Overtom's weblog

REALLY THE BEST?  (10 june 2005)

In yesterday's weblog, you could read how I paid 160 dollars for a 72-dollar computer.

Talking Touch Chess

But this computer was claimed to be the World's Best Portable Chess Computer. A good way to find out how much truth there is in this claim is by pitting it against another computer.

A good opponent --  which had cost me less (105 euros) -- was Novag Star Ruby, not exactly the most user-friendly computer in the market. But how well would it play against the World's Best Portable Chess Computer?

Novag Star Ruby

OK, here are the five games they played:

In the first game, on black's 69th move, the rook tries to attack the black pawns from behind, but is closed in.

Game 1

White: Novag Star Ruby

Black: Excalibur Talking Touch chess

Game 2

White: Excalibur Talking Touch chess

Black: Novag Star Ruby

Game 3

On the 27th move, the black knight captures the pawn on f2, but is punished for his greed.

White: Novag Star Ruby

Black: Excalibur Excalibur Talking Touch chess

Game 4

It can sometimes be comfortable to have two knights that defend each other ... unless (as we see on the 26th move) one of them is attacked by a pawn and the other can be captured by the queen:

White: Excalibur Excalibur Talking Touch chess

Black: Novag star Ruby

Game 5

After 33 moves, black seems to be no more than one pawn down, but his pawns are scattered around and easy prey for white's rooks.

White: Novag Star Ruby

Black: Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Talking Touch chess

Although the Excalibur computer lost all the games, it did not play like a beginner. But would you still call it the World's Best Portable Chess Computer?

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