In these times we are used to working with very powerful software solutions that cover all our needs. Generally, these are accompanied by a high consumption of computer resources, and take up a good amount of space on the disk drives. But this is not always the case, a good example is found in the smallest chess program that has been developed.
It is precisely this software that we want to talk about below so that you can get an idea of what certain programs and games were in the past. Today we are used to Windows , Office, Photoshop and many other solutions that occupy several gigabytes on our computer. But a few years ago we did not have the powerful computers that we can buy right now.
These were infinitely more limited than current computers, so software developers had to keep their projects in check. This means that they had to upload their own developments, programs or games , to the hardware available at that moment. This is the case of the cheese we will talk about now and that refers to the smallest chess program in the world.
First of all, we will tell you that some time ago, back in 1982 , a chess program was developed for the Sinclair ZX81 team. The mime was created by David Horne using a Z80 assembly language. It is worth mentioning that this game of the time, fully functional, had a code size of 672 bytes. That is why at that time the chess program became the smallest to date. But it seems that things have changed recently, as we are going to tell.
They create the lightest chess game ever
We tell you all this because now in the XXI century this is a record that has been surpassed , we refer to the smallest game focused on chess with only 482 bytes. To give you an idea, mention that a developer of French origin has created what is believed to be the smallest chess program. It is characterized, as you can imagine, by its small size. But not only that, but we also have the possibility to run it and use it in the most common operating systems such as Windows , Mac OS and Linux .
Named as BootChess , the game breaks the record of its predecessor, software that we have told you about before, created for the Sinclair ZX81. Also, it is interesting to know that this new record-breaking development, BootChess , is displayed entirely in ASCII. This means that the different pieces that are part of the game are identified by letters. For example, uppercase are the white pieces and lowercase are the black pieces. When it comes to the moves we make, we enter them via text.
Come on, now we can forget about dragging pieces with the mouse and even seeing them on the screen, as is the case with current chess games. It must also be said that the program is not so advanced in terms of internal behavior, as is the case with other current titles that it is impossible to beat them. In addition, its creator, Olivier Poudade , comments that with this project he wanted to pay homage to David Horne’s past work.
