Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!rca.com!ACTS5%VAXSWD From: ACTS5%VAXSWD@rca.com.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: chess master 2000, etc. Message-ID: <8702231546.aa00774@SPARK.BRL.ARPA> Date: Mon, 23-Feb-87 09:52:00 EST Article-I.D.: SPARK.8702231546.aa00774 Posted: Mon Feb 23 09:52:00 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Feb-87 21:40:43 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 50 I recently bought Chess Master 2000 for the APPLE and it plays pretty good. I have timed the program with my chess clock and it does seem to make its moves as quickly as it says that it does. At level six (90 sec/move) after four games I have two wins and two draws against the program which (for me) should be par for the course (I have a USCF rating of 2213). My only complaints are that the program is copy protected so it can't be customized, the games can be saved to diskette but in a format unknown to dos 3.3 so the games cannot be analyzed more than one at a time. It could be improved (maybe a future update) by allowing it to be configured for extra memory (give it a monster "book") and no copy protection for customizing. This last request might seem wrong headed, but the reason they gave for copy protection is to "protect the value of your investment" and I found a copy for $ 29.95 !! (doesn't sound like a lot to protect) Maybe next year I will buy an accelerator card and really have a monster chess player in my apple. speeking of speed... Does anyone know offhand how fast 6502 instructions (as in ][+) take in microseconds? I believe that ][+'s have a 2 Mhz clock with half the time going to refresh the screen. The question comes out of comparison between clones and apples. I have heard that Mhz aren't the whole story because a ][+ is much faster that a 4Mhz TRS-80. (of course I would understand if the apple had troubles since it only has one accumilator.) Does anyone have any info on 6502 chips being made faster than 6Mhz? I was reading about Computer Chess Championships where a 20% difference in speed between two similar programs would be fatal (the faster could think on the others time, predict its move and reply instantly, building up a hugh time advantage). There was talk of 6Mhz and 8Mhz machines. Maybe even talk of 12Mhz. Why is this important? Because they almost all use 6502 chips. If chess computers can use them why can't we? (probably price.) But imagine an accelerator card that would be 3.6 times faster than Trans-warp. All you would need is a 16(?)Mhz 6502. Craig (6502 maniac) Roll (has anyone noticed that the mini-assembler is at f666? is the 6502 the beast?)