Novag Micro Chess
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Novag Micro Chess [1] Novag Micro Chess,
one of Novag’s first dedicated chess computer with a program by David Kittinger, first released in 1981. The computer has a Mostek MK3875/42 microcontroller [2] , a second sourced single chip implementation of the Fairchild F8 multi-chip processor, the 3850 ALU with 64 byte scratchpad RAM, which are 64 general purpose 8-bit registers [3] , and the 3851 program storage unit, instruction decoder and 4 Kibibyte mask-programmable ROM, and 64 byte executable RAM [4] [5] .The novelty of Novag Micro Chess was a sensor pegboard with membrane switches, which allows entering moves directly by pulling and sticking pieces on the board. Eight rank and file LEDs indicate origin- and target square of the move made internally by the computer.
Invalid Castling
A Micro Chess prototype had a move generation bug due to castling over an attacked square, which of course occurred in its first tournament game at the CPWTIPC 1981, where Micro Chess lost a game from Chess Champion Mark IV [7] [8] [9] :
[Event "CPWTIPC 1981"]
[Site "Paris, France"]
[Date "1981.05.28"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Chess Champion Mark IV"]
[Black "Novag Micro Chess"]
[Result "1-0"]
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 d6 4.Nf3 Ne7 5.O-O Nbc6 6.Nc3 Be6 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.Qe2 e5
9.Qc4 Ng6 10.a4 Be7 11.d4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 exd4 13.Qxd4 Bf6 14.Qd5 Bxc3 15.bxc3 c6
16.Qe6+ Qe7 17.Qxe7+ Nxe7 18.Bxf4 d5 19.Be5 {0-0 invalid castling} 1-0
r3k2r/pp2n1pp/2p5/3pB3/P3P3/2P5/2P3PP/R4RK1 b kq - 1 19 See also
- Chess Champion Pocket Chess
- MicroChess
- Mini Chess
- Move Generation with 256 bytes RAM or less?
- MyChess
- Novag
Publications
- Novag Micro Chess (pdf) by Hein Veldhuis
External Links
- ionel.cordesses - NOVAG MICRO CHESS
- Novag Micro Chess Electronic Chess Computer from The Spacious Mind
- Novag Micro Chess from Schachcomputer.info - Wiki (German)
References
- ↑ Novag Micro Chess from Novag | Photo collection by Chewbanta
- ↑ Mostek 3870 (MK3870) microcontroller family from CPU world
- ↑ Fairchild F8 (3850) microcontroller family from CPU world
- ↑ Fairchild F8 datasheet and application note, data sheet, circuit, pdf, cross reference | Datasheet Archive
- ↑ David Edwards (1976). The Mostek F8. Electronics Australia, December, 1976, pdf
- ↑ Novag Micro Chess (pdf) by Hein Veldhuis
- ↑ Kevin O’Connell (1981). MicroChess - Paris Tournament. Personal Computer World, August 1981
- ↑ Publication Archive from Chess Computer UK by Mike Watters
- ↑ Novag Micro Chess (pdf) by Hein Veldhuis