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Created page with "'''Home * People * Richard Lang''' FILE:4-3a.NACCC-Reno.Mephisto.Lang-Richard.1989.102645409.MONTY_NEWBORN.lg.jpg|border|right|thumb|link=http://www.compu..."
'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[People]] * Richard Lang'''
[[FILE:4-3a.NACCC-Reno.Mephisto.Lang-Richard.1989.102645409.MONTY_NEWBORN.lg.jpg|border|right|thumb|link=http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc15086b|Richard Lang operating [[Mephisto]] at [[ACM 1989]] <ref>[http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc15086b Lang playing Mephisto at the 20th ACM North American Computer Chess Championship in Reno], 1989, Gift of [[Monroe Newborn]] from [[The Computer History Museum]]</ref> ]]
'''Richard Lang''',<br/>
a British professional computer chess programmer. He is author of the mighty chess programs [[Cyrus]], [[Psion]] and [[Chess Genius]], and their respective [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated incarnations]], most notably the Psion and Chess Genius programs inside [[Mephisto]] computers, dominating microcomputer chess in the 80s and 90s with ten [[World Microcomputer Chess Championship]] titles in a row, from 1984 until 1995.
After first trials, Richard Lang started his computer chess programming career in January 1981 after he had absorbed [[Dan Spracklen|Dan]] and [[Kathe Spracklen|Kathe Spracklen's]] book about [[Sargon]] which provided a complete [[Z80]] [[Assembly]] listing <ref>[[Dan Spracklen]] and [[Kathe Spracklen]] ('''1978'''). ''SARGON: Computer Chess Program''. Hayden Bk.Co. ISBN: 978-0810451551, [http://www.amazon.com/Sargon-Computer-Program-Dan-Spracklen/dp/0810451557 amazon.com]</ref> . He saw several ways to improve, not only in speed, but also in better [[Algorithms|algorithms]] and ways of obtaining a [[Score|score]] for [[Chess Position|chess positions]] <ref>[[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Winner Takes All''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html September 83], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang0001.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> .
=Photos=
[[FILE:Ossi_Weiner_Manfred_Hegener_Richard_Lang_1985.jpg|none|border|text-bottom|640px|link=http://www.ismenio.com/mephisto.html]]
[[Ossi Weiner]], [[Manfred Hegener]] and Richard Lang, [[WMCCC 1985]] <ref>Picture from [[Computerschach und Spiele]] hosted by [http://www.ismenio.com/chess_computers.html ChessComputers.org], [http://www.ismenio.com/mephisto.html Hegener & Glaser (Mephisto)]</ref>
=Cyrus=
Lang's first chess program, [[Cyrus]], was written in [[Z80]] [[Assembly]]. It had an astonishing debut at the [[European MCC 1981|2nd European Microcomputer Chess Championship]] at the [[Personal Computer World|PCW]] Show in September 1981 in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London London], winning all five games and the tournament. Lang immediately was offered two contracts by [[David Levy]] and [[Kevin O’Connell]], one for Cyrus, and one to work as programmer for [[Intelligent Software]]. Lang accepted, and turned his hobby into a job. Cyrus for [[Sinclair]] was his first commercial entry, followed by programs for various [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computers]] merchandised by ''Intelligent Software'', as well a further improved version of Cyrus.
=Psion=
In about 1983 Richard Lang started to write his new program [[Psion]] for [[68000]] based processors. He was about to abandon the work for [[Intelligent Software]], who continued their own work by owning the Cyrus brand by primary programmer [[Mark Taylor]], yielding in [[Cyrus 68K]]. Psion Chess was marketed first by [[Sinclair|Sinclair Research]] for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_QL Sinclair QL] computers <ref>[http://www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki/index.php?title=Psion%20Chess Sinclair QL Computer Wiki - Psion Chess]</ref> and later under [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion Psion's] own label for [[Apple]] [[Macintosh]], [[Atari ST]] and in late 1983 for the [[IBM PC]] with [[8086|8086/88]] processors <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/psion-chess Psion Chess] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]</ref> .
=Mephisto and Genius=
In 1985 Lang started to collaborate with [[Hegener & Glaser]] and [[Ossi Weiner]], porting [[Psion]] to their dedicated [[Mephisto]] chess computers <ref>[https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=202 Mephisto by Richard Lang]</ref> . Psion evolved to [[Chess Genius]], also ported to [[IBM PC|PC's]] for the [[MS-DOS]] operating system, and later to [[Windows]] <ref>[[Richard Lang]] ('''1995'''). ''[[Chess Genius|Chess Genius 4]]''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 80</ref> . Lang's Mephisto programs dominated the microcomputer chess scene from the mid 80s until the beginning of the 90s. He was multiple [[World Microcomputer Chess Championship|World Microcomputer Chess Champion]], last title with Genius (shared with [[MChess]]) at the [[WMCCC 1995]]. In 1994 during the Intel Grand Prix Cycle <ref>[http://www.ukgamesshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=chdvgmv008&Category_Code=chdvmag GM Magazine: Vol. 12 Intel Grand Prix London 1994 {DVD}] by [http://www.danielking.biz/ GM Daniel King]</ref> in London, Genius won a speed chess game (25-minutes per side) against [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov Garry Kasparov] <ref>[http://www.top-5000.nl/matches/1994.htm Matches] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]</ref> .
=Quotes=
Quote by [[Kaare Danielsen]] from his [[WMCCC 1987]] report <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 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]]).
=Resume=
In 2002 Richard Lang founded his own company, merchandising Chess Genius for various platforms with focus on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant PDA] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone mobile phones], recently also for [[Engines for Android|Android]] <ref>[http://www.chessgenius.com/ ChessGenius World class chess software] © Lang Software Limited</ref> . In an 2003 interview, Richard Lang stated that there is still much of Cyrus in current versions of Chess Genius. For example, he had never used [[Quiescence Search|quiescence searches]] and relied instead on a [[Static Exchange Evaluation|static swap off routine]]. More recently he has failed to make progress with top PC programs. In part perhaps due to his programming techniques do not scale well on very fast hardware. The program has become very complex, and unfortunately the complexity seems necessary and new ideas have not really worked <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang_Q_A.pdf Richard Lang - Question & Answer Interview given to a German magazine in 2003], pdf hosted by [[Mike Watters]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]</ref> .
=Publications=
* [[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Winner Takes All''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html September 83], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang0001.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Mike Watters]]
* [[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]])
* [[Richard Lang]] ('''1989'''). ''[[WMCCC 1989|The Ninth World Microcomputer Chess Championship]]''. [[ICGA Journal#12_4|ICCA Journal, Vol. 12, No. 4]]
* Staff ('''1995'''). ''An Interview with Richard Lang''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 63
* [[Richard Lang]] ('''1995'''). ''[[Chess Genius|Chess Genius 4]]''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 80
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang_Q_A.pdf Richard Lang - Question & Answer Interview given to a German magazine in 2003], pdf hosted by [[Mike Watters]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]
=External Links=
* [https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/person.php?id=64 Richard Lang's ICGA Tournaments]
* [http://www.chessgenius.com/ ChessGenius. World class chess software] © Lang Software Limited
* [http://www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki/index.php?title=Richard%20Lang Sinclair QL Computer Wiki - Richard Lang]
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/chess_computers_-_the_uk_story.html Chess Computers - The UK Story] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Lang%2C_Richard Lang, Richard] from [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite Schachcomputer.info - wiki] (German)
* [http://www.rebel.nl/authors.htm Meet the Authors] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[FILE:4-3a.NACCC-Reno.Mephisto.Lang-Richard.1989.102645409.MONTY_NEWBORN.lg.jpg|border|right|thumb|link=http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc15086b|Richard Lang operating [[Mephisto]] at [[ACM 1989]] <ref>[http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/full_record.php?iid=stl-431f4cc15086b Lang playing Mephisto at the 20th ACM North American Computer Chess Championship in Reno], 1989, Gift of [[Monroe Newborn]] from [[The Computer History Museum]]</ref> ]]
'''Richard Lang''',<br/>
a British professional computer chess programmer. He is author of the mighty chess programs [[Cyrus]], [[Psion]] and [[Chess Genius]], and their respective [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated incarnations]], most notably the Psion and Chess Genius programs inside [[Mephisto]] computers, dominating microcomputer chess in the 80s and 90s with ten [[World Microcomputer Chess Championship]] titles in a row, from 1984 until 1995.
After first trials, Richard Lang started his computer chess programming career in January 1981 after he had absorbed [[Dan Spracklen|Dan]] and [[Kathe Spracklen|Kathe Spracklen's]] book about [[Sargon]] which provided a complete [[Z80]] [[Assembly]] listing <ref>[[Dan Spracklen]] and [[Kathe Spracklen]] ('''1978'''). ''SARGON: Computer Chess Program''. Hayden Bk.Co. ISBN: 978-0810451551, [http://www.amazon.com/Sargon-Computer-Program-Dan-Spracklen/dp/0810451557 amazon.com]</ref> . He saw several ways to improve, not only in speed, but also in better [[Algorithms|algorithms]] and ways of obtaining a [[Score|score]] for [[Chess Position|chess positions]] <ref>[[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Winner Takes All''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html September 83], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang0001.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> .
=Photos=
[[FILE:Ossi_Weiner_Manfred_Hegener_Richard_Lang_1985.jpg|none|border|text-bottom|640px|link=http://www.ismenio.com/mephisto.html]]
[[Ossi Weiner]], [[Manfred Hegener]] and Richard Lang, [[WMCCC 1985]] <ref>Picture from [[Computerschach und Spiele]] hosted by [http://www.ismenio.com/chess_computers.html ChessComputers.org], [http://www.ismenio.com/mephisto.html Hegener & Glaser (Mephisto)]</ref>
=Cyrus=
Lang's first chess program, [[Cyrus]], was written in [[Z80]] [[Assembly]]. It had an astonishing debut at the [[European MCC 1981|2nd European Microcomputer Chess Championship]] at the [[Personal Computer World|PCW]] Show in September 1981 in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London London], winning all five games and the tournament. Lang immediately was offered two contracts by [[David Levy]] and [[Kevin O’Connell]], one for Cyrus, and one to work as programmer for [[Intelligent Software]]. Lang accepted, and turned his hobby into a job. Cyrus for [[Sinclair]] was his first commercial entry, followed by programs for various [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computers]] merchandised by ''Intelligent Software'', as well a further improved version of Cyrus.
=Psion=
In about 1983 Richard Lang started to write his new program [[Psion]] for [[68000]] based processors. He was about to abandon the work for [[Intelligent Software]], who continued their own work by owning the Cyrus brand by primary programmer [[Mark Taylor]], yielding in [[Cyrus 68K]]. Psion Chess was marketed first by [[Sinclair|Sinclair Research]] for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_QL Sinclair QL] computers <ref>[http://www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki/index.php?title=Psion%20Chess Sinclair QL Computer Wiki - Psion Chess]</ref> and later under [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion Psion's] own label for [[Apple]] [[Macintosh]], [[Atari ST]] and in late 1983 for the [[IBM PC]] with [[8086|8086/88]] processors <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/psion-chess Psion Chess] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]</ref> .
=Mephisto and Genius=
In 1985 Lang started to collaborate with [[Hegener & Glaser]] and [[Ossi Weiner]], porting [[Psion]] to their dedicated [[Mephisto]] chess computers <ref>[https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=202 Mephisto by Richard Lang]</ref> . Psion evolved to [[Chess Genius]], also ported to [[IBM PC|PC's]] for the [[MS-DOS]] operating system, and later to [[Windows]] <ref>[[Richard Lang]] ('''1995'''). ''[[Chess Genius|Chess Genius 4]]''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 80</ref> . Lang's Mephisto programs dominated the microcomputer chess scene from the mid 80s until the beginning of the 90s. He was multiple [[World Microcomputer Chess Championship|World Microcomputer Chess Champion]], last title with Genius (shared with [[MChess]]) at the [[WMCCC 1995]]. In 1994 during the Intel Grand Prix Cycle <ref>[http://www.ukgamesshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=chdvgmv008&Category_Code=chdvmag GM Magazine: Vol. 12 Intel Grand Prix London 1994 {DVD}] by [http://www.danielking.biz/ GM Daniel King]</ref> in London, Genius won a speed chess game (25-minutes per side) against [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov Garry Kasparov] <ref>[http://www.top-5000.nl/matches/1994.htm Matches] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]</ref> .
=Quotes=
Quote by [[Kaare Danielsen]] from his [[WMCCC 1987]] report <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 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]]).
=Resume=
In 2002 Richard Lang founded his own company, merchandising Chess Genius for various platforms with focus on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant PDA] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone mobile phones], recently also for [[Engines for Android|Android]] <ref>[http://www.chessgenius.com/ ChessGenius World class chess software] © Lang Software Limited</ref> . In an 2003 interview, Richard Lang stated that there is still much of Cyrus in current versions of Chess Genius. For example, he had never used [[Quiescence Search|quiescence searches]] and relied instead on a [[Static Exchange Evaluation|static swap off routine]]. More recently he has failed to make progress with top PC programs. In part perhaps due to his programming techniques do not scale well on very fast hardware. The program has become very complex, and unfortunately the complexity seems necessary and new ideas have not really worked <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang_Q_A.pdf Richard Lang - Question & Answer Interview given to a German magazine in 2003], pdf hosted by [[Mike Watters]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]</ref> .
=Publications=
* [[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Winner Takes All''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html September 83], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang0001.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Mike Watters]]
* [[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]])
* [[Richard Lang]] ('''1989'''). ''[[WMCCC 1989|The Ninth World Microcomputer Chess Championship]]''. [[ICGA Journal#12_4|ICCA Journal, Vol. 12, No. 4]]
* Staff ('''1995'''). ''An Interview with Richard Lang''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 63
* [[Richard Lang]] ('''1995'''). ''[[Chess Genius|Chess Genius 4]]''. [[Computer Chess Reports|Computer Chess Reports Vol. 5 No. 3+4]] pp. 80
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Richard_Lang_Q_A.pdf Richard Lang - Question & Answer Interview given to a German magazine in 2003], pdf hosted by [[Mike Watters]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]
=External Links=
* [https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/person.php?id=64 Richard Lang's ICGA Tournaments]
* [http://www.chessgenius.com/ ChessGenius. World class chess software] © Lang Software Limited
* [http://www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki/index.php?title=Richard%20Lang Sinclair QL Computer Wiki - Richard Lang]
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/chess_computers_-_the_uk_story.html Chess Computers - The UK Story] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Lang%2C_Richard Lang, Richard] from [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite Schachcomputer.info - wiki] (German)
* [http://www.rebel.nl/authors.htm Meet the Authors] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
