Most Powerful tabletop chess engine/board wanted

The 1997 Radio Shack travel chess unit I bought all those years ago recently died. It played lots of games. And then, some 5 years ago, I stored it. I go to get it out again and lo and behold, it worketh not. We had some good times.

Having now begun looking for an attractive and contemporary tabletop chess board with magnetic pieces and a super-strong CPU, I'm asking advice on which model(s) you'd recommend. I want top-level playing strength, magnetic pieces, preferrably with no silly voices or attempts to entertain with weird accents and such, but with useful settings and such that could stay set up in the living room.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

this one comes well-regarded: http://www.chess.com/eq/chess+computers/novag-citrine

Yikes, a bit expensive, but that was what I asked for, minus - I suppose - the magnetic pieces. Any others in the cheaper ranges?

hmm, the review seems to mention magnets.  the Mephisto computers are cheaper, but I don't know of anyone who has one or played on one.

maybe I missed that. Can anyone comment on the Mephisto models I see for sale on Amazon, and by chance, does anyone know where they can be purchased in a store in a large city like San Antonio?

Hi Van,

If you really must have a table-top model, and if you truly DO want TOP level strength, then you MUST purchase a model that can interface with today's top PC engines.  Today's chess engines (Houdini, Rybka, Stockfish) are hundreds and hundreds of rating points higher than the very best table-top models.  

Having a match between any of the above three engines, and any table-top product on the market, would be no contest at all.  The engines would probably win every single game.  (MAYBE a table-top model might snaggle a a draw or two here and there... but I doubt it.)

You want something like this:

http://www.playwitharena.com/?Features:The_DGT_Chessboard

This will give you the best of both worlds.  A table-top model, but the engine is coming from your PC.  Something like this will set you back about $750.00.

Houdini, Rybka, and Stockfish are rated about 3000 ELO.  In fact, some engine rating list sites rate them even higher, in the 3200 range.  The best table-top models are advertised at around 2400 or 2500 strength... but often these claims are exagerated and the true strength is even less.

Thanks for your helpful reply. I just went crazy and ordered a whole bunch of pocket travel chess games and I'm going to start with a mephisto and collect upwards.

I can afford the higher dollar ones. It's just that I'm still in that stage where I can't quite justify it, as much as I love this darn game! :/

I also had to say the same thing .

If the attraction is to be playing on a board as opposed to a screen, to psychologically be in the heat of a real game because there is a real board and pieces in front of you, I wonder if having a physical board set up before you alongside a little handheld device would suffice.

I have a now old Jade II that I almost always used this way, using either a normal tournament standard board and pieces or one of my smaller sets. Either option is better than what dedicated devices offer in terms of board and pieces, unless you are spending quite a lot of money.

The above is a question and answer rolled together. In my experience the way I work it is great but I realize that others' needs may differ.

I like the idea of a full-sized tournament-anotated board with regulation pieces, but with magnets for a less stumbly game and also the strong computer option. I'm a Mac-only man, so PCs are out, but perhaps these tabletops are strong enough. The idea of being able to entertain guests and play against the computer is what I'm liking. 

This. It's how I play all my games against computer, mostly with a tournament board and pieces, an iPhone running Hiarcs, and a pad & pen for recording my moves and notes.

The strongest tabletop chess computer is the Revelation Phoenix
But it's so expensive (around 2500 euros) that the DGT Board is the only solution.

Same here except I use my PC and one of several programs/websites depending on what style or strength I feel like playing against.

I wore out an old CXG machine and I tried to get another one but couldn't.  Although recently I saw one on ebay.  I've just purchased a Mephisto Master on ebay, and I have to say that it a pleasure to play on.  You only need slight pressure on the squares to register a move.  I don't care much for the travel type of machines, except for the ones with a LCD board.  Although they aren't very strong.  In my opinion you don't need a machine with a rating of 2700+.  The Obsidian, The Citrine and Mephisto Master are all rated over 2000.  There is good info on all types of computers on this site:-http://electronicchess.free.fr/heroes.html

I second the Mephisto Master as the replacement for any plastic tabletop chess computer.

Per the description on http://electronicchess.free.fr/heroes.html:

... the Mephisto Master Chess is the strongest chess computer still available in stores today.

Per the specs on http://www.classicchessandgames.com/MephistoMasterChessComputerModelCT07.htm:

2200 Elo Rating or 2400 USCF; 32 bit processor; 35,000 individual moves in it's multiple style openings book

If someone were in the market for the strongest and wooden chess computer, then I would recommend any DGT chessboard with the DGT XL clock and connected to a PC running the latest chess engines in the market. Be aware that a DGT setup takes up a lot of real estate.