Author: Mark Ryan
Date: 17:02:12 06/30/99
Go up one level in this thread
On June 30, 1999 at 18:28:00, John Wentworth wrote: >On June 30, 1999 at 13:47:52, Alan Grotier wrote: > >>In 1984 I purchased the Mephisto Mondial XL rated at around 1970 Fide. >>It has a Motorola 68000 16bit processor at 12MZ and one of the best pressure >>sensitive boards I have seen.The features are rather limited - one playing >>style, no tournament time controls, fixed selective search etc. >>The play is rather quiet and positional.It does have tactical ability but >>will not go out of it's way to provoke tactical situations and can be prone to >>sacrifices on the King side.But it does have agood end game. >>Dispite it's age I find it very strong and cannot boast many wins at my favorite >>level game/30". >> >>In 1993 I purchased the Mephisto Vancouver with the exclusive wooden board >>(Mephisto Genius1 was based on this program)rated at around 2100 Fide. >>It has the same processor as the Mondial XL.It is pure luxury to play and >>abounds with features and playing levels.Selectivity can be varied from >>0 to 12, it has three playing styles-solid,active and risky and a choice >>of six different opening books. >>I have not been able to win one game against it. >> >>Recently I purchased Fritz 5.32 primarily for game analysis. >>I did play some games against Fritz but this was akin to hunting bear >>with a potato peeler;your going to get mauled. >> >>So I think I will stick to playing my dinosaur chess machines.There is still >>lots of life in them and plenty to learn from them. >> >>When I really get fed-up with losing I drag out the Fidelity Chess Challenger7 >>from it's torn and used box and teach it a lesson. >> >>An inveterate chess enthusiast. > >I agree with you all the way on this one. I think people keep buying for the >sake of having something "NEW" and not because they "NEED" it. If I can get >destroyed by a 2200 machine, I'am probably not going to learn to much by being >destroyed by a 2500+ program, since I obviously still have much to learn from >the 2200 machine. However: Many of us have a dream. One day, we say to ourselves, one day I will be "in the zone"; I will be playing the strongest computer opponent, I will see the combinations, I will create the perfect strategy, and like magic I will win against the silicon monster! That would be an achievement for a player like myself who is only 1500 (on a good day, when the wind is blowing in the right direction). After countless losses, you can imagine that I was pretty happy the day I drew against Fritz 5 at blitz - - touch move, and no coaching nor moves taken back. It's what some strive for. As I say, we have a dream. Cheers, Mark P.S.: Fritz had an excuse - - he said he was "feeling a little tired" when he offered the draw :)
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