Dedicated+Chess+Computers


 * Home * Dedicated Chess Computers**
 * [[image:4-2.Mephisto_machine.ACM_20_NACCC.Reno.1989-2.102645422.NEWBORN.lg.jpg width="333" height="205" link="http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc190001"]] ||~  || **Dedicated chess computers** are for the sole purpose to play or analyze a game of chess. Minimalistic models provide a rudimentary, modal user interface, realized by [|seven-segment displays] or [|LCD] to display move-coordinates and short messages or symbols, and one or more [|push-buttons] to enter moves or commands, and to switch modes. Most commercial dedicated board models, provide a sensory board to recognize moves, and [|light-emitting diodes] to indicate coordinates of a move to be made by an operator on behalf of the computer.

The first dedicated chess computer was the Chess Challenger 1, designed and created by Sidney Samole and Ron Nelson, sold by Fidelity Electronics since early 1977. In the 80s, modular systems became quite popular, to make the game playing core component exchangeable and easier and cheaper to update, while leaving the device appearance identifying parts and user interface the same. || toc =High and Fall= In the 80s and early 90s, there was a competitive market for strong dedicated chess computers, and they dominated the early computer chess tournaments dedicated for [|mikroprocessors]. Mephisto Montreux was the last and lonesome competitor of its genre at the WMCCC 1995. Today, most dedicated units sold are of beginner and intermediate strength, and have to compete with mobile phone chess programs, for instance engines for Android or iPhone.
 * Mephisto X aka Mephisto Portorose at ACM 1989 ||~  ||^   ||

=Nostalgia= A trend driven by collectors and enthusiasts of exclusive chess board computers, is addressed by Ruud Martin and his company Phoenix Chess Systems with the Mephisto compatible Resurrection and his own complete system Revelation.

=Dedicated Topics=  =Dedicated Systems=  =Companies=
 * Module
 * Piece Recognition
 * Robots
 * Sensory Board
 * DGT Pi
 * Gavon
 * PicoChess
 * Raspberry Turk
 * Revelation
 * Revelation II
 * Square Off
 * Applied Concepts
 * Chafitz
 * Excalibur Electronics
 * Fidelity Electronics
 * Hegener & Glaser
 * Heuristic Software
 * Intelligent Software
 * Millennium 2000 GmbH
 * Milton Bradley
 * Newcrest Technology
 * Novag
 * Philidor Software
 * Phoenix Chess Systems
 * Saitek
 * TASC
 * VEB Mikroelektronik Erfurt

=Tournaments=
 * American Microcomputer Chess Tournaments
 * European Microcomputer Chess Championship
 * PCW Microcomputer Chess Championship
 * Various Microcomputer Chess Tournaments
 * World Microcomputer Chess Championship until WMCCC 1995

=See also=
 * Arduino
 * El Ajedrecista
 * Hardware
 * Micro-Max
 * Raspberry Pi
 * User Interface

=Dynamic Lists=

Dedicated Computers
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Video Game Console
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=Publications=

1979

 * Evan Katz (**1979**). //A Glimpse at the World of Micro-Chess//. Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 7, pp. 83
 * Editor (**1979**). //A Review of Chess Devices and Programs//. Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 11, pp. 73
 * [|Schachcomputer: Markt und Müll], [|Der Spiegel] 49/1979, December 03, 1979 (German) [|pdf]

1980 ...

 * [|Schachcomputer: Tricks und Trug], [|Der Spiegel] 50/1980, December 08, 1980 (German) [|pdf]
 * John F. White (**1982**). //[|Review-Chess Computers]//. Your Computer, [|March 1982]
 * [|Schachcomputer: Lästig, nicht lustig], [|Der Spiegel] 49/1982, December 06, 1982, (German) [|pdf]
 * Tom Fürstenberg (**1984**). //Micro Chess Computers//. ICCA Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3
 * Göran Grottling (**1984**). //The Truth about their Strength//. ICCA Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4

1985 ...

 * Tom Fürstenberg (**1985**). //Micro Chess Computers (Part 2)//. ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1
 * Göran Grottling (**1985**). //How to Bracket the Truth in Playing Strength//. ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1
 * [|Gute Taktiker, schlechte Strategen], [|Der Spiegel] 25/1985, June 17, 1985 (German)
 * Danny Kopec (**1985**). //Chess Computers - A critical descriptive Analysis of the currently available commercial Chess Computers//. Abacus Vol. 2 No. 4, Editor-shortened version as [|pdf], [|pdf] » Super Constellation, Elite
 * Hans-Peter Ketterling (**1987**). //Neuigkeiten aus Nürnberg//. [|Europa-Rochade], 03-1987, 04-1987, [|pdf] hosted by Hein Veldhuis (German)

2000 ...

 * [|Timothée Cour], [|Rémy Lauranson], [|Matthieu Vachette] (**2002**). //Autonomous Chess-playing Robot//. [|École Polytechnique], [|pdf]
 * [|Stewart Gracie], [|Jonathan Matthey], [|David Rankin], [|Konstantinos Topoglidis] (**2005**). //Lego Chess Robot//. [|University of Glasgow], [|pdf]

=Forum Posts=

2005 ...

 * [|New wooden chess computer by me] by Fernando Villegas, CCC, January 28, 2005

2010 ...

 * [|Soviet chess computers] by IvenGO, Hiarcs Forum, November 22, 2011
 * [|It's Magic] by Spacious Mind, Hiarcs Forum, November 23, 2011 » Mysticum
 * [|Raspberry Pi / Stockfish dedicated chess computer/board] by Jean-Francois Romang, CCC, August 26, 2012 » Raspberry Pi
 * [|PicoChess stand alone chess computer has born :-)] by Jean-Francois Romang, CCC, August 28, 2012 » PicoChess
 * [|PicoChess finally on Raspberry Pi] by Jean-Francois Romang, CCC, September 25, 2012
 * [|The Ultimate Dedicated Challenge] by Harvey Williamson, Hiarcs Forum, May 15, 2013
 * [|The dedicated chess computer thread] by Thorsten Czub, CCC, August 12, 2014

2015 ...

 * [|Millennium Chess Genius is here] by Thorsten Czub, CCC, October 09, 2015 » Chess Genius
 * [|For fans of old chess computers] by Franz Huber, CCC, July 31, 2016
 * [|new chess computer: CT800] by Rasmus Althoff, CCC, September 05, 2016 » CT800, NG-play

=External Links=
 * [|Commercial Dedicated Chess Computers from Wikipedia]
 * [|The Turk from Wikipedia]
 * [|Dedicated chess computers - Home of the Dutch Rebel] by Ed Schröder
 * [|Chess Computer Patents] from [|Chess Computer UK] by Mike Watters
 * [|Dedicated Chess Computers - SSDF list] from [|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]
 * [|Ein Vierteljahrhundert Mikroschachcomputer] by Hans-Peter Ketterling, [|Schachklub Tempelhof] (German)

Chess Computer Links

 * [|Blitzchess Nostalgie] by Eric Belot (French)
 * [|chesscomputers.org] by Ismenio Sousa
 * [|ChessComputers - World's Strongest Dedicated Chess Module]
 * [|Chess Computer] by Pit (mostly German)
 * [|Chess Computer UK] by Mike Watters
 * [|Chess Computer | Collectors Magazine]
 * [|ChessEval Journal], Editor of Chief: Maurice M. Ohayon, Associate Editor: Hans van Mierlo
 * [|Computer Collection on Flickr] by Steve Blincoe
 * [|Electronic Chess Computers & Computer Chess] by The Spacious Mind
 * [|miclangschach.de] by Michael Lang (German)
 * [|Museo Computadoras] (Spanish)
 * [|Schaakcomputers en computerschaak] by [|Luuk Hofman] (Dutch)
 * [|Schaakcomputer database] by Hein Veldhuis
 * [|Schachcomputer.info Wiki] (German)
 * [|Tom's Chess Computer Collection] by Thomas McBurney
 * [|Welcome to Phoenix Chess Systems]

Self-made
> [|Der CC2-Schachzwerg - ELEKTOR.de] > [|Mini-ajedrez con AVR-Max - ELEKTOR.es] > [|CC2, le génie des échecs - ELEKTOR.fr] > [|Schaakmat gezet! - ELEKTOR.nl]
 * [|Arduino & Raspberry PI Chess Computer] running Stockfish on Raspberry Pi, by Max Dobres » Arduino, Sensory Board
 * [|Berger's Projects - DIY] » SolusChess by Berger
 * [|Mysticum] by Michael Lang (German) » Mysticum
 * [|Sish - Computer Interfacing DIY Chessboards] » USB Chess Board
 * [|Sish - Computer Interfacing DIY Chessboards: Building a Sish Board, a tutorial]
 * [|Self-made Chess Computer SHAH] based on an [|Atmel]-[|ATmega88] [|Microcontroller] and Micro-Max-port by Andre Adrian (German)
 * [|AVR-Max-Schachzwerg] from [|Schachcomputer.info - Wiki] (German)
 * [|ATM18 Mini Chess Computer] from [|ELEKTOR.com – Platform for electronics and microcontrollers]
 * Harm Geert Muller's [|Matchbox Computer]
 * [|Tiny Chess Playing Computer] by [|James Hobson], [|Hackaday], September 15, 2013
 * [|Lonely? Build Yourself a Chess Robot!] by [|Will Sweatman], [|Hackaday], March 15, 2015

=References=
 * Up one level**