Saitek Kasparov Brute Force

[Josef]

In tests 1-3 Saitek achieved too high ELO, the reality is as you say around 2100 and practically has no chance to beat Mephisto Risc. I also have a Mephisto MMV, I can test it. I have the entire Mephisto series in Revelation II AE, but that's not relevant. Anyway, Brute Force is a beautiful piece of history.

[Josef]

I have tried the Mephisto MM V emulator in Picochess, where the performance is practically the same as in a real Mephisto chess computer. This time Saitek Kasparov Brute Force won even though two blunders (21. ... Nd5?? and 22. ... Qf8??) in a row are not quite right. After that, Brute Force did well, and the victory was well deserved.


[Event "Level 20s - 30s"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2022.12.25"] [Round "6"] [White "Mephisto MM V (Picochess)"] [Black "Saitek Kasparov Brute Force"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "????.??.??"] [ECO "C01"] [PlyCount "126"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Bd6 6.Qf3 Be6 7.Ne2 Nge7 8.Bg5 O-O 9.O-O Qd7 10.h3 Bf5 11.Nd2 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Nd8 13.Bf4 Re8 14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.Rae1 b6 16.c4 Ne6 17.f4 c5 18.dxc5 Qxc5+ 19.Kh1 Rad8 20.Rd1 dxc4 21.Qxc4 Nd5 22.Qa4 Qf8 23.Nc4 Nc5 24.Qc2 b5 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Nc3 Rd7 27.Nxb5 Nd3 28.Qc3 Re2 29.Nd4 Re4 30.Nc6 Rxf4 31.Rxf4 Nxf4 32.Qf3 Nd3 33.Qf5 Qe8 34.Kh2 Nxb2 35.Nxb2 Rb7 36.Nd3 Qxc6 37.Ne5 Qc7 38.Qf4 Rb5 39.Nd3 Qxf4+ 40.Nxf4 Ra5 41.h4 Rxa2 42.Nd5 a5 43.Ne7+ Kf8 44.Nd5 a4 45.Nc3 Ra3 46.Ne2 Rd3 47.Nc1 a3 48.h5 Rc3 49.Na2 Rc2 50.Nb4 Rb2 51.Nd3 Rb1 52.h6 gxh6 53.Ne5 a2 54.Kg3 a1=Q 55.Nf3 Qg7+ 56.Kf2 Rb2+ 57.Ke3 Qxg2 58.Nd4 Qf2+ 59.Kd3 {Saitek say Mate in 5} 59...Rd2+ 60.Kc4 Qxd4+ 61.Kb5 Rb2+ 62.Kc6 Ke7 63.Kc7 Qc5# *

[Josef]

I tried a more powerful engine in Picochess, Roma 32 (original 68020 CPU). But even in this case, Roma had no chance, although both opponents made many mistakes and blunders, the end for White was inevitable, so I stopped the game.

[Event "level 10s - 15s"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2022.12.26"] [Round "7"] [White "Mephisto Roma 32"] [Black "Saitek Kasparov Brute Force"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.12.26"] [ECO "A28"] [PlyCount "86"] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 O-O 6.Nd5 Re8 7.Qf5 d6 8.Nxf6+ gxf6 9.Qh5 d5 10.Bd3 e4 11.cxd5 Nb8 12.Bc2 exf3 13.Qxh7+ Kf8 14.Qh6+ Ke7 15.Qf4 Bd6 16.Qxf3 Rh8 17.h3 Rh4 18.b3 Bg4 19.Qe4+ Kf8 20.Bb2 f5 21.Qd4 Qg5 22.f4 Qg6 23.Rc1 Na6 24.Bb1 Qg8 25.a3 Bh5 26.Kf2 Re8 27.Qd3 Bxf4 28.exf4 Re2+ 29.Qxe2 Rxf4+ 30.Qf3 Bxf3 31.gxf3 f6 32.Ke3 Qg3 33.Rhf1 Rh4 34.Bxf6 Qf4+ 35.Ke2 Rxh3 36.Bc3 Ke7 37.Ba2 Nc5 38.Bb4 b6 39.Bxc5+ bxc5 40.Rc2 Qe5+ 41.Kd1 Qa1+ 42.Rc1 Qxa2 43.b4 c4 *

[Josef]

The second game was again Roma 32 level 10s, this time with a permanent brain on. Unfortunately, Mephisto didn't win this time either, the game was completely directed by Brute Force, which played it with mistakes but was very uninteresting and unnecessarily long. Mephisto lost the whole game with two moves 15. Ng5 and 16. Rfe1.

[Event "Level 10s - 15s"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2022.12.25"] [Round "8"] [White "Mephisto Roma 32"] [Black "Saitek Kasparov Brute Force"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.12.26"] [PlyCount "146"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.e3 d5 5.Nc3 Bb7 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.O-O c5 9.b3 cxd4 10.exd4 Be7 11.Bb2 O-O 12.Qe2 Re8 13.Qc2 Rc8 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nf3 Ne4 16.Rfe1 Bb4 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Nd2 Nf6 19.Nc4 b5 20.Nxb5 Bxe1 21.Rxe1 Ba6 22.Nba3 Ng4 23.h3 Nf6 24.Qd2 Nd5 25.Qd1 Nb4 26.Qg4 Nd3 27.Re2 Nxb2 28.Rxb2 Qxd4 29.Rd2 Qa1+ 30.Kh2 Rcd8 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.Qxe4 Qxa2 33.Qe7 Ra8 34.Qe3 h5 35.g3 g6 36.h4 Qa1 37.Kg2 Kg7 38.Qe4 Rb8 39.Qe3 Bb7+ 40.f3 Qf6 41.Nd2 Rd8 42.Ndc4 Re8 43.Qd3 Qxf3+ 44.Qxf3 Re2+ 45.Kf1 Bxf3 46.Nb5 Ra2 47.Nd4 Bd5 48.Nb5 Be4 49.Nbd6 Bd3+ 50.Kg1 Kf6 51.Nb5 Be4 52.Kf1 Ke6 53.Nc7+ Kd7 54.Nb5 Bd3+ 55.Kg1 f6 56.Nc3 Rc2 57.Nd5 Bxc4 58.bxc4 Ke6 59.Ne3 Rb2 60.Kf1 Ke5 61.Nd5 g5 62.hxg5 fxg5 63.Ne7 a6 64.Nd5 h4 65.gxh4 gxh4 66.Nc7 h3 67.Kg1 h2+ 68.Kh1 {Saitek say Mate in 6} 68...Kf4 69.Nd5+ Kg3 70.Nc3 Rg2 71.Ne4+ Kh3 72.Nf2+ Rxf2 73.c5 Rf1# *

[Josef]

Interesting game with CT800 (running on DGT Centaur, setting ELO 2200). A fairly even game for a long time, even on turn 26. ... Rxh2, it looked like CT800's advantage had come, but after two blunders at 35. Be1 and 37. Rh2 by CT800 doomed him. Saitek made an apparent attack on the queenside, followed by a nice checkmate finish.

[Event "ELO 2200 - Level 30s"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2022.12.25"] [Round "1"] [White "CT800 (emulation on DGT Centaur)"] [Black "Saitek Kasparov Brute Force"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.12.26"] [ECO "D02"] [PlyCount "80"] 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.g3 Bd6 4.Nc3 c5 5.e4 Ne7 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Qxd7 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Qe2+ Qe6 11.Be3 c4 12.Ng5 Qd7 13.Bd2+ Be7 14.O-O-O Nc6 15.Nf3 O-O-O 16.Bf4 Rhe8 17.Ne5 Bd6 18.Qh5 Nxe5 19.dxe5 g6 20.Qg5 Be7 21.Qh6 f6 22.e6 Qxe6 23.Qxh7 g5 24.Rhe1 Qd7 25.Be3 Rh8 26.Qg6 Rxh2 27.Bxa7 Kc7 28.Bd4 Rf8 29.a3 Bd6 30.Rh1 Rxh1 31.Rxh1 Kc6 32.Qh6 Qe7 33.Bc3 Qe2 34.Qh2 Bc5 35.Be1 Re8 36.Qg1 Qf3 37.Rh2 Re2 38.c3 {Saitek say Mate in 3} 38...Qd3 39.Bd2 Qxd2+ 40.Kb1 Qxb2# *

[Josef]

In the next game, I set up a CT800 ELO 2400. Here the game was already under the control of CT800. The end of the game was very nice for a chess program, I even allowed myself a little fun in the checkmate position. From the last two games, you can see what the Saitek Brute Force ELO is approximately.

[Event "ELO 2400 - 30s"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2022.12.25"] [Round "2"] [White "CT800 (emulation on DGT Centaur)"] [Black "Saitek Kasparov Brute Force"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2022.12.26"] [PlyCount "73"] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bc5 5.a3 O-O 6.Nf3 e4 7.Nh4 Re8 8.O-O d6 9.d3 exd3 10.exd3 Bg4 11.Qa4 Bd4 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Bd2 Bc5 14.Qa2 Ne5 15.b4 Bd4 16.Qc2 a6 17.Rae1 c6 18.Be3 Qb6 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Bxd4 Qxd4 21.Rxe4 Qa7 22.Qc3 b5 23.c5 f5 24.Re3 Nd7 25.h3 g5 26.Rxe8+ Rxe8 27.Bxc6 Re5 28.cxd6 Bxh3 29.Nf3 Bxf1 30.Nxe5 Bg2 31.Bxg2 Kf8 32.Bd5 Qxf2+ 33.Kxf2 Kg7 34.Nxd7+ Kg6 35.Bf7+ Kxf7 36.Qf6+ Ke8 37.Qe7# {My funny end 37. Nf8 f4 38. d7}*

[Dave C]

Hi Josef - thank you for the interesting series of games with the Saitek Brute Force module. Well, it is a strong module for Saitek's beautiful large wooden boards. I hope to find a Sparc module someday, but maybe it is not much stronger than the Brute Force module.

I may be in Prague during early July. Will the weather be warm at that time of year?

Dave C.

[paulwise3]

Luckily Brute Force doesn't have the H8 bug (I tested it), the newer GK2100 clones do. For instance, Saitek Cougar, Saitek Explorer Pro, Centurion, Cosmos, Expert Travel Chess and Mephisto Chess Challenger, Saitek Talking Chess Academy, Mephisto Module MM6 and Saitek President.

Hi Josef,
The MM6 and the President do NOT have the H8 bug.
And the Talking chess academy has it either. It is a slightly modified GK2000 clone.

Congrats with your BF module! I am a lucky owner of the
Analyst, BF and Sparc module.
Unluckily my wife does not not like me having the large chessboard downstairs, so I am using it not too often

Regards, Paul

[paulwise3]

Hi Josef - thank you for the interesting series of games with the Saitek Brute Force module. Well, it is a strong module for Saitek's beautiful large wooden boards. I hope to find a Sparc module someday, but maybe it is not much stronger than the Brute Force module.

I may be in Prague during early July. Will the weather be warm at that time of year?

Dave C.

Hi Dave,

According to the wiki that Steve mentioned (see https://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/i ... -Elo-Liste), the Sparc is definitely stronger than the Brute Force: 2200 elo against 2100 elo. Too bad that Dan and Kathe Spracklen didn't get the time to make it even stronger. I guess that Saitek decided that the competition with Mephisto's Lang programs could not be won.
I am very lucky having the Sparc module in the beautiful Renaissance board with the handy display. On the German forum a number of matches against other chess computers was played and very well commented by Kurt Utzinger. In one of those games the Sparc even managed to come up with an interesting novelty in a certain opening variation.

Sparcling regards,
Paul

[Josef]

Hi Josef - thank you for the interesting series of games with the Saitek Brute Force module. Well, it is a strong module for Saitek's beautiful large wooden boards. I hope to find a Sparc module someday, but maybe it is not much stronger than the Brute Force module.

I may be in Prague during early July. Will the weather be warm at that time of year?

Dave C.

Sorry for the late reply, but I haven't been here for a while. Yes, in Prague will be very hot, maybe 30°C, maybe more.

However, the first 14 days of July are rainy in the Czech Republic.

Thank you all for your Kind and interesting posts!

[Havstad]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I saw this discussion and will inform that I have a Saitek Renaissance board with Kapsarov Risc 20MHz 32 bit module. Something is wrong with the electronice of the board though, but it was usable before I stored it. Many happy chess games with it.

[Murat]

See if the Renaissance is working fine without the module. It has build in programming.
If it works you need the module check out by a qualified technician.

I destroyed my Saitek Renaissance Sparc module while trying to fix it myself.
All it needed was the reflow the solder around the cpu. But I did not have a hot air soldering tool.

The rest is in the garbage bin.

Murat