What's the WEAKEST Morsch machine?

[Reinfeld]

As always, I exclude modules. Is it the Europa?

Let's pretend we're looking for the Morsch version of the NFC South: name the worst four machines.

- R.

[IanO]

As always, I exclude modules. Is it the Europa?

Let's pretend we're looking for the Morsch version of the NFC South: name the worst four machines.

- R.

According to the Activ list, it would indeed be the 1987 Mephisto Europa/Marco Polo/Schachschule/Manhattan/Chessbook at 1705, hobbled with a 2 MHz 6301Y, 16K program. It was the strongest engine to run on this chip, however.

Close second is Morsch's very first machine, the 1985 Mephisto Mondial at 1727. It used his Nona program on a 2 MHz 6502, the same program which won the amateur world championship in 1985, starting his long chess programming career. (For all I know, this is the same program as the Europa, just on the original hardware.)

Next comes the 1987 Mondial II at 1799, also a 2 MHz 6502 and a 32K program, doubling the book size. The same year his strongest machines Super Mondial and Monte Carlo got 1879 by doubling the speed on a 4 MHz 6502.

[IanO]

As always, I exclude modules. Is it the Europa?

Let's pretend we're looking for the Morsch version of the NFC South: name the worst four machines.

- R.

Found another that I don't know the strength of: the 1988 CXG Sphinx Chess Professor. It was also a 16K program on a 2MHz chip, so likely similar in strength to the Europa. I wonder if anyone still has one of these?

[Steve B]

Found another that I don't know the strength of: the 1988 CXG Sphinx Chess Professor. It was also a 16K program on a 2MHz chip, so likely similar in strength to the Europa. I wonder if anyone still has one of these?

Why Certainly...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/859069418/

BTW..The Professor(Model No.243) should not be confused with the CXG Sphinx Scholar(Model No. 268)


Academic Regards
Steve

[Sargon1972]

As always, I exclude modules. Is it the Europa?

Let's pretend we're looking for the Morsch version of the NFC South: name the worst four machines.

- R.

Found another that I don't know the strength of: the 1988 CXG Sphinx Chess Professor. It was also a 16K program on a 2MHz chip, so likely similar in strength to the Europa. I wonder if anyone still has one of these?

The CXG Chess Professor is rated +- 1630 elo
I have not seen them many , but i own one

Kr,Hans

[Sargon1972]

As always, I exclude modules. Is it the Europa?

Let's pretend we're looking for the Morsch version of the NFC South: name the worst four machines.

- R.

According to the Activ list, it would indeed be the 1987 Mephisto Europa/Marco Polo/Schachschule/Manhattan/Chessbook at 1705, hobbled with a 2 MHz 6301Y, 16K program. It was the strongest engine to run on this chip, however.

Close second is Morsch's very first machine, the 1985 Mephisto Mondial at 1727. It used his Nona program on a 2 MHz 6502, the same program which won the amateur world championship in 1985, starting his long chess programming career. (For all I know, this is the same program as the Europa, just on the original hardware.)

Next comes the 1987 Mondial II at 1799, also a 2 MHz 6502 and a 32K program, doubling the book size. The same year his strongest machines Super Mondial and Monte Carlo got 1879 by doubling the speed on a 4 MHz 6502.

Hello ,

"Close second is Morsch's very first machine, the 1985 Mephisto Mondial at 1727. It used his Nona program on a 2 MHz 6502, the same program which won the amateur world championship in 1985"

Well the Nona did play indeed on the WC 1985 , But there it played at 5mhz . This speed ore PCB was given by Ed Schroder because Ed did not play that year ,so Frans Morsch had to write the program for the faster interface code of this card
From a personal quote when i visit Ed last year , he was always surprised of the program of Frans because on low speed ,it did play very good and did calculate "deep" for that time.
Another nice story is that Frans did borrow back then(1984) a Novag Constellation 3.6 ore Super Constellation from C. de Gorter and C.de Gorter did never seen it back . Frans was curious of how this program did work from Kittinger and did rip it a part ,what he have found out ore did discover i do not know ,but last year when i was by C,de Gorter ,it was still not back
+-2 year back on the site of Rebel homepage of Ed Schroder the original Nona WC card was sold to Ruud Martin . Unfortunately it was dead
I did get for free the card of Ulf Rathsmann ! it played vs Rebel by Jan Louwman at his house for the eyes of Hegner&Glasner and Ed won 1,5-0,5 Ed did get the contract from Mephisto
But also Unfortunately this card ore 1 eprom was dead also , another history is gone there.

Kr,Hans

[Bryan Whitby]

Very interesting Hans, many thanks for that information.
Regards
Bryan