Who made SPOC: The Chess Master?

SPOC: The Chess Master was published by Cypress Software, released in 1983.

What kind of game is SPOC: The Chess Master?

SPOC: The Chess Master is a puzzle game for the MS-DOS.

Can two people play SPOC: The Chess Master?

Yes. SPOC: The Chess Master supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does SPOC: The Chess Master load?

The SPOC: The Chess Master ROM is 60 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

SPOC: The Chess Master Game (1983) - DOS

Name: SPOC: The Chess Master
Availability: InStock
Author: Cypress Software

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
MS-DOS (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
JS-DOS v3.0 / DOSBox Engine	`Emscripten C++`	YES	YES	NO	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

MS-DOS (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

JS-DOS v3.0 / DOSBox Engine

Emscripten C++

YES

PLAY ⚡

SPOC: The Chess Master (Selective Pruning Optimization Chess) is a 1983 puzzle and strategy game published by Cypress Software for DOS. Recognized at the time for its strong play—estimated at a USCF 1700 rating—it offers a top-down view of the board and a highly capable computer opponent for the era.

How to play

You can play as white or black against the computer across nine skill levels, or face a second player. The difficulty settings determine how much time the CPU is allowed to calculate its next move. Level 6 acts as a tournament mode, giving both players two hours to complete a 40-move sequence.

The game is controlled using the keyboard, matching its original MS-DOS mapping. You can press Right Alt + Enter at any time to toggle fullscreen mode.

Tips

Use the tools: The game includes built-in functions to undo previous moves or force the computer to make its move immediately if it is taking too long to calculate.
Plan your time: On higher difficulties, the computer becomes a much stronger opponent but will take significantly longer to think. Adjust the level based on how long you want the match to last.