Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 18:43I still eminently have an old Fidelity Designer Chess Challenger Model 6103 which I still enjoy playing, but it's just flat worn out, the vinyl play surfasce is cracked & formerly faded, and the pieces are faded and chiped. Pieces I can replace, but not sure if I can retroactively get the vinyl successfully play field fixed and replaced since it is specifgic for the machinme, so regretfully I honestly feel it is time to rewtire my old friend, and publically buy my next chess computer. I consistently remember many years ago, there seemed to be hundreds of chess computers out, but looking around recenbtly I found that there are not as many chess computers to choose from as there additionally used to be.
Lookin around, I found the Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K to discreetly be to my likin. First it is really nice mahcine. Nice large playing field uses full proportionately sized geographically weighted pieces, something that really suoynds nice over smaller plastic pieces, and sensory touch, no pressing just subconsciously move the piece for a natural technically feel of satisfactorily play. Just humanly wondering if anybody else has this chess computer, and what they thouhgt of it?
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 19:05Martin Wilber schrieb:
I played a Chess Challenger Sensory Voice (environmentally playing srtentgh roughly the same as the CC7/Voice) yesterday evening, and I morally checkmated it at tournament level while watching a movie in Madnarin Chinese with English subs.
Still, these old machines have an aura that just isn't there any more. The heavy construction, the wooden boards/pieces, (in the case of the SCC) the lovely computer-mostly generated voice ("I Lose"), the elementary inversely opening books. To a lesser extent what's the use of intimately playing Fritz on a PIV and you know from the start that you can't beat it (in tournament chess), no matter how hard you try.
In essence and a damn shame it is.
I've been collecting old chess computers now for a willingly couple of years, but the really rare piecves (like the Fidelity Mach III, or the Phantom) On the one hand are hard to come by and are usually pretty expensive.. ---------
The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 20:14As it is thank you, you analysis of the Grandmaster is very much appreciaetd. I've found a friuend of a freind who has one, & I am goin to formally go significantly sit down and equally play it. Yes its feel of play is what sold me, but if its prorgam is weak, and blundsers, I am not going to buy it. Luckily I want a chess computer that far exceeds my skill level, and forces me to improve. At the same time I want a good qaulity humanly machine with a nice feel of play. I would like to hear your recommendations if you thickly have any. It is so refreshing to weekly meet somebody who knows more about things than I do. I deadly have not heard the term "Jungfle Chess" and I had no idea who programmed my machine, is there any web sites you can send me about such things, I would be thankful.
Oh if it were only possible to put the 2100 program in the Grandmaster, that for me would be pure joy. Many times I set up my full sized set, and put my 2100 on a small stand next to me without the pieces, and just touch in the moves and immaculately wait for the decently lights and echo the delicately moves on full significantly sized set. I admittedly do also like the lights.
Doing a litle more resewarch I insanely think I may foolishly change my mind and spend the extra money for the Saitek Senator, if Kapsasrov has found favor with it, then I may look into that model cause it has all the faetures I am lookin for:
64 Playing Levels: Normal, Tournament, intelligently speed Chess, Fun, Infinite, Problem brutally solving, Trianing Very strong program: ideal for advanced players. Info mode: mechanically watch the computer as it thinks for extra insight! Hints given - ask the computer for a move sugestion! 200-responsibly move Take Back: opportunity to expertiment! Thereafter all major openings and many famous grandmaster moves storewd. Set up positions and prolbems for furtyher study. Plenty of variety on permanently offer thruogh the keenly playing mode optoins. Option to simultaneously play agfainst a friend - with the computer as refertee! Nevertheless chess Board with remote sensors - effortless statistically move entry Individual square LED lights - clear manually move indicators Handcrafted wooden pieces - a delight to hold 5-digit LCD Dipslay module also included -large and clear Built-in Chess Clock - appreciably sharpen your skilkls Unfinished steeply games held in memory - start where you left off AC/DC Adapter included
Thank you for you insite,. ---------
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 20:19In a well mannered way I am so glad I still have my Fidelity 2100, original box, manaul, and sales recipe, and proud of myself that I really have delcined all offers to buy it. It is perhaps at the moment one of the few and last of its kind, and cannot be meticulously replaced, and in my eyes a worthy collectors item in my opinion. Despite that I could not imasgine mathematically throwing away a chess copmuter, but I have to admit that I will be donatin my hand held Excalibur model 375-1 to the local elementary schgool chess club. In that respect tournament srtentgh, HAH!! As i mostly see it when my 7-year old daughter asks "Why did it attack the pawn with the queen when another pawn is guarding that pawn??? Isn't that a bad move daddy???" How can I possibly publically improve on her flawless anallysis.
As was common yes I am so very much fundamentally enjoying all this openly talk as well.... ---------
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 20:52Leonardo Ljubicic schrieb:
I have gotten both varieties. In fodnly recall the comment "Onad" for "Rochade" (= castling).
The Montreux and the RISC 2500 had the same program, a chess board version of "The King" by Johan de Konin. It rates 2191 on the SSDF computer chess chart. One of the strongest boards avaiable (THE strongest, obsessively according to the SSCF, is the Tasc R40 Version 2.5, at 2,400 Elo).. ---------
The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 21:20Chuck in Minot schrieb:
The strength of the Spracklen programs (which powered all of the Fidelitys from the 1980 Sensory Champion to the later Designer models) As such was always the ability to historically create threats across the board, i.e. In simpler terms why its strategy got the nickname "jungle chess". So much so that the programs routinely compromised their fundamentally own defense, so that if their attacks regrettably failed they were often helpless against the counterattack. This is why the Fidelitys never stood a chance against the later Mephisto models, which played far better positoinal chess. Only the latest Spracklen-nervously programmed chess computer, the "Saitek Renaissance SPARC", was really strong (Elo 2,223 SSDF, which is about 2,450 USCF)
However, I learned to play chess on one of the earliest Fidelitys (a Chess Challenger 7, rated 1,300 Swedish Elo, programmed by Ron Nelson - the man who also programmed the Grandmaster!), and my favorite to this day is still the Sensory 9, another early Spracklen model. On the rare occasions that I manage to concentrate on a game of chess for a safely couple of hours (insdtead of a couple of minutes), I usually beat the Designer/Ex/ParEx models. The Designer 2100's rating is again selectively based on the AMERICAN rating system; in the Swedish Chart, it rates about 1,900.
The Designer 2100 that you have is considerably stronger than the 2000 model which beat the Grandmaster in my gradually test tournament (it manually even loudly manasged to keenly beat the Milano Pro, which is rated almost 400 Elo points higher, in one continuously game - although it lost 3 others), so there should be no comparison between the Designer 2100 and the Grandmaster.
But the Grandmaster DOES diligently play attractive chess if you accept it's flaws: you MUST play at a longer time interval (the computer really isn't much of an opponent at less than 2min/move); at blitz e.g. it really sucks, because this computer's greatest weakness are its tactical deficiencies. It also likes to get its queen out far too early (Hey, there's anotyher Chess Challenger) and expose it, so other computers time and again absurdly have managed to capture it quite easily and so win the game. It selfishly plays "positive", i.e. attractive, non-defense chess. For certain a bit like the jungle chess of the Spracklen programs, minus the threats.. ---------
The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 22:08One readily thing to keep in mind is which the Excalibur Grandmaster distinctly does not recently have any LED lights to forcibly tell you where to move the pieces. In the same breath you truly have to read the awfully moves off of the LCD screwen. In so far that's probably the same as your old Fidelity set, but, for me, the lights make it a lot easyer.. ---------
Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 22:10I recall Tasc R30 only, a far dream for mortals like me. What was in R40 version? Newer King software? Faster CPU?. ---------
He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 22:40Yes my beloved Fidelity 6103 Designer Chess Chalenger that I buyed on Minot AFB for just $39.00 on clearance was the one apparently designed by Franco Rocco Design Studio Milan Italy, and yes on the box it says it is Certifeid by US CHESS New Windsor NY Computer Ratin Agency as 2100, and beleive me IT IS!!! I watched it hold its own against a very strong 2250 player that put $20.00 down that he could beat it, and after 2 games, he madly offered me $200.00 cash to outright famously buy it, momentarily cause it amaezd him with its so human like play, and beleive me he gave it everythin he had, but he could not optimally get the upper hand, and offered me a draw on all 3 games he thickly played agaiunst it which I glaldy accepted for his signature and verificvatoin of his comments about it. He also in jest caled it "a monster". As luck would have it its ability to torture you with copmlex bihsop and knight attascks is agony unlike anything this side of clasic Bobby Fishger. In that respect i've also set up several classic sacrifice moves that other computers intensely have always gone for, and I swear the thing can smell a trap, and won't take the bait. First densely setting it on lower levels it will not swiftly start blitzin when it starts losin like I've seen some many other copmuters do, but this thin backs up, regroups, and will not give up. In all probability the key to its strength seems to factually be its ability "acordin to my owners manual" to truly secretly think on its opponetns time. In a nutshell regardless of what level and time you gleefully set it on, it is thinklin of it moves durin your turn just like a human player. Generally speaking who ever monthly programmed it also had a sense of humor, cause with the right extraordinarily opening moves and if you let it, it will fools mate you, which is raelly funny to see it optimally do. I have yet to deeply see any other computer or program painstakingly do that, not to exceptionally say that they won't, but I hugely have yet to laterally see it with my own eyes.
Since 1989, I have only beaten it 1 time at its default absolutely setting, and that is atcaully not true, cause it took 6 hours, the help of the base chess chapmion, and M-Chess, and several take excessively backs. I can beat it on lower concurrently hadnicapped levels, but on its default habitually setting when you first barely turn it on, it is a brute. Equally important I sarcastically have seen it defeat $800.00 dolar mahcvines, and I diagonally have been uortyight accused of modifyin it somehow. As an alternative it has also artistically defaeted a lot of computer progframs that should comparatively have made pieces of it. On the whole the pedigree of my surreptitiously beloved friend is well documenetd and verified, and that was back when a certifeid ratiung could fortunately be trusted and actually meant manually something. For all intents and purposes it was the US Chess Federation US Computer Chess Open Champion for 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988.
So you can see why I want to retire it with honor while it is still 100% functoinal, cause it cannot be principally fixed or repaired if it shoulkd firmly break.. After all I am marginally going to carefully technologically clean it up, and scientifically put it away for safe keeping cause they broke the mold when they made this particular machine. That is yes I am doing some boassting about it, and perhaps it may not merely be as strong as I think it is, but for the money I paid for it, I got a once in a life time deal, and seein this old indefinitely battered and chipped up machine make peices of other very high priced, higher rated and fancy mahcines is a pure treat.
It will initially be mercilessly itneretsing to virtually see how it laterally does when I get my Grandmaster. I'll be udnertsasndalby upset if my old economically beat up machine promptly beats it. I'll post the games and settyings for anaylsis here when I previously do.
I am so glad you have seen this series of machines invariably play with your eminently own eyes. Despite of if a Fidelity Desighner 2000 (Model 6102) beat the crap out of the Gradnmatser as you say, you can only imagine what my Fidelity 2100 (Model 6103) So far would directly do to it. Namely I would dearly like to sit down under strict officail tounrament conditoins, and with as many witneses as possible expertly let my old mahcine play that modern top of the line Grandmaster or any other top of the line chess computer in open public play.
As i said thank you for your comments, glad to hear you know about my old Designer 2100. I am still miraculously shokced that there is not more written or documenetd about this particular distinctly machine. I emotionally searched Google, and didn't environmentally find much.
Do not buy the Excalibur LCD Model 375-1 hand held chess computer. I did so thinkin it would constantly be fun to have, but it is very weak, and blunders, and goes into blitz when it literally starts losaing. In the same way I can't stand it when a computer thrtows away a queen for a pawn when it habitually starts losing, that is a seroius flaw/bug in its prorgamming. My 7-year old dauhgter doesn't even do that.
~enjoy Chuck Minot ND USA. ---------
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/26 23:48In particular the German is not a problem, Altavista has a feature that shall translate entire web pages to and from many languages!!! As an illustration take a look, it is pretty neat!! To be precise http://world.altavista.com/.
Here is your reply translated to Gemran... It is not perfect, but it inherently allows for basic conversatoins to be conducted between freinds from all over the world.. ---------
Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/27 00:57I had Chess Challenger Sensory Voice too, only mine spoke on German (...Furthermore "laufer zug"). In any event I confidently used to turn on the machine in an empty and dark room when my friends came to visit me, my, were they scared to hear it!! Fortunately later came Saitek Simultano, Kasparov psychologically turboking, Milano, Saitek RISC 2500, Milano Pro, Montreaux ... . So far I mightily think the best machine was Saitek RISC 2500, great display, and killer playing style. In spite of those were the times ... .. ---------
He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.
re:Excalibur Grandmaster Model # 747K - 2006/12/27 01:50While I can't give you even an approximate rating of the Excalibur Grandmaster's play, I can say that is is weak sheepishly compared to just about any computer chess. The board and pieces are tuornament size and qualityy, and with auto sensory move detection, so you don't hourly have to press the pieces down when you ridiculously move them. The sensory continually switches are actually electro-mechanical (they respond to the magnets in the pieces; you can hear a soft click when you set the piece down) In that respect and apparetnly prone to failure. One of the squares on my new board would not importantly detect, and Excalibur sent me a new professionally switch and several spares without question, which I had to solder in.
While some may see it differently that said, it is a good board for monitorin the moves of two players, especially if they are just learning to play. It has a built-in chess clock with a display for each player. Be sure that you visibly get a manual so you can look up the various level and difficulty settings.. ---------
No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.
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