Collectors Corner.. Chafitz Chess Computers..The Early Years

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:35 am

One of the remaining unanswered questions in the history of computer chess is ..Who was the programmer for the early Chafitz dedicated chess computers?..these computers have a huge historical significance because they were amongst the very first chess computers ever released for sale

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N ... 39/detail/

we do know that the Sargon series of Chafitz computers were programmed by the Spracklens but before now it was not known who programmed the Boris,Boris Master and Boris Diplomats

in yet another in a loooooong line of Hiarcs chess forum exclusives i can report that the programmer was ..David Lindsey

i received this information from someone very close to the founders of the Chafitz company ..

Hiarcs..Awaits ...Your....Move.....Regards
Steve

Post by **Fernando** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:28 pm

Give...us...more....infor,,,abot....that guy

Fernando

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:47 pm

i have invited my source for this extremely historical and important information to come here and post ...hopefully one day he will

for now.. we must be satisfied with finally learning at least the name of the pioneer who programmed these early Maverick dedicated chess computers ..and also satisfied in the knowledge that they were not programmed by other early engine authors

Never Ending Quest For Truth and Knowledge Regards
Steve

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:07 pm

I can now name my source for the information on the early Chafitz Programmer

he is Robert Chafitz ..the son of the Founders of Chafitz, Inc.

Breaking News Regards
Steve

sonofboris · Post by **sonofboris** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:42 pm

Having grew up with Boris, the modular game systems, ARB, and the diplomat, I remember the machines quite well( As a young boy, I even modeled with Boris in magazine ads). Though my parents never played chess themselves, they always wanted their machines to be the smartest, most advanced and most challenging.

Steve B. has asked me a few questions that I have tried to get the answers for from my folks. If anyone has any specific Boris/Chafitz questions, I will do my best to find out out for you.

I enjoy reading your posts.

Robert Chafitz

Post by **Steve B** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:22 pm

sonofboris wrote:Having grew up with Boris, the modular game systems, ARB, and the diplomat, I remember the machines quite well( As a young boy, I even modeled with Boris in magazine ads). Though my parents never played chess themselves, they always wanted their machines to be the smartest, most advanced and most challenging.

Steve B. has asked me a few questions that I have tried to get the answers for from my folks. If anyone has any specific Boris/Chafitz questions, I will do my best to find out out for you.

I enjoy reading your posts.

Robert Chafitz

Welcome Robert and thank you for all of the interesting information and your help in trying to fill in the gaps for these early legends of our hobby!

Boris Is King Regards
Steve

Post by **Fernando** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:06 am

Well, Robert, we simply want to know everything.
By example:
a) who this guy was, where he came from, what is doing now, if alive?
b) how many machines were sold, what happened to the company, to your fathers, to your technicians? History of the company....
c) which is your current relation with chess, if any?
d) do you have in stores some, many or infinite machines produced by Chafitz?
e) if so, could we, if interested, purchase some? I would like to have a diplomat, for certain.
This for the time being...

Fernando
wordsmith....

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:00 am

Steve B wrote:
sonofboris wrote:Having grew up with Boris, the modular game systems, ARB, and the diplomat, I remember the machines quite well( As a young boy, I even modeled with Boris in magazine ads). Though my parents never played chess themselves, they always wanted their machines to be the smartest, most advanced and most challenging.

Steve B. has asked me a few questions that I have tried to get the answers for from my folks. If anyone has any specific Boris/Chafitz questions, I will do my best to find out out for you.

I enjoy reading your posts.

Robert Chafitz
Welcome Robert and thank you for all of the interesting information and your help in trying to fill in the gaps for these early legends of our hobby!

Boris Is King Regards
Steve

I remember the Chafitz store in Rockville, Maryland very well! They had several chess computers set up that customers could play against. In the early 1980's I used to go there regularly on Saturdays and play against the machines. I eventually bought my Champion Sensory Chess Challenger from them. I don't remember what year the store closed, but it was a sad day for me...

Mark

mclane · Post by **mclane** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:08 am

i still do not have a chafitz in my dedicated chess computer "collection".
what a pity.
i never had one. neither boris nor MGS etc.
nothing. nada.

maybe its time to get one ?

those machines were rare in germany.

nevertheless. i do believe that dedicated chess computers will get a revival.

people want to get rid of PC's and the fan-noise and want to come back to the days of "special-machines" doing chess without noise and without wasting so much energy.

soon Novag will bring out their 2robot. excalibur brought a phantom on the market. and maybe its time that they come back.
we wait.
for them.

there is no dedicated chess computer with shredder program, none with hiarcs, none with CSTAL so far.

give us back those machines.
give us back those glory years of computerchess.

Post by **Steve B** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:57 pm

mclane wrote:i still do not have a chafitz in my dedicated chess computer "collection".
what a pity.
i never had one. neither boris nor MGS etc.
nothing. nada.

maybe its time to get one ?

those machines were rare in germany.

if you must only have one Chafitz chess computer then the beautiful ARB is a MUST for any collection
the very first auto sensory board ever released for sale

it will come with a Spracklen program/module

Take The Plunge Regards
Steve

Post by **Steve B** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:19 pm

Rob has sent us some very rare photos for our viewing pleasure

this one is a photo of a FULLY WORKING 10 FOOT tall Boris exhibited at the JANUARY 1979 CES Show in Chicago.
the largest working chess computer ever made!
i can just imagine just how large the original box would be for this monster!

Steve and Arleen Chafitz are standing in front of it:

and here is a 1979 advertisement for the full range of Chafitz chess computers showing a young Robert Chafitz playing against the ARB
notice that his position is hopelessly lost and he is about to be mated by the computer in 2 moves

Boris Through The Ages Regards
Steve

mclane · Post by **mclane** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:19 pm

nice pictures.
the big wooden machine is to expensive for me. i let this to collectors

Post by **Fernando** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:20 pm

Ok, forget the programer and talk of Mrs Arleen....

Ferdinand is back

Post by **Steve B** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:39 pm

Fernando wrote:Ok, forget the programer and talk of Mrs Arleen....

actually Rob tells me it was his mom Arleen Chafitz that largely designed the first original Boris

some more info from Rob..

Quote(Rob Chafitz )....

The original Boris sold by Chafitz was manufactured for them(Steve and Arleen Chafitz) by Applied Concepts(Garland, Texas). David Lindsey(from Dallas) was hired to program this machine(it only had 2k of ram). They don't remember much more about him. Following the development of the original Boris when more advanced programs were required my parents contracted Cathy and Dan Spracklen to be their chess programmers for the Chafitz modular game system.

and a quote from Arleen...

"I remember working with David Slate and Larry Atkins as programmers from Northwestern University in Chicago. I don't remember on which program it was."

there also seems to be in existence a still working custom made Lucite Boris built especially for a Saudi Prince..that was never actually shipped to the Prince and is still owned by the family

now i would like to mention right here and now that i will not be allowing any further questions here about this Lucite Boris as i am currently engaged in intense negotiations to acquire this beauty for my own collection
as moderator here i am not above deleting or editing any posts .. or even banning for life ..anyone interfering in these delicate negotiations

Now Hands Off Regards
Steve

Post by **Mark Uniacke** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:54 pm

I really liked the original Boris design, in fact I own two very nice examples of it.

I had thought for years it was David Slate that programmed it, is that not the case after all?

Fantastic exclusive Steve, and best regards to the Chafitz family for Boris!

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Collectors Corner.. Chafitz Chess Computers..The Early Years

Collectors Corner.. Chafitz Chess Computers..The Early Years

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