A travel-chess computer is good to use in spare time that one would prefer to occupy by polishing one’s play. Of all the chess machines available, only the those equipped with touch-screens offer real ease of use — a device with peg-pieces will work, but it is cumbersome when compared with the latest LCD¹ touch-screen units. Travel-chess computers are divided into two main types:

1. Dedicated chess computers.
2. Pocket computers, such as a PDA² running the Palm OS³ or a variety of Microsoft Windows, that will execute third-party game software.

Dedicated Chess Computers

Of the many chess computers available to the chess enthusiast, two devices worth noting are produced by Saitek and Novag.

Mephisto Cosmic Chess Computer

Saitek’s Mephisto touch-screen travel-chess computer is a handy machine of solid make, priced in the middle of the range. Its strength of play is broadly adjustable to suit most players. Screen display is readable though the chess icons for pieces and men require some familiarization. Input of moves is done with a stylus; adjustment of machine parameters is done via seven buttons. Power is provided by three AAA batteries. A couple of disadvantages of this model are its lack of a back-light and its inability to save move-lists to an external computer. Lack of screen lighting restricts this machine to places with good ambient illumination.

Star Sapphire

Priced at the high end of travel-chess computers, this solid unit from Novag is operated entirely via touch inputs to the screen with its stylus. It is a powerful chess engine having functions similar to the Saitek unit. It draws power from three AAA batteries.

Unlike the Saitek Mephisto, the Novag Star Sapphire has ability to store up to sixty-four games; it can transmit these games to a computer through the serial cable included with the unit. Best of all, this computer has a back-light, though the driver circuits produce a high-pitch buzz that is faintly audible in quiet environments.

Sad to say, display of the chess icons is less legible than on the Saitek model; it takes some time to get used to the odd-shaped symbols. Legibility is best when the unit is held flat, viewed from an angle of forty-five degrees.

Another problem is the user manual that lacks clarity. For example: there is no explanation of the settings needed at the computer to extract the move-list; and instructions for erasing memory locations are vague.

Pocket Computers

Availability of chess software for palm-top computers now makes a wide range of machines available for travel-chess.

Chess Tiger will work on any pocket computer that runs the Palm OS version 3.x or later, including these PDAs:

• Handera
• Handspring
• IBM
• Kyocera
• Palm
• Palm One
• Samsung
• Sony
• Symbol
• Tapwave
• TRG

Refer to the Chess Tiger web-site for specific compatibility.

Pocket Fritz will run on any computer designed to work with the pocket versions of the Microsoft Windows OS.

As an example, Chess Tiger is very easy to use on an old Palm III. Move-list saving and transfer to a PC⁴ is easy, as is copying and pasting the list into a chess database application such as Fritz, Chessbase, or Chess Assistant. Most useful are the inexpensive, used machines that become available as people transition to newer models.

One problem I encountered running Chess Tiger v15 on a Palm III with Palm OS v3.0 was the fatal error produced when trying to load a saved game. I eliminated this problem by installing Palm OS v3.3, which I downloaded from support area of the Palm One web-site.

Another advantage of the PDA is that you can play correspondence chess in conjunction with the text message features of your mobile telephone, or with email. One day, no doubt, chess software will be integrated into a combined PDA and telephone.

Ultimate benefit of travel-chess on a PDA is that, in public, you can appear to be fiercely busy with important work when in actual fact you are trying to crush your opponent in a life and death struggle across the checkered field of battle.