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Created page with "'''Home * People * Peter Auge''' FILE:PeterAuge.JPG|border|right|thumb|155px|Peter Auge <ref>[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/1..."
'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[People]] * Peter Auge'''
[[FILE:PeterAuge.JPG|border|right|thumb|155px|Peter Auge <ref>[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)</ref> ]]
'''Peter W. Auge''',<br/>
a German toy manufacturer, distributor and entrepreneur. As founder of [[Novag|Novag Industries Ltd.]], Peter Auge was manufacturer of [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computers]] from 1978 until 2009 when Novag was sold to ''Solar Wide Industrial Ltd.'', which continued manufacturing Novag chess computers <ref>[http://www.novag.com/ novag.com]</ref>.
=Photos=
[[FILE:FriedelAuge1986.JPG|none|border|text-bottom|533px]]
[[Frederic Friedel]] and Peter Auge at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_International_Toy_Fair Nuremberg International Toy Fair], 1986 <ref>[[László Lindner]], A SZÁMÍTÓGÉPES SAKK KÉPEKBEN című melléklete - The pictures of the Beginning of Chess Computers</ref>
=Sugar Pellet Toys=
The Auge family were toy makers from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg Nuremburg], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany]. Peter Auge emigrated and set up a toy distribution business in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal Montreal], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada Canada], and eventually drawn to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong Hong Kong], which developed as the international toy manufacturing center after [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II World War II], to conduct his toy business in 1964. Auge implemented his "hot idea" to market plastic toy tools filled with sugar pellets <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_caries Dental caries from Wikipedia]</ref>. Auge started a factory and within three months he employed 500 girls doing nothing but filling these plastic toys with sugar pellets <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_in_Hong_Kong Employment in Hong Kong from Wikipedia]</ref>, and Auge shipped 55 million pieces to the US <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Novag_Article_May_1986.pdf 100,000 Chess Computers a year Peter Auge says his HK product can only be beaten by masters and grand masters], The Bulletin, May 1986, pdf hosted by [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]</ref> .
=Chess Computers=
Whether his company was already called Novag is a bit unclear, an article in the German magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] mentions, that similar to [[Sidney Samole|Sidney Samole's]] [[Fidelity Electronics]], which evolved from manufacturing hearing-aid and other high-tech, bio-medical products to chess computers <ref>The Editor ('''2000'''). ''[http://ticc.uvt.nl/icga/journal/contents/content23-4.htm#SIDNEY%20SAMOLE SIDNEY SAMOLE (1935-2000)]''. [[ICGA Journal]] [http://ticc.uvt.nl/icga/journal/contents/content23-4.htm Vol. 23, No. 4] - December 2000</ref> <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Alburt Lev Alburt] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Lawrence Al Lawrence] ('''2000'''). ''"How About a Nice Game of Chess?" - Any Time. Sidney Samole (1935-2000)''. [http://www.chesscafe.com/ Chess Café], October 17, 2000</ref>, Auge's firm converted from plastic toy business to computer chess manufacturing <ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-39867523.html Schachcomputer: Markt und Müll], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] 49/1979, December 03, 1979, (German)</ref> . However in late 1977 or early 1978, after first [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated computers]] appeared in the United States, Peter Auge, an ample chess fan, became interested in the idea of developing his own chess computer, and collaborated with the Swiss technologist [[Eric Winkler]], who had done electronics research for a trading company in Hong Kong, to realize the idea, and to set up Novag Industries Ltd.
==Chess Champion MK I==
The story about the origins of [[Novag|Novag's]] first chess computer, the [[Chess Champion MK I]] released in September 1978, is quite venturesome. The software was an exact copy of the [[Memory#ROM|ROM]] of the 1977 ''Data Cash Systems Inc.'' [[CompuChess]] program, which was developed by [[David B. Goodrich]] & Associates <ref>[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/CompuChess CompuChess] from [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En Schachcomputer.info - Wiki]</ref> , while other sources claim [[David Levy]] was involved in the development <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html Scisys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> <ref>[http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Etluif/chescom/EngNovCCM1.html Chess Champion Mk 1] by [http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Etluif/ Tom Luif]</ref> . While Winkler was responsible for hardware, it was Auge who was "responsible" for the software <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html Scisys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> .
==Kittinger==
After [[Eric Winkler]] left [[Novag]] for [[Saitek|SciSys]] in 1979, Peter Auge continued with Novag and soon started the long term collaboration with [[David Kittinger]] <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/dave_kittinger.html David Kittinger - Interview] by [[Bryan Whitby]], 2008</ref>, consolidating Novag's image with models like the [[Savant]], [[Robot Adversary]] and most notably the [[Super Constellation]]. Peter Auge's conservative marketing with the focus on human entertainment rather than challenging other programs <ref>[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)</ref> was with hindsight quite successful, since Novag survived most of his competitors with apparently stronger programs.
=Associated People=
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Campomanes Florencio Campomanes]
* [[Paul Cohen]]
* [[Peter Jennings]]
* [[Mike Johnson]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoly_Karpov Anatoly Karpov]
* [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Kinzel Alfred Kinzel]
* [[David Kittinger]]
* [[David Levy]]
* [[Joseph Sugarman]]
* [[Eric Winkler]]
=Publications=
* [http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14356596.html Schachcomputer: Lästig, nicht lustig], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] 49/1982, December 06, 1982, (German)
* [[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Inter~Galactic Moves''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html October 1983]
* [http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Novag_Article_May_1986.pdf 100,000 Chess Computers a year Peter Auge says his HK product can only be beaten by masters and grand masters], The Bulletin, May 1986, pdf hosted by [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]
=External Links=
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html SciSys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [http://www.thorstenczub.de/thomas.html Thomas Nitsche Mephisto III] by [[Thorsten Czub]] covers [[Computerschach und Spiele]] 2/85 gloss about a meeting of Peter Auge and [[Thomas Nitsche]]
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/dave_kittinger.html David Kittinger - Interview] by [[Bryan Whitby]], 2008
* Made in Hong Kong - Kein Leben ist perfekt - Doku über Peter Auge, Gründer der NOVAG Industries Ltd. (German 1980), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube YouTube] Video
: {{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIvNdvAzJpU|alignment=left|valignment=top}}
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[FILE:PeterAuge.JPG|border|right|thumb|155px|Peter Auge <ref>[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)</ref> ]]
'''Peter W. Auge''',<br/>
a German toy manufacturer, distributor and entrepreneur. As founder of [[Novag|Novag Industries Ltd.]], Peter Auge was manufacturer of [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computers]] from 1978 until 2009 when Novag was sold to ''Solar Wide Industrial Ltd.'', which continued manufacturing Novag chess computers <ref>[http://www.novag.com/ novag.com]</ref>.
=Photos=
[[FILE:FriedelAuge1986.JPG|none|border|text-bottom|533px]]
[[Frederic Friedel]] and Peter Auge at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_International_Toy_Fair Nuremberg International Toy Fair], 1986 <ref>[[László Lindner]], A SZÁMÍTÓGÉPES SAKK KÉPEKBEN című melléklete - The pictures of the Beginning of Chess Computers</ref>
=Sugar Pellet Toys=
The Auge family were toy makers from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg Nuremburg], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany]. Peter Auge emigrated and set up a toy distribution business in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal Montreal], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada Canada], and eventually drawn to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong Hong Kong], which developed as the international toy manufacturing center after [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II World War II], to conduct his toy business in 1964. Auge implemented his "hot idea" to market plastic toy tools filled with sugar pellets <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_caries Dental caries from Wikipedia]</ref>. Auge started a factory and within three months he employed 500 girls doing nothing but filling these plastic toys with sugar pellets <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_in_Hong_Kong Employment in Hong Kong from Wikipedia]</ref>, and Auge shipped 55 million pieces to the US <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Novag_Article_May_1986.pdf 100,000 Chess Computers a year Peter Auge says his HK product can only be beaten by masters and grand masters], The Bulletin, May 1986, pdf hosted by [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]</ref> .
=Chess Computers=
Whether his company was already called Novag is a bit unclear, an article in the German magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] mentions, that similar to [[Sidney Samole|Sidney Samole's]] [[Fidelity Electronics]], which evolved from manufacturing hearing-aid and other high-tech, bio-medical products to chess computers <ref>The Editor ('''2000'''). ''[http://ticc.uvt.nl/icga/journal/contents/content23-4.htm#SIDNEY%20SAMOLE SIDNEY SAMOLE (1935-2000)]''. [[ICGA Journal]] [http://ticc.uvt.nl/icga/journal/contents/content23-4.htm Vol. 23, No. 4] - December 2000</ref> <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Alburt Lev Alburt] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Lawrence Al Lawrence] ('''2000'''). ''"How About a Nice Game of Chess?" - Any Time. Sidney Samole (1935-2000)''. [http://www.chesscafe.com/ Chess Café], October 17, 2000</ref>, Auge's firm converted from plastic toy business to computer chess manufacturing <ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-39867523.html Schachcomputer: Markt und Müll], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] 49/1979, December 03, 1979, (German)</ref> . However in late 1977 or early 1978, after first [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated computers]] appeared in the United States, Peter Auge, an ample chess fan, became interested in the idea of developing his own chess computer, and collaborated with the Swiss technologist [[Eric Winkler]], who had done electronics research for a trading company in Hong Kong, to realize the idea, and to set up Novag Industries Ltd.
==Chess Champion MK I==
The story about the origins of [[Novag|Novag's]] first chess computer, the [[Chess Champion MK I]] released in September 1978, is quite venturesome. The software was an exact copy of the [[Memory#ROM|ROM]] of the 1977 ''Data Cash Systems Inc.'' [[CompuChess]] program, which was developed by [[David B. Goodrich]] & Associates <ref>[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/CompuChess CompuChess] from [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En Schachcomputer.info - Wiki]</ref> , while other sources claim [[David Levy]] was involved in the development <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html Scisys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> <ref>[http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Etluif/chescom/EngNovCCM1.html Chess Champion Mk 1] by [http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Etluif/ Tom Luif]</ref> . While Winkler was responsible for hardware, it was Auge who was "responsible" for the software <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html Scisys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]</ref> .
==Kittinger==
After [[Eric Winkler]] left [[Novag]] for [[Saitek|SciSys]] in 1979, Peter Auge continued with Novag and soon started the long term collaboration with [[David Kittinger]] <ref>[http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/dave_kittinger.html David Kittinger - Interview] by [[Bryan Whitby]], 2008</ref>, consolidating Novag's image with models like the [[Savant]], [[Robot Adversary]] and most notably the [[Super Constellation]]. Peter Auge's conservative marketing with the focus on human entertainment rather than challenging other programs <ref>[http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)</ref> was with hindsight quite successful, since Novag survived most of his competitors with apparently stronger programs.
=Associated People=
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Campomanes Florencio Campomanes]
* [[Paul Cohen]]
* [[Peter Jennings]]
* [[Mike Johnson]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoly_Karpov Anatoly Karpov]
* [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Kinzel Alfred Kinzel]
* [[David Kittinger]]
* [[David Levy]]
* [[Joseph Sugarman]]
* [[Eric Winkler]]
=Publications=
* [http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14356596.html Schachcomputer: Lästig, nicht lustig], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel Der Spiegel] 49/1982, December 06, 1982, (German)
* [[Tony Harrington]] ('''1983'''). ''Inter~Galactic Moves''. [[Personal Computer World]], [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/publication_archive_1983.html October 1983]
* [http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/10-1985,%20Interview%20mit%20Peter%20Auge,%20Ich%20bin%20ja%20nur%20der%20Chef.pdf Interview with Peter Auge] (pdf), Erwerbsquelle: 10-1985, Zeitschrift Schachcomputer (Herausgeber Florian Piel) hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]] (German)
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/Novag_Article_May_1986.pdf 100,000 Chess Computers a year Peter Auge says his HK product can only be beaten by masters and grand masters], The Bulletin, May 1986, pdf hosted by [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK]
=External Links=
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/scisys_and_novag___the_early_y.html SciSys and Novag : The Early Years] from [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/index.html Chess Computer UK] by [[Mike Watters]]
* [http://www.thorstenczub.de/thomas.html Thomas Nitsche Mephisto III] by [[Thorsten Czub]] covers [[Computerschach und Spiele]] 2/85 gloss about a meeting of Peter Auge and [[Thomas Nitsche]]
* [http://www.chesscomputeruk.com/html/dave_kittinger.html David Kittinger - Interview] by [[Bryan Whitby]], 2008
* Made in Hong Kong - Kein Leben ist perfekt - Doku über Peter Auge, Gründer der NOVAG Industries Ltd. (German 1980), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube YouTube] Video
: {{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIvNdvAzJpU|alignment=left|valignment=top}}
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
