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Subject: Re: A Computer That Plays Chess!!... Some Early Reminisces

Author: Torstein Hall

Date: 14:12:32 03/01/05

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On March 01, 2005 at 12:30:17, Steve B wrote:

>i think it might be of interest to all Members to perhaps share their very first
>experience with a chess playing machine or even a PC program
>
>after all..  all members here started somewhere with their very first program or
>dedicated computer..
>
>a point in time i think that many of us recall with a certain amount of
>nostalgia and fondness
>
>for me of course the beginning was way back in 1978
>the first chess playing computer i owned was the JS&A Computer Chess Computer
>endorsed by the then World Champion Karpov
>
>it was a small unit,with no chess board attached
>you keyed in your move and the display showed the computers reply
>it sold for $100
>the only other machine at the time was the Fidelity Chess Challenger but it was
>more expensive..i recall it sold for about $400,so i went for the cheaper
>machine
>
>i can recall exactly where i was and the time of day when i played my first game
>
>i was renting a house with 3 college buddies(we had just graduated) and it about
>8pm in the evening
>
>i opened with D4 and after only 2 or 3 moves the computer was out of book
>
>i remember the computer making a quiet developing move ,moving the Q to D7 to
>clear the way to Castle Queen side
>
>i was simply amazed
>
>here i was sitting in my house,playing a game of chess with a machine no bigger
>then a small book and weighing less then 1 LB and all this for 100 bucks
>
>it soon became apparent that the program was weak but i was hooked for life
>i knew right then and there i would collect and play as many of them as i could
>possibly afford
>
>the next day i shelled out the money for the Chess Challenger
>
>still have both computers and they still work fine(and still after all of these
>years,play god awful chess)
>
>Best
>Steve

If I look hard around in my mess I may still find a Sargon 2.5 (Sold as Boris in
the US?) with nice messages in green LCD saying stuff like "Do you have a plan?"
It was not very clever at chess, but what a sensation it was! "Hey Dude, that
box actually plays chess!"

Torstein



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