Difference between revisions of "Ron Nelson"

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[[FILE:RonNelson.JPG|border|right|thumb|Ron Nelson, 1984 <ref>[[László Lindner]], A SZÁMÍTÓGÉPES SAKK KÉPEKBEN című melléklete - The pictures of the Beginning of Chess Computers</ref> ]]  
 
[[FILE:RonNelson.JPG|border|right|thumb|Ron Nelson, 1984 <ref>[[László Lindner]], A SZÁMÍTÓGÉPES SAKK KÉPEKBEN című melléklete - The pictures of the Beginning of Chess Computers</ref> ]]  
  
'''Ronald (Ron) Nelson''',
+
'''Ronald (Ron) Nelson''',<br/>
 
an American electrical engineer, microcomputer chess pioneer, and Engineering Vice President for [[Excalibur Electronics]] <ref>[http://www.ismenio.com/fidelity.html Fidelity Electronics] from [http://www.ismenio.com/chess_computers.html chesscomputers.org]</ref>, since 2010 in retirement <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813&start=6 Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Ron Nelson]], [[CCC]], February 03, 2016</ref>. In 1976 he already developed a chess program for an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 Altair 8800] Microcomputer with an [[Intel]] [[8080]] CPU. Coincidentally, his friend was secretary at [[Fidelity Electronics]] owned by [[Sidney Samole]], who just had the idea to build a [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computer]] and was looking for a programmer and engineer <ref>[[Göran Grottling]] ('''1988'''). ''Thank you Mister Spock! Ein Interview mit Sid Samole.'' [[Modul]] 4/88, pp. 36-38 (German), [http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/12-1988,%20Modul,%20Interview%20mit%20Sid%20Samole.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]]</ref>. Ron got immediately hired by Samole, and they constructed and build several [[Chess Challenger|Fidelity Chess Challenger Prototypes]], three working models and four non-working models. Sidney Samole decided to promote their brainchild at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago Chicago's] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show Consumer Electronics Show] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977 January 1977] <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, [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/leval06.pdf pdf]</ref>
 
an American electrical engineer, microcomputer chess pioneer, and Engineering Vice President for [[Excalibur Electronics]] <ref>[http://www.ismenio.com/fidelity.html Fidelity Electronics] from [http://www.ismenio.com/chess_computers.html chesscomputers.org]</ref>, since 2010 in retirement <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813&start=6 Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Ron Nelson]], [[CCC]], February 03, 2016</ref>. In 1976 he already developed a chess program for an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 Altair 8800] Microcomputer with an [[Intel]] [[8080]] CPU. Coincidentally, his friend was secretary at [[Fidelity Electronics]] owned by [[Sidney Samole]], who just had the idea to build a [[Dedicated Chess Computers|dedicated chess computer]] and was looking for a programmer and engineer <ref>[[Göran Grottling]] ('''1988'''). ''Thank you Mister Spock! Ein Interview mit Sid Samole.'' [[Modul]] 4/88, pp. 36-38 (German), [http://www.schaakcomputers.nl/hein_veldhuis/database/files/12-1988,%20Modul,%20Interview%20mit%20Sid%20Samole.pdf pdf] hosted by [[Hein Veldhuis]]</ref>. Ron got immediately hired by Samole, and they constructed and build several [[Chess Challenger|Fidelity Chess Challenger Prototypes]], three working models and four non-working models. Sidney Samole decided to promote their brainchild at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago Chicago's] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show Consumer Electronics Show] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977 January 1977] <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, [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/leval06.pdf pdf]</ref>
  
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=Forum Posts=
 
=Forum Posts=
==2014 ...==
 
 
* [http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768 Ron Nelson Ever Copied, Used , Cloned the Spracklen?] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], July 05, 2014
 
* [http://hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768 Ron Nelson Ever Copied, Used , Cloned the Spracklen?] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], July 05, 2014
 
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=68 Re: Ron Nelson Ever Copied, Used , Cloned the Spracklen?] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 21, 2015
 
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=68 Re: Ron Nelson Ever Copied, Used , Cloned the Spracklen?] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 21, 2015
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* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7178 Ron Nelsons dedicated chess computers] by [[Thorsten Czub|mclane]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], April 26, 2015
 
* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7178 Ron Nelsons dedicated chess computers] by [[Thorsten Czub|mclane]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], April 26, 2015
 
* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7227 Even More about Nelson..] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]],  May 21, 2015
 
* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7227 Even More about Nelson..] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]],  May 21, 2015
==2016==
 
 
* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7591 Excalibur Chess Products Ron Nelson designed/programmed] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], January 05, 2016
 
* [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7591 Excalibur Chess Products Ron Nelson designed/programmed] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], January 05, 2016
 +
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7591&start=8 Chess Products Ron Nelson designed/programmed] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], January 11, 2016
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813 Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[CCC]], January 05, 2016
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813 Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Fernando Villegas]], [[CCC]], January 05, 2016
 
: [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813&start=5 Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Ron Nelson]], [[CCC]], February 03, 2016
 
: [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58813&start=5 Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Ron Nelson]], [[CCC]], February 03, 2016

Revision as of 20:12, 3 June 2020

Home * People * Ron Nelson

Ron Nelson, 1984 [1]

Ronald (Ron) Nelson,
an American electrical engineer, microcomputer chess pioneer, and Engineering Vice President for Excalibur Electronics [2], since 2010 in retirement [3]. In 1976 he already developed a chess program for an Altair 8800 Microcomputer with an Intel 8080 CPU. Coincidentally, his friend was secretary at Fidelity Electronics owned by Sidney Samole, who just had the idea to build a dedicated chess computer and was looking for a programmer and engineer [4]. Ron got immediately hired by Samole, and they constructed and build several Fidelity Chess Challenger Prototypes, three working models and four non-working models. Sidney Samole decided to promote their brainchild at Chicago's Consumer Electronics Show in January 1977 [5]

Fidelity

Ron Nelson wrote the first programs, and was also Fidelity's Hardware engineer. After the huge success of the Z80 based Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 [6] , which sold about 600,000 units, the company along with Ron Nelson moved from Chicago, Illinois to Miami Florida in January 1981. When Dan and Kathe Spracklen were hired by Samole in 1980 to adopt their much stronger Sargon III program as Fidelity's flagship, Nelson focused on hardware aspects and presumely I/O and system programming of the machines. In the 80s from time to time, a Fidelity model appeared with his Z80 program.

NelsonEngineer.jpg

Director of Engineering: Ron Nelson [7]

Excalibur

After Hegener & Glaser acquired Fidelity Electronics in 1989, Ron Nelson continued computer chess engineering, as well as computer chess programming in Sidney's son, Shane Samole's company Excalibur Electronics. Every chess game produced by Excalibur Electronics contains a Nelson programs [8] [9].

See also

Forum Posts

Re: Ron Nelson Ever Copied, Used , Cloned the Spracklen? by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 21, 2015
Excalibur Electronics by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 22, 2015
Excalibur Electronics by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 22, 2015
Consumer Computer Chess History Trivia by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 22, 2015 » David Kittinger, WMCCC 1981, Mark Taylor
Re: Excalibur Electronics by Mike Watters, Hiarcs Forum, December 23, 2015
Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 23, 2015
Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 23, 2015 » Excalibur
Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 23, 2015 » Fidelity Electronics, Sidney Samole
Re: Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 24, 2015 » Eric White
Re: Ron Nelson by Mike Watters, Hiarcs Forum, December 28, 2015
Re: Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 29, 2015
Re: Ron Nelson by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 29, 2015
Fidelity and Fast Hardware by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 31, 2015
Ron Nelson & Talking Chess Computers by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, January 02, 2016
Re: Ron Nelson & Talking Chess Computers by Steve Blincoe, Hiarcs Forum, January 02, 2016
Ron Nelson and H & G Projects by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, January 02, 2016
Re: Ron Nelson by Chessmaster Ireland, Hiarcs Forum, January 02, 2016
Re: Ron Nelson Chess Challenger 10 by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, January 24, 2016 » Cassia Chess Mate
Chess Products Ron Nelson designed/programmed by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, January 11, 2016
Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here... by Ron Nelson, CCC, February 03, 2016

External Links

References

  1. László Lindner, A SZÁMÍTÓGÉPES SAKK KÉPEKBEN című melléklete - The pictures of the Beginning of Chess Computers
  2. Fidelity Electronics from chesscomputers.org
  3. Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here... by Ron Nelson, CCC, February 03, 2016
  4. Göran Grottling (1988). Thank you Mister Spock! Ein Interview mit Sid Samole. Modul 4/88, pp. 36-38 (German), pdf hosted by Hein Veldhuis
  5. Lev Alburt and Al Lawrence (2000). "How About a Nice Game of Chess?" - Any Time. Sidney Samole (1935-2000). Chess Café, October 17, 2000, pdf
  6. Fidelity Chess Challenger 7 from Schachcomputer.info Wiki (German)
  7. 16.Fidelity ..The Golden Years | Flickr - Fotosharing by Chewbanta
  8. Excalibur Electronics by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, December 22, 2015
  9. Excalibur Chess Products Ron Nelson designed/programmed by ChessChallenger, Hiarcs Forum, January 05, 2016

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