Computer chess has become boring as i last no more than 43 moves against a top modern computer, but in the 80s and 90s we could compete against them, my first chess program was sargon II chess cartridge on the vic20 commodore home computer in 1984, around about that time, i had few friends to play chess with and it became a big pull to try and beat it. I did so only a few times.
The amiga was a much stronger home computer than the vic 20 and when i got one in 1987 i immedietaly wanted to get a chess program and got a pirated copy of chessmaster 2000 and bought colossus x both of which were beatable by me when i had got stronger, colossus x was very civilised as it had fluer de lune as a music a compliment to the chess playing.i used to beat both about 15 % of the time.
In 1990 i went to a chess club and soon got the montreal mephisto chess board computer, i was a much stronger player then and often beat it maybe 25% of the time. It was about 143 bcf strength. in 1994 i got a mephisto exclusive polgar chess board computer which was 170 bcf about and i beat it only a few times. in 1996 i got a fritz 5 talking computer chess program for the pc, this was much stronger than the chessboards previously and was about 235 bcf it was then that playing computers started to lose its appeal. It was very funny to play against with the talk it used to do, but appart from when i altered its settings i never beat it though i came close a few times.
Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
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AlanLlewellyn
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AlanLlewellyn
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
here is a game played by chessmaster 2000 on a modern computer this hastens the debate into chess computers now and then in the fischer hoax 2001 thread that the computer engines on modern computers play much stronger than they used to do on the hardware available then
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AlanLlewellyn
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
this is the computer program on the amiga back in 1994
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Joey Stewart
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
The two biggest issues I think people have with modern computers are:
1. They are too egotistical to turn down the difficulty setting - if stockfish can score 10-0 against 2800 rated GMs that should tell you all you need to know about your chances as a regular human player.
2. Even if you do turn down the difficulty setting the engine still plays in a thoroughly unnatural fashion, largely still playing at it's full power but with an occasional obvious and stupid blunder just to give you a chance - it in no way is anything close to playing a human.
I feel like instead of trying to make them increasingly strong, when this is already entirely unnecessary, programmers time would be much better spent trying to make them play in a way that is actually enjoyable to face.l, like offering different "personalities" which selectively play certain openings and have distinct strengths and weaknesses in areas of the game like humans do.
1. They are too egotistical to turn down the difficulty setting - if stockfish can score 10-0 against 2800 rated GMs that should tell you all you need to know about your chances as a regular human player.
2. Even if you do turn down the difficulty setting the engine still plays in a thoroughly unnatural fashion, largely still playing at it's full power but with an occasional obvious and stupid blunder just to give you a chance - it in no way is anything close to playing a human.
I feel like instead of trying to make them increasingly strong, when this is already entirely unnecessary, programmers time would be much better spent trying to make them play in a way that is actually enjoyable to face.l, like offering different "personalities" which selectively play certain openings and have distinct strengths and weaknesses in areas of the game like humans do.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
Making them increasingly strong is necessary, but not for that purpose - it's for the purpose of pre- and post-game analysis. Humanlike engine personalities are an interesting idea, though, and one you might be able to do with neural networks.
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AlanLlewellyn
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
I have replaced the computer training (playing full TC games) because it is incredibly demoralising and doesnt help my play- now i have replaced them with Internet games vs real people in slow games like in team 45 45, or matches against people i know on the ICC(Internet Chess Club).
I also dont have the stamina i used to have and find study of openings and general study tiring in-between online games.
I also dont have the stamina i used to have and find study of openings and general study tiring in-between online games.
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AlanLlewellyn
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Re: Chess computers in the 80s and 90s
I now have a mephisto master rated at 2300 which i havent played much for years, i got it in 2003 and have a 30% about record against it in recent games.(about 3 points out of last 10 games) in total out of about 50 times played i have 3 wins and 4 draws.