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Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!umn-d-ub!halam2
From: halam2@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU (Haseen Alam)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Chess Program -Do you know a good one?
Keywords: Chess Program, Recommendation
Message-ID: <3513@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU>
Date: 5 Jun 90 07:15:24 GMT
Organization: U of Minnesota-Duluth, Information Services
Lines: 50



In article <1874@murdu.oz> cjm@murdu.oz (Chris James Marone) writes:
>
>	I'm looking for a chess program for the mac. I have a (very old)
>version of Sargon and would like something more up to date -like one that
>will play specific openings. Can anyone recommend something?  Ideally
>it would run on a MacII and a Plus.
>
>Thanks, 	Chris			(cjm@murdu.ucs.unimelb.edu.au)


 I would like to hear opinions as well.  Please state if it is color or not.
 If not does it work on a color Mac.

 Here is my opinion.  I used to have Sargon III (presented to my brother
 after I upgraded to my IIci), and my ex-roommate had Chessmaster 2000.  One
 day I was curious and had to try out something.  I borrowed my roomies SE
 and his CM 2000.  I plugged the two 1meg SE's with dual floppies right next 
 to each other and started up the two chess games.  On one Mac I would let
 the Mac make the first move, and on the other I would duplicate the move. 
 So basically CM2000 and SargonIII were playing with each other.

 Just to get a fair idea, I did the following tests...

	SE #1			SE #2
	Sargon played 1st	CM 2000 played 2nd
	Sargon played 2nd	CM 2000 played 1st
	CM 2000 played 1st	Sargon played 2nd
	CM 2000 played 2nd	Sargon played 1st

 First I played at the lowest level on both, and then on the next higher
 level.  The results were interesting, but the whole thing was getting boring
 so I did not try out all the user levels.

 Whichever program started won the game, swapping machines had no effect.  I
 used to think chess had a "No Win Strategy", ie if you do not want to win
 then it is harder to make you lose.  Results indicate both Sargon III and
 ChessMaster 2000 are aggressive players.  This makes sence from a programming 
 perspective, if there are less items on the board then there will be less
 moves to scan.  But this knowledge makes these games less challenging, since
 you can create traps by offering.  If my hypothesis is correct, then the
 first person to move has an advantage, and you should not let the Mac move
 first if you want to have an edge on winning.

 It will be nice to see a comparison like this with Sargon IV and CM 2100.
 Does anyone have access to both of them?  In any case I would be interested
 to hear good/bad remarks about some chess packages before I buy a color one.

 Haseen.