Second-Hand Chess Computers: Saitek Kasparov, Mephisto, Novag and Chess Challenger

Updated on 18 October 2026 · Written by Brunoy Échecs · Specifications checked on the manufacturers’ websites

Kasparov, Mephisto, Novag Electronic Chess Sets: The Brands in One Table

The electronic chess set appeared in the late 1970s in the United States, then Europe and Hong Kong took over. The table below summarises the brands most often met on the second-hand market.

Fidelity and the Chess Challenger, the 1977 Pioneer

Fidelity Electronics’ Chess Challenger is regarded as the first electronic chess set to go on sale. It was presented at the consumer electronics show in Chicago in January 1977, and the Wikipedia encyclopedia mentions a first run of about a thousand units. The Chess Challenger 7, released in 1979, is the model of this family most often met at car-boot sales and flea markets: a compact case, a keypad for entering moves and a small display.

Fidelity went on to win several world microcomputer chess titles in the early 1980s, before being bought in 1989 by the German company Hegener + Glaser, maker of the Mephisto. For a collector, the Chess Challenger is above all a witness piece: it is the starting point of the whole story told on this site.

Saitek and the Kasparov Range

Saitek was founded in Hong Kong in 1979 by Eric Winkler, of Swiss origin, under the name SciSys, which it kept until 1987. The collaboration with Garry Kasparov began in 1983 and the Kasparov brand appears on the devices from 1987. This is why so many readers search for “Kasparov electronic chess set”: the champion’s name appeared on dozens of models, from the small travel device to the tabletop board with LEDs.

• Kasparov GK 2000 (1992): a program by Frans Morsch, one of the most widespread tabletop models in Europe.
• Kasparov GK 2100 (1993): its direct successor.
• Pocket and travel models: numerous, often with a pressure board and small magnetic pieces.

Saitek bought Hegener + Glaser, and with it the Mephisto brand, in 1994. The division then changed hands several times: Mad Catz acquired Saitek in 2007, then Logitech took over the brand in 2016, for its flight-simulation accessories rather than for chess.

Mephisto, the Munich Brand

Hegener + Glaser was born in Munich in 1969, founded by Manfred Hegener and Florian Glaser to make semiconductors. The name Mephisto appears in 1980, with a first model nicknamed “Brikett”. The brand’s fame comes above all from the programs of the Briton Richard Lang: his engines enabled Mephisto to win the world microcomputer chess championships from 1984 to 1990.

After the takeover by Saitek in 1994, Manfred Hegener founded Millennium in the mid-1990s, still based near Munich. The link between the eras is direct: Millennium today sells computers bearing the Mephisto brand once more, such as the Mephisto Phoenix, and its ChessGenius uses Richard Lang’s program. If you like the Mephisto spirit but want a new device, read our page on the Millennium ChessGenius range.

Novag, from the Constellation to the Citrine

Novag was founded in Hong Kong in 1978. The American programmer David Kittinger joined it in 1981 and wrote several of its best-known engines. Two models come up often in the listings:

• Novag Constellation (1983): a 1980s classic, with a sensor board and LEDs.
• Novag Citrine (2006): one of the brand’s last creations, sought after by enthusiasts for its finish and its connectivity.

The company was sold in 2009. Novag models remain prized by collectors, but spare parts (chess pieces, original mains adapters) are becoming rare.

How a Chess Computer Works

Most tabletop computers of that era rely on a simple principle. Under each of the 64 squares sits a reed switch, and each piece contains a magnet. When a piece is lifted or set down, the contact opens or closes. The device does not recognise what kind of piece it is: it starts from the initial position and tracks the movements square by square. Other, simpler models use a pressure-sensitive membrane: you must then press on the starting square and then on the destination square.

On the calculation side, the program explores a tree of possible moves and evaluates the resulting positions. The method known as alpha-beta, a refinement of the minimax algorithm, makes it possible to discard branches that cannot change the result and so to search deeper with a modest processor. This is what allowed these machines to play decently with a few kilobytes of memory.

Buying a Second-Hand Chess Computer: The Checklist

An old device may have spent thirty years in an attic. Before buying, check the following points:

1. The battery compartment: forgotten batteries leak and corrode the contacts. Ask for a photo of the open compartment.
2. Every square: on a sensor board, a switch may be dead. The seller should be able to show a game of a few moves.
3. The LEDs and the display: a row or column of LEDs that stays dark makes the device tiresome to use.
4. All 32 pieces: a pawn or a queen is often missing. On a magnetic board, a replacement piece must contain a magnet.
5. The power supply: many tabletop models use a specific adapter. Check the voltage and polarity before connecting a substitute adapter.
6. The manual: without it, the key combinations (levels, take-back, setting up a position) are hard to guess.

Collection or training?

For nostalgia, a Mephisto or a Kasparov in good condition has all its charm. To improve, a recent device is more useful: it plays stronger, offers better-graded levels, beginner aids and sometimes a connection to Lichess or Chess.com. That is the case with The King Performance, a direct heir of the German school. To compare with a new chess computer of today, a specialist shop’s selection gives a good idea of what is currently on offer.