Colossus Chess

Colossus Chess
Colossus Chess
Colossuschessbox2.jpg
Developer(s) Martin Bryant
Publisher(s) CDS Micro Systems
English Software
Platform(s) Acorn Electron,[1] Amiga,[2] Amstrad CPC,[3] Amstrad PCW,[4] Apple II,[4] Atari 8-bit family,[5] Atari ST,[6] BBC Micro,[7] Commodore 64,[8][9] Commodore Plus/4,[10][11] Enterprise 64 & 128,[12] IBM PC,[13] MSX,[14] ZX Spectrum[15][16]
Release date(s) 1984–1990 (Colossus Chess)
2006–2008 (Colossus Chess UCI)
Genre(s) Chess

Colossus Chess is a series of chess-playing computer programs developed by Martin Bryant, commercially available for various home computers in the 1980s.

Contents

Colossus Chess

Colossus Chess 4.0 on Commodore 64
Colossus Chess 4.0 on Commodore 64 (3D chessboard)

Bryant started Colossus Chess in 1983, using his White Knight Mk 11 program,[4] winner of the 1983 European Microcomputer Chess Championship,[17] as a basis. It was developed on an Apple II, but was first commercially released for Commodore 64 as Colossus Chess 2.0 (CDS Micro Systems, 1984). A number of releases for 8-bit microcomputers followed. Version 3.0 was released in 1984 for the Atari 8-bit family of computers (published by English Software), followed by 4.0 in 1985 which was released on most formats of the day (published by CDS).

Colossus Chess featured time-controlled play with game clocks, an opening book with 3,000 positions, and problem-solving mode that could solve normal mates, selfmates and helpmates.[18] Pondering on opponent's time and a three-dimensional chessboard were introduced in Colossus Chess 4.0. All releases were written in the assembly language of the appropriate CPU;[4] the ZX Spectrum version could examine an average of 170 positions per second.[18]

Uncommon for microcomputer chess programs of the era, Colossus had a full implementation of the rules of chess, including underpromotion, the fifty-move rule, draw by repetition, and draw by insufficient material.[18] Colossus was also able to execute all the basic checkmates, including the difficult bishop and knight checkmate.[18]

Colossus Chess X

Colossus Chess X on PC

The program was subsequently ported to Atari ST (1988), Amiga (1989) and IBM PC (1990) under the title Colossus Chess X. The new releases featured four chess sets[19] and enhanced graphics developed with the assistance of Gary Thomlinson and Carl Cropley.[4] The opening book was extended to 11,000 positions, and the program had the ability to learn from past playing experiences.[19]

UCI version

No work was done on Colossus Chess from 1991 to 2005, when Martin Bryant created a completely new and freely available Windows version conforming to the Universal Chess Interface.[20] It was written in C#, then converted to C for speed, and was finally publicly released in 2006.[20] As of January 2009, the latest version is 2008b.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Colossus 4.0 for Acorn Electron - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/28722. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  2. ^ "Colossus Chess X for Commodore Amiga - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/37884. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  3. ^ "Collosus 4 Chess by CDS for the Amstrad CPC". www.cpczone.net. http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=2320. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 
  4. ^ a b c d e Bryant, Martin. "Colossus Chess". http://www.colossus.demon.co.uk/chess/colossuschess.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  5. ^ "Atarimania - Atari 400, 800, XL, XE - Colossus Chess 3.0". www.atarimania.com. http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU=8&VERSION_ID=1135. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 
  6. ^ Higham,Mark;(Dec 1988);Battlechess vs Colossus Chess X in ST Amiga FormatIssue 6;pp. 66
  7. ^ "Colossus 4.0 - Chess for Acorn BBC Micro - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/27117. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  8. ^ "Colossus Chess 2.0". www.lemon64.com. http://www.lemon64.com/?game_id=3030. Retrieved 2008-07-07. 
  9. ^ "Colossus Chess 4.0". www.lemon64.com. http://www.lemon64.com/?game_id=518. Retrieved 2008-07-07. 
  10. ^ "Colossuss Chess +4 - Software Details - Plus/4 World". plus4.emucamp.com. http://plus4.emucamp.com/software/Colossuss_Chess_Plus4. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 
  11. ^ "Colossus 4 Chess for Commodore C16, C116 & Plus-4 - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/41031. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  12. ^ "Colossus Chess 4 for Enterprise 64 & 128 - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/60367. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  13. ^ Ponting,Tim;(Sep 1990);Colossus Chess X review in Zero 11;pp60-61
  14. ^ "Colossus 4 Chess (1986, CDS Micro Systems)". www.generation-msx.nl. http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/2722. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 
  15. ^ "Colossus 4 Chess". www.worldofspectrum.org. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0001018. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 
  16. ^ "Colossus 4 Chess for Sinclair ZX Spectrum - X Game Database". www.xgd.com. http://www.xgd.com/id/69248. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  17. ^ Bryant, Martin. "White Knight". http://www.colossus.demon.co.uk/chess/whiteknight.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  18. ^ a b c d Colossus Chess 4 for Sinclair ZX Spectrum. CDS Software. http://secarica.ro/colossus.html. Retrieved 2008-06-02.  (product manual)
  19. ^ a b "More from Artworx". ST-Log (35): pp. 11. August 1989. http://www.atarimagazines.com/st-log/issue35/11_3_ST_NEWS_MORE_FROM_ARTWORX.php. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
  20. ^ a b c Bryant, Martin. "Colossus Chess UCI". http://www.colossus.demon.co.uk/chess/colossuschessuci.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 

External links

v · d · eCDS Micro Systems
Original Games
Gobble a Ghost  • Catterpillar  • Leapfrog  • Othello/Reversi  • 3D Painter  • Bozy Boa  • French is Fun  • German is Fun  • Pool  • Magic Meanies  • Winged Warlords  • Colossus Chess 2.0  • Timebomb  • Birdie Barrage  • Italian is Fun  • Spanish is Fun  • Steve Davis Snooker  • The Ice King  • Colossus Chess 4  • Colossus Bridge 4  • Colossus Mah Jong  • Brian Clough's Football Fortunes  • The Complete Home Entertainment Centre  • TankAttack  • Casino Roulette  • Colossus Chess X  • Sporting Triangles  • European Superleague  • The Sun Crosswords  • Colossus Bridge X  • Leeds United
Re-release Games
Spectrum Safari  • Castle Blackstar  • Football Director  • Blitzkrieg at the Ardennes  • Centrefold Squares  • Deluxe Strip Poker  • Daily Double Horse Racing  • Fire Power  • Dr Plummet's House of Flux  • White Death: Battle for Velikiye Luki, November 1942  • Multi-Player Soccer Manager  • Football Director II  • Rugby Coach  • Deluxe Strip Poker 2
Platforms
Acorn Electron  • Amiga  • Amstrad CPC  • Atari 8-bit  • Atari ST  • BBC Micro  • Commodore 16  • Commodore 64  • Commodore Plus/4  • Dragon 32/64  • MSX  • ZX Spectrum

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Colossus (Begriffsklärung) — Colossus bezeichnet: Colossus, frühe Computer in England während des 2. Weltkriegs Colossus (Film), Science Fiction Thriller Colossus (Netzpython), ein Netzpython im Zoo von Pittsburgh Colossus Chess, Computer Schachprogramm HMS Colossus, mehrere …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Colossus — The original meaning of the word colossus is an exceptionally large statue. Colossus may refer to: Contents 1 Statues 2 Media 3 Computing …   Wikipedia

  • Chess engine — A chess engine is a computer program that can play the game of chess. Contents 1 Interface 2 Protocols 3 Increasing strength 4 Comparisons …   Wikipedia

  • Index of chess articles — Contents 1 Books 2 General articles 2.1 0–9 2.2 A …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Colossus — Part of World War II Men from No.2 Commando (No. 11 Special Air Service Battalion) who participated in Operation Colossus …   Wikipedia

  • The Biggest Thing Since Colossus — Infobox Album Name = The Biggest Thing Since Colossus Type = Studio album Longtype = Artist = Otis Spann Released = 1969 Recorded = January 9, 1969 Genre = Blues Length = Label = Blue Horizon Producer = Mike Vernon Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5… …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Chess — was a British Commando raid during the Second World War. It was carried out by 17 men of No. 12 Commando commanded by a Second Lieutenant Pinckney over the night of 27/28 July 1941. The target for the raid was Ambleteuse, Pas de Calais, France.… …   Wikipedia

  • Martin Bryant (programmer) — Martin Bryant (born c. 1960[1]) is a British computer programmer known as the author of Colossus Chess, a 1980s commercial chess playing program, and Colossus Draughts, gold medal winner at the 2nd Computer Olympiad in 1990. Contents 1 Computer… …   Wikipedia

  • Magic Meanies — Publisher(s) CDS Micro Systems Platform(s) ZX Spectrum Release date(s) …   Wikipedia

  • List of Acorn Electron games — Following is a work in progress List of Acorn Electron games, with original publishers.compactTOC2 NOTOC #* 3D Bomb Alley (Software Invasion) * 3D Dotty (Blue Ribbon) * 3D Maze (IJK) * 3D Tankzone (Dynabyte) * 737 Flight Simulator (Salamander) *… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”