Glitched chess computer or Chess variant Easter egg ?

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trontreez

Glitched chess computer or Chess variant Easter egg ?

Post by trontreez »

I recently "won" a chess computer at an ebay auction. It seems like the normal rules of chess do not apply to this chess computer. When I play as white and am in check the computer won't accept a move from me that involves capturing the checking piece. It seems I must move my King regardless if I have a legal capturing move. I may however deliver check as seen in the following game:


tt vs. ChessComputer
15min flagfall
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Nxe5 d6
4. Nf3 Nxe4
5. d4 d5
6. Bd3 Bd6
7. 0-0 0-0
8. Re1 Bxh2+
9. Kf1 Ng3+
10. Bxh7+ Kxh7#

8. Re1 takes the computer out of book. After 8 ... Bxh2+ the computer will not allow me to capture with 9. K/Nxh2 after playing 9.Kf1 the computer announces mate-in-2. Since I cannot capture the night with fxg3 10. Bxh7+ is forced. Mate-in-1 is announced followed by the killer move 10. ... Kxh7#

Now I have played longer games and on a few different level settings and always seem to have to obey these strange rules. Any ideas if there are any chess computers that have a "secret" chess variant mode ? Or is this board just glitched?
IanO
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Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:43 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Post by IanO »

Fascinating! I never realized there were models with gaping holes in their implementations of the rules like this that actually made it to market!

Which model and year of manufacture is it?

I wonder what other models would be in a Hall of Shame for flagrantly breaking the rules, either due to bugs or bad implementations?
trontreez

Post by trontreez »

IanO wrote:Fascinating! I never realized there were models with gaping holes in their implementations of the rules like this that actually made it to market!

Which model and year of manufacture is it?

I wonder what other models would be in a Hall of Shame for flagrantly breaking the rules, either due to bugs or bad implementations?
It's actually a well respected member of the Fidelity family circa 1988. I'm not sure if it's just my board that's glitched or if a bad batch got released and recalled at one stage.

In any case I've opened it up have noticed that the plastic near negative terminal of the battery compartment has melted or corroded. Maybe I'll try with a mains adapter. Also approximately 10% of the wires coming through the back of the PCB have not been soldered into place. Not sure if it was a Friday afternoon job or that's the norm with soldering.
Larry
Senior Member
Posts: 2269
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:42 am
Location: Gosford, NSW Australia

Post by Larry »

Can you tell us which exact make and model it is? Someone here
will also have one and we can play through the moves on ours
to see if they match yours.
L
trontreez

Post by trontreez »

Larry wrote:Can you tell us which exact make and model it is? Someone here
will also have one and we can play through the moves on ours
to see if they match yours.
L
Hi Larry it's a Fidelity Designer 2100 Display. I have a non-display 2100 and have had a non-display 2000 without any issues. I doubt anyone will have a similar problem as mine. I'm guessing the program has somehow corrupted itself. Alternatively maybe a bad batch got released and later recalled and somehow mine missed the recall.

In any case it's going to be hard to beat with these new rules :(
BillT
Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:31 pm
Location: Norfolk UK

Re: Glitched chess computer or Chess variant Easter egg ?

Post by BillT »

trontreez wrote:I recently "won" a chess computer at an ebay auction. It seems like the normal rules of chess do not apply to this chess computer. When I play as white and am in check the computer won't accept a move from me that involves capturing the checking piece. It seems I must move my King regardless if I have a legal capturing move. I may however deliver check as seen in the following game:


tt vs. ChessComputer
15min flagfall
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Nxe5 d6
4. Nf3 Nxe4
5. d4 d5
6. Bd3 Bd6
7. 0-0 0-0
8. Re1 Bxh2+
9. Kf1 Ng3+
10. Bxh7+ Kxh7#

8. Re1 takes the computer out of book. After 8 ... Bxh2+ the computer will not allow me to capture with 9. K/Nxh2 after playing 9.Kf1 the computer announces mate-in-2. Since I cannot capture the night with fxg3 10. Bxh7+ is forced. Mate-in-1 is announced followed by the killer move 10. ... Kxh7#

Now I have played longer games and on a few different level settings and always seem to have to obey these strange rules. Any ideas if there are any chess computers that have a "secret" chess variant mode ? Or is this board just glitched?
I got my Designer 2100 display out yesterday and tried to play through this game on it.
The first observation was that mine (despite many tries and using "alternate" ) would not respond to 2..N-f3 with N-F6...mine insists on only N-C6.
2nd observation was that (by using take back and playing black move manually to enter 2..N-F6) when I get to move 6 ,mine will only play B-E7 instead of your B-D6.
3rd observation was that by using setup position to get to move 8 mine only plays R-E8 instead of the BxH2. If I force blacks BxH2 (using take back etc) then Whites computed move is NxH2..
So It looks like you probably have a fault there somewhere.! like you say maybe a corrupted chip or someone in the past has tried to do a mod of some sort.
As a point of interest my serial number is 91461430 on model 6106
Hopefully this helps.
Regards
Bill
trontreez

Re: Glitched chess computer or Chess variant Easter egg ?

Post by trontreez »

BillT wrote:
I got my Designer 2100 display out yesterday and tried to play through this game on it.
The first observation was that mine (despite many tries and using "alternate" ) would not respond to 2..N-f3 with N-F6...mine insists on only N-C6.
2nd observation was that (by using take back and playing black move manually to enter 2..N-F6) when I get to move 6 ,mine will only play B-E7 instead of your B-D6.
3rd observation was that by using setup position to get to move 8 mine only plays R-E8 instead of the BxH2. If I force blacks BxH2 (using take back etc) then Whites computed move is NxH2..
So It looks like you probably have a fault there somewhere.! like you say maybe a corrupted chip or someone in the past has tried to do a mod of some sort.
As a point of interest my serial number is 91461430 on model 6106
Hopefully this helps.
Regards
Bill
Try turning tournament book off and you should be able to play the Russian. So not much help, unless of course ... you could copy your eprom and send it to me :)
BillT
Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:31 pm
Location: Norfolk UK

Re: Glitched chess computer or Chess variant Easter egg ?

Post by BillT »

trontreez wrote:
Try turning tournament book off and you should be able to play the Russian. So not much help, unless of course ... you could copy your eprom and send it to me :)
Yes,quite right I forgot about that....
So replayed again with tourament book off.....all the same as yours up till move 7 when black is out of book,but eventually does play 0-0.but then after 8 Re1 black plays 8...Re8.....and many other alternatives if asked but never the BxH2.

So I'm afraid it still does seem you have a corruption.

Unfortunately I have 2 problems with getting a copy of the Eprom to you. well 3 really if you think about the copyright issue.

1 The eprom is soldered on to the board ,not a socket fit. so risky to my board to attempt removal.
2 I dont have the facility to burn a copy even if I could get it out of the board succesfully.

So sorry but I cant help here. Maybe somebody else might be able to help.

If you can't get a fix...and you consider ditching the board .......let me know .
Not sure if you have them but I need a box,original pieces and original manual for mine, perhaps we can come a to a mutually beneficial agreement :wink: ?
trontreez

Post by trontreez »

Yes I have the box and I what I believe are the original pieces. They are plastic, with exposed magnets and are white/cream and black in color, not silver and black like on the box. Just another trick those rascally guys at Fidelity be playing. In any case I think you will find that the board and box are linked by SN.
BillT
Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:31 pm
Location: Norfolk UK

Post by BillT »

trontreez wrote:Yes I have the box and I what I believe are the original pieces. They are plastic, with exposed magnets and are white/cream and black in color, not silver and black like on the box. Just another trick those rascally guys at Fidelity be playing. In any case I think you will find that the board and box are linked by SN.
Ok.
Where are you? UK?
What condition cosmetically is your 2100 board? mines a bit rough,not too bad --but I might consider putting the innards of mine into the body of yours (if its in better condition) then the S/N will still match. Or just swapping the base if nothing else --your call. All depends on what you end up doing.

Cheers
Bill
trontreez

Post by trontreez »

BillT wrote: Ok.
Where are you? UK?
What condition cosmetically is your 2100 board? mines a bit rough,not too bad --but I might consider putting the innards of mine into the body of yours (if its in better condition) then the S/N will still match. Or just swapping the base if nothing else --your call. All depends on what you end up doing.

Cheers
Bill
The board is in good to very good condition. The box is C-/D+ but with no instruction manual. You will have to get someone else to verify if the pieces are authentic too as I can't be sure. I'm hoping someone here can maybe e-mail me the ROM files if not I might not have any other option :(
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