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'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[People]] * Fritz Schäfer'''
'''Fritz Schäfer''',<br/>
a German electrical engineer, game developer and entrepreneur in the computer games industry.
He studied [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering electrical engineering] at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWTH_Aachen_University RWTH Aachen University], and started to develop a chess program called '''Boss''' on a [[Commodore PET|Commodore PET 2001]] as hobby project in the late 70s.
When [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International Commodore] released the [[Commodore VIC-20|VIC-20]] in 1981,
Fritz Schäfer fulfilled his ambitions to commercialize the VIC-20 adapted '''Boss''', and founded [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft GmbH].
The ''Boss'' was renamed to [[Grandmaster]] for the international release covering the [[Commodore 64]] <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH#Background_and_foundation_(1978%E2%80%931982) Kingsoft GmbH - Background and foundation (1978–1982) | Wikipedia]</ref>.
After expansion due to distribution of third-party-developed games, and a long-term prosperous period, Kingsoft was acquired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts Electronic Arts] in 1995 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180914203318/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Electronic+Arts+acquires+distributor+in+Germany%2C+Kingsoft+GmbH.-a016628703 Electronic Arts acquires distributor in Germany, Kingsoft GmbH], March 08, 1995 ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine Wayback Machine])</ref>,
while Schäfer left that company short after and continued his business in the computer games industry.
__FORCETOC__
=Selected Publications=
* [[Fritz Schäfer]] ('''1986'''). ''[https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Das_gro%C3%9Fe_C-16_Buch Das große C-16 Buch]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft] (German) <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16 Commodore 16 from Wikipedia]</ref>
* [[Fritz Schäfer]] ('''1986'''). ''[https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Das_gro%C3%9Fe_PLUS/4_Buch Das große PLUS/4 Buch]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft] (German) <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Plus/4 Commodore Plus/4 from Wikipedia]</ref>
=External Links=
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritz-schäfer-a160493a/ Fritz Schäfer | LinkedIn]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH#Background_and_foundation_(1978%E2%80%931982) Kingsoft GmbH from Wikipedia]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Programmer|Schäfer]]
[[Category:Entrepreneur|Schäfer]]
'''Fritz Schäfer''',<br/>
a German electrical engineer, game developer and entrepreneur in the computer games industry.
He studied [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering electrical engineering] at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWTH_Aachen_University RWTH Aachen University], and started to develop a chess program called '''Boss''' on a [[Commodore PET|Commodore PET 2001]] as hobby project in the late 70s.
When [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International Commodore] released the [[Commodore VIC-20|VIC-20]] in 1981,
Fritz Schäfer fulfilled his ambitions to commercialize the VIC-20 adapted '''Boss''', and founded [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft GmbH].
The ''Boss'' was renamed to [[Grandmaster]] for the international release covering the [[Commodore 64]] <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH#Background_and_foundation_(1978%E2%80%931982) Kingsoft GmbH - Background and foundation (1978–1982) | Wikipedia]</ref>.
After expansion due to distribution of third-party-developed games, and a long-term prosperous period, Kingsoft was acquired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts Electronic Arts] in 1995 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180914203318/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Electronic+Arts+acquires+distributor+in+Germany%2C+Kingsoft+GmbH.-a016628703 Electronic Arts acquires distributor in Germany, Kingsoft GmbH], March 08, 1995 ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine Wayback Machine])</ref>,
while Schäfer left that company short after and continued his business in the computer games industry.
__FORCETOC__
=Selected Publications=
* [[Fritz Schäfer]] ('''1986'''). ''[https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Das_gro%C3%9Fe_C-16_Buch Das große C-16 Buch]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft] (German) <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16 Commodore 16 from Wikipedia]</ref>
* [[Fritz Schäfer]] ('''1986'''). ''[https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Das_gro%C3%9Fe_PLUS/4_Buch Das große PLUS/4 Buch]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH Kingsoft] (German) <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Plus/4 Commodore Plus/4 from Wikipedia]</ref>
=External Links=
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritz-schäfer-a160493a/ Fritz Schäfer | LinkedIn]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsoft_GmbH#Background_and_foundation_(1978%E2%80%931982) Kingsoft GmbH from Wikipedia]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Programmer|Schäfer]]
[[Category:Entrepreneur|Schäfer]]
