JS&A Computer Chess Mk 1

JS&A Group, Inc.; Northbrook, IL

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  • Year
  • 1978 ?
  • Category
  • Signal Processing and Computing
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 371857

 Technical Specifications

  • Number of Transistors
  • Semiconductors present.
  • Semiconductors
  • Main principle
  • DSP, Digital Signal Processor
  • Wave bands
  • - without
  • Power type and voltage
  • Direct Current supply (DC) / 9 Volt
  • Loudspeaker
  • - - No sound reproduction output.
  • Material
  • Plastics (no bakelite or catalin)
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: JS&A Computer Chess Mk 1 - JS&A Group, Inc.; Northbrook,
  • Shape
  • Very small Portable or Pocket-Set (Handheld) < 8 inch.
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 8.875 x 2.125 x 4.875 inch / 225 x 54 x 124 mm
  • Notes

  • JS&A Chess Computer – Rebranded Novag Chess Champion MK I

    In 1978, JS&A introduced the JS&A Chess Computer, a rebranded version of the Novag Chess Champion MK I. Although manufactured by Novag Industries Ltd., the unit was marketed exclusively by JS&A in the United States.

    The JS&A Chess Computer used a program that closely resembled the earlier CompuChess software. This led to a well‑documented legal dispute between Data Cash Systems and Novag, alleging unauthorized copying of the original DCS chess program. The case highlighted the emerging intellectual‑property challenges in early computer‑chess development.

    Technical Characteristics
    Both CompuChess and the JS&A Chess Computer shared similar architecture:

    • CPU: Fairchild F8 @ 1.78 MHz
    • Memory: Approx. 2 KB ROM, 256 bytes RAM
    • Input: Keypad entry (no sensory board)
    • Output: LED indicators and simple move display
    • Play Strength: Modest by modern standards, but competitive with other late‑1970s consumer chess computers

    These machines represented the transition from electromechanical chess devices to fully digital microprocessor‑based systems.

    Marketing Significance
    JS&A’s catalogue was influential in popularizing early consumer electronics. Their marketing of chess computers included:

    • National mail‑order campaigns
    • “Challenge the Computer” promotional themes
    • Positioning computer chess as both an educational tool and a technological curiosity

    JS&A’s involvement helped introduce microprocessor chess to a broad American audience, even though the company itself did not design or manufacture the hardware.

    Legacy

    JS&A’s role in computer chess was brief but historically important. The company:

    • Helped distribute one of the earliest commercial chess computers (CompuChess)
    • Marketed a rebranded Novag unit that became part of a landmark software‑copyright dispute
    • Demonstrated how mail‑order electronics firms contributed to the spread of early home‑computer technology

    Today, JS&A’s chess products are of interest to collectors for their place in the evolution of dedicated chess computers and for their connection to the pioneering work of Data Cash Systems and Novag.

    Made in Hong Kong.

  • Price in first year of sale
  • 100.00 USD
  • Mentioned in
  • -- Original prospect or advert (Popular Electronics April 1979, p.3)
  • Author
  • Model page created by Gary Cowans. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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