The world’s first computer chess unit will make an appearance at NUI Galway’s Coding Computer Games – Past, Present & the Future event on Saturday March 2.

The event runs from 12 noon to 2pm in the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, IDA/NUIG Business Park Dangan.

The Fidelity Chess Challenger was the first chess electronic unit available to the public.

Based on a Z80 8-bit micro-processor, it started production in 1977 with its most popular model, the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7, selling some 600,000 units. Its inventor Sidney Samole got the idea for computer chess after watching an episode of Star Trek.

Also at the event, Galway-based software developers such as Tribal City and Starcave Entertainment will demonstrate some of their latest web-based games. Children from the local Coderdojo club will introduce visitors to the coding behind their own games.

There will also be classic arcade games like Asteroids, Pacman, Sonic, and Pong played on vintage consoles and computers such as Atari, Amiga, and Sinclair ZX81.

The event is a collaboration of Coderdojo Galway, the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland, and the Digital Enterprise Research Institute at NUI Galway, and is part of National Engineers Week.