PDP8 - Presentation #3

Part 3 of a series using the PDP8 - this time playing chess. Chess - in 4k of core!!!

• Category

  Science & Technology

[tnmoc]

It's a correct game, in that it doesn't ever make illegal moves. I suspect it isn't a very good game, although it can beat me. Just to confirm this is running in 4k x 12 bit words - no use of extra memory, overlays, tapes or anything.

[S Silverstein]

Thanks. This is not the program written in my high school.

A picture of the PDP-8/S at George Washington High School, Philadelphia, PA< that lasted from 1969 until about 1976 is at tinyurl (DOT) com/gwhs-pdp8s

[illkitty]

I found a page, that even links to this video, that helps answer your question. The page is at: chessprogramming (DOT) wikispaces (DOT) com/CHEKMO-II

However, I believe that his son, who shares the same first & last name is the one who made the program in this video. I can look into it more if you'd like.

[S Silverstein]

Did the chess program come from DECUS (the Digital Equip. Corp. User's Society, by any chance? Your chess pgm. could be the one from my high school!

[S Silverstein]

Photo is at tinyurl DOT com/953c62k

[S Silverstein]

Fantastic...

Several students at George Washington High School in Philadelphia, PA, USA also wrote a chess program on a 4K PDP-8/S we had, ca. 1972 or so, via the PAL III assembler. It worked similarly.

[laurdy]

@gomemdesoto number of players: zero

[K7AGE]

Love it, noise and blinking lights. Good work.

[bitrex]

I love how every register lamp illuminates as it goes through the move decision tree.

[Desmaad]

Ah teletext! My dad tells me every now and then that while he was learning to program, he could tell who was playing Star Trek by whether or not they had paper pouring out of their terminals.