[ 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. Wraps. Very Good. First Edition. 244 pages. Original pale blue printed paper wraps. Some browning and soiling to the covers and minor edge tear to fore-edge front cover. Clean and bright internally. Wraps. Contains "A Chess Playing Program for the IBM 704" by A. Bernstein, M. De V. Roberts, T. Arbuckle, 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 chess purist would turn in their grave to hear THAT called chess. Which brings us to 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. (Inventory #: 21171)