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From: brucec@tektronix.UUCP (Bruce Cheney)
Newsgroups: net.games.chess
Subject: Chess Computers
Message-ID: <6273@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jan-86 12:07:24 EST
Article-I.D.: tektroni.6273
Posted: Thu Jan 16 12:07:24 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jan-86 08:34:14 EST
Reply-To: brucec@tektronix.UUCP (Bruce Cheney)
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 16


Chess Computers Ruined My Life

    I used to be a 'chess fanatic', tournaments, postal matches, radio matches, a tournament director and organizer, newsletter editor, etc., etc.  But then 
around 1978, these cheap chess computers started coming out. At first they were
really bad players.  But they started getting better. Now you can buy an expert level machine (>2000 USCF) for $100-200. About the same price as a high quality
scientific calculator. The tournament 'cheaters' (who used to run to their hotelrooms after you made a move to look it up in a book) now use the machines
throughout the whole game, instead of just cheating in the opening. Postal
players are starting to do the same thing (see the latest Chess Life).
    Before hand-held calculators, I thought it would be useful and impressive
to be able to do square roots and logs in my head, or at least by hand. But 
with the advent of the calculator, memorizing log tables seems like a real 
waste of time. By analogy, busting my gut for years to become an expert also
seems like a real waste of time now that anyone can purchase the same capabilityfor $100. 

tekcrd!brucec