Hi:

For those who are interested in dedicated chess computers, here's a
10-game match between two current ones, the Mephisto Milano Pro
(actually, it's now being called the "Saitek Master Chess Computer") and
the new Novag Star Diamond.

All games were played at tournament level (40m/2h+20m/1h) with all
relevant options (opening books, extensions, learning) that the machines
offer activated (including "selective search mode" on both).

In the end, the match tied at 5-5 (+4 -4 =2), which IMHO shows that the
Star Diamond is certainly not substantially stronger than the less
expensive Mephisto, which is rated Elo 2,078 in the SSDF chart (which by
and large equals FIDE, not USCF). Dealers claim that the Star Diamond
has something like 2,200 SSDF, but I think it might be close to 2,150 or
lower, but OTOH I've always though the MMPro was underrated.

Enjoy!

[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Mephisto Milano Pro (C5)"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond (Tr.7)"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. exd6 exd6
6. Nc3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Be3 Qe7 9. Be2 O-O-O 10. O-O
Re8 11. d5 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Ne5 13. Be2 Kb8 14. Re1 h5 15. Bxb6
axb6 16. Qa4 c6 17. f4 Nd7 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. Bf1 Qxe1
20. Rxe1 Rxe1 21. Qxc6 d5 22. Na4 Bc5+ 23. Nxc5 Nxc5 24. Qxb6+
Nb7 25. c5 Rc8 26. c6 Rc7 27. cxb7 Rcc1 28. g3 Rxf1+
29. Kg2 Rfd1 30. Qa6 Rc2+ 31. Kh3 Rxb2 32. Qa8+ Kc7 33. Qc8+
Kd6 34. b8=Q+ Rxb8 35. Qxb8+ Kc6 36. Qe8+ Kc5 37. Qxf7
Kc4 38. Qc7+ Kd3 39. Qxg7 h4 40. Qg6+ Kd2 41. Kxh4 d4
42. f5 d3
1-0


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Black "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 c6 6. Nf3
Qa5 7. Nd2 dxc4 8. Bxf6 Nxf6 9. Nxc4 Qc7 10. Bd3 Be7
11. O-O O-O 12. Qc2 b6 13. Ne5 Bb7 14. Rfd1 c5 15. Nb5
Qb8 16. Rac1 Rc8 17. Qa4 a6 18. Na3 Bd6 19. f4 b5 20. Qa5
cxd4 21. exd4 Be4 22. Bxe4 Nxe4 23. Nc2 Qb7 24. Re1 Rc7
25. Ne3 Rac8 26. Rxc7 Bxc7 27. Qa3 Bb6 28. Nf3 Nf6 29. f5
e5 30. Nxe5 Bxd4 31. Nf3 Bc5 32. b4 Bb6 33. Kh1 Ne4 34. Qb2
Re8 35. Ne5 Qc8 36. h3 Qc3 37. Qxc3 Nxc3 38. Nc2 Nxa2
39. Nc6 Rxe1+ 40. Nxe1 Nc3 41. Nd3 Nd5 42. Kh2 g6 43. Kg3
gxf5 44. Kf3 Kg7 45. g3 f6 46. Nb8 a5 47. bxa5 Bxa5 48. Nc6
Bb6 49. Ke2 Kf7 50. Kf3 Ke6 51. Nb8 Nc3 52. Nc6 Ne4 53. Ncb4
Ng5+ 54. Kg2 h6 55. h4 Ne4 56. Kf3 Nd2+ 57. Ke2 Nc4 58. Nf4+
Ke5 59. Nbd5 Bg1 60. Nc7 Nd6 61. Kd3 Ne4 62. Nxb5 Nxg3
63. Ng6+ Kd5 64. Nf4+ Kc6 65. Nh3 Kxb5 66. Nxg1 Kc6 67. Ke3
Nh5 68. Ne2 Kd5 69. Nf4+ Nxf4 70. Kxf4 Ke6 71. h5 Ke7
72. Kxf5 Kf7 73. Ke4 Ke6 74. Kf4 f5 75. Kg3 Ke5 76. Kf3
f4 77. Kf2 Kf5
0-1


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.12"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nf3 h5 6. Be2
d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nd2 h4 9. Nf3 h3 10. gxh3 Ne4 11. Qd3
f5 12. a3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Rf6 14. cxd5 exd5 15. c4 Be6
16. Qc2 f4 17. cxd5 Qxd5 18. Bd3 Nd6 19. Ne1 Bxh3 20. Qc5
Qe6 21. Qh5 Rh6 22. Qd1 Re8 23. d5 Rg6+ 24. Bxg6 Qxg6+
25. Kh1 Bxf1 26. dxc6 bxc6 27. Qf3 Bc4 28. Qxc6 Qf6 29. Nc2
Qc3 30. Qg2 Qxc2 31. h3 f3 32. Qxf3 Rf8 33. Qxf8+ Kxf8
34. Bd2 Qxd2 35. Kg2 Bd5+ 36. Kg1 Ne4
0-1


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.13"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Black "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7
6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. Nc3 Qxe2+ 9. Bxe2 Be7 10. O-O
O-O 11. Rfe1 c6 12. Bf1 Bd8 13. d4 Ba5 14. Bf4 d5 15. Bd3
b5 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Ng4 18. Bd6 Rd8 19. Bc5 Be6
20. h3 Nf6 21. Be7 Re8 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Kh1 Re7 24. Re3
Rae8 25. a4 Bb6 26. Ne2 bxa4 27. Rxa4 c5 28. dxc5 Bxc5
29. Bxh7+ Kf8 30. Rg3 Rb7 31. Rg8+ Ke7 32. Rxe8+ Kxe8
33. b3 Bxf2 34. g4 Bd7 35. Rf4 Bh4 36. Nd4 Bg5 37. Rf1
Kd8 38. Bf5 Be3 39. Bxd7 Kxd7 40. Nf5 Bc5 41. Rd1 Ke6
42. Re1+ Kd7 43. Kg2 Rb6 44. Rd1 Kc6 45. h4 Rb7 46. h5
Rb8 47. Kf3 Rh8 48. c3 a5 49. h6 Rh7 50. Ke2 Bb6 51. Ne7+
Kb7 52. Rxd5 Rxh6 53. Rh5 Rxh5 54. gxh5 f5 55. h6 Bc7
56. Nxf5 Kc6 57. Kd3 Be5 58. h7 Kd5 59. c4+ Ke6 60. Ke4
Bh8 61. c5 Bf6 62. Nd4+ Kd7 63. Kd5 Kd8 64. c6 a4
1-0


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.14"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nc6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O
Bxc3 7. bxc3 Na5 8. Bb3 Nxb3 9. cxb3 O-O 10. Bg5 Bg4
11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Nh4 Re8 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. a3
d5 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. Re1 Rad8 18. Ra2 e4 19. Bxf6 gxf6
20. d4 c5 21. Rd2 c4 22. bxc4 Qxc4 23. Re3 Re7 24. Qb1
Qd5 25. Rb2 Qc6 26. Rbe2 f5 27. gxf5 gxf5 28. Rg3+ Kf8
29. Qb4 Rd5 30. f4 Rd6 31. Reg2 Rg6 32. Rxg6 fxg6 33. Rg3
Kf7 34. Kf2 Qd5 35. Rxg6 e3+ 36. Kg3 Re8 37. Rg5 e2 38. c4
Re3+ 39. Kh2 Qe4 40. Qe1 Qxf4+ 41. Rg3 Rxa3 42. d5 Rxg3
43. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 44. Kxg3 e1=Q+
0-1

[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.16"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Black "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d3 Na5 9. Nxe5 Nxb3 10. axb3
Re8 11. Nc3 Bb7 12. Ng4 b4 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Nd5 Bxd5
15. exd5 Rxe1+ 16. Qxe1 Qf8 17. Ra5 Re8 18. Be3 Bxb2 19. Rxa6
Bd4 20. Qd2 Qc5 21. h3 Qb5 22. Bxd4 Qxa6 23. Qxb4 f6
24. f4 h6 25. Kf2 d6 26. Qc4 Qc8 27. b4 Qd8 28. b5 Qe7
29. Qc3 g5 30. Qd2 gxf4 31. c4 Kf7 32. Kf3 f5 33. b6
cxb6 34. Bxb6 Qe5 35. Bf2 h5 36. Qc2 Rb8 37. Qe2 Rb2
38. Qe1 Rd2 39. Bh4 Qe3+ 40. Qxe3 fxe3 41. Kxe3 Rxg2 42. Bf2
Rh2 43. h4 Rh3+ 44. Ke2 f4 45. d4 Rc3 46. c5 Ke7 47. c6
Ra3 48. Be1 Re3+ 49. Kf1 Rd3 50. Bf2 Ra3 51. Kg2 Rb3
52. Be1 Kd8 53. Kf2 Rb5 54. Kf3 Rxd5 55. Ke4 Rb5 56. d5
Kc7 57. Bd2 f3 58. Be3 Ra5 59. Bf2 Ra2 60. Ke3 Re2+ 61. Kxf3
Rd2 62. Ba7 Rxd5 63. Ke4 Rb5 64. Kf4 Kxc6
0-1


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.10.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. Nf3 Qa5+ 5. Nbd2 e6
6. O-O Nbd7 7. Re1 Bd6 8. e4 Nxe4 9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Rxe4
O-O 11. Bf4 Bxf4 12. Rxf4 Qb4 13. b3 Qc3 14. Re4 Nf6
15. Re3 Qb2 16. c4 Rd8 17. Rd3 Ne4 18. Qe1 Nd6 19. Rd2
Qa3 20. Ne5 f6 21. Rad1 Nf5 22. Nf3 Bd7 23. Qe2 Re8 24. Re1
Rad8 25. Kh1 Kh8 26. Red1 Re7 27. Qe4 Be8 28. Qg4 Bg6
29. h3 Red7 30. Qf4 Qa5 31. g4 e5 32. dxe5 fxe5 33. Rxd7
Rxd7 34. Rxd7 exf4 35. b4 Be8 36. bxa5 Bxd7 37. Ne5 f3
38. Bf1 Bc8 39. gxf5 Bxf5 40. a6 b6 41. Nxc6 Bc8 42. c5
bxc5 43. Nxa7
1-0


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "unbekannt"]
[Date "2003.10.28"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Black "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Qb3
Bg7 7. cxd5 O-O 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. Bf3 Nb6 10. Bg5 Bf5 11. Rd1
Rc8 12. Nge2 Re8 13. Bf4 Bg4 14. Bxg4 Nxg4 15. O-O Nf6
16. Qa3 Nfxd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Qxa7 Nxf4 19. Nxf4 Qd6
20. Nd3 b6 21. Qa4 Bxd4 22. Ne1 e5 23. Nf3 Ra8 24. Qb3
Qe6 25. Nxd4 exd4 26. Rxd4 Rxa2 27. Qxe6 Rxe6 28. Rd2
Re5 29. f4 Rb5 30. Rb1 f6 31. Kf2 g5 32. fxg5 fxg5 33. Ke3
h5 34. Kd4 Ra4+ 35. Kc3 Rc5+ 36. Kb3 Rh4 37. h3 Rb5+
38. Kc3 Rc5+ 39. Kb3 Rb5+ 40. Kc3 Rc5+ 41. Kb3
1/2-1/2


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.11.02"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6
6. Bc4 Nd7 7. c3 e5 8. Qe2 Qe7 9. Be3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Qxe2+
11. Bxe2 c5 12. Be3 h5 13. O-O-O h4 14. Nf1 O-O-O 15. h3
Ngf6 16. Nf3 Ne4 17. N1d2 Be7 18. Bb5 Rh5 19. Nxe4 Bxe4
20. Rhe1 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Nb6 22. Rxd8+ Kxd8 23. Rd1+ Kc7
24. Bf4+ Kc8 25. Re1 Bd8 26. Bd3 c4 27. Bc2 Ra5 28. Kb1
Kd7 29. Be4 Nd5 30. Be5 g6 31. Rd1 Ke6 32. Bd4 b6 33. Re1
Kd6 34. Be3 Bf6 35. a3 Rb5 36. Rd1 Ke5 37. Kc2 Ke6 38. Bc1
Ra5 39. Re1 Kd6 40. Bd2 Rb5 41. Rg1 Rc5 42. Be3 Ra5 43. Rd1
Ke6 44. Re1 Kd7 45. Rh1 Rb5 46. Rc1 Ke6 47. Rg1 Ra5 48. Rh1
Ne7 49. Re1 Be5 50. Bg5 Bxc3 51. bxc3 Rxg5 52. Bxg6+ Kf6
53. Be4 Rg2 54. Rd1 Rxf2+ 55. Kc1 Ke6 56. Rd2 Rxd2 57. Kxd2
Ke5 58. Bb7 Kf4 59. Ke2 Kg3 60. Ba6 Kxh3 61. Kf2 Kh2
62. Bxc4 f6 63. f4 h3 64. Bf7 Nf5 65. Bd5 Nd6 66. c4
a6 67. Be6 a5 68. Bd5 Nf5 69. Bb7 Nh6 70. Bc8 f5 71. Be6
Ng4+ 72. Ke2 Kg3 73. Bxf5 h2 74. Be4 Kxf4 75. Bh1 Kg3
76. a4 Ne5 77. Kd1 Kf2 78. c5 bxc5 79. Kc2 Nc4 80. Kd3
Ne3 81. Kd2 Kg1
0-1


[Event "Duell"]
[Site "Frankfurt"]
[Date "2003.11.04"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Novag Star Diamond (tr.7)"]
[Black "Mephisto Milano Pro (c5)"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3
Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Bf6 11. Be3
Qb6 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Qc2 h6 14. Qd2 Bg4 15. Ne5 Be6
16. Rac1 Rfe8 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. Bb1 Rac8 19. b3 Bd7 20. Qd3
Re4 21. f3 Ree8 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Bf4 Bxd4+ 24. Kh1 f5
25. Bd6+ Kf7 26. Bxf5 Bxf5 27. Qxf5+ Kg8 28. Re7 Kh8 29. Rce1
Rf8 30. Qg6 c5 31. R7e6 Rf6 32. Re8+ Rf8 33. Bxf8 Qxg6
34. Rxc8 Qa6 35. Rd8 Qa5 36. Rde8 Kh7 37. R1e2 Kg6 38. Bd6
Qc3 39. h3 Qc1+ 40. Re1 Qd2 41. R8e2 Qc3 42. Kh2 h5 43. Re6+
Kg5 44. Re8 Qa5 45. f4+ Kf5 46. Rf8+ Kg6 47. Re6+ Bf6
48. Be5 Kf5 49. Rd6 Ke4 50. Bxf6 gxf6 51. Re8+ Kd4 52. Red8
Qxa2 53. Rxd5+ Ke4 54. Rxc5 Qxb3 55. Rxh5 Kxf4 56. Rh4+
Kf5 57. Re8 Qd3 58. Rh5+ Kg6 59. Rhh8 Kf5 60. Ra8 Qd6+
61. Kg1 Qd1+ 62. Kf2 Qd2+ 63. Kf3 Qd3+ 64. Kf2
1/2-1/2


Cheers, Thomas