Dedicated Chess Computers

Home * Dedicated Chess Computers



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 Beginning= 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.

=High and Fall= 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. 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.

=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 Systems=
 * DGT Pi
 * Gavon
 * PicoChess
 * Raspberry Turk
 * Revelation
 * Revelation II
 * Square Off

=Dedicated Computers= =Video Game Console=
 * Blitz Monster
 * Bogol
 * Boris
 * Cassia Chess Mate
 * Chafitz ARB Sargon 2.5
 * Chafitz Modular Game System
 * Chess 2001
 * Chess Challenger
 * Chess Champion Mark IV
 * Chess Champion Mark V
 * Chess Champion MK I
 * Chess Champion MK II
 * Chess Champion Pocket Chess
 * Chess Champion Super System III
 * Chess Partner 2000
 * Chess-Master
 * ChessMachine
 * Commodore ChessMate
 * CompuChess
 * Conchess
 * Conic X
 * Constellation
 * CT800
 * CXG Sensor Computachess
 * CXG Sphinx
 * CXG Star Chess
 * DGT Pi
 * Elegance
 * Elektronika IM
 * Elite
 * Enterprise
 * Excel
 * Excellence
 * Fidelity
 * Fidelity Phantom
 * Gedeon
 * GK 2100
 * Great Game Machine
 * Intellect
 * Intelligent Chess
 * Kasparov Sparc
 * L'Empereur
 * La Regence
 * Labirint 64
 * Little Rook Chess
 * LogiChess
 * Mephisto
 * Mephisto (H)
 * Mephisto Almeria
 * Mephisto Amsterdam
 * Mephisto Dallas
 * Mephisto Europa
 * Mephisto Genius 68030
 * Mephisto Lyon
 * Mephisto MM II
 * Mephisto MM IV
 * Mephisto MM V
 * Mephisto Mondial
 * Mephisto Montreux
 * Mephisto Polgar
 * Mephisto Portorose
 * Mephisto Rebell
 * Mephisto Risc
 * Mephisto Roma
 * Mephisto Vancouver
 * Mephisto Wundermaschine
 * Millennium ChessGenius
 * Milobarus
 * Milton Bradley Phantom
 * Mini Chess
 * Morphy
 * Novag Citrine
 * Novag Expert
 * Novag Forte
 * Novag Micro Chess
 * Novag Sapphire
 * Novag X
 * Orwell
 * Par Excellence
 * PicoChess
 * Plymate
 * President Chess
 * Private Line
 * Raspberry Turk
 * RCS Granit
 * RISC 2500
 * Robot Adversary
 * Saitek Brute Force
 * Saitek President
 * Savant
 * SC 1
 * SC 2
 * SciSys Explorer
 * SciSys Leonardo
 * SciSys X
 * Sensor Chess
 * Sensory 9
 * Square Off
 * Steinitz
 * Strategist
 * Super Constellation
 * Superstar
 * Tasc R30
 * Tasc R40
 * The Final Chesscard
 * Turbostar
 * Y!
 * Computer Chess
 * Intelligent Chess
 * SABA Videoplay 20
 * Video Chess
 * Videopac C 7010
 * Wii Chess

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

=Dedicated Topics=
 * Module
 * Piece Recognition
 * Robots
 * Sensory Board

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

=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

 * 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
 * Der CC2-Schachzwerg - ELEKTOR.de
 * Mini-ajedrez con AVR-Max - ELEKTOR.es
 * CC2, le génie des échecs - ELEKTOR.fr
 * Schaakmat gezet! - ELEKTOR.nl


 * 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=

Home