Peter R Jennings
Canadian physicist, scientist, inventor, software developer, computer chess programmer, and entrepreneur (born 1950)
About Peter R Jennings
Born 1950. Peter R Jennings is a Canadian physicist and businessperson, known for Microchess.
Peter R. Jennings (born 1950) is a British-Canadian physicist, scientist, inventor, software developer, computer chess programmer, and entrepreneur. He is most notable for creating MicroChess, the first microcomputer game to be sold commercially.
Biography Early life Peter Jennings was born in Bedford, England, in 1950. In the 1960s his family moved to Ontario, Canada. He received his Master of Arts (MA) degree in physics from SUNY Stony Brook University in 1972 and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in finance and marketing from McMaster University in 1974. The code was sold on paper and users had to manually enter the program using a keyboard.
The program was later available on Apple II, TRS-80, Commodore PET, and Atari 8-bit computers, where it sold millions of copies. Jennings also developed the first model of the ChessMate while working for Commodore in 1977. alt=The Commodore ChessMate, developed by Peter R Jennings in 1977. The Commodore ChessMate, developed by Peter R. Jennings in 1977
Later years In 1976, along with Dan Fylstra, Jennings co-founded the corporation Personal Software, which later became VisiCorp. Proceeds from MicroChess sales helped finance the development of VisiCalc, the first-ever spreadsheet program.
Publications January 1978: "The Second World Computer Chess Championships". BYTE. p. 108. March 1978: "Microchess 1.5 vs. Dark Horse". BYTE. p. 166. 1979: "Revolution in Personal Computing". Wharton Magazine. No date: "A Good, Long Read (for 18 Years)". Foundation RISC User Online. RISCOS Ltd.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Peter R Jennings's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Peter R Jennings's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Peter R Jennings?
Canadian physicist, scientist, inventor, software developer, computer chess programmer, and entrepreneur (born 1950)
When was Peter R Jennings born?
Peter R Jennings was born in 1950 in Bedford.
What is Peter R Jennings's occupation?
Peter R Jennings is a physicist and businessperson.
What is Peter R Jennings known for?
Peter R Jennings is known for Microchess.
What nationality is Peter R Jennings?
Peter R Jennings is Canadian.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Peter R Jennings
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter R Jennings. https://biography.guide/peter-r-jennings/
MLA: "Peter R Jennings." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-r-jennings/.
Chicago: "Peter R Jennings." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-r-jennings/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:11 UTC