Chessmaster 10

[SwordsMaster]

Just got my hands on Chessmaster 10th ed. It is a chess game. The best I've ever played that is challenging and fun and also includes a huge database of moves dating back to the XVII century and a lot of tutorials to get you going.

I highly recomment it to all chess players out there.

[Geoffrey S]

Does it have an option to watch replays of earlier games I'd have played to look at where things went wrong for either side? And if so, does it also allow the computer to find ideal moves so I can compare what I did to what may have been a better alternative?

Sounds interesting, anyway. A good new chess program is always welcome.

[Beirut]

I had the demo for Chessmaster 10 but it expired after eight hours of play.

I bought Chessmaster 9 after I tried the 10 demo. It was only $10. The 10th edition was around $50. The 9th is good, but the 10th edition had a much nicer interface and look to it.

There's no question these chess sims improve your game.

[SwordsMaster]

Does it have an option to watch replays of earlier games I'd have played to look at where things went wrong for either side? And if so, does it also allow the computer to find ideal moves so I can compare what I did to what may have been a better alternative?

Sounds interesting, anyway. A good new chess program is always welcome.

It does have a tutorial mode, no clock, with the ability to let the computer suggest you the best moves in each situation telling you why that move is the best.

At the end of each game you have the option of asking for a complete review of the game with lots of data.

I haven't actually tried saving my own setups and games... I'll do that sometime.

There's no question these chess sims improve your game.

They definitely do. I already learned 3 ways of defending my queen's side today that I haven't thought of before....

[Geoffrey S]

Sold. I'll be looking for it once I've got some time then.

[Navaros]

I have had Chessmaster 10 for a long time.

The Josh Waitzkin tutorials are very well-done, except I think they really skimped-over strategy for openings and the middle-game. Teaching you almost nothing about openings or the middle-game at all.

I wish he would have spent vastly more time on teaching strategy about that.

I went back and and looked at some of the "Chessmaster Series" tutorials that are also included with Chessmaster 10, and I noticed that those go into more depth with openings. But that trainer is much more boring to listen to than Josh is IMO, and plus some of his reasoning is not explained. Just the other week I was going over the tutorial for Black's responses to White's second move and sometimes you are supposed to make moves contrary to the principles. Yet in other almost-identical looking situations, you are are supposed to stick with the principles. Some of those situations really left me confused, especially since they are not always adequately explained in the tutorial.

In terms of actually playing Chess with it, I found the "game analysis" feature at the end of the game to be totally useless. I was expecting it would tell me what I did wrong, and why what I did was wrong. It definitely didn't even try to do that.

I don't like playing vs. the AI opponents because I find they are very hard to beat. I'm probably "average" at playing Chess; meaning I play about as well as an average person who is not all that familiar Chess would play. The impression I got after playing a lot vs. the AI in Chessmaster 10 was that the "it's a computer who makes perfect calculations that I can't compete with!" factor really started to aggravate me. Then so that lower level AI opponents give off the illusion of being bad players, the AI is programmed to make ridiculously-boneheaded moves with the lower level AI opponents. Which also frustrates me in the same way, because a real human probably would not make such blatantly boneheaded moves.

I was hoping Chessmaster 10 would teach me the real nitty-gritty of how to become a Chess expert. I have found that in my case, the program leaves me with more questions about Chess than it provides answers for. And the lack of a detailed game analysis tool leaves me in the dark about what I did wrong after playing a game.

I was thinking about trying Fritz Chess, but I am not sure if I would run into the same obstacles with that. It's really hard to tell based on reading reviews of the program.

Having said all that, I don't hate Chessmaster 10. It's a good program. I guess I was just expecting it to do more than what it was actually able to do for me.

[ShadesWolf]

I have Chessmaster 10 and think its a good tool to help. I usually try things out on it before putting them into practice i the real world.

I was hoping Chessmaster 10 would teach me the real nitty-gritty of how to become a Chess expert. I have found that in my case, the program leaves me with more questions about Chess than it provides answers for. And the lack of a detailed game analysis tool leaves me in the dark about what I did wrong after playing a game.

I play a lot of Chess and have a number of books on my favourite openings (in my cases its the Queens Gambit.) I find this together with the articles in the papers are very useful, as it helps me fine tune my game.

Also I find playing set opening in games, ie the game starts at move 4 of an opening helps me see where I am going wrong and what mistakes I made.

[ichi]

Any recommendations from the experts on which is the preferred chess program, or at least, the most complete in terms of analysis, tutorials, and opening books?

ichi

[Puzz3D]

Any recommendations from the experts on which is the preferred chess program, or at least, the most complete in terms of analysis, tutorials, and opening books?

Fritz 9 would be the one to get. Read about it here: http://www.chessbase.com/

You can buy it in the USA through USCF: http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=35&scID=60&PID=505

[Puzz3D]

Just the other week I was going over the tutorial for Black's responses to White's second move and sometimes you are supposed to make moves contrary to the principles. Yet in other almost-identical looking situations, you are are supposed to stick with the principles.

Chess is a highly tactical game so you have to look at the tactical possibilities on every move, but I'm not aware that white can force black to violate the general principles on the second move. The objective of the opening is to control the 4 squares in the center of the board. Black can choose a strong point defense by keeping a pawn in the center or a counterattack defense by giving up the center and then trying to retake it.

In terms of actually playing Chess with it, I found the "game analysis" feature at the end of the game to be totally useless. I was expecting it would tell me what I did wrong, and why what I did was wrong. It definitely didn't even try to do that.

These chess programs do give a numerical evaluation to every position, but seeing where someone first went wrong isn't easy because it's where the player made a move that wasn't consistent with a plan, but the computer doesn't know the player's plan. For instance, in a game against Fritz 9 yesterday, on my 10th move I moved a rook to a file that ultimately I was not able to open. Fritz 9 did make a comment by saying it hadn't seen the move before in that position. That move was a mistake that eventually messed up my whole game because my plan couldn't be carried out, and I drifted into a more and more difficult position. Eventually by move 20, I got to a point where I didn't have a good move, and lost a piece no matter what I did.

I don't like playing vs. the AI opponents because I find they are very hard to beat.

Playing chess against computers is a lot of work, and computers don't care if they win or lose, so it's not very satisfying and it's definitely not relaxing. I'd rather play against a human opponent. Even if I loose, I can compliment him for playing a good game.

I was hoping Chessmaster 10 would teach me the real nitty-gritty of how to become a Chess expert.

Maybe it can if you stick with it long enough and play enough games, but that's hard to do because it's a cold opponent. I think you need to feel the satisfaction of winning against human opponets to keep you playing over the long period of time necessary to master the game.

I was thinking about trying Fritz Chess, but I am not sure if I would run into the same obstacles with that. It's really hard to tell based on reading reviews of the program.

I think Fritz has more ways to handicap itself than does Chessmaster, but I haven't tried them. Right now I'm trying to improve how I play the English opening using Fritz at full strength. It's not easy because the English has the theoretical disadvantage of using a sidepawn to control the center and allowing black an easy e5, and Fritz is too good at getting the upper hand in the center before I can get my queen side attack going.

[ShadesWolf]

Right now I'm trying to improve how I play the English opening

Which sites do u guys play on ?

[ichi]

Fritz 9 would be the one to get. Read about it here: http://www.chessbase.com/

You can buy it in the USA through USCF: http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=35&scID=60&PID=505

Thanks Yuuki

Drop into VI and lets get a Samurai battle going

ichi

[Puzz3D]

Which sites do u guys play on ?

I haven't played chess online. I've always played over the board.

[Puzz3D]

Checkout how grandmaster Ruslan Ponomariov won after blundering against Fritz in the People vs Computers match currently underway in Bilbao, Spain. After 3 rounds, the match stands at 6.5 to the programs, 2.5 to the grandmasters, with one round remaining.

Ponomariov vs Fritz

Also, here is a review of Fritz9:

The new Fritz 9 engine

[ShadesWolf]

I haven't played chess online. I've always played over the board.

Are you interested in trying to play correspondance chess online ?

[viermaaldomi]

www.chess21.com is a good site where you can play free online chess.

EDIT: those of you who like chess should definitely try out the fantastic game that is go. check out www.kiseido.com to learn more about this game and also to play free online!