Mephisto Munchen Vancouver London

Vancouver modules for the Mephisto boards date from 1991. Here the 16-bit version is in a Munchen tournament sized chessboard (50 x 50 cm) and includes the 1996 London program update. In this configuration the chess computer’s Elo rating is 2127 according to Selective Search and 2182 for Active Chess (Schachcomputer.info).The processor runs at 12 MHz, there is 128 KB of program ROM, 512 KB RAM, and a 180,000 ply opening book.

The chess computer for sale is fully working and in good condition. There are no lightspots and only minor signs of use including a small scratch between the d and e files. It comes with the original set of chesspieces, manual and HGN 5004A adaptor (Euro type).


Price - £400        SOLD
 

Mephisto Exclusive Polgar

Ed Schroeder’s Polgar program must be one of the most successful for the Mephisto range of boards. It is strong, with a Elo rating of 1963 (Selective Search), is full of useful features and drives an informative 32 digit LCD display. It is excellent for club players seeking to improve their game. You can set the approximate Elo strength you want to play against from 1200-2000. It can calculate your Elo level based on results. It will display the opening variation being played and there are clever analysis functions too.

For sale are the 5MHz Polgar modules in an autosensory Exclusive board. Included is the original packaging, copy manual in English and HGN 5001 adaptor all as shown in the photos. It is fully working and in very good condition throughout.

Price - £300       SOLD
 

SciSys Leonardo
and optional Maestro A 6MHz module

You can read all about the Leonardo and the Maestro module in my SciSys section (here).

This Leonardo is in good condition, fully working with feint lightspots. It comes with the chesspieces shown and copy English manuals. It works from the supplied HGN 5001/5009 adaptor (Euro plug) or 4 ‘C’ batteries (not supplied).

The Maestro module is an A 6MHz example(program A29B, 6 MHz quartz) and includes the KSO openings chip which contains 36,000 half moves. See photos below.

Leonardo Price (without Maestro) = £125

Maestro module Price = £150

Leonardo + Maestro = £250     SOLD
 

Splice Byte XD-300

The Splice Byte is a very rare Brazilian chess computer, a clone of the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 (CC7). Probably the only chess computer model ever to be manufactured in Brazil. They were made in 1982 and included a copy of the Ron Nelson CC7 program. The oo-oo display (bottom photo) revealing its origins.

This one is in original condition, fully working  with some signs of wear as shown in the photos. It comes with the box, original chesspieces and piece box, original manuals (in Portugese, a CC7 manual in English can be provided), and with a suitable adaptor (Euro plug).

Price - £125      SOLD
 

SciSys Chess Partner 6000

The Chess Partner 6000 is surprisingly rare. Until 2008 there were no examples in collections published on the internet, nor to my knowledge had anyone in the chess computer community actually seen one. You can read more about it in an article by chess computer historian Hein Veldhuis (link).

Like the other SciSys Chess Partners, the Chess Partner 6000 is a simple machine of very limited strength and features intended for the mass market. It boasts only four levels of play and a press sensory board. In common with several other SciSys models it uses a Hitachi HD44801 4 bit singlechip running at 0.4 MHz with 2KB of program ROM and 64 bytes of RAM and Mark Taylor’s (+David Levy) 4 bit chess program.

The Chess Partner 6000 for sale is in good fully working condition. It comes with the box, chess pieces and copy manual and uses 3 x AA batteries (not included).

Price - £30       SOLD
 

Applied Concepts Great Game Machine
and optional Gruenfeld and Capablanca modules

You can read about the Great Game Machine here (link).

The chess computer for sale is fully working and in good condition, with only minor signs of use. However it does have a feint display which will not suit everyone, hence the low asking price. It comes with the Morphy module, chesspieces, adaptor (Euro type) and a Morphy Encore manual.

The GGM can be purchased with (or without) Gruenfeld and Capablanca opening and endgame modules to complete the “Master Series” trio. The modules are fully working and come with copy manuals.


GGM with both modules  Price - £125    SOLD
 

Fidelity Avanti   (model 6137)

The Avanti was the last Fidelity badged model to be produced. Made in 1992 in the  Hegener & Glaser factory in Hong Kong it has a press sensory board and a Ron Nelson program. It is essentially the same machine as the Mephisto Avanti and a very close relative of the Fidelity Chess Mate (1178 Elo at Active Chess) and Mephisto Alaska.

The Fidelity Avanti for sale is fully working and in very good condition. It comes with the box, chesspieces and manual, all as shown. It works from four AAA batteries (not supplied).

Price - £20   
 

Excalibur Einstein LCD Chess Wizard

For information on  this tiny chess computer you cannot do better than  read Nick Milichev’s webpage (link).

The Einstein for sale is in full working order and very good condition. It comes with the manual and the necessary batteries inside.

Price - £10    SOLD
 

Applied Concepts Gruenfeld S openings module

The Gruenfeld S module is a significant improvement on the original Gruenfeld openings module for the Great Game Machine and Modular Game System. In 12KB ROM it contains 12,500 half moves including transpositions (6,000 original Gruenfeld). There are 600 variants of 40 opening systems up to 48 half moves in depth (average 22 ply).

The Gruenfeld S for sale is in full working order. It comes with the box, keypad overlay, copy manual and additional information shown.

Price - £75      SOLD
 

Mephisto HG170 module

This is an openings module for the Mephisto Modular and early Exclusive boards (those which can work from batteries). It is for use in conjunction with the MMI program module and therefore harks back to the earliest days of chess computer expansion modules. Outside Germany these modules seem to be few and far between, hence the asking price.

The HG170 contains 1000 main and minor opening variations and is tested as working on the basis of the slower speed of response (2 seconds) as per the manual. The red dot helps show where the module fits into the underside of a Modular board.

The HG170 for sale is in good working order and good condition. It comes with the copy manual (in German).

Price - £60       SOLD
 

SciSys Concord Metal Chesspieces

The SciSys Concord was unique in being sold with well made die-cast metal chesspieces presented in a plastic case. Pieces in effect weighted with felts. An extraordinary addition to a plastic chess computer !

The black pieces don’t retain their black paint very well but no Concord owner should be without a set.

Price - £20       SOLD