The passionate collector of
chess computers tries to own every single computer ever
made.
He is collecting chess computers since so many years...
These computers were programmed to teach how to play
chess or to win.
At the beginning, they played poorly, but promptly, they
played better to, finally, become impossible to beat…
Nowadays, it is better to just collect them…
Historically, it is well known that collectors were so
few at the beginning that they barely knew each other.
They knew only the other collectors close to their
place. For example, it was only ten to twenty collectors
in Berlin.
Then, a forum or two started.
These forums were interesting places to exchange about
chess computers and about collections. The members of
these forums were publishing list of computers and
computer chess sales were organized.
Nowadays, participants from the whole world are part of
the big network and eBay is the big temple celebrant the
hobby.
Hundreds of chess computer specialists (real or
self-proclaimed) have an opinion on this or that oldie,
and there are some collectors who have real detailed
knowledge on how to rebuild some of the old models by
themselves.
The top collectors, who possess and catalog every device
that has ever been built are, of course, at some point,
confronted with a question: which piece, their
collection is still missing when so many pieces are
already stored in their basements in a collection that
would provoke the envy, in a collection of thousands of
euros of devices built only in few copies, or unique
original computers that have played at World Chess
Championships?
It is not surprising that it caused a stir to hear the
rumor that, in the nineties, some employees of the
German luxury automaker Daimler-Benz were confronted to
the following problem: what to offer to a senior
executive for his retirement?
They solved the problem in a smart way…
They decided that it should not be a common present such
as a gold watch, or a cruise to New Zealand, or a
golden porch swing...
These are gifts that would have
failed to impress one of the
best-paid managers of
Daimler-Benz…
Since many
years, some collaboration
between Hegener & Glazer and Daimler-Benz was existing
in the electronic field.
The proximity in Munich with the Head Quarters of
Hegener & Glazer, the passion of Germans for the Chess
game were indubitably keys in the proposition to build…
a chess computer… but not any kind of chess computer…
the most luxurious and well-engineered ever made… signed
Daimler-Benz…
The suggestion was enthusiastically adopted: the Special
Engineering Department of Daimler-Benz received the
mandate to conceive and to build the chess computer.
With its highly specialized technicians in electricity
and electronics, with its top artisans for the wood,
this department was already famous for its ability to
develop the finest wooden interiors for cars, to design
and to make electronic hardware for custom made car
models.
These experienced technicians, engineers, carpenters
were given the task with the free use of the resources
of the company to build the most luxurious wooden chess
computer that was possible – an effort only made
possible because of the unlimited financial resources
ever made available for such an effort.
Thrilled, the specialists involved in this work planned,
conferred, and tinkered: the best wood, the best
acrylic, the best electrical equipment, and all… in a
tournament board size.
After months of hard work, came out the Daimler-Benz
boards, officially two pieces.
These two boards were supposed to be the only pieces
made, with the second one reserved for a second
top executive.
Finally, we don't know if the two granted
top executives were playing with these two beautiful
boards, or… if, simply, they were storing their gift in
a cupboard. During years, nobody heard about these
boards.
However, some rumors about these boards
started to appear. There were only stories
without consistent proof of the
existence of these boards.
Some people were pretending to have seen one of these
boards, - it would be a feast for the eyes, and it would
be too bad to play with them. They should also not be
brought out to the light, so that none of these stains,
called Kenner circles spots, would spoil their perfect
appearance. That would have been a horror for any
collector.
The collector who already has all the chess computers,
sometimes stands up at night, sleepless, - he wanders
through his basement, cuddling a brand new box
containing a Fidelity Elite Private, lets his eyes
wander lovingly over the plastic-protected World
Champion machine of Mephisto - and is then easily
frustrated when he returns at his PC to check if anybody
on eBay has not still somewhere opened to the world some
attic rarity
without knowing the value of the piece and
offering it at one euro as starting price.
Such adrenalin situations are
rare, but, still sometimes, they
happen!
The eagle eye of
one of these collectors, whose
name we still wish to conceal
here, discovered an auction
piece that he had not seen
before...What was that board?
The next step was to get the
board. For that, a perfect buying strategy based
on an absolute camouflage was needed: no
demands, no betting wars. Just one offer at the last
second of the auction, and the first Daimler-Benz Board
was assured.
We're not talking about prices, we are talking about
euphoria.
At the time of the settlement of the auction, our
collector came in touch with the seller, an heir of the
Daimler-Benz executive who told him the full story of
this gift to his father.
The son knew some details, but not all the full story of
the computer.
The questions were focusing essentially on the module
present in the board and if it was a MMII or a MMIII.
 
Two years later, another board was offered on the
auction platform of eBay, and our vigilant collector was
able again to bid on this one.
This time, there were quite a few other interested
parties, but, again, the usual strategy worked and I am
proud to have helped him to win the auction. As usual, for the shipping, our collector contacted the
seller.
He learned that this second board should not have
existed: it was built only as a security, in case
something was going wrong during the production of the
gift for the executive of
Daimler.
It was stored away at Daimler Head Quarters and dozed
there.
At one point, the board was released and the seller was
taking it as a souvenir of his participation in the
making of the board.
After keeping it many years, he decided to sell it on
eBay.
At this point
of the story,
something started to be clear: OFFICIALLY, TWO
boards were made and TWO executives were granted with a
board…
The seller was coming with a board that was
not one of the two officials: it was a security board and
not a gift.
This was confirmed by the seller (former employee of
Daimler-Benz): three boards were made. Two were offered
and one stored in the Daimler-Benz manufacture storage.
Consequently, it was still
missing the board offered to the
second executive of Daimler.
During a correspondence with the lead designer of the
Daimler-Benz board, our collector discovered the name of
the executive who had received the official second board.
The third board was still existing and was in the hands
of his wife.
The story has to
be concluded.
In this wonderful story of the quest of of the
Daimler-Benz boards, it remains some facts to add.
The security board came to our collector in a case in
full wood built like a car… Solid like a tank... Weighting
like a piece of cast iron… Inside the box, it was all
production details, planning documents, drawings…
The documents were coming:
- in part, from Hegener & Glazer: original electronic
blue prints and diagrams of the
Munchen board and of the MM
module... signed by Hegener &
Glazer;
- and for the other part, plans and diagrams made by
Daimler-Benz Department of Electronics. Technical
pages and blue prints signed by Daimler-Benz.
I am sure that there are many exciting hobbies
over the world, but when you are infected by the
strange chess computer
virus, you have one of the best hobby you could imagine
and you have the opportunity to correspond with
like-minded people over all continents.
Let us enjoy it!
  
  
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