Fidelity Electronics (Fidelity International Inc.),
was an American hearing-aid manufacturing company, founded in 1959, and in March 1970 purchased by Sidney and Myron Samole[1] . Among its other cutting-edge technology, Fidelity Electronics produced high-tech, bio-medical products, such as myo-electric hands, prostheses that could actually be controlled by the brain impulses of amputees. Since 1976, Fidelity Electronics developed and produced dedicated chess computers.
Sidney Samole was the man who dreamed, patented and produced the first commercial chess computer. He closely cooperated with Ron Nelson and later with Dan and Kathe Spracklen. He was credited with inventing the first commercial electronic chess game in the 1970s after watching a Star Trek episode [5] . It seems that he actually had the idea but it was Ron Nelson who really created the machine, called Fidelity Chess Challenger 1[6][7] . After building three working models and four non-working models, Sidney Samole decided to promote his new brainchild at Chicago'sConsumer Electronics Show in January 1977[8] . Fidelity prospered. In fact, it seems that the success of the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 computer [9] , which sold about 600,000 units was responsible for the move from Chicago, Illinois to MiamiFlorida in January 1981. Fidelity also produced computerized Bridge, Checkers, and Othello games. Fidelity manufactured all its games in the US.
By 1989, a recession was in the wind, and Sidney Samole was sensitive to its warning breezes. He sold Fidelity Electronics at the top of its value to Hegener & Glaser. Sidney's son, Shane Samole, who already started Fidelity Canada in 1984 [10] took a loan from his father and started Excalibur Electronics in 1992. Sidney Samole died on July 30, 2000 [11] .
Fidelity had various brand names for their chess computers, most notably Chess Challenger. While competing at official tournaments, development- or experimental versions were called Fidelity X or Challenger X. To expand the list of fidelity computers, create a new engine page with the tag "fidelity".
was an American hearing-aid manufacturing company, founded in 1959, and in March 1970 purchased by Sidney and Myron Samole [1] . Among its other cutting-edge technology, Fidelity Electronics produced high-tech, bio-medical products, such as myo-electric hands, prostheses that could actually be controlled by the brain impulses of amputees. Since 1976, Fidelity Electronics developed and produced dedicated chess computers.
Table of Contents
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[3]History
Sidney Samole was the man who dreamed, patented and produced the first commercial chess computer. He closely cooperated with Ron Nelson and later with Dan and Kathe Spracklen. He was credited with inventing the first commercial electronic chess game in the 1970s after watching a Star Trek episode [5] . It seems that he actually had the idea but it was Ron Nelson who really created the machine, called Fidelity Chess Challenger 1 [6] [7] . After building three working models and four non-working models, Sidney Samole decided to promote his new brainchild at Chicago's Consumer Electronics Show in January 1977 [8] . Fidelity prospered. In fact, it seems that the success of the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 computer [9] , which sold about 600,000 units was responsible for the move from Chicago, Illinois to Miami Florida in January 1981. Fidelity also produced computerized Bridge, Checkers, and Othello games. Fidelity manufactured all its games in the US.By 1989, a recession was in the wind, and Sidney Samole was sensitive to its warning breezes. He sold Fidelity Electronics at the top of its value to Hegener & Glaser. Sidney's son, Shane Samole, who already started Fidelity Canada in 1984 [10] took a loan from his father and started Excalibur Electronics in 1992. Sidney Samole died on July 30, 2000 [11] .
Achievements
Fidelity chess computers won the first four World Microcomputer Chess Championships: Chess Challenger won in London 1980, Fidelity X in Travemünde 1981, Elite A/S in Budapest 1983, and Elite X in Glasgow 1984. Moreover, they won the first four US Mikrocomputer Chess Championships, all held in Mobile, Alabama, in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988. A remarkable performance is its first place in the ACM 1988 Championship, tied with Deep Thought.People
Programmers
Ron Nelson, Kathe and Dan Spracklen were Samole's protégés and "house" programmers. Nelson programs were all Intel 8080 or Zilog Z80 based, while the Spracklens relied on MOS Technology 6502 and later on Motorola 68000 and successors. Soon after Samole sold Fidelity to Hegener & Glaser, some more programmers were associated with Fidelity chess computers.Misc
Fidelity Computers
Fidelity had various brand names for their chess computers, most notably Chess Challenger. While competing at official tournaments, development- or experimental versions were called Fidelity X or Challenger X. To expand the list of fidelity computers, create a new engine page with the tag "fidelity".See also
Publications
Forum Posts
Fidelity and Fast Hardware by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 31, 2015
External Links
Fidelity
ICGA Tournaments
Chess Computers
Fidelity Chess Challenger (CC1)
Fidelity Chess Challenger 1
Chess Challenger 3, CC1 vs CC3
Fidelity Super 9
Fidelity USCF Special Edition
Fidelity Elite Champion
Fidelity Prestige
Fidelity Champion Septennial
Ron Nelson, Danny Kopec
Danny Kopec
Ron Nelson
Fidelity Chesster Phantom Eyeball
65C02, 3.6 MHz
Fidelity Elite Premiere
Richard Lang
Fidelity Elite Avant Garde V.11
References
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