MyChess is a chess-playing program developed by David Kittinger and first released in 1979 for /M, with the MS-DOS version arriving in 1984. It was among the early microcomputer chess programs that achieved competitive results in official computer chess tournaments. MyChess was known for its intelligent search algorithms, configurability, and portability across various 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.
MyChess (MS-DOS)
The engine behind MyChess utilized a Type A minimax search with alpha-beta pruning, iterative deepening, and advanced heuristics such as the killer move strategy and capturing move prioritization. These techniques allowed it to analyze multiple ply depths efficiently, adjusting dynamically depending on the game’s complexity. Players could select a skill level between 1 and 9, which controlled the search depth and thus the strength and response time of the program.
MyChess was praised for its flexibility, allowing s to play against the computer, set up custom board positions, and even switch sides mid-game. It featured algebraic notation for move input and ed move recording to a printer or text file. The MS-DOS version ed high-resolution monochrome and color graphics modes, while other versions used ASCII displays compatible with popular terminals and /M machines of the era.
In competition, MyChess proved itself as one of the stronger early chess programs. It won the Fifth West Coast Computer Faire tournament in 1980 and performed well in the 10th ACM North American Computer Chess Championship, where it was the highest-ranked microcomputer. The program held a US Chess Federation rating of 1558 when running on a 4 MHz Z80 processor under tournament conditions.
Though eventually sured by stronger engines such as Rebel, MyChess holds an important place in the history of computer chess. It demonstrated how thoughtful programming and heuristic optimization could bring high-level chess play to personal computers, making it a valuable tool for both casual and serious chess players during the early 1980s.
More details about this game can be found on MobyGames.com.
This version of MyChess was designed for personal computers with operating system MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), which was operating system developed by Microsoft in 1981. It was the most widely-used operating system in the first half of the 1990s. MS-DOS was supplied with most of the IBM computers that purchased a license from Microsoft. After 1995, it was pushed out by a graphically more advanced system - Windows and its development was ceased in 2000. At the time of its greatest fame, several thousand games designed specifically for computers with this system were created. Today, its development is no longer continue and for emulation the free DOSBox emulator is most often used. More information about MS-DOS operating system can be found here.
Available online emulators:
5 different online emulators are available for MyChess. These emulators differ not only in the technology they use to emulate old games, but also in of various game controllers, multiplayer mode, mobile phone touchscreen, emulation speed, absence or presence of embedded ads and in many other parameters. For maximum gaming enjoyment, it's important to choose the right emulator, because on each PC and in different Internet browsers, the individual emulators behave differently. The basic features of each emulator available for this game MyChess are summarized in the following table:
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This version of MyChess was designed for personal computers with operating system MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), which was operating system developed by Microsoft in 1981. It was the most widely-used operating system in the first half of the 1990s. MS-DOS was supplied with most of the IBM computers that purchased a license from Microsoft. After 1995, it was pushed out by a graphically more advanced system - Windows and its development was ceased in 2000. At the time of its greatest fame, several thousand games designed specifically for computers with this system were created. Today, its development is no longer continue and for emulation the free DOSBox emulator is most often used. More information about MS-DOS operating system can be found 
