Mephisto Phoenix Chess Computer Module

Mephisto Phoenix is the most powerful personal chess computer of all time.

Phoenix comes in a modern glass touch screen design and offers both the newest computing technologies along with retro engines from decades past.

The Phoenix module is compatible with Millennium Exclusive and Tournament Boards - great news for those who already own a compatible chessboard. 

The Phoenix can also be purchased as a bundle with new, high-contrast rosewood and light maple color electronic chess boards in standard and tournament sizes. 

Onboard WiFi means the unit can stay current with updates as they are released. The most recent update in January 2024 includes native online play through liChess.

About Phoenix

The Mephisto Phoenix is a UCI based multi-engine chess computer, which provides access to huge variety in chess gaming. With Shredder Neuronal and Stockfish NNUE, you see the world’s first dedicated chess computer using most modern neuronal engine technologies.

The module in its modern design comes with a large color touch screen made from real glass. Accompanied by the well-structured touch menu system it is meant to be the perfect home station for chess lovers of all ages, all playing strengths and all experience levels.

The most powerful chess computer of all time

The Phoenix comes with 4 different Top-Class Engines on Board: Shredder 13.5, Komodo 14.1, Hiarcs 14.2 and Stockfish 15 NNUE. Starting from a very simple level, which is also suitable for absolute beginners, the system can reach a maximum performance of over 3400 ELO. In fact, there are countless options to adjust the playing strength to your individual needs. The system covers the widest playing strength range ever provided by a chess computer.

Shredder offers a highly interesting new function with its fully automatic self-adapting playing strength with ELO rating. In this way you can continuously monitor your progress and see how much you have improved through training with the computer.

The evaluation bar beside the chess board tells you at first glance how the engine rates the position. Any blunders are quickly noticed that way and you always have a sense of how well your game is going.

The optionally available engine package expands the Phoenix with 3 additional high-end engines: These include GinkGo, the well-known engine behind Fritz 18, Leela Zero - a purely neural engine with a great playing style and a real challenge for all self-players as well as Komodo Dragon 3 - Komodo's neural variant with an above-average active, sometimes risk-taking playing style and countless adjustable options for all chess players who like to experiment.

Online chess on a new level

With the "PLAY ONLINE" game mode, the Phoenix allows you to play against other people via the LiChess servers. The direct connection of the device to LiChess ensures a fast and smooth game flow.

In addition to the standard games, it is possible to play against friends from your own friends list as well as participate in Arena and Swiss tournaments. And it's just as easy as playing against the chess programs in Phoenix – directly on your chess board.

From then to now: The chess computer emulation.

The system is expanded with 23 classical chess computer emulations running at a high speed. Most remarkable is the “Mephisto Glasgow”, the legendary world championship program of 1984 - which runs on the MEPHISTO PHOENIX system at a speed of approx. 66 times faster than the original machine of the time.

With the speed bar you easily control the emulation speed or set it to the speed of the original chess computer, button and display layout follows the originals.

So if you've always wanted to play against the dream chess computer from your youth: Welcome!

Further sophisticated functions

Updates for the System come via WIFI directly on the unit, and if you purchase additional software in the computerchess.com webstore it is installed as easy as with the press of one button.

The machine comes with some different opening books: The standard one by Mark Uniacke provides you with more than 1,000,000 positions, all from master play. This is the biggest opening book ever provided by a dedicated chess computer.

In addition, the Phoenix is the first chess computer with integrated tablebases. Tablebases are endgame databases that work in a similar way to an opening book. They help the engines in the endgame to quickly find the right way to mate or to recognize early on how the game will end, even in very long endgames.

Phoenix is the right unit for you if you: 

• Wish to own the most powerful dedicated chess computer ever made, building a bridge between past glory days and todays modern style of playing chess
• Are interested in modern engine technologies, e.g. NNUE Technology and how they evaluate positions
• Like to play with retro chess computers and to see how these programs perform on modern hardware
• Prefer a real board to analyze games and do not want to relay on a screen only
• Want to play online against other people as comfortably as possible.
• Don't mind a system with a bit of a learning curve and that has advanced features that are not all explained in a manual.

Compatible with the MILLENNIUM Exclusive and Tournament Sensor Boards

The MEPHISTO Phoenix requires a Millennium Exclusive or Supreme Tournament Board with RFID piece recognition.

If you wish to purchase this module in combination with an electronic board, these are the two packages available:

• Mephisto Phoenix M - Chess Computer with 15.7 inch Chess Board
• Mephisto Phoenix T - Chess Computer with 21.7 inch Chess Board

Technical details

Mephisto Phoenix Manual