Cyber Chess from 4th Dimension or similar?

[tarcus69]

Hello all, I am trying to learn chess but using Retro computers to teach me (I am aware there are better ways to learn), at the moment I'm being trounced by a Sinclair Spectrum using the ROM version of Chess, currently it takes the computer on its easiest level about 30 minutes to beat me, up from 20 minutes, so I'm improving..

I'd like to extend my humiliation to my newly-recommissioned A3000 so would like a nice clean desktop and hard disc friendly Chess programme to run on it, Cyber Chess from 4thD looks nice and clean but unavailable even as an ADF and I suspect won't install on hard disc, can anyone confirm whether it's hard disc friendly or not, and if so, if it's obtainable as an ADF from anywhere?

Alternatively, any good suggestions on a desktop-friendly hard-disc-friendly chess programme would be great. How well it plays isn't too important right now!

[davidb]

I think Cyber Chess is protected, so someone will need to have made a deprotected version before creating an ADF. I have been unable to run the floppy version supplied as an Acorn User subscription reward under any emulator.

Maybe give Battle Chess a try?

[tarcus69]

I particularly wanted Cyber Chess because it ran as a desktop app and had a nice clean interface, however 4d titles tend to not be very hard-disc friendly so I wasn't expecting it to be a straight install. I think it was going to be part of JASPP at first but got dropped, presumably because I think all 4d titles have been denied?

Battlechess isn't something I want, I had it on the Amiga, fun to watch the animations but that was it.

I did look up what happened to the author of Cyber Chess, William Turnstall-Pedoe, it turns out he's one of the driving forces behind Amazon's Alexa amongst other things!

I'll keep looking for a chess programme, maybe by the time I find it I'll have moved from being beating in 30 mins by a Sinclair Spectrum to being beaten in an hour or so.

[davidb]

I noticed after I'd replied that you wanted a desktop application.

David Pilling released a version of Chess, I think, though it's not available on his site. You could ask him about it, perhaps.

You could also try running one of the 8-bit chess programs in a BBC Micro emulator, assuming that one of them will run in a window.

[tarcus69]

Yes I have a note about David Pilling Chess somewhere, I'll prod him at some point.

As for 8-bit chess, I've just bought a BBC Master back to life so I'll be running BBC chess on a real BBC at some point, I've got a temporary display for it at the moment, just need to figure out something better and maybe find a better keyboard for it, but the keys are freeing up so probably just need some use.

[tarcus69]

I did get a reply from David Pilling and a copy of his Chess programme but it was 32-bits so won't run on my A3000 and also it was the demo version only so only works player-to-player. Otherwise it's exactly what I want (I ran it on a Risc PC emulator) so I'll contact him again and see if he has a 26-bit version and a full one that I can obtain somehow.

[davidb]

Meanwhile, it seems that the Qube Server has Micro Power's 3D Chess in its archive. I saw a brief mention of that application somewhere which was not complimentary, however.

[tarcus69]

No I didn't like the look of that one at all, I'm hoping David Pilling comes up trumps.

[tarcus69]

Yessss.. David Pilling has come up trumps so I now have his very nice looking chess programme, I've asked him if I'm allowed to pass it on, I assume not as otherwise it would be on his website.

[iamaran]

Battlechess isn't something I want, I had it on the Amiga, fun to watch the animations but that was it.

A bit late now, but Battlechess does have a 2D mode without the battles.

[tarcus69]

Thanks but I wanted a desktop one. David Pillings' Chess is great, and he said I could pass it on so I'll attach it here.

[IanJeffray]

CyberChess floppy in this lot on eBay now : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164481820976

[Arcadian]

I've dug out a couple of original Cyber Chess floppies...

Tried dumping them to .adf / .4d format using Omniflop on a PC, but they both fail on 99%, resulting in a 795k image instead of 800k - hence I suspect there's some copy protection on the last track.

I'll try and test hard disc installation when I can, but if it does allow it, I suspect it might treat the floppy as a key disc.

[tarcus69]

Yes I believe that they do use the floppy as a "key" to a hard disc install, that's what 4d games did. Cyberchess appeared on the JASP list some time ago but I think all 4d games were removed presumably due to someone trying to make money out of surviving IP. I'm going on memory here though and that's not as good as it used to be, then again how would I know that?

Anyhow, I have David Pillings's chess now and it's very good, he also said I could pass it on so it's included on a post above.

[Arcadian]

I don't mind posting you one of my original discs (I don't need two).

PM me your address if you want one of them.

Edit: Just realised you don't have 25 posts, but I've enabled your PM permissions anyway.

[tarcus69]

Thanks very much for the offer however I wouldn't use it now I have Pillings's chess as it fulfils my need, now there's a topic covering it, hopefully someone who really wants 4d Chess might turn up and you can decide if you want to pass it on to them.

[Arcadian]

K no prob glad you've found a solution, nice of David to make the game available.

[sirbod]

Tried dumping them to .adf / .4d format using Omniflop on a PC, but they both fail on 99%, resulting in a 795k image instead of 800k - hence I suspect there's some copy protection on the last track.

There is indeed protection on track 159:

Code: Select all

Cyber Chess
	Reads: 4    from &BCD (&BCD00) - 159.0 (8, 19, 2, 2, &BE000)
	Reads: &400 from &BCD (&BCD00) - 159.0 (8, 19, 2, 2, &BE000)

Cyberchess appeared on the JASP list some time ago but I think all 4d games were removed presumably due to someone trying to make money out of surviving IP.

The Fourth Dimension titles have never been released via JASPP as David Holden and subsequently David Bradforth have both turned down my offer to release them. David Bradforth informed me that he would be making all their software available via the APDL website, but that was many years ago. I do have all their software archived, manuals PDF'd etc and all working on RISC OS 5 should David ever change his mind.

[tarcus69]

The Fourth Dimension titles have never been released via JASPP as David Holden and subsequently David Bradforth have both turned down my offer to release them. David Bradforth informed me that he would be making all their software available via the APDL website, but that was many years ago. I do have all their software archived, manuals PDF'd etc and all working on RISC OS 5 should David ever change his mind.

Yes I think I saw them on the "in progress" list for JASPP some time ago but no longer, this would explain what happened. Hopefully it'll be made available directly at some point ideally without the copy protection.

Also I think my earlier upload of David Pillings's chess wasn't in a good format as I re-zipped it after unzipping it on a non-acorn platform, I've re-attached a direct copy of the one he made available on his website. The link he made it on was;

http://www.davidpilling.com/primroses/chess.zip

The above link was still live yesterday when I re-downloaded it.

[Arcadian]

Here's an ADF file of David Pilling Chess, that I've had lying around for a while ...

[Qjimbo]

Such a weird coincidence, I just posted about !Chess over at the JASPP forums! I was reminded of it from the recent Netflix chess show, maybe the same story here? haha. I had a feeling it was PD but didn't know it was David Pilling, it makes sense though as I have some other disks with David Pilling stuff.

If anyone is interested, I did get it working with !ADFFS on the Raspberry Pi by modifying the !Run file.
https://forums.jaspp.org.uk/forum/viewt ... ?f=7&t=519

I will also check out !ChessII !