Author: Ian Osgood
Date: 13:07:41 07/06/99
Go up one level in this thread
On July 06, 1999 at 15:31:06, Christophe Theron wrote:
>On July 06, 1999 at 14:34:24, Ian Osgood wrote:
>
>>On July 05, 1999 at 15:12:55, Pierre Bourget wrote:
>>
...
>>>
>>>It would be interesting if someone can play a match of a dozen games between the
>>>Cosmos and the Sapphire II to see once and for all who is the best portable
>>>chess computer.Anyone willing to do that ?
>>>
>>>Pierre
>>
>>Great idea!
>>
>>This is easy to do for anyone who owns a Cosmos and has access to FICS (telnet
>>freechess.org 5000).
>>
>>Login and play SapphireII, an auto-playing Novag Sapphire II. I try to keep it
>>available 24 hours a day, although I have been having problems with my internet
>>connection lately.
>
>Huh... How is it possible? You can't operate that manually, do you? And I
>thought the Sapphire was a standalone computer. How is it possible to have it
>connected to the Internet to play automatic games? Did you build a robot with an
>arm to operate the small thing and a video camera to look at the small
>display??? :)
Many models of Novag computers came with a serial port, through which you can
send commands and receive results (such as the computer's move and thinking
analysis). I wrote a WinBoard engine which translated WinBoard engine commands
into Novag serial commands, allowing my Sapphire II to play on the Internet or
from WinBoard! It is also handy to run test suites against the SapphireII
(similar to crafty's "test" command). The engine also translates chess server
incremental time controls into appropriate thinking levels.
SapphireII has played over 5000 automated games on FICS, maintaining a rating in
the range 2000-2200. Many of the amateur chess authors here have appreciated
having a program of some sophistication (albeit slow) to spar against.
BTW, the serial port is non-standard, requiring an adapter (called the Novag
Distributor) to translate signals to RS-232. Most people don't buy the adapter
because it is an outrageous $70! This is also the method used to connect the
SapphireII to the Novag Universal Chess Board (sold as the Sapphire II DeLuxe).
Come over to FICS and try it for yourself, Christophe!
Ian
> Christophe
>
>
>
>>Please leave a message here or on FICS ("message SapphireII ...") to arrange a
>>time to meet for a match.
>>
>>Ian Osgood
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