Year: 2013

I’m playing a ten game match between my old Saitek chess computer (circa 1993) and MadChess, a chess engine I wrote. I enabled the standard Shredder book (up to move 8) for MadChess, to ensure MadChess and the Saitek did not repeat moves from a previous game. MadChess wins easily by swapping off pieces, flushing out the white king to the middle of the board, positioning its rook to cut off the white king’s retreat, then advancing all its kingside pawns. MadChess leads the match, 3-0. Analysis by the Shredder 12 chess engine.  Shredder finds blunders of one pawn or… Continue Reading

I’m playing a ten game match between my old Saitek chess computer (circa 1993) and MadChess, a chess engine I wrote. MadChess wins again. MadChess punishes the Saitek computer for shuffling its pieces aimlessly in the middlegame. MadChess protects its king and pushes its queenside pawns while the Saitek can’t decide where to place its queen and rooks. MadChess leads the match, 2-0. Analysis by the Shredder 12 chess engine. Shredder finds blunders of one pawn or worse. Time Control Saitek: None. Level 4E MadChess: 1 second per move Opening Book Saitek: Built in book MadChess: None Saitek Challenge Games Continue Reading

I’m playing a ten game match between my old Saitek chess computer (circa 1993) and MadChess, a chess engine I wrote. The first game is complete. MadChess won convincingly. MadChess protected its king while attacking the opposing king, busting open the white defense and winning two pawns. MadChess played Bf1 then pushed the f pawn. After winning a bishop when the f pawn promoted, MadChess pushed the h pawn. The white king was unable to stop the pawn’s advance and MadChess promoted it to a queen, coordinated its movements with the black bishop, and checkmated the white king on the… Continue Reading

I became fascinated with the game of chess when I was a teenager.  My parents enrolled me in a park district chess club, so I could receive instruction and play a few games. In addition to chess club, I’d play occasionally against friends. However, I did not have a reliable lineup of opponents always ready to play a game. So I decided to save my money and buy a chess computer. In 1993 I bought the Saitek Kasparov Olympiad. Playing against it definitely improved my game. But I never could defeat it on level four or higher (searching ahead four… Continue Reading