It gives me great pleasure...

[Reinfeld]

Which dedicated machine is your personal fave to just PLAY, without recording or measuring, just screwing around, just for skittles?

I assume we're at least a bit similar in our habits. I assume we're not GMs, or even close (correct me if I'm wrong.) I mean the whole point is to match wits with these suckers, right? And have a chance?

You're screwing around, perhaps armed with a few free hours and a cooling beverage, perhaps flush with ideas from a chess book you just snagged on an ill-advised shopping detour. You are invincible. You are warmly toasted. You reach for a board. Which one?

Software isn't the same. I want to move pieces. I've had software since the Chessmaster 3000 days. I picked up the disks at a '90s garage sale, complete with manual and instructions, pristine in an absurdly huge plastic case. I thought I was about to be one with the universe. I didn't even have a computer that could play it.

When I finally got one, the program creamed me. Creamed me for years. I had to turn it down to idiot level to survive. Queentaker, Pawnmaster - the vast range of what was it, eight personalities - anything above idiot bent me over a log. I picked up Chessmaster 5000 after that. That thing was a guillotine.

Depressing. No fun. I'd turn away, and pull out Excellence. Yesss...we hates it...hates it forever...my mortal enemy. Ever so gradually, I pulled sort of even with it on default. These days, I'm more likely to opt for Designer 2265 at default, just because it's so easy to use. Sometimes I survive to an ending. Lately, the Milano is another pleasant partner. I don't mess with Obsidian much. I should.

- R.

[Larry]

Which dedicated machine is your personal fave to just PLAY, without recording or measuring, just screwing around, just for skittles?

Well I have to say the Fidelity Elegance fills that roll. My favorite used
to be the Fidelity SC9, but over the years it's moves gradually became
more predictable. The Elegance has a wider but narrower opening book,
so there is much more variety without having to force it to play certain
opening moves. Of course the Elegance is auto sensory and a dream to
play against. I've had mine since new, so it's near mint. It's not so strong
that you don't get to enjoy a win/loss ratio, but strong enough so you
have to put your thinking cap on.
Larry
PS Look at my avatar, there is the Elegance...

[IA]

Which dedicated machine is your personal fave to just PLAY, without recording or measuring, just screwing around, just for skittles?

The Novag Emerald Classic.



AND

Mephisto Expert Travel


Regards....

[Steve B]

Nice Description of the feeling one gets when playing on a real board with real pieces Vs a cold and heartless PC Screen

For me it would have to be two computers

for skittles..the Excalibur GM
The pieces are nice and large and solid made of Industrial Steel plastic
they stand up quite nicely when i hurl them about the room after hanging a piece(every other game)

but for sheer enjoyment..i see as the years go by..
i find myself turning more and more to the Fidelity EAG for my "On Desk" regular computer
they are beautiful to look at ..not too big or small..and have beautiful pieces
also they have add-on modules and a printer so i can fiddle around with those when i want to change the "feel" of the computer (insert,remove ,connect ,disconnect..etc..etc..)

another aspect of our hobby i seem to be enjoying more and more these days is pitting one machine against the other
in the past i was not really interested in that sort of thing and all i did was play against them myself..but these days i do that more often

i guess its because i can post the results online and it seems to interest a few people
whereas no one would be interested in my ..once-in-a-great- while ..victories against a mid-level computer

Tal I'm Not Regards
Steve

[Steve B]

another aspect of our hobby i seem to be enjoying more and more these days is pitting one machine against the other
in the past i was not really interested in that sort of thing and all i did was play against them myself..but these days i do that more often

Speaking Of Which..

Heres a game between the Excalibur Mirage-Marble Robot and the Mephisto MMVI
played for no particular reason other then to see if both computers are still working...

a wild middle game brawl which eventually simmers down into a bishops of opposite color ending that the Robot mishandles

[Date "2012.4.14"]
[White "Excalibur Mirage Marble"]
[Black "Mephisto MMVI"]
[Time Control "Game /10 Min."]
[Result "0-1"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O
O-O 9.Bg5 b6 10.Ne5 Nxd4 11.e3 Nf5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Ba6 14.Nd7 Bxf1
15.Rxf1 Nxg3 16.Nxf8 Bxg5 17.Nxh7 Qxd5 18.Bxd5 Ne2+ 19.Kg2 Rd8 20.Be4
Bh6 21.Kf3 g6 22.Nf6+ Kg7 23.Nh5+ gxh5 24.Kxe2 Kf6 25.f4 Bg7 26.Rg1 Bh8
27.Rg5 Ke7 28.b3 h4 29.Bf5 Bc3 30.Kf3 Rd2 31.Rg2 Rxg2 32.Kxg2 b5 33.a4
bxa4 34.bxa4 Bd2 35.Kf3 c4 36.Ke4 Kf6 37.Bh7 c3 38.Kd4 h3 39.a5 Ke6
40.Bc2 Ke7 41.Bf5 Kd6 42.Kd3 Kc5 43.Bxh3 Kb5 44.Bd7+ Kxa5 45.h4 Kb4
46.h5 Be1 47.Be8 Kb3 48.Bxf7+ Kb2 49.h6 c2 50.h7 Bc3
51.Ke4 c1=Q 52.Bg8 Qh1+ 53.Kf5 Qf3 54.h8=Q Bxh8 55.Bc4 *

FINAL POSITION
[fen]7b/p7/8/5K2/2B2P2/4Pq2/1k6/8 w - - 0 55[/fen]

The Mirage was showing -9.9 so i resigned for it

whereas no one would be interested in my ..once-in-a-great- while ..victories against a mid-level computer

that of course dosent stop me from posting a game every now and again anyway..
i wanted to see if i was still working
the EAG 2100 had the ECO 5 module set locked and loaded

[Date "2012.3.22"]
[White "Steve B"]
[Black "EAG 2100 -ECO"]
[TimeControl "Game/5 Min"]
[Result "0-1"]

1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.e3 O-O 6.Bd3 Ne4 7.Qc2 d5 8.cxd5
exd5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Bd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 Be6 12.a3 Bd6 13.Nb5 Be7 14.Rac1 a6
15.Nc3 Bd6 16.h3 Qf6 17.Rfe1 Qg6 18.Nh4 Qh5 19.Nf3 Na5 20.Qe2 Nb3
21.Rcd1 c6 22.Nh2 Qxe2 23.Rxe2 Na5 24.Rde1 Nc4 25.Bxc4 dxc4 26.e4 fxe4
27.Nxe4 Bf4 28.Nc5 Bc8 29.Nf3 b6 30.Ne6 Bxe6 31.Rxe6 Rac8 32.Ne5 Bxe5
33.dxe5 Kf7 34.Rd6 Ke7 35.Red1 g6 36.Rd7+ Ke6 37.Rxh7 Kxe5 38.Re1+ Kd6
39.Rg7 Rf6 40.Re4 Kd5 41.Rg4 Rcf8 42.f3 c3 43.bxc3 b5 44.R4xg6 Rf4
45.Rg4 c5 46.h4 Ke5 47.R7g5+

FINAL POSITION

[fen]5r2/8/p7/1pp1k1R1/5rRP/P1P2P2/6P1/6K1 w - - 0 47[/fen]
i am up 2 P's and with a won game my flag falls
what else is new?


Still Working Fine Regards
Steve