25,161
edits
Changes
no edit summary
'''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 19771978,
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>.
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>. However, the computer could not show the position and calculate at the same time. =Tournament Play=Two instances of the program played the [[MCC 1980|North American Microcomputer Chess Championship]] 1980 in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose,_California San Jose, California], where Atari A gained a respectable 50% score <ref>Bryce Perry ('''1980'''). ''North American Microcomputer Championship''. [http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/chessvoice/index.htm Chess Voice], October - November 1980, [http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/chessvoice/1980cv13_4.pdf pdf], pp. 71</ref>.
=Atari Catalog 1981=
'''[[Engines|Up one Level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Suffix]]
[[Category:Console]]
[[Category:Console]]
