Answers.Body: <p>Fritz 5.32 (I'm guessing the first 32 bit version) dates from about 20 years ago, I think. That is available for download via the wayback machine <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170827180745/http://www.top-5000.nl/dl/fritz532.zip" rel="noreferrer">here</a>. Note that you will probably need to install it in compatibility mode as Windows 98/ME on Windows 7. Not sure if you can do this on Win 10.</p>
  <p>The oldest version of Crafty I could find, another old favourite, was 8.11 download <a href="https://craftychess.com/downloads/source/crafty-8.11.zip" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p>
  <p>Chessmaster 8000, another Windows 98/ME program is available for download on <a href="https://www.myabandonware.com/game/chessmaster-8000-doa" rel="noreferrer">this website</a>.</p>
  <p>Finally, if you can run a DOS box emulator then all the way back from 1990 is version 3.1 of GNUChess from this <a href="https://archive.org/details/gnuchess_201910" rel="noreferrer">website</a>. 181 kb (!) zip file <a href="https://archive.org/download/gnuchess_201910/gnuchess.zip" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-01-20T23:20:18.033Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-01-21T11:34:11.147Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2022-01-21T11:34:11.147Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Answers.Body: <p>The other <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/a/39017/16027">excellent answer by Brian Towers ♦</a> provides individual perhaps-ideal direct links, but you may see further benefit from your own search on The Internet Archive (<a href="https://archive.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org</a>) which has a vast collection of ancient (ha) software, including some chess software</p>
  <p>A query like this may be all you need to get at them<br />
  <a href="https://archive.org/details/software?query=chess&amp;and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22chess%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/software?query=chess&amp;and[]=subject%3A%22chess%22</a></p>
  <p>The oldest engine I could find via that query is MyChess, and you can just step by-years with a filter at the left</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>MYCHESS is one of the oldest chess games ever made. It was developed by David Kittinger (the man behind the famous Chessmaster games) in 1979, although the DOS version was published in 1984.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://archive.org/details/mychess" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/mychess</a></p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: ti7
Answers.Body: <p>The Internet Archive has lots of browser-playable Chess games:</p>
  <p><a href="https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games?query=chess&amp;sort=-downloads" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games?query=chess&amp;sort=-downloads</a></p>
  
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Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-01-22T21:01:46.977Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: rossum
Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://www.chessprogramming.org/Ed_Schroder" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ed Schröder</a> has made a pretty sizable collection of old chess software (including the code from some old dedicated chess computers, turned into UCI engines) on his <a href="https://rebel13.nl/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">web site</a> for free download.  Look in the sections labelled &quot;OLD&quot;, &quot;REBEL13&quot;, and &quot;DEDICATED -&gt; DEDICATED AS UCI&quot;.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: patbarron
Body: <p>In connection with another project, I am looking on the internet for some free versions of older chess engines, such as some of the old Chessmaster engines from the 1990s.  I would even take an old Fritz engine if there were one.</p>
  <p>I'm wanting to compare older chess engine output to modern chess engine output. I'm aware that engines like Stockfish are far superior in playing strength than anything made in the 1990s.</p>
  
Tags: <engines><history>
Title: Looking for free versions of older chess engines
ThreadText: # Looking for free versions of older chess engines
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-20)
  
  In connection with another project, I am looking on the internet for some free versions of older chess engines, such as some of the old Chessmaster engines from the 1990s. I would even take an old Fritz engine if there were one.
  
  I'm wanting to compare older chess engine output to modern chess engine output. I'm aware that engines like Stockfish are far superior in playing strength than anything made in the 1990s.
  
  **Tags:** engines, history
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-20. Score: 13
  
  Fritz 5.32 (I'm guessing the first 32 bit version) dates from about 20 years ago, I think. That is available for download via the wayback machine [here](https://web.archive.org/web/20170827180745/http://www.top-5000.nl/dl/fritz532.zip). Note that you will probably need to install it in compatibility mode as Windows 98/ME on Windows 7. Not sure if you can do this on Win 10.
  
  The oldest version of Crafty I could find, another old favourite, was 8.11 download [here](https://craftychess.com/downloads/source/crafty-8.11.zip).
  
  Chessmaster 8000, another Windows 98/ME program is available for download on [this website](https://www.myabandonware.com/game/chessmaster-8000-doa).
  
  Finally, if you can run a DOS box emulator then all the way back from 1990 is version 3.1 of GNUChess from this [website](https://archive.org/details/gnuchess_201910). 181 kb (!) zip file [here](https://archive.org/download/gnuchess_201910/gnuchess.zip).
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2022-01-21. Score: 3
  
  The other [excellent answer by username_1 username_1 ♦](https://chess.stackexchange.com/a/39017/16027) provides individual perhaps-ideal direct links, but you may see further benefit from your own search on The Internet Archive (<https://archive.org>) which has a vast collection of ancient (ha) software, including some chess software
  
  A query like this may be all you need to get at them  
  [https://archive.org/details/software?query=chess&and[]=subject%3A%22chess%22](https://archive.org/details/software?query=chess&and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22chess%22)
  
  The oldest engine I could find via that query is MyChess, and you can just step by-years with a filter at the left
  
  > MYCHESS is one of the oldest chess games ever made. It was developed by David Kittinger (the man behind the famous Chessmaster games) in 1979, although the DOS version was published in 1984.
  
  <https://archive.org/details/mychess>
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2022-01-22. Score: 2
  
  The Internet Archive has lots of browser-playable Chess games:
  
  <https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games?query=chess&sort=-downloads>
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2022-01-23. Score: 2
  
  [Ed Schröder](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Ed_Schroder) has made a pretty sizable collection of old chess software (including the code from some old dedicated chess computers, turned into UCI engines) on his [web site](https://rebel13.nl/) for free download. Look in the sections labelled "OLD", "REBEL13", and "DEDICATED -> DEDICATED AS UCI".
  
  
  ---
  
  