Chessmaster PC

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Product Description

Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition PC

• Extensive course on the basics of chess taught by International Chess Master Josh Waitzkin
• Tutorials from Josh Waitzkin's groundbreaking book The Art of Learning
• Attacking Chess course commentary by Grandmaster Larry Christiansen
• 900 of chess's most important games presented and analyzed; single or multiplayer gameplay
• 600,000+ game database; coverage of all classic and modern opening variations
• Format: CD

Customer Reviews

Reviewed on 2008-07-20 Superb for its intended use A lot of people criticize Chessmaster for what it isn't. It isn't the strongest chess engine. Correct. That honor currently belongs to Rybka. It's database functions aren't industrial strength. Correct again. ChessBase and Chess Assistant beat it easily in this category. Chessmaster, however claims to have a very strong engine (absolutely true), perhaps the most convenient and capable way out there of playing against the engine at less than full strength (rated personalities), and excellent instructional material. It delivers on all of these and more at a very reasonable price. Also, some say that there isn't much change from upgrade to upgrade. I don't have version 10, but I had used 9000 for quite awhile. It didn't work well on a newer computer, so I purchased the Grandmaster edition. Not only have I had no problems with the program, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the (IMHO) much cleaner interface and excellent chess sets. From 9000, at least, I found it a real step up. I have the big database programs, and they are great for what they are. But for what Chessmaster is (at a fraction of the cost) it's pretty hard to beat.

Reviewed on 2008-07-17 It's worth $20 I've owned Chessmaster 10 since it first came out, but was hesitant to buy the Grandmaster Edition based on some of the reviews. True, it is very similar to its predecessor, but for me was worth Amazon's $19.95. Finally, no cd is required (I know, you could download no-cd patches for earlier versions, but this made upgrading especially troublesome). This to me was almost reason enough to buy it. Second you can customize the interface with various skins, and add your own avatar, which I really appreciate. Third, the chess engine seems a little better. Even though I usually play the mid 1500-level players, their gameplay seems improved. For me, however, the best new feature is Josh Waitzkin's "The Art of Learning" module." Hearing his blow-by-blow description of his match with Jeff Sarwer is amazing. I'm running this under Window's Vista Ultimate, and have had no problems whatsoever. Once again, for me this upgrade *IS* worth $19.95, though I probably wouldn't have paid $49.95 for it.

Reviewed on 2008-07-11 Great way to start playing chess This is my family's favorite computer game now. I find the tutorial and games with audio commentary fascinating...almost like watching a good movie. My kids (6 & 10) enjoyed the tutorials, and they love to play against the computer simulated players (with name and personality). At this price, it's a great bargain. It's a great way to start to learn to play chess, and the kids are getting pretty good.

Reviewed on 2008-06-07 Excellent Chess Tutorial & Game This is the best version so far. It's particularly good for those who are new to the game or who want to learn new strategies. It includes both the classic tutorials which are comprehensive, as well as the new "art of learning" tutorials narrated by chess expert Josh Waitzkin. The tutorials overlap but that is a good thing since it reinforces all the knowledge. Anyone interested in learning chess can't go wrong this this program, especially for the discounted price it's selling at these days.

Reviewed on 2008-06-06 THIS PROGRAM IS AWESOME I started playing Chess in 2000 and at the time thought I was ok. I was playing online. After getting beat up I purchased Chessmaster 6000 (maybe 8000) and used the Academy to get better. And now we are at the Grandmaster addition. I have both Fritz and Chessmaster. I use Fritz for my serious study and game analysis. I bought Chessmaster for my kids. I already have Chessmaster 10th Edition on my home pc but lost the disk so I bought Grandmaster Edition for my laptop. Many improvements in the Grandmaster addition. Over 20 3d Chessboards that are awesome. They added a bunch of House of Staunton chess sets that are 3d and very realistic looking. Four animated kids sets that are insane. I was even playing with them. The Josh Waitzkin academy is phenominal. I love sitting back and just watching him explain his annotated games. So if you want a great program to analyze and study game and be able to store millions of games in a database buy Fritz. Read D. Lester's review. I completely agree with him. If you want a kids game with insane graphics, an awesome chess course, mini chess games, chess coach, teaching while they play, and much more Chessmaster is the best. Period!