Collector's Corner..On Collecting Dedicated Chess Computers

[Steve B]

It being the holiday season.....i renew my years long offer to purchase the following 4 very rare chess computers:

1)Fidelity EAG V8(not sure if it was ever really released..i know of no owners)
2)Fidelity EAG V10(original computer..no upgrades please)
3)Peri Alpha(same here..not clear if it was ever really released)
4)CLJ L'EMPEROUR(This was released..i once owned one but i traded it away for something else and i will regret it to the day i die)

i have been searching for these computers ever since i started collecting them(1977)
i have offered $5,000 for each of them in the past with never any takers

As i am only getting older and the time clock of my life is nearing midnight...
i up my offer to...


Name Your Price Regards
Steve

[fourthirty]

Good luck Steve. I hope you are able to complete your desired collection.

Steve B and the Quest for the Holy Peri Regards,
Greg

[Bryan Whitby]

Can't see the Omicron Bogol on your list Steve.

Don't tell me that you have one!!!

The Scarlet Pimpernel of Chess Computers Regards
Bryan

[Steve B]

Can't see the Omicron Bogol on your list Steve.

Don't tell me that you have one!!!

Ahhh .. the infamous Bogol with the black square in the lower right corner ..Nope dont have it Sir Bryan
also not searching for the Boris Handroid...i think the one known owner donated it to some museum
im pretty sure both of these were only released as prototypes

the ones on my list either were definitely released for sale OR i have seen ads and brochures for them

Reversed Logic Regards
Steve

[Mike Watters]

Hi Steve and Bryan

Well Steve if it was an ad and brochure that was needed how about these for the Boris Handroid?
4200DM for a Handroid, it says.









Of course those were the days when a brochure, price and an article in the magazines was no guarantee that a machine had even been completed yet.
Yet alone they were rolling off a production line. So prototype or one-off is probably fair.

All the best
Mike

[Steve B]

Good stuff Mike

i could add the Handroid to my search list (and never ending pleas here to buy one)
but that will only increase my disappointment each year when no one replies to my offer

As a fan of the rock group the Rolling Stones i am not ashamed to admit that at this point i ....

Aint To Proud To Beg Regards
Steve

[Bryan Whitby]

Your completly right Mike.

Didn't this artist impression appear in a Excalibur brochure but Ron Nelson said that although a robotic prototype of the Grandmaster had been produced and rejected due to it's manufacturing costs, this image wasn't of the prototype that had been built?



Seeing Is Believing Regards

Bryan

[Bryan Whitby]

The HANDroid robot photo actually makes it look like a very small machine which obviously it wasn't. (Maybe it's just my 70+ eyes seeing that)

Another quite rare computer which no one ever talks about is the Krypton Comet. There has always been hundreds or thousands of other Krypton/Systema computers for sale out there but never a Comet.

Shooting Through the Sky Regards
Bryan

[Steve B]

The HANDroid robot photo actually makes it look like a very small machine which obviously it wasn't. (Maybe it's just my 70+ eyes seeing that)

This will give you an idea of the size of the HANDdroid


Boris Handroid Robot- Prototype

Quite A HANDfull Regards
Steve

[Steve B]

This certainly is an oddity

a Conchess Amsterdam T module running at 20 Mhz

i own 3 T modules:
1984-5.5 Mhz
1985-6Mhz
1985-8 Mhz

im pretty sure these were the only Tmodules released for sale
this one is running at 20..so its most probably overclocked and modified

Still..to see any T module is very rare indeed

https://www.ebay.com/itm/196126783571?h ... R5yemLaMYw



Rare Bird Sighting Regards
Steve

[paulwise3]

The HANDroid robot photo actually makes it look like a very small machine which obviously it wasn't. (Maybe it's just my 70+ eyes seeing that)

Another quite rare computer which no one ever talks about is the Krypton Comet. There has always been hundreds or thousands of other Krypton/Systema computers for sale out there but never a Comet.

Shooting Through the Sky Regards
Bryan

Hi Bryan,

There was a time I thought I had one, but in the end it turned out to be the CXG Sphinx Comet, which plays a lot weaker, but still a nice one with the 4 kb program of Kaare Danielson. In the meantime I have gotten 2 Krypton Comets, both in good state. But I never play with them because I have about 4 different tabletops with the same program and rather play with them.

So if someone is interested... send me a PM
EDIT: I entered it also on the German forum, see https://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/i ... pton_Comet

Regards, Paul.

[Bryan Whitby]

Hi Paul

I imagine that the Comet production run wasn't very big compared to the Horizon and most are with collectors or have been thrown away. Good to see that you own two of them.

What an amazing result for the Steinitz Encore 20 MHz. It beat some impressive opposition

All the best for 2024
Bryan

[paulwise3]

Hi Bryan,

Yes, it was a great tournament and the Steinitz Encore 20 MHz did well.
I just re-read that tournament thread, and noted that Jürgen and I had plans for a next Below 1925 tournament. But that did not happen, I lacked time to organize it. Maybe I should check if there is still interest for it

Regards, Paul

[Steve B]

It being the holiday season.....i renew my years long offer to purchase the following 4 very rare chess computers:

1)Fidelity EAG V8(not sure if it was ever really released..i know of no owners)
2)Fidelity EAG V10(original computer..no upgrades please)
3)Peri Alpha(same here..not clear if it was ever really released)
4)CLJ L'Empereur(This was released..i once owned one but i traded it away for something else and i will regret it to the day i die)

i have been searching for these computers ever since i started collecting them(1977)
i have offered $5,000 for each of them in the past with never any takers

As i am only getting older and the time clock of my life is nearing midnight...
i up my offer to...


Name Your Price Regards
Steve

Well i finally acquired one of the rare birds on my bucket list

L'Empereur....

Clj l'Empereur
1 Down And 3 To Go Regards
Steve

[Steve B]

Hi Steve,

Congratulations ! Patience pays up !

Does your L'Empereur work perfectly fine, or do you have some Reed issues on a few squares ?

Imperial regards,

Laurent

Thank you for the congrats Laurent

thats a very good question...
all reed squares work perfectly and i have played several complete games...
BUT...
i do notice it takes a bit of adjusting with every piece and on every move for the computer to recognize the move
its a bit annoying but it does eventually recognize the move

Another quirk is the box mentions that there are 3000 selectable openings but the instructions make no mention of this feature
not sure if it was ever implemented

all in all its an elegant ,wooden ,auto-sensory chess computer and my regret at having traded away the one i owned years ago can now be put to rest


Do you also own L'Empereur?

Vive La France Regards
Steve