DGT Centaur first impressions

Rob Appleby · Post by **Rob Appleby** » Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:17 am

programmierbär wrote:Hi Benny,

Schachspieler wrote:
PS:
For the castle-right you have to setup the position with the King and rook on the inital position, before you enter the setup-mode. If you don't want to have the castle-right, then you have to put the King on the board, after you entered the setup-mode. Easy, eh?
I've tried it, but I can't recreate it. First, I took all pieces off the board, entered the setup mode and put king and all rooks on the right places. Centaur accepted a castle.
What have I done wrong?

Regards,
Lars

I tried this and got the same result. But I did discover that if you place the black king first, it is black to play, white king first = white to play.

Schachspieler · Post by **Schachspieler** » Wed Jun 05, 2019 5:37 am

Rob Appleby wrote:
programmierbär wrote:Hi Benny,

I've tried it, but I can't recreate it. First, I took all pieces off the board, entered the setup mode and put king and all rooks on the right places. Centaur accepted a castle.
What have I done wrong?

Regards,
Lars
I tried this and got the same result. But I did discover that if you place the black king first, it is black to play, white king first = white to play.

I'll make a youtube-video about it.

Post by **Steve B** » Wed Jun 05, 2019 11:03 am

Rob Appleby wrote:
programmierbär wrote:Hi Benny,

Schachspieler wrote:
PS:
For the castle-right you have to setup the position with the King and rook on the inital position, before you enter the setup-mode. If you don't want to have the castle-right, then you have to put the King on the board, after you entered the setup-mode. Easy, eh?
I've tried it, but I can't recreate it. First, I took all pieces off the board, entered the setup mode and put king and all rooks on the right places. Centaur accepted a castle.
What have I done wrong?

Regards,
Lars
I tried this and got the same result. But I did discover that if you place the black king first, it is black to play, white king first = white to play.

seems like the manual is a bit thin on basic info
really no reason that you guys should have to stumble upon basic "set up" info like this
which draws are accepted ,using new draw rules ....detailed info on how to set up positions..etc...
this sort of info should be included in it

although its hardly the first manual ever printed which could have been written in more detail

Manuals Matter Regards
Steve

JeffB · Post by **JeffB** » Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:55 pm

SteveB wrote:although its hardly the first manual ever printed which could have been written in more detail

My vote for understatement of the year!

programmierbär · Post by **programmierbär** » Wed Jun 05, 2019 3:12 pm

Hi,

Schachspieler wrote:
I'll make a youtube-video about it.

Great, thank you! Maybe there are a few more hidden features

Lars

Chessnut · Post by **Chessnut** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:34 am

My Centaur, ordered from Doska Chess in the UK and supplied by Schach Niggemann arrived yesterday.
It’s the first dedicated chess computer I’ve purchased in over 25 years and my first impressions are very positive.
It is very lightweight, and the bottom which has caused some controversy on this forum is no problem to me. It has obviously been designed to add rigidity to the board and in normal use cannot be seen anyway.
The display is very clear and the menu system very intuitive.
The plastic pieces are of a good size and single weighted. Personally they slide too easily on the board for my taste and I’m in the process of modding a set of double weighted wooden Staunton pieces to use with the Centaur.
I have only played one game against the Centaur so far but it was very enjoyable to see how the computer responded to my less than accurate play.
So, has DGT succeeded in their brief to produce an easy to use machine which is fun to play ? In my humble opinion yes and they are to be applauded.
I hope they eventually produce a carrying case as well.

Regards,

Keith

Wixxy · Post by **Wixxy** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:03 pm

Hi Keith,
Glad you have your Centaur at last and are happy with it.As I stated in my previous post on this thread ,I too am indeed very happy with it.A great bit of kit and after almost a week of playing I am still smiling whilst playing through every game...win or lose.I can't honestly remember grinning contentedly so much whilst playing against a dedicated chess computer.I have a collection of 80+ now and the Centaur is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Enjoy
Regards Paul

Chessnut · Post by **Chessnut** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:09 pm

Hi Paul,

Glad you are continuing to enjoy your Centaur, it makes you smile doesn’t it.

The wooden set I’ve modded work well and are not so slippery on the board.

Serious testing this week 😊

Regards,

Keith

Rob Appleby · Post by **Rob Appleby** » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:42 am

Wixxy wrote:Hi Keith,
Glad you have your Centaur at last and are happy with it.As I stated in my previous post on this thread ,I too am indeed very happy with it.A great bit of kit and after almost a week of playing I am still smiling whilst playing through every game...win or lose.I can't honestly remember grinning contentedly so much whilst playing against a dedicated chess computer.I have a collection of 80+ now and the Centaur is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Enjoy
Regards Paul

What is it that you like so much about it? I'm a fan too, just curious.

Wixxy · Post by **Wixxy** » Mon Jun 10, 2019 8:43 am

@Rob
What I like about it is the ease of use,the look and most importantly the refreshing non clinical ,creative and varied style of play that seems to be lacking in most other dedicateds I own.
Centaur regards
Paul

Sargon1972 · Post by **Sargon1972** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:46 pm

Hello All,

A error in Centaur ?!

Well i have buy the Centaur as well of course

It is running 100%

Well as Tester u do some "strange" things others will not do,ore not?

If u play 1.e4-e5 Nf3-Nc6 this is still opening of course ,well now u take your Night on f3 ,and hold it in your hands for +- 5 seconds .NOW the Centaur automaticly think u have taken pawn on e5!! and start to calculate....

So i have tested more and it only appear when u can take i piece ! so if u have a Bishop on c3 ,can go to b2 a1 and there is a pawn on g7 from black ,same thing happens....

Try it with your Centaur

This is clearly a program error if u ask me

Kr,Hans

Four.nine · Post by **Four.nine** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:53 pm

Sargon1972 wrote:If u play 1.e4-e5 Nf3-Nc6 this is still opening of course ,well now u take your Night on f3 ,and hold it in your hands for +- 5 seconds .NOW the Centaur automaticly think u have taken pawn on e5!! and start to calculate....

So i have tested more and it only appear when u can take i piece ! so if u have a Bishop on c3 ,can go to b2 a1 and there is a pawn on g7 from black ,same thing happens....

Nice “find”.
Excellent evaluation work.

Fax236 · Post by **Fax236** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:25 am

Sargon1972 wrote:Hello All,

A error in Centaur ?!

Well i have buy the Centaur as well of course
It is running 100%

Well as Tester u do some "strange" things others will not do,ore not?

If u play 1.e4-e5 Nf3-Nc6 this is still opening of course ,well now u take your Night on f3 ,and hold it in your hands for +- 5 seconds .NOW the Centaur automaticly think u have taken pawn on e5!! and start to calculate....

So i have tested more and it only appear when u can take i piece ! so if u have a Bishop on c3 ,can go to b2 a1 and there is a pawn on g7 from black ,same thing happens....

Try it with your Centaur

This is clearly a program error if u ask me

Kr,Hans

Does not look to me as a bug or error but a deliberate design choice due to the intrinsic limitation of the piece recognition technology used that cannot distinguish single pieces.

Therefore it will not be uncommon that for rapid chess or for pieces in adjacent squares the system may not detected the movement of both pieces and make a best guess on the position.

If it would not do so you will have to repeat several time the moves on the board ruining the fluidity and pace of the game.

I would be curious to know what happens if the piece have more than one option to take, does Centaur still decides for one?

Btw, first time post in here

. Happy owner of Centaur and several other first generation dedicated chess computers.

Cheers,
Fax

Chessnut · Post by **Chessnut** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:48 am

Welcome fellow Centaur owner

Schachspieler · Post by **Schachspieler** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 5:24 am

Four.nine wrote:
Sargon1972 wrote:If u play 1.e4-e5 Nf3-Nc6 this is still opening of course ,well now u take your Night on f3 ,and hold it in your hands for +- 5 seconds .NOW the Centaur automaticly think u have taken pawn on e5!! and start to calculate....

So i have tested more and it only appear when u can take i piece ! so if u have a Bishop on c3 ,can go to b2 a1 and there is a pawn on g7 from black ,same thing happens....
Nice “find”.
Excellent evaluation work.

I think this feature is pretty nice.

I've already met opponents in tournaments, which pick up a piece and then start to think about it. Me as an opponent lacks this piece on the board and it distracts from thinking. There is no reasonable reason, why you should hold a piece in your hand for over 5 seconds. Unless you want to disturb your opponent.

Here I have successfully referred to point 12.6 of the FIDE rules in tournament games:

12.6 It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever.

The reaction of the Centaur I feel as thoroughly human.