Download Master Chess

BenRedic 2024-08-24 0 point

This is a budget chess game from 1986, available on tape for a number of 8-bit platforms. The design seems to be very consistent across the platforms, with only minor tweaks to color schemes. The only gripe I have with the interface is that white pieces on yellow squares can be somewhat hard to read on the C64 version, which is the one I tested.

The interface is low on features, but it is very easy to use, without requiring to know obscure key combinations to access any of them. Moves are entered in four clicks (two for from-square, two for to-square). The main display shows the board, with a sidebar showing the last moves. Enter brings up a minimal menu, and space displays captured pieces. The manual is not much, only a few lines in the inlay card of the tape. But more is not needed, since the interface is so simple and the game is so low on features.

Level is simply a matter of specifying number of seconds the computer is allowed to think per move. There is a setup function that allows you to set up the board to look at a specific problem. There is no undo function, but if you need to reset the board to an earlier position this is easily accomplished with the setup function. There is also functions for saving and loading games to tape, which I did not test.

So how is the chess? Well, it is weak. There is no opening book, and the moves rarely account for piece mobility or king safety. The computer will frequently lock its own pieces into the starting squares, or even start walking the king into the middle of the board. If you are looking for a strong chess game for the C64, this is not it. Even games like Petchess or Grandmaster, the first chess games available for the C64, are stronger than this, and games like Chessmaster, Sargon, Mychess, Cyrus, Colossus and chess 7.x will rip this one apart without breaking a sweat, while packing way more features in the process.

Low difficulty and ease of use makes this one a worthwhile chess game for beginners, but anyone looking for a challenge and/or more features should look elsewhere.

Sample game:

[Date "2024.08.24"]
[White "BenRedic"]
[Black "Master Chess C64 45sec"]
[Result "1-0"]

{This game was played at 45 seconds per move.}
1.e4 d5
{Scandinavian opening.}
2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qe5+ 4.Be2 Qd6 5.d4 Nh6 $2
{A knight on the rim is dim. The game is already showing a profound lack of basic positional understanding.}
6.Nf3 Ng4 7.h3 Nf6
{This knight has now moved three times in a row, neglecting development in the opening.}
8.O-O Be6
{This bishop blocks the e-pawn, making further development awkward.}
9.Be3 Kd7
{Moving the king into the board. This is now getting ridiculous.}
10.Qd2 Nc6
{All white pieces are developed nicely, and the king is castled. Black has the queen in an awkward position in the middle of the board, with the king tucked behind her.}
11.a3
{Taking away the only escape square the black queen has available, thus threatening to win her with 12.. Nb5 or 12.. Bf4.}
11...Nxd4
{Black seemingly notices the threat, and sacrifices the knight to give her majesty some sorely needed breathing room.}
12.Nxd4 c5 13.Nxe6 fxe6
( 13...Qxd2 {would run into } 14.Nxf8+ Rhxf8 15.Bxd2 {, and white is up two pieces.} )
14.Qc1 Nd5 15.Ne4 Qb8
{Now black has four pieces on the back rank, only two on the board, and one of them is the king! Don't play like this, kids!}
16.Nxc5+ Kd6 17.Rd1 Qc7 18.c4 b6 19.Ne4+ Ke5 20.Rxd5+
{Sacrificing the exchange to remove the defense of the f4 square, in order to play Bf4+}
20...exd5 21.Bf4+ Kxe4
{The only thing saving the black queen in this position is that the black king is more interesting prey.}
22.Qe3+ Kf5 23.Bg4+ Kg6 24.Qe6# 1-0