Mephisto Roma

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|| [[image:Roma68020Modules.jpg link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/859028792/in/album-72157600922171154/"]] ||~ || **Mephisto Roma**,
a set of [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computer]] [[Module|modules]] by [[Hegener & Glaser]] released in 1987 for their [[Mephisto Module Systems|Mephisto module systems]], like its predecessor [[Mephisto Dallas]] as [[68000]] and [[68020]] versions @ 12 and 14 MHz with 16 and 64 KiB of [[Memory#RAM|RAM]] respectively. Thus, the program was the further development of [[Richard Lang|Richard Lang's]] Mephisto series, winning the third consecutive title at the [[WMCCC 1987]] in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome|Rome]] ([[https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma|Roma]] in Italian), again the site eponym of the computer modules. The [[WMCCC 1987#Commercial|Manufacturers Championship]] was a duel between [[Hegener & Glaser]] and [[Newcrest Technology]], where three Mephisto Roma on 68020 @ 25 or 28 MHz <ref>[[http://www.elpeon.com/index.php?mod=tm|Mephisto Turniermaschine Roma 68020 25Mhz  | elpeon.com]] (German)</ref> outclassed three [[CXG Sphinx]] with a [[Intelligent Software]] program by [[David Levy]] and [[Mark Taylor]], running on a 68020 as well, with a stunning 9:0 result - while the games were more closely than the results suggested <ref>[[Kaare Danielsen]] (**1987**). //The 7th World Microcomputer Chess Championship, Rome, Italy, September 14-20, 1987//. [[ICGA Journal#10_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 10, No. 3]]</ref>. The cheaper Roma II [[68000]] module was released two years later. ||
|| Roma 68020 <ref>[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/859028792/in/album-72157600922171154/|Roma 68020 modules and manual]] from [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/sets/72157600922171154/|Mephisto | Photo collection]] by [[Steve Blincoe|Chewbanta]]</ref> ||~ ||^ ||
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=Features=
[[Kaare Danielsen]] praised [[Richard Lang|Lang's]] programs in general in his [[ICGA Journal#10_3|ICCA Journal]] report of the [[WMCCC 1987|Rome WMCCC]], where [[Psion]], still Lang's development base for his Mephisto programs, also won the Software group <ref>[[Kaare Danielsen]] (**1987**). //[[WMCCC 1987|The 7th World Microcomputer Chess Championship]], Rome, Italy, September 14-20, 1987//. [[ICGA Journal#10_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 10, No. 3]]</ref>:
|| {{Clearly, Richard Lang has produced the strongest microcomputer program in the world. It searches 4-5 [[Ply|plies]] [[Brute-Force|brute force]] plus up to 6-7 plies [[Selectivity|selective search]]. The program contains a lot of [[Knowledge|chess knowledge]], which is used both in the [[Search Tree|tree]] and to create [[Piece-Square tables|piece-value-tables]]. The chess knowledge was obtained from chess masters, who analyzed games played by the program. The program has an [[Asymmetric evaluation|asymmetric evaluation]] function, which emphasis safety (has rules like 'do not start a wild attack, but worry a lot if the opponent does so'). The program searches about 4000 [[Nodes per second|nodes per second]] on a 28 MHz [[68020]], but this includes a thorough analysis at every node, including a [[Static Exchange Evaluation|swap-off evaluation]] (static analysis of captures instead of a [[Quiescence Search|capture search]]).}} ||

=Improvements=
Monsieur Plastique recalled the original [[Mephisto Dallas]] to Roma evolution was considered to be an extremely small one <ref>[[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7383&start=1|Re. Roma 32 32 Bit vs Dallas 32 Bit]] by Monsieur Plastique, [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], August 31, 2015</ref>. Improvements of [[Middlegame|middlegame]] and [[Endgame|endgame]] and Blitzchess mentioned in the introduction of the Roma manual <ref>//Mephisto Roma 68000, Roma 68020 - User's Manual//. [[http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/mephisto/RomaUS.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Alain Zanchetta]]</ref> look like a plain translation from the German Dallas manual <ref>//Mephisto Dallas - Bedienungsanleitung//. (German) [[http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/mephisto/Mephisto_Dallas_DE.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Alain Zanchetta]]</ref>. 

=UCI Engine=
Courtesy of [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]] and [[Richard Lang]], Mephisto Roma is available as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulator|emulated]] [[UCI]] [[UCI Engines|engine]] <ref>[[http://www.top-5000.nl/mephisto.htm|Back to the 80's with UCI]] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]</ref> <ref>[[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=696|Back to the 80's]] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 13, 2007</ref>.

=See also=
* [[Various Classifications#Demonology|Demonology]]
* [[Mephisto Almeria]]
* [[Mephisto Dallas]]
* [[Psion]]

=Manuals=
* //Mephisto Roma 68000, Roma 68020 - User's Manual//. [[http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/mephisto/RomaUS.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Alain Zanchetta]]
* //Mephisto Moldul Roma II - Bedienungsanleitung//. (German) [[http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/mephisto/MephistoRomaIIde.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Alain Zanchetta]]

=Publiations= 
* [[Kaare Danielsen]] (**1987**). //The 7th World Microcomputer Chess Championship, Rome, Italy, September 14-20, 1987//. [[ICGA Journal#10_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 10, No. 3]]
* [[Göran Grottling]] (**1987**). //Mr. Lang, wo bleibt die Tiefe? Ein Interview mit Richard Lang//. [[Modul]] 4/87, [[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/12-1987,%20Modul,%20Goran%20Grottling,%20Interview%20mit%20Richard%20Lang.pdf|pdf]] hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German, translation from Swedish [[PLY (Magazine)|PLY magazine]])

=Forum Posts=
* [[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4872|Mephisto Roma 68020 elo]] by chesspcmac, [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], July 06, 2012
* [[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6752|Mephisto Roma 68000]] by dedicate computers, [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], June 19, 2014
* [[http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7383|Roma 32 32 Bit vs Dallas 32 Bit]] by Ricardo Rodulfo, [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], August 31, 2015 » [[Mephisto Dallas]]

=External Links=
* [[http://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=202|Mephisto's ICGA Tournaments]] (including Roma)
* [[http://www.spacious-mind.com/html/module_roma_ii.html|Module Roma II]]  from [[The Spacious Mind]]
* [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Roma_68000|Mephisto Roma 68000]] from [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]] (German)
* [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Roma_68020|Mephisto Roma 68020]] from [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]] (German)
* [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Mephisto_Roma_II|Mephisto Roma II]] from [[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En|Schachcomputer.info Wiki]] (German)
* [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/meproma2.htm|Mephisto Roma II (Module)]] from [[http://www.schachcomputer.at/index.htm|Kurt´s Schachcomputer Homepage]] by [[Kurt Kispert]] (German)
* [[http://www.meca-web.es/museo/mephistoroma32/mephistoroma32.htm|Mephisto Roma 32]] from [[http://www.meca-web.es/index.htm|Museo Español de Computadoras de Ajedrez]] (Spanish)
* [[http://www.top-5000.nl/mephisto.htm|Back to the 80's with UCI]] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]

=References= 
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=What links here?= 
[[include page="Mephisto Roma" component="backlinks" limit="40"]]
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