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Funkwerk Erfurt ^[1]

VEB Mikroelektronik „Karl Marx“ Erfurt,
prior to 1983 labeled the VEB Funkwerk Erfurt, was a people-owned enterprise (Volkseigener Betrieb, VEB) manufacturing microelectronics and semiconductor devices, located in Erfurt, East Germany at that time ^[2] ^[3], and head of the correspondent VEB Kombinat Mikroelektronik „Karl Marx“ Erfurt combine producing under the trademark Rundfunk- und Fernmelde-Technik (RFT) ^[4]. Funkwerk Erfurt emerged from a former Telefunken facility during the Socialization in East Germany in 1948. After the Wende in 1990 it successively evolved to the X-FAB Silicon Foundries.

Chess Computers

In the 80s VEB Funkwerk Erfurt and VEB Mikroelektronik Erfurt manufactured various dedicated chess computers based on their own produced Z80 clone U880 ^[5] ^[6], notably the SC 1 and SC 2, which in turn were clones ^[7] of Ron Nelson's Chess Challenger programs, manufactured by Fidelity Electronics, and since 1983/84 the Chess-Master models with programs by Dieter Schultze, Rüdiger Worbs and Wolfgang Pähtz. However, Chess-Master was a clone of the Sargon 2.5 6502 program by Dan and Kathe Spracklen ^[8].

Photos

Erfurt computer chess team in 1983, programmer Rüdiger Worbs, project leader Holger Faltermeier
and chess consultant IM (Bernd ?) Stein ^[9]

were frequently added to the VEB actual names. VEB Mikroelektronik ...


... „Karl Marx“ ^[10] Erfurt	... „Wilhelm Pieck“ Mühlhausen ^[11]

Erich Honecker receives the U80701, developed by reverse engineering the MicroVAX 78032,
SED central committee, August 14, 1989 ^[12]

Dieter Schultze, Rüdiger Worbs (1986). Schachcomputer Chess-Master CM, rfe, H1, S 19-21 ^[13]
Christian Posthoff, Günter Reinemann (1987). Computerschach - Schachcomputer. Berlin: Akademie-Verl., ISBN-13: 978-3055002281, with cooperation of Rainer Knaak, Michael Schlosser, Rainer Staudte, Rüdiger Worbs
Rainer Hinkeldein, Rüdiger Worbs (1988). Schachcomputer Chess-Master Diamond, rfe, H5, S 316-312
Karsten Bauermeister (1999). Deutsch-Deutsche Geschichte(n). Computerschach und Spiele. No. 5, October-November 1999, pp 32-33 (German)
Ingo Althöfer (2020). Computer Chess and Chess Computers in East Germany. ICGA Journal, Vol. 42, Nos. 2-3