From: sprute@math10.mathematik.uni-bielefeld.de (Udo Sprute)
Subject: PC Chess Programs
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 07:51:31 GMT
Organization: Math MadHouse Bielefeld, Germany


I've seen people asking for chess programs for PC,
so I repost this text:

Chess Programs for PC
=====================

The strength of chess-playing software will be highly dependent on the
hardware it runs on (all software discussed is for IBM PC; those available
for Macintosh are noted).  Here is a method to approximate the strength
differences for the same software running on different hardware (source:
_Computer Chess Reports Quarterly_).

Processor                        Chess MIPs 

8088                      Speed in MHz divided by 19 
80286, 1 wait state       Speed in MHz divided by 8 
80286, 0 wait states      Speed in MHz divided by 6 
80386, no Cache memory    Speed in MHz divided by 6 
80386 with Cache          Speed in MHz divided by 4.7
80486                     Speed in MHz divided by 2.3 

A coprocessor doesn't change anything because chess programs don't use
floating point arithmetic at all.

Now, if a program has a given rating on a 1 "Chess MIP" machine, this is how
to adjust the rating for other MIPs (interpolate between points):

MIP:  0.25 0.5 1 1.5  2  3   4   6   8  12  16  24  32  48  64 
Adj.: -180 -87 0  47 80 124 154 195 223 261 287 323 347 379 402 

For example, a program running on a 10 MHz 8088 (0.5 "Chess MIP" and -87
points) will be about 272 USCF rating points weaker than the same program
running on a 33 MHz 80386 (no Cache - 5.5 "Chess MIPs" and +185 points).

Here is a list of commercially available chess software for MS DOS
and its approximated USCF strength while running on a 486er with 33 MHz.
For BCF subtract 100, for FIDE subtract 200 or less.
You should take the numbers more as relative numbers. They are meant as
playing strenghts in first encounters between human and computer.
But humans will learn how to trap a computer of equal strenght.
Prices for the software are given in German currency ($1.00 ~ DM 1.50).

MChess Pro          ~2480  by Marty Hirsch, San Rafael, California
   Runs on a 286er with 640 Kb RAM, but a 386er with 12Mb of RAM is
   recommended. (10 Mb are used for hash tables.)
   Opening book is 7x as large as amateur version and is programable.
   Improved graphics.  DM 250
MChess 1.1 - 1.72    2400  by Marty Hirsch
   DM 180
Zarkov 2.6           2350  by John Stanback / Chess Laboratories
   Interfacing to the chess database software Bookup.
   Supersedes Zarkov 2.5 (USCF 2280) by John Stanback.
   Best analyzation features.  DM 135
ChessChampion 2175   2340  by Chris Whittington
   Program uses Shannon B strategy, not brute force like all the others.
   Supersedes ChessPlayer by Chris Whittington.  DM 115
KnightStalker II    ~2300  by Frans Morsch / ChessBase
   Interfacing to the chess database software ChessBase.
   Program can be used as background-evaluator while working
   with ChessBase 4.0.  It can read ChessBase libraries.  DM 178
   Supersedes KnightStalker I (USCF 2260, DM 99) by ChessBase.
   There are demos of KnightStalker I and of ChessBase 3.0 in:
   ftp@valkyries.andrew.cmu.edu:pub/chess/DOS/
Grandmaster Chess    2300  by John Stanback / Capstone
   Mass market version of Zarkov 2.55 with pull-down menus and fancier graphics
   (2d and 3d board), but is missing some of Zarkov2.6's features such as
   generating multiple candidate moves when analyzing games, annotations,
   generating PCX or WPG chess diagrams, interfacing to Bookup7 etc.  DM 110
Rexchess 2.30        2290  by Larry Kaufman
   DM 99.  Will be superseded by TitanChess by Larry Kaufman,
   which is expected to come out Dec 92.
   - Heuristic Alpha by Larry Kaufman
      Written for 8086er and 80286er in C.  Selled to Electronic Arts.
      Expected to come out spring 93.
   - Sokrates by Larry Kaufman
      Written for 80386er and 80486er in Assembler.
      Hasn't found any publisher up to now.
Psion 2.13           2290  by Richard Lang / Psion Ltd.
   Supersedes Psion 1 (USCF 2140) by Psion Ltd.
   Program of Mephisto Amsterdam, recompiled for IBM PC.
CheckCheck                 by Wolfgang Delmare / Digital Concepts
   German but completely self-explaining (mouse/buttons/icons).
   Full version contains complete database of four-piece-finishings.
   That needs 16 Mb on the hard disk.
   DM 99 without database or DM 168 for full version.  VGA only
Chessmaster 3000     2170  by Software Toolworks
   Excellent graphics.  DM 99
   A windows version of Chessmaster 3000 is marketed as well for DM 119.
   A CD ROM version can be bought for DM 145.
   Supersedes Chessmaster 2100 (USCF 2070) by Software Toolworks.
Sargon V            ~2100? by Dan and Kathy Spracklen / Activision
   DM 115.  Supersedes Sargon IV by Spinnaker.
   Activision has renamed itself into Mediagenic.
Colossus Chess X     2090
   DM 50
BattleChess                by Interplay
   Very weak program with the most entertaining graphics.  DM 50
   A windows version of BattleChess is marketed as well for DM 110.
   Little trap: BattleChess II isn't a chess but a chinese chess program.

You may as well buy a card for one of your PC's extension slots:
ChessMachine 512k 14 MHz running Schroeder 2.1  2435  DM 890
ChessMachine 512k 14 MHz running The King 1.0   2415  DM 890 + DM 126
Final Chesscard                                 1890
There are new ChessMachines with 30 MHz.
They are significantly stronger and significantly more expensive.

If you are not willing to spend any money, or if you want to see your
program before you pay the shareware fee, you should have a look at
ftp@valkyries.andrew.cmu.edu:pub/chess/DOS/README.  The last counting
numbered 60 chess games, chess surfaces, chess typesetting programs,
chess tournament administration programs and so on ...

Some of those programs are compilations of GNU Chess.  That's a freely
available chess playing software.  Its strength varies widely based on
the machine for which it's compiled.  Zarkov is related to GNU Chess.


Available for the Macintosh:  Chessmaster 3000, Chessmaster 2100, Sargon IV,
BattleChess and CheckMate by the authors of BattleChess.
Sargon V is expected for February 1993.

Available for the Amiga:  Chessmaster 2000 and 2100, Sargon III and IV,
Chessplayer 2150 and Chess Champion 2175, BattleChess and CheckMate,
ChessMate, The Art of Chess, Colossus Chess and the ChessMachine.

But perhaps you would like to buy Super Chessmaster for the Super Nintendo
for your child ? :-)



Database Software
=================

Chess databases store games and information about games, and can manipulate
and recall that information in a variety of ways.  The "big three" of chess
databases are NICBase, ChessBase, and Bookup.  You can purchase data disks
for each of these databases.  NICBase and ChessBase are game-oriented, while
Bookup is opening-oriented.  Each has its strengths and weaknesses.  A good
(but dated) review of these programs was written by Eric Schiller and
appeared in the Sept. 1990 _Chess Life_.

NICBase 3.0 ($175; MS-DOS & Atari) & NICTools ($125) from Chess Combination,
Inc., P.O. Box 2423 Noble Station, Bridgeport, CT 06608-0423.  203-367-1555;
fax 203-380-1703.  Internet 70244.1532@compuserve.com (Albert Henderson).
Free catalog.  $10 demo disk (free for Internet or CompuServe users).

ChessBase 3.0 (MS-DOS only); basic $295, deluxe $395, upgrade from 2.2 $75.
ChessBase ACCESS $39.95.  ChessBase USA, P.O. Box 133, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
301-733-7541 (orders only: 800-524-3527); fax 301-797-6269.  USCF prices: 3.0
$279, ACCESS $37.95.  ChessBase 4.0 is out; upgrade from 3.0 is $60-70,
depending on manual.  (I don't have current prices on 4.0).

Bookup from Chess Laboratories, P.O. Box 3541, S. Pasadena, CA 91031.
818-799-7567.  Version 7 for MS-DOS costs $99 and version 1.3 for MacOS costs
$59.

ChessBase interfaces with the KnightStalker chess-playing software.
Bookup interfaces with the Zarkov chess-playing software.
There are demo versions of NicBase, ChessBase and KnightStalker
available in ftp@valkyries.andrew.cmu.edu:pub/chess/DOS/ .


------------------------------------------------------------------------
For contributions mail:  Udo Sprute  (sprute@unibi.HRZ.Uni-Bielefeld.DE)
By the by:  I wouldn't like to see r.g.c. splitted ...