[Computer Chess] A Chess Playing Program for the IBM 704 IN Proceedings of the Western Joint Computer Conference : Contrasts in Computers : Presented at Los Angeles, Calif. May 6-8, 1958

New York: American Institute of Electrical Engineers 1959. First Edition. 244 pages. Original pale blue printed paper wraps. Significant dampstaining to the bottom edge of the book, extending into the textblock, worst on the title page, and gradually fading toward the back of the volume. Does not affect readability, but rather the appearance of the book. Area affected is roughly 2.5 square inches at the worst point. Some minor browning to the covers, and a touch of dampstaining to the edge of the spine. Fair. Wraps. [21674]


Contains "A Chess Playing Program for the IBM 704" by A. Bernstein, M. De V. Roberts, T. Arbckle, and M. A. Belsky starting on page 157.

Claude Shannon wrote the first technical paper on computer chess in 1949, a paper which outlined an approach to computer chess without discussing a specific program. (see Origins of Cyberspace 882).

In 1957 we find the first report of a computer playing chess, but using a restricted 6 x 6 square board. While sufficient to demonstrate the concept, the present paper, "A Chess Playing Program for the IBM 704" details a computer that can play a game on a true 8 x 8 board of chess.

For the purist, this is the first real description of a chess playing computer.

Price: $95.00