Collector's Corner...On Schroeder Redux

Post by **Steve B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:38 am

With all the news surrounding Ed Schroeder these days i thought it might be interesting to play a few games with some of the computers he released for Mephisto...

My personal favorite Schroeder modules were the Rebel 5.0(at the time of its release ..when used in the Mobile housing..it was the strongest portable computer money could buy)
the Polgar modules(5 and 10 Mhz )
and the Risc 1MB and Risc II 1MB modules

Lang and Schroeder were the lead programmers for Mephisto with Lang working with the more powerful 16/32 bit hardware while Schroeder worked with the 8 bit hardware
Even with the Milano.. Schroeder worked on the 8 bit version while Morsch worked on the Milano Pro 32 bit
the Risc modules finally released Schroeder from his 8 bit "bondage "

The Risc 2-1MB ..was the winner of the 1992 Computer Chess World Championship in Spain..
sporting a 2248 Elo by Selective Search Magazine...
lets see how it stacks up against Lang's London Pro 68020
rated 2269 ...

Time Control -1 Min./Avg.
Tournament Books

Both computers are out of book at move 13
London Pro slowly builds up a strong attacking position with two powerfully placed B's aimed at the Risc II's K
Just as the attack is about to hit home ..London Pro offers up a series of "Ponder hit" blunders which the Risc II is quick to capitalize on
the game ends abruptly as a mating net drapes over a stunned London

[Date "2012.12.22"]
[White "Mephisto Risc II 1MB"]
[Black "Mephisto London Pro"]
[Time Control "1 Min./Avg."]
[Result "1-0"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Qc2
Nxc3
8.Qxc3 h6 9.b4 Be7 10.Bb2 O-O 11.e3 Nd7 12.Rd1 Rc8 13.Be2 Nf6
14.O-O Qd5
15.Bc4 Qh5 16.Ne5 Bd6 17.f3 Rfd8 18.Qb3 Ra8 19.Rc1 a5 20.b5 Qg5
21.Rf2
a4 22.Qc3 Nd5 23.Bxd5 exd5 24.Re2 f6 25.Nc6 Re8 26.Qd3 Bc8 27.e4
Bf4
28.Rc3 Be6 29.g3 Bd6 30.e5 fxe5 31.dxe5 Bc5+ 32.Kf1 Rf8 33.Ke1
Qh5
34.Nd4 Bf7 35.f4 Bg6 36.Qd1 Qh3 37.Qd2 Be4 38.Rc1 h5 39.Rc3 h4
40.Rf2
hxg3 41.hxg3 Qh1+ 42.Rf1 Qh6 43.Nf3 Rfd8 44.Ng5 Qg6 45.Qe2 Ra5
46.Bc1
Rd7 47.g4 Bb1 48.f5 Qe8 49.Qh2 Rf7 50.Rh3 1-0

FINAL POSITION
[fen]4q1k1/2p2rp1/1p6/rPbpPPN1/p5P1/P6R/7Q/1bB1KR2 w - - 0 50[/fen]

London Pro Resigns here...
Mate is unavoidable

Risc I-1 MB vs Berlin Pro 68020 Next Regards
Steve

chessguru · Post by **chessguru** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:50 pm

Hi Steve,
yes, Ed is a great personality with a big heart, always helpful, think how much we owe him. One of the last heroes from a great time...

You're right, Steve. His programs deserve to be appreciated.

Thank you.

Best regards,
Micha

Post by **Steve B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:19 pm

chessguru wrote:Hi Steve,
yes, Ed is a great personality with a big heart, always helpful, think how much we owe him. One of the last heroes from a great time...

You're right, Steve. His programs deserve to be appreciated.

Thank you.

Best regards,
Micha

Well Said Micha
Merry Christmas To You and Your Family Regards
Steve

chessguru · Post by **chessguru** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:02 pm

Thank you very much for your good wishes, Steve.

I wish you a Merry Christmas with your family and friends as well as health, happiness and fulfillment in 2013.

Herzliche Grüße und bis bald,
Micha

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:52 am

Schroeder's Risc I 1MB modules were rated only slightly lower then the Risc II tipping the scales at 2220

Lang's Berlin Pro 68020 also slightly lower then the London Pro 68020 weighing in at 2235

Time Control -1 Min./Avg.
Tournament Books

As in the game above..Risc I is playing with Brute Force -OFF,and Aggressive Style-OFF
Berlin Pro is out of book first at move 16
Risc I is out at move 18

Berlin sacs a P on move 33 to establish a passed f pawn supported by the g pawn
Risc I plays actively reaching a won position but it allows itself to be swindled when it accepts an offer by Berlin to exchange off its only remaining piece ..although still up a P..without any pieces.. the resulting endgame is drawn

[Date "2012.12.23"]
[White "Mephisto Berlin Pro"]
[Black "Mephisto Risc I 1MB"]
[Time Control "1 Min./Avg."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5
Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.Ne4 Be7 14.Be3 Nf5
15.Qc2 O-O 16.Nf6+ Bxf6 17.Qxf5 Be7 18.Rfd1 Qc8 19.Rd2 Bb4 20.Rd5 Rd8
21.Rad1 Rxd5 22.Rxd5 c5 23.a3 Ba5 24.Rd6 Bd8 25.Qd3 Be7 26.Rd7 c4 27.Qd5
Qxd7 28.Qxd7 Rd8 29.Qxd8+ Bxd8 30.Nd2 g5 31.g3 f6 32.f4
fxe5 33.f5 Nd4 34.g4 Ne2+ 35.Kf2 Nc1 36.Kf3 Nd3 37.b4 Ne1+ 38.Ke4 Nc2
39.Nb1 Nxe3 40.Kxe3 Bb6+ 41.Ke4 Bd4 42.Nd2 Bb2 43.Nb1 Kg7 44.Ke3 Kf7
45.Ke4 Kf6 46.Ke3 h5 47.h3 hxg4 48.hxg4 Ke7 49.Ke4 Kd6 50.Ke3 Kd5 51.Kd2
e4 52.Kc2 Bg7 53.Nc3+ Bxc3 54.Kxc3 e3 55.Kc2 Ke5 56.Kc3 Kf6 57.Kc2 Ke7
58.Kc3 Kf7 59.Kc2 Kf6 60.Kc3 Ke7 61.Kc2 Kf7 62.Kc3 Kf8
63.Kc2 Kg8 1/2-1/2

FINAL POSITION
[fen]6k1/8/p7/1p3Pp1/1Pp3P1/P3p3/2K5/8 w - - 0 64[/fen]

i called it a draw here...

Risc I scores itself ahead here +2.42
Berlin Pro -1.60

For the last 10 moves Berlin has been shuffling its K c2-c3 ...Risc I shuffling its K along the 6-8 ranks
there is no way for Risc to penetrate into the white position since its K must stay within the Queening Squares of the white passed F pawn
this would go on until the 50 move rule is invoked

Polgar 10 vs Dallas 68020 Next Regards
Steve

Post by **Steve B** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:06 am

Schroeder's Polgar modules were hugely popular undoubtedly aided by the endorsement of the famous Polgar Sisters
a separate book about chess was included with the modules written by a GM complete with a photo of the then young Judit Polgar gracing the front cover
Two versions of the Polgar modules were released differing only in the speed of the Processor

Selective Search Mag.(which sadly will cease publication in 2013 after 28 years of continuous coverage of the Computer Chess World)rates the Polgar 10Mhz 2034
its opponent Lang's Dallas 68020 clocks in at 2033

In The Game...
Both Computers are out of book at move 10
On move 42 in a slightly inferior position..with material even..Dallas after first pondering a reasonable move for 32 seconds switches to a blunder and commits suicide playing 42.Kg5??
Polgar pounces on the blunder and sets up a mating net ..here the mate is avoidable but only with the heavy loss of material..Dallas however does not see the mate and plays an even stronger blunder 43.Nh1??? playing right into it ..Polgar immediately closes the net announcing a Mate in 4
in the post mortum after the game ..out of curiosity ..i let Dallas ponder the position again at move 42 for 5 minutes and it would still play 42.Kg5?? scoring the position -.68
i also let it ponder the position again at move 43..to see if it would avoid the mate and it does avoid it after about 3 minutes

[Date "2012.12.24"]
[White "Mephisto Dallas 68020 "]
[Black "Mephisto Polgar 10"]
[Time Control "1 Min\.AVG"]
[Result "0-1"]

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Bf5 7.e3
e6 8.Bb5
Nd7 9.Qa4 Rc8 10.O-O a6 11.Be2 Qb6 12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.axb3 Be7 14.h3
Nb4
15.Rfc1 Nc2 16.Ra4 O-O 17.Nd2 Nb6 18.Ra2 Nb4 19.Raa1 Nd3 20.Bxd3
Bxd3
21.Na4 Nd7 22.Rc3 Rxc3 23.bxc3 Rc8 24.b4 b6 25.Nf3 Bf6 26.Ra3 h6
27.Nb2
Bb5 28.Bd6 h5 29.h4 Rc6 30.Bf4 Be7 31.Bg5 Bxg5 32.Nxg5 f6
33.Nh3 e5 34.dxe5 fxe5 35.f4 Re6 36.Kf2 Re8 37.Kf3 Kf7 38.Nf2
Ke6 39.g4
hxg4+ 40.Kxg4 Kd6 41.f5 Nf6+ 42.Kg5 Rh8 43.Nh1 Rh5+ 44.Kg6 Ke7
45.Kxg7
Be8 46.Rxa6 Rh7# 0-1

FINAL POSITION
[fen]4b3/4k1Kr/Rp3n2/3ppP2/1P5P/2P1P3/1N6/7N w - - 0 47[/fen]

In the Mini Match so far Schroeder leads Lang ...2 1/2 to 1/2

Polgar 5 vs Roma 68000 Next Regards
Steve

ricard60 · Post by **ricard60** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 5:26 pm

Hi Steve,

Probably polgar plays a bit better when used this time controls 1 min/AVG than in 30sec/AVG. Strangely dallas 32 bit with stronger hardware need more time to see this mating net.

Probably bug regards
Ricardo

Post by **Steve B** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 5:55 pm

ricard60 wrote:Hi Steve,

Probably polgar plays a bit better when used this time controls 1 min/AVG than in 30sec/AVG. Strangely dallas 32 bit with stronger hardware need more time to see this mating net.

Probably bug regards
Ricardo

Hi Ricardo
perhaps a bug but i think also the cause could be Lang's program in general which was always very positional in strength and not so much tactical
the positions at move 42-43 are full of tactics
watching the Dallas pondering it at first played 42.Kg3 which is a safe move
then it switched to 42.Kg5 a disaster
at move 43..it does see a mate but then thinks that 43.Ng1 avoids it which it does not.. so it plays this move in the 1 Min control
when it gets close to 3 Minutes it would play 43.Ng4 which avoids the mate
so it needed more time

Feliz Navidad My Friend Regards
Steve

ricard60 · Post by **ricard60** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:42 pm

Feliz Navidad Amigo

Post by **Steve B** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 11:01 am

A Retrospective of Ed Schroeder's dedicated chess computer engines continues with the Polgar 5 rated 1963 (Selective Search Mag.)
the match Vs Richard Lang's engines stands at 2.5-.5 in favor of Schroeder
the opponent this game is the Roma 68000 cashing in at 1951

In The Game...
Roma is out of book at move 9
Polgar is out at move 11
An early exchange of pieces leaves the Polgar with the B Pair vs Roma's 2 N's at the cost of a doubled P
both computers play solidly.. trading down and each rejecting offers to repeat the position
a well played game on both sides

[Date "2012.12.29"]
[White " Mephisto Polgar 5"]
[Black "Mephisto Roma 68000"]
[Time Control "1 Min\.AVG"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1.c4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.Rc1 Bb7
9.Be2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 c5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.O-O Qxd1 13.Rfxd1 Bxf3 14.gxf3
Nbd7 15.Ne4 g5 16.Nxc5 Nxc5 17.Bg3 Rac8 18.b4 Ncd7 19.Bd6 Rfd8 20.Ba6
Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Nd5 22.b5 Nf8 23.Rc6 Ng6 24.Kf1 Kg7 25.Ke2 Rd7 26.Ba3 Nge7
27.Rd6 Rc7 28.Kd2 Nf6 29.Bb2 Kg6 30.Be5 Kf5 31.Bc3 Nd7 32.e4+ Kf4 33.Ke2
Nc5 34.Bb4 Nxa6 35.bxa6 Nc6 36.Bc3 b5 37.Rd1 Nb8 38.Bd2+ Ke5 39.Rb1 Nxa6
40.Rxb5+ Rc5 41.Rb7 Rc7 42.Rxc7 Nxc7 43.Bc3+ Kf4 44.Bg7 h5 45.Bb2 f5
46.Bc1+ Ke5 47.Bxg5 fxe4 48.fxe4 Kxe4 49.f3+ Kf5 50.Be3 a6 51.Kd3 Nd5
52.Bd2 Nf4+ 53.Ke3 e5 54.a3 h4 55.Bc1 Nd5+ 56.Kd3 Nf6 57.Be3 Nh5 58.Kc4
h3 59.Kd3 Nf4+ 60.Kd2 Ne6 61.Bf2 Ng5 62.Ke3 e4 63.fxe4+ Nxe4 64.Be1 Ng5
65.Ba5 Kg4

FINAL POSITION

[fen]8/8/p7/B5n1/6k1/P3K2p/7P/8 w - - 0 66[/fen]

Polgar sees itself ahead +.17 here and Roma scores itself -.12
i called it a draw

Schroeder takes the match over Lang 3-1

makes one wonder how computer chess history might have evolved had Schroeder worked with the stronger hardware and Lang the 8 bit hardware

Rebel 5.0 Next Regards
Steve

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:41 am

And Finally ..
The last game will be with Schroeder's first engine for Mephisto ...The Rebel 5.0
Here in the US the Rebel was Bundled with the Mobile board and aggressively marketed as the strongest hand-held portable chess computer available for sale ..for a extra few bucks you could also add a nifty leather carry case for the portable Mobile housing unit
actually ... when ever i think of the Rebel 5.0 i automatically identify it with the Mobile housing and even though the Rebel can be played in any of the Mephisto boards i don't think i ever used it in anything but the Mobile
Creature of habit i guess...

Rebel 5.0 is rated 1827
there are no Lang dedicated chess computers rated at or close to the Rebel so i grabbed a Fidelity Par Excellence off the shelf
Par Excellence checks in at 1829

In The Game...
Rebell was out of book at move 5
Par at Move 8
play is equal for boh sides until move 30 when the Par
allows Rebell's R to penetrate deep into its position
soon after the penetration Par's position cracks and
Rebel gobbles up material in a feeding frenzy
amusingly instead of going for mate it elects to just
devour as much material as it can before i put an end to the
blood fest

[Date "2012.12.30"]
[White "Par Excellence"]
[Black "Rebell 5.0"]
[Time Control "1Min.\Avg."]
[Result "0-1"]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Bd6 6.Qf3 Be6 7.Ne2
Nf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.O-O O-O 10.Nd2 Bg4 11.Qe3 Re8 12.f3
Bd7 13.Qf2 h6 14.Bf4 Nh5 15.Be5 Bh4 16.Bg3 Nxg3 17.hxg3 Bg5
18.Nf4 Ne7
19.Rae1 c6 20.Nb3 b6 21.Re5 a5 22.Qc2 a4 23.Nd2 Bf6 24.Ree1 g6
25.b3 Nf5
26.Bxf5 Bxf5 27.Nd3 Qd6 28.g4 Rxe1 29.Rxe1 Bxd3 30.Qxd3 axb3
31.axb3 Bh4
32.Re2 Ra1+ 33.Nb1 Kf8 34.Qc2 Bg3 35.Qb2 Qf4 36.Qc2 Ra2 37.Qd1
Rxe2
38.Qxe2 Qc1+ 39.Qf1 Be1 40.Qd3 Bxc3+ 41.Kh2 Ba1 42.Kh3 Qg1
43.Na3 g5
44.Qb1 Bxd4 45.Qxg1 Bxg1 46.Nc2 c5 47.g3 d4 48.Ne1 b5 49.Kg2 Be3
50.Nd3
c4 51.bxc4 bxc4 52.Nb4 d3 53.Kf1 Bb6 54.Nd5 Ba5 55.f4 c3 56.Nxc3
Bxc3
57.Kf2 Bd4+ 58.Kf1 Be3 59.f5 Ke7 60.Ke1 Kf6 61.Kd1 Ke5 62.Ke1
Ke4 63.Kf1
f6 64.Ke1 Kf3 65.Kd1 d2 66.Kc2 Ke2 67.Kc3 d1=Q 68.Kb4 Kf3 69.Kb5
Kxg3
70.Kc6 Kxg4 0-1

FINAL POSITION
[fen]8/8/2K2p1p/5Pp1/6k1/4b3/8/3q4 w - - 0 71[/fen]

Rebell has passed on several opportunities to force mate and prefers instead to feed on material ..i put an end to the carnage here

for the 5 games..Schroeder's engines scored 4-1 with no losses

With A Rebell Yell Regards
Steve