How Many of You Still Play -even not much- a dedicated unit?

[Wwqlcw]

A few years back I picked up a battery-powered Radio Shack 16-Level 1850 Computerized Chess unit for $2 at a used book sale. It was perfect out of the box... obviously never used, probably a present for someone who didn't like chess. New batteries, and it worked perfectly. I took it to the chess club and had the provincial champion play against it. He won a pawn and lost interest, only to find the damned thing finagling an opposite-color bishops ending: draw! It's still a lot of fun, although working out the moves by flashing coordinate lights is a bit annoying. I later found someone willing to pay $50 just for the manual... which I've kept, of course.

[Alexander Schmidt]

If you have one hidden in a closet,. I advice you to take it out, undust it and play it if still works; the pleasures that they gives cannot be supplied by engines.

Indeed. Some years ago I sold my Exclusive Polgar at ebay. At this time I saw all those nice dedicated units I dreamed of 20 years ago. Then I started to buy them and now I have a nice little collection of wodden boards and I play them when I have enough time for a long game, maybe once in 3 month.


[White "Mephisto Senator"]
[Black "Alex Schmidt"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O
Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4 Ne8 9. b3 exd4 10. Nxd4 Ne5 11. Bb2
Rb8 12. f4 Bg4 13. Qd2 c5 14. Nc2 Nc6 15. Ne3 Bd7 16. Rfe1
Nd4 17. Rac1 f5 18. exf5 Nxf5 19. Bxb7 Bd4 20. Bd5+ Kg7
21. Ne4 Nf6 22. Bxd4 Nxd4 23. Nxf6 Qxf6 24. Qa5 Rbe8
25. Qxa7 Re7 26. Qa5 Rfe8 27. Qc3 Bh3 28. a3 g5 29. fxg5
Qxg5 30. Kf2 Qf6+ 31. Kg1 Rf8 32. Kh1 Re5 33. b4 Qf2
34. Qd3 Rfe8 35. Rf1 Bxf1 36. Rxf1 Rxe3 37. Qxd4+ cxd4
38. Rxf2 Rf8 39. Rd2 d3 40. Rd1 Rf2 41. Kg1 Rfe2 42. g4 d2
43. Bc6 Rxa3 44. Kf1 Rae3 45. h4 Re6 46. Bf3 Re1+ 47. Kf2
Rxd1 48. Bxd1 Re1 49. Bf3 d1=Q 50. Bxd1 Rxd1 51. Ke3 Kf6
52. c5 dxc5 53. bxc5 Ke5 54. Kf3 Rc1 55. g5 Kf5 56. Ke3
Rxc5 57. Kd4 Rc8 58. Kd5 Kg4 59. Ke5 Kxh4 60. g6 hxg6
61. Ke6 g5 62. Kd5 g4 63. Kd6 g3 64. Kd7 Rc5 65. Kd6 Rh5
66. Ke6 g2 67. Kf6 g1=Q 68. Ke7 Qg6 69. Kf8 Kg4 70. Ke7
Rh7+ 71. Kd8 Qg8# 0-1

[Sarciness]

I gave mine away to my ex-girlfriend. It had childhood memories and big sentimental value. I hope she will make good use of it!

Before I gave it away I could beat it without too many problems on the "intermediate" levels and the "advanced" ones took about 5 min/move which is boring so I stopped playing it.

[fern]

Hope you gave it before the girl became ex-girl. NEVER give nothing to someone that will give you nothing again.
Less of all, chess computers.

Old Fox advices regards
Fern

[Alexander Schmidt]

Before I gave it away I could beat it without too many problems on the "intermediate" levels and the "advanced" ones took about 5 min/move which is boring so I stopped playing it.

The Schröder Programs had all the same problem: You where able to beat it easily with a trojan horse. That's why I lost interest in the machine.

The MM4 and MM5 had the same problem. Even on tournament levels:

[White "Alex Schmidt"]
[Black "Mephisto MM IV"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "45"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Ne5 b6 7. e3 Bb7 8. f4
dxc4 9. h4 h6 10. a3 hxg5 11. hxg5 g6 12. Qc2 Nh5 13. Nxg6 fxg6 14. Qxg6+ Ng7
15. Bxc4 Bd5 16. Nxd5 Bxg5 17. Rh7 Bh6 18. Qxh6 Qh4+ 19. Qxh4 Rxf4 20. Nxf4 b5
21. Qh6 Kf8 22. Qxg7+ Ke8 23. Qe7# 1-0

[Robert Flesher]

If you have one hidden in a closet,. I advice you to take it out, undust it and play it if still works; the pleasures that they gives cannot be supplied by engines. It is not only the pleasant fact you have chances to win, but the experience in itself.
A screen will always be only a screen even if you try to cover the fact with a real board at the side of the computer.

Losing miserably my time regards
Fern

I have a travel champ 2100 I play once and a while. I can beat it quite easily, so it boosts my ego. Then I return back to reality ( approx 2100-2200 strength) and get mauled my my Ipod or home pc running modern programs.