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 [[Chess Game|game of chess]]. Minimalistic models provide a rudimentary, modal [[User Interface|user interface]], realized by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-segment_display|seven-segment displays]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-crystal_display|LCD]] to display move-coordinates and short messages or symbols, and one or more [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push-button|push-buttons]] to [[Entering Moves|enter moves]] or commands, and to switch modes. Most commercial dedicated [[Chessboard|board]] models, provide a [[Sensory Board|sensory board]] to recognize [[Moves|moves]], and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode|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|Chess Challenger 1]], designed and created by [[Sidney Samole]] and [[Ron Nelson]], sold by [[Fidelity Electronics]] since early 1977. In the 80s, [[Module|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|user interface]] the same. ||
|| [[Mephisto|Mephisto X]] aka [[Mephisto Portorose]] at [[ACM 1989]] <ref>[[http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc190001|Mephisto X computer chess board at the 20th ACM North American Computer Chess Championship in Reno, Nevada]], Gift of [[Monroe Newborn]], [[The Computer History Museum]]</ref> ||~   ||^   ||
[[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 [[Tournaments|computer chess tournaments]] dedicated for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor|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]].

=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 Module Systems|Mephisto]] compatible [[Resurrection]] and his own complete system [[Revelation]].

=Dedicated Topics=
* [[Module]]
* [[Piece Recognition]]
* [[Robots]]
* [[Sensory Board]]
[[#Systems]]
=Dedicated Systems=
* [[DGT Pi]]
* [[Gavon]]
* [[PicoChess]]
* [[Raspberry Turk]]
* [[Revelation]]
* [[Revelation II]]
* [[Square Off]]
[[#Companies]]
=Companies= 
* [[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== 
To expand this list, create a new engine or dedicated chess computers page with the [[Guidance for Creating New Pages#Tags|tag]] "[[https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/tag/view/dedicated|dedicated]]".
> [[include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="dedicated" limit="200"]]
[[#Console]]
==Video Game Console== 
[[#GameConsole]]To expand this list, create a new engine or hardware page with the [[Guidance for Creating New Pages#Tags|tag]] "[[https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/tag/view/gameconsole|gameconsole]]".
> [[include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="gameconsole" limit="40"]]

=Publications= 
<ref>[[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive.html|Publication Archive]] from [[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html|Chess Computer UK]] by [[Mike Watters]]</ref>
==1979==
* [[Evan Katz]] (**1979**). //A Glimpse at the World of Micro-Chess//. [[Personal Computing#3_7|Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 7]], pp. 83
* Editor (**1979**). //A Review of Chess Devices and Programs//. [[Personal Computing#3_11|Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 11]], pp. 73 
* [[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-39867523.html|Schachcomputer: Markt und Müll]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel|Der Spiegel]] 49/1979, December 03, 1979 (German) [[http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=39867523&aref=image035/E0513/PPM-SP197904901190131.pdf|pdf]]
==1980 ...==
* [[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14334137.html|Schachcomputer: Tricks und Trug]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel|Der Spiegel]] 50/1980, December 08, 1980 (German) [[http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14334137&aref=image036/2006/06/16/cq-sp198005000620071.pdf|pdf]]
* [[John F. White]] (**1982**). //[[http://yourcomputeronline.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/review-chess-computers/|Review-Chess Computers]]//. [[Your Computer]], [[http://yourcomputeronline.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/march-1982-contents-and-editorial/|March 1982]]
* [[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14356596.html|Schachcomputer: Lästig, nicht lustig]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel|Der Spiegel]] 49/1982, December 06, 1982, (German) [[http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14356596&aref=image036/2006/06/20/cq-sp198204902240229.pdf|pdf]]
* [[Tom Fürstenberg]] (**1984**). //Micro Chess Computers//. [[ICGA Journal#7_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3]] 
* [[Göran Grottling]] (**1984**). //The Truth about their Strength//. [[ICGA Journal#7_4|ICCA Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4]]
==1985 ...==
* [[Tom Fürstenberg]] (**1985**). //Micro Chess Computers (Part 2)//. [[ICGA Journal#8_1|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1]] 
* [[Göran Grottling]] (**1985**). //How to Bracket the Truth in Playing Strength//. [[ICGA Journal#8_1|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1]] 
* [[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13514808.html|Gute Taktiker, schlechte Strategen]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel|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 [[http://www.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~kopec/Publications/Publications/O_34_C.pdf|pdf]], [[http://spider.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~kopec/Publications/Publications/O_34_C.pdf|pdf]] » [[Super Constellation]], [[Elite]]
* [[Hans-Peter Ketterling]] (**1987**). //Neuigkeiten aus Nürnberg//. [[http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochade_Europa|Europa-Rochade]], 03-1987, 04-1987, [[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/03-1987,%20Rochade,%20H.-P.%20Ketterling,%20Neuigkeiten%20aus%20Nurnberg.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)
==2000 ...==
* [[http://www.seas.upenn.edu/%7Etimothee/|Timothée Cour]], [[http://biograce.net/content/abouthebiograceproject/projectorganisations|Rémy Lauranson]], [[http://fr.linkedin.com/pub/matthieu-vachette/1b/bb5/571|Matthieu Vachette]] (**2002**). //Autonomous Chess-playing Robot//. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechnique|École Polytechnique]], [[http://www.seas.upenn.edu/%7Etimothee/papers/ChessAutonomousRobot.pdf|pdf]]
* [[http://uk.linkedin.com/in/stewartgracie|Stewart Gracie]], [[http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/jonathan-matthey/10/361/669|Jonathan Matthey]], [[http://www.gla.ac.uk/stafflist/?action=person&id=4cdde6e3879f203c98f3|David Rankin]], [[http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/%7Erod/legolab/index.htm|Konstantinos Topoglidis]] (**2005**). //Lego Chess Robot//. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Glasgow|University of Glasgow]], [[http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/%7Erod/legolab/ESEteamReport04-05.pdf|pdf]] <ref>[[http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/%7Erod/legolab/index.htm|LegoLab]]</ref> <ref>[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego|Lego from Wikipedia]]</ref> <ref>[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms|Lego Mindstorms from Wikipedia]]</ref>

=Forum Posts= 
==2005 ...==
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=407920|New wooden chess computer by me]] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[CCC]], January 28, 2005
==2010 ...==
* [[http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4543&sid=33dccbe0f320d61a8611ea008544213a|Soviet chess computers]] by IvenGO, [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], November 22, 2011
* [[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4546|It's Magic]] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], November 23, 2011 » [[Mysticum]]
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44901|Raspberry Pi / Stockfish dedicated chess computer/board]] by [[Jean-Francois Romang]], [[CCC]], August 26, 2012 » [[Raspberry Pi]]
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44930|PicoChess stand alone chess computer has born :-)]] by [[Jean-Francois Romang]], [[CCC]], August 28, 2012 » [[PicoChess]]
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45329|PicoChess finally on Raspberry Pi]] by [[Jean-Francois Romang]], [[CCC]], September 25, 2012
* [[http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5973&sid=a0a07de260a8ff693fb65b2c0c24dd59|The Ultimate Dedicated Challenge]] by [[Harvey Williamson]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], May 15, 2013
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53257|The dedicated chess computer thread]] by [[Thorsten Czub]], [[CCC]], August 12, 2014
==2015 ...==
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=57897|Millennium Chess Genius is here]] by [[Thorsten Czub]], [[CCC]], October 09, 2015 » [[Chess Genius]]
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=60996|For fans of old chess computers]] by [[Franz Huber]], [[CCC]], July 31, 2016
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61345|new chess computer: CT800]] by [[Rasmus Althoff]], [[CCC]], September 05, 2016 » [[CT800]], [[NG-play]]

=External Links= 
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_engine#Commercial_dedicated_computers|Commercial Dedicated Chess Computers from Wikipedia]]
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk|The Turk from Wikipedia]]
* [[http://www.top-5000.nl/dedicated.htm|Dedicated chess computers - Home of the Dutch Rebel]] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]
* [[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/other_patents.html#Patent|Chess Computer Patents]] from [[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html|Chess Computer UK]] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [[http://www.schachcomputer.info/html/body_ssdf.html|Dedicated Chess Computers - SSDF list]] from [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]]
* [[http://www.schachklub-tempelhof.de/?q=microschachcomputer|Ein Vierteljahrhundert Mikroschachcomputer]] by [[Hans-Peter Ketterling]], [[http://www.schachklub-tempelhof.de.vu/|Schachklub Tempelhof]] (German)

==Chess Computer Links== 
* [[http://www.blitzchess.fr/|Blitzchess Nostalgie]] by [[Eric Belot]] (French)
* [[http://www.ismenio.com/chess_computers.html|chesscomputers.org]] by [[Ismenio Sousa]]
* [[http://www.ismenio.com/ruud.html|ChessComputers - World's Strongest Dedicated Chess Module]]
* [[http://chess-computer.blogspot.co.uk/|Chess Computer]] by Pit (mostly German) <ref>[[http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6578&sid=b7c1e806c342b662b536ab62b24d7929|Excellent Chess Computer Web Site]] by [[Bryan Whitby|Chessmaster Ireland]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], February 08, 2014</ref>
* [[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html|Chess Computer UK]] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [[http://www.chesscomputer.org/|Chess Computer | Collectors Magazine]]
* [[http://chesseval.com/ChessEvalJournal/Editorial/EditorialMierlo.htm|ChessEval Journal]], Editor of Chief: [[Maurice M. Ohayon]], Associate Editor: [[Hans van Mierlo]]
* [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/|Computer Collection on Flickr]] by [[Steve Blincoe]]
* [[http://www.spacious-mind.com/index.html|Electronic Chess Computers & Computer Chess]] by [[The Spacious Mind]]
* [[http://www.miclangschach.de/index.php?n=Main.HomePage|miclangschach.de]] by [[Michael Lang]] (German)
* [[http://www.meca-web.es/museo.htm|Museo Computadoras]] (Spanish)
* [[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/|Schaakcomputers en computerschaak]] by [[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/kennismaking/|Luuk Hofman]] (Dutch)
* [[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/|Schaakcomputer database]] by [[Hein Veldhuis]]
* [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]] (German)
* [[http://home.pacific.net.au/~tommyinoz/chesscomputers.html|Tom's Chess Computer Collection]] by [[Thomas McBurney]]
* [[http://www.phoenixcs.nl/|Welcome to Phoenix Chess Systems]]
[[#Selfmade]]
==Self-made== 
* [[http://www.chess.fortherapy.co.uk/|Arduino & Raspberry PI Chess Computer ]] running [[Stockfish]] on [[Raspberry Pi]], by [[Max Dobres]] » [[Arduino]], [[Sensory Board]]
* [[https://sites.google.com/site/bergersprojects/home|Berger's Projects - DIY]] » [[SolusChess]] by [[Gerardo Mateo|Berger]]
* [[http://www.miclangschach.de/index.php?n=Main.Mysticum|Mysticum]] by [[Michael Lang]] (German) » [[Mysticum]] <ref>[[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4546|It's Magic]] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], November 23, 2011</ref>
* [[http://sishchess.blogspot.co.uk/|Sish - Computer Interfacing DIY Chessboards]] » [[USB Chess Board]]
* [[http://sishchess.blogspot.co.uk/p/building-sish-board-tutorial.html|Sish - Computer Interfacing DIY Chessboards: Building a Sish Board, a tutorial]]
* [[http://www.andreadrian.de/schach/#Selbstbau_Schachcomputer_SHAH|Self-made Chess Computer SHAH]] based on an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmel|Atmel]]-[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATmega88|ATmega88]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontroller|Microcontroller]] and [[Micro-Max]]-port by [[Andre Adrian]] (German)
* [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/AVR-Max-Schachzwerg|AVR-Max-Schachzwerg]] from [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info - Wiki]] (German)
* [[http://www.elektor.com/magazines/2009/september/atm18-mini-chess-computer.1041342.lynkx|ATM18 Mini Chess Computer]] from [[http://www.elektor.com/elektor-uk.35.lynkx|ELEKTOR.com – Platform for electronics and microcontrollers]]
> [[http://www.elektor.de/jahrgang/2009/juni/der-cc2-schachzwerg.953832.lynkx|Der CC2-Schachzwerg - ELEKTOR.de]]
> [[http://www.elektor.es/revistas/2009/septiembre/mini-ajedrez-con-avr-max.1045162.lynkx|Mini-ajedrez con AVR-Max - ELEKTOR.es]]
> [[http://www.elektor.fr/magazines/2009/septembre/cc2-le-genie-des-echecs.1045033.lynkx|CC2, le génie des échecs - ELEKTOR.fr]]
> [[http://www.elektor.nl/artikelen-als-pdf/2009/september/schaakmat-gezet%21.1042473.lynkx|Schaakmat gezet! - ELEKTOR.nl]]
* [[Harm Geert Muller|Harm Geert Muller's]] [[http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/chess.html|Matchbox Computer]] <ref>[[Harm Geert Muller]] (**1990**). //A Matchbox Chess Computer//. [[ICGA Journal|ICCA Journal]], Vol. 13, No. 4</ref> 
* [[http://hackaday.com/2013/09/15/tiny-chess-playing-computer/|Tiny Chess Playing Computer]] by [[http://hackaday.com/author/thehacksmith/|James Hobson]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackaday|Hackaday]], September 15, 2013
* [[http://hackaday.com/2015/03/15/lonely-build-yourself-a-chess-robot/|Lonely? Build Yourself a Chess Robot!]] by [[http://hackaday.com/author/willsweatman/|Will Sweatman]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackaday|Hackaday]], March 15, 2015

=References= 
<references />
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