Name: Sargon III
Platform: Atari 800
Region: USA
Media: Disk (atx)
Controller: Joystick, Keyboard
Genre: Board Game - Chess
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1985
Developer: Hayden Software
Publisher: Hayden Software
Players: 1
Programmer: Lynn Ford, Alex Ford
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The Sargon series were the connisseur's chess games at the time. This edition includes variable move times, ranging from 5 seconds to infinity. Moves can be undone and you can swap sides during the game. The search feature displays its calculations as you play, which can be useful to learn from. Special tactical situations, opening move sequences and checkmate practices can be loaded in for learning purposes.

Trivia:

According to the program authors, Sargon III was the first 3rd-party executable available for the Apple Macintosh.

This game is most likely related to or named after SARGON, a microcomputer program. In 1978 SARGON won the first tournament for microcomputers, held in San Jose California. David Levy collected his 10 year bet by defeating CHESS 4.7 in Toronto Ontario. One of the games was a draw. This was the first time a computer drew an international master. 

The first four games were written by the same couple - husband and wife! Part 5 was released by Activision but lacked that certain "originality" that was in the first three. Sargon 4 was a great game but was released by a really bad company called Spinnaker - they did nothing to promote this game and that was a REAL SHAME. The gameplay was good, but the manual and box were terrible.


http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/sargon-iii
