Kim-1 User Notes

In July, 1976, the first issue of the Kim-1 User Notes appeared in my mailbox. It was exciting to become aware of other hobbyists learning to use the Kim-1 and to know that there would be a forum for the exchange of software and hardware tips and ideas.

Through Eric Rehnke, the publisher of the Kim-1 User Notes, and Rick Simpson at MOS Technology, I learned of another active Kim-1 user in Toronto. Jim Butterfield lived not far from me, and was digging into the 6502 and the power of the Kim-1 to do more than it was ever designed to do. We had to get together.

One evening, I gathered up my tapes and notes and along with another Toronto Kim-1 enthusiast, settled in for a night of conversation and software trading and showing off. I had mentioned that I was working on a chess program when I talked to Jim on the phone. After trading programs like Lunar Lander and many useful utilities, he asked how the chess was coming along. I agreed to demonstrate the program.

A board was set up, and the program was loaded into memory from a cassette tape. About three minutes later, we were ready to play. The Kim-1 flickered its LEDs and thought long and hard about each move. Jim's friend volunteered to take on the computer. For a while, the game was close, but suddenly, the Kim made an attack on the king. One move later, checkmate! Microchess had beaten its first live human opponent, other than me.

Kim-1 User Notes, Volume 1, Issue 2, appeared in November, 1976. Unbeknownst to me, Jim Butterfield had alerted Eric to my chess program and the "cover page" proclaimed the news.

There was no contact information for me in the newsletter, but shortly after this announcement appeared, I began to receive phone calls and letters requesting further information and wanting to purchase a copy as soon as the program was available. It was a program to bring the Kim-1 to life. Something to show friends and relatives that it was not just a toy, or a useless pile of wires and blinking LEDs, but a powerful computer, capable of playing chess.