag Jasper takes 55 seconds. The position is as follows: White: King h2 and pawn on h4 Black: King on e2, Queen on f1, pawns on f7 and h5. Black to move and mate in 3. I estimate the unit's strength to be about 1200, which makes the 1750 estimate totally bogus. How dare Novag and the USCF pull such a scam! I think that the unit is on par with the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 that I had 19 years ago. I would like to see someone play them in a match and see which one wins. It is good unit for Novices and nobody else. John Coffey http://www.xmission.com/~vote/365 Home email: john2001@hotmail.com Home phone: 1-801-good-chess (466-3243)
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