Oric Chess 0.1: our chess engine on the Atmos
The Neo6502 Chess engine also runs on the Oric Atmos, at 1 MHz. It is out in beta on Prophet, as a .tap cassette file.
On the day Neo6502 Chess comes out, its Oric version comes out too. Oric Chess can be downloaded from prophet.3617.fr, Oric platform, "in development" category. The chess.tap file loads with CLOAD"" on the machine, or in an emulator such as Phosphoric.
The published version
| Oric Chess | |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.1.0 (beta), 10 November 2026 |
| File | chess.tap, 36,142 bytes (cassette) |
| Machine | Oric Atmos (6502 at 1 MHz) |
| Where | Prophet, Oric platform, "in development" category (id chess-oric) |
| Tried | in the Phosphoric emulator |
1. One engine, two machines
The chess engine is written in assembly for the original 6502, with no 65C02-only instruction. Everything that touches the machine (screen, keyboard, clock, disk, serial link) goes through an abstraction layer. The Oric therefore gets exactly the same search and evaluation code as the Neo6502, checked against the same Go twin.
The difference is speed: a 6502 at 1 MHz against a 65C02 at more than 6 MHz. With the same thinking time, the Oric sees less far ahead. Its 48 KB also force choices: on the Oric, the Neo6502's "two players" and "random colour" modes found no room.
2. On the Oric's screen
The board is shown in high resolution, 240 × 200. You play with the keyboard against the machine or two players, with menus and a help page written to fit in 40 columns. Games are saved on a Sedoric disk (Microdisc drive), in five slots; there is no cassette save.
3. Remote play, written but not yet proven
The remote-play code is there: it goes through the 6551 ACIA of the LOCI cartridge and a modem, with a public room or a private room code, on the same relay as the Neo6502. We tried it in Phosphoric with a simulated modem, including an Oric against Neo6502 game checked on both screens. Not yet on a real Oric.
4. What we do not claim
This is a beta, tried only in the emulator: nothing yet guarantees it behaves the same on a real Atmos. This version offers no draw, resignation or takeback in a remote game. The published file targets the Atmos; we claim nothing for the Oric-1. The code has no public repository yet.