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Created page with "'''Home * Engines * Video Chess''' FILE:Videochess.png|border|right|thumb|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Videochess.png | Video Chess Screen <re..."
'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[Engines]] * Video Chess'''
[[FILE:Videochess.png|border|right|thumb|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Videochess.png
| Video Chess Screen <ref>A screenshot of Video Chess (1979), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]</ref> ]]
'''Video Chess''',<br/>
a chess program for the [[Atari 8-bit|Atari 2600]] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_console Video game console] released by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari Atari] in 1978,
developed by [[Larry Wagner]] and [[Bob Whitehead]] (Graphics) in [[6502]] [[Assembly]], the game AI with the help of [[Julio Kaplan]] <ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/tekla-perry-33b4a211 Tekla E. Perry], [https://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/innovation/review-liars-outliers Paul Wallich] ('''1983'''). ''[http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/Atari_case_history.html Design case history: the Atari Video Computer System]''. [[IEEE#Spectrum|IEEE Spectrum]], March 1983, "Doing the 'impossible': chess"</ref>.
According to Larry Wagner, Video Chess was developed as a direct result of a customer who complained that the (original) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600#Launch_and_success Video Computer System] box showed a picture of chess, but that no chess game existed <ref>[http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_bob_whitehead.html DP Interviews with Bob Whitehead] by Scott Stilphen</ref>. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_switching Bank switching] [[Memory#ROM|ROMs]] was pioneered for earlier prototypes of Video Chess that were larger than four kilobytes, however the released version ended up fitting the standard 4K size <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]</ref>.
=Venetian Blinds=
The up to eight pieces per row exceeded the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_%28computer_graphics%29 sprite] limitations,
since the Atari 2600 was only able to display three sprites in a row.
Bob Whitehead developed a pioneering "venetian blinds" <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_blinds#Venetian Venetian Blinds from Wikipedia]</ref> animation technique,
an algorithm that horizontally reused and vertically interlaced sprites several times while rendering each frame,
to give the illusion that the system had more than the maximum number of sprites allowed by the hardware <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Whitehead Bob Whitehead from Wikipedia]</ref>.
=Atari Catalog 1981=
[[FILE:AtariVideoChess.JPG|none|border|text-bottom|link=https://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/atari_catalog_1981/AtariCatalog1981_08-ChessNightDriver.jpg]]
Atari Catalog 1981 Scan, Video Chess <ref>[https://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/atari_catalog_1981/index.html HuguesJohnson.com: Atari Catalog 1981 Scans]</ref>
=See also=
* [[Computer Chess]]
* [[Dedicated Chess Computers#GameConsole|Video Game Console Engines]]
=Publications=
* [[John Urwin]] ('''1979'''). ''Two New Programs Are Tested''. [[Personal Computing#3_12|Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 12]], pp. 71 » [[MyChess]]
=Forum Posts=
* [http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6510&sid=057dba89f05a406f1e55b3ef223a4ae7 Atari 2600 Video Chess] by [[Steven Edwards]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 29, 2013
=External Links=
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/video-chess Video Chess for Atari 2600 (1979)] - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/video-chess/mobyrank Video Chess for Atari 2600 (1979) MobyRank] - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]
* [http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=1429 AtariAge - Atari 2600 - Video Chess (Atari)]
* [https://archive.org/details/Video_Chess_1978_Atari Atari 2600 Manual: Video Chess (1978)(Atari)] hosted by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive Internet Archive] <ref>[http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6510&sid=057dba89f05a406f1e55b3ef223a4ae7 Atari 2600 Video Chess] by [[Steven Edwards]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 29, 2013</ref>
* [https://archive.org/stream/atari_2600_video_chess_1979_atari_larry_wagner_bob_whitehead_-_sears_cx2645_-_49-/atari_2600_video_chess_1979_atari_larry_wagner_bob_whitehead_-_sears_cx2645_-_49-.bin?module=atari2600&scale=2 MESS in a browser! - Atari 2600: Video Chess] hosted by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive Internet Archive] <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi_Emulator_Super_System Multi Emulator Super System - Wikipedia]</ref>
=References=
<references />
'''[[Engines|Up one Level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Suffix]]
[[Category:Console]]
[[FILE:Videochess.png|border|right|thumb|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Videochess.png
| Video Chess Screen <ref>A screenshot of Video Chess (1979), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]</ref> ]]
'''Video Chess''',<br/>
a chess program for the [[Atari 8-bit|Atari 2600]] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_console Video game console] released by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari Atari] in 1978,
developed by [[Larry Wagner]] and [[Bob Whitehead]] (Graphics) in [[6502]] [[Assembly]], the game AI with the help of [[Julio Kaplan]] <ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/tekla-perry-33b4a211 Tekla E. Perry], [https://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/innovation/review-liars-outliers Paul Wallich] ('''1983'''). ''[http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/Atari_case_history.html Design case history: the Atari Video Computer System]''. [[IEEE#Spectrum|IEEE Spectrum]], March 1983, "Doing the 'impossible': chess"</ref>.
According to Larry Wagner, Video Chess was developed as a direct result of a customer who complained that the (original) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600#Launch_and_success Video Computer System] box showed a picture of chess, but that no chess game existed <ref>[http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_bob_whitehead.html DP Interviews with Bob Whitehead] by Scott Stilphen</ref>. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_switching Bank switching] [[Memory#ROM|ROMs]] was pioneered for earlier prototypes of Video Chess that were larger than four kilobytes, however the released version ended up fitting the standard 4K size <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]</ref>.
=Venetian Blinds=
The up to eight pieces per row exceeded the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_%28computer_graphics%29 sprite] limitations,
since the Atari 2600 was only able to display three sprites in a row.
Bob Whitehead developed a pioneering "venetian blinds" <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_blinds#Venetian Venetian Blinds from Wikipedia]</ref> animation technique,
an algorithm that horizontally reused and vertically interlaced sprites several times while rendering each frame,
to give the illusion that the system had more than the maximum number of sprites allowed by the hardware <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Whitehead Bob Whitehead from Wikipedia]</ref>.
=Atari Catalog 1981=
[[FILE:AtariVideoChess.JPG|none|border|text-bottom|link=https://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/atari_catalog_1981/AtariCatalog1981_08-ChessNightDriver.jpg]]
Atari Catalog 1981 Scan, Video Chess <ref>[https://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/atari_catalog_1981/index.html HuguesJohnson.com: Atari Catalog 1981 Scans]</ref>
=See also=
* [[Computer Chess]]
* [[Dedicated Chess Computers#GameConsole|Video Game Console Engines]]
=Publications=
* [[John Urwin]] ('''1979'''). ''Two New Programs Are Tested''. [[Personal Computing#3_12|Personal Computing, Vol. 3, No. 12]], pp. 71 » [[MyChess]]
=Forum Posts=
* [http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6510&sid=057dba89f05a406f1e55b3ef223a4ae7 Atari 2600 Video Chess] by [[Steven Edwards]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 29, 2013
=External Links=
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Chess Video Chess from Wikipedia]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/video-chess Video Chess for Atari 2600 (1979)] - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/video-chess/mobyrank Video Chess for Atari 2600 (1979) MobyRank] - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames MobyGames]
* [http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=1429 AtariAge - Atari 2600 - Video Chess (Atari)]
* [https://archive.org/details/Video_Chess_1978_Atari Atari 2600 Manual: Video Chess (1978)(Atari)] hosted by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive Internet Archive] <ref>[http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6510&sid=057dba89f05a406f1e55b3ef223a4ae7 Atari 2600 Video Chess] by [[Steven Edwards]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 29, 2013</ref>
* [https://archive.org/stream/atari_2600_video_chess_1979_atari_larry_wagner_bob_whitehead_-_sears_cx2645_-_49-/atari_2600_video_chess_1979_atari_larry_wagner_bob_whitehead_-_sears_cx2645_-_49-.bin?module=atari2600&scale=2 MESS in a browser! - Atari 2600: Video Chess] hosted by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive Internet Archive] <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi_Emulator_Super_System Multi Emulator Super System - Wikipedia]</ref>
=References=
<references />
'''[[Engines|Up one Level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Suffix]]
[[Category:Console]]
