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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> ]]
'''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>
=Fidelity=
Ron Nelson wrote the first programs, and was also [[Fidelity Electronics|Fidelity's]] Hardware engineer. After the huge success of the [[Z80]] based ''Fidelity Chess Challenger 7'' <ref>[http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Fidelity_Chess_Challenger_7 Fidelity Chess Challenger 7] from [http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Hauptseite_En Schachcomputer.info Wiki] (German)</ref> , which sold about 600,000 units, the company along with Ron Nelson moved from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago Chicago], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois Illinois] to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami Miami] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida Florida] in January 1981. When [[Dan Spracklen|Dan]] and [[Kathe Spracklen]] were hired by Samole in 1980 to adopt their much stronger [[Sargon|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.
[[FILE:NelsonEngineer.jpg|none|border|text-bottom|626px|link=http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/859077348/sizes/z/in/photostream/]]
=See also=
* [[:Category:Nelson Quotes]]
* [[Chess Challenger]]
* [[Excalibur Electronics]]
=Forum Posts=
* [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=78 Excalibur Electronics] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 22, 2015» [[ACM 1981]], [[Belle|Belle's]] [[Attack and Defend Maps|Attack Maps]]
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=82 Excalibur Electronics] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 22, 2015
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=84 Consumer Computer Chess History Trivia] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 22, 2015 » [[David Kittinger]], [[WMCCC 1981]], [[Mark Taylor]]
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=105 Ron Nelson] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 23, 2015 » [[Excalibur Electronics |Excalibur]]
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=108 Ron Nelson] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 23, 2015 » [[Fidelity Electronics]], [[Sidney Samole]]
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=122 Re: Ron Nelson] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 24, 2015 » [[Excalibur Mirage]], [[Eric White]]
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=145 Re: Ron Nelson] by [[Mike Watters]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 28, 2015
: [http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6768&start=169 Re: Ron Nelson] by [[Ron Nelson|ChessChallenger]], [[Computer Chess Forums|Hiarcs Forum]], December 29, 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=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&start=5 Re: Ron Nelson maybe will come here...] by [[Ron Nelson]], [[CCC]], February 03, 2016
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Programmer|Nelson]]
