Best Computer Chess Game

	Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead Sale Price: $129.15 Average Rating:

	Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion List Price: $30.95 Sale Price: $24.28 Average Rating:

Majestic Chess (Jewel Case) List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $7.77 Average Rating:

Features World-Class Chess Engine - A top-notch chess engine from the creator of the original Chessmaster engine. Multiple play modes - Including challenging online play, computer vs. computer (learning mode), player vs. computer, and Chess Adventure. Chess Adventure - A unique game that introduces chess concepts in the context of a greater strategic adventure by presenting a variety of challenges, puzzles, speed drills and tutorials in the context of a story based quest. 24 Computer Opponents - 24 computer opponents to play against with a wide variety of adjustable settings to accommodate different play styles and levels. Multiple chess sets - Includes a variety of 2D and 3D sets.

Fritz Chess Tenth Edition List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $7.58 Average Rating:

Features Extended and updated database Dynamic hints: when entering a move, you see arrows highlighting direct and indirect attacks and defences of each square your mouse moves over Improved pieces for the 2D board. Highest resolution for boards of any size. Improved move entry on the 2D board: highlighted start and target squares avoid mouse slips. New set of very high resolution, classical wood 3D-pieces Engine animation: while the chess engine is calculating, typical elements of the calculation (e.g. frequented squares) are visualized directly on the board

Chessmaster 10th Edition JC List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $6.42 Average Rating:

Features New Chessmaster Academy - At the Academy, International Master Josh Waitzkin walks players through the basics of chess, plus introduce a variety of simple strategies for dominating your opponent. The Academy also features the best attacking moves as taught by noted chess champion, Larry Christiansen Completely revised interface - clean, clear, and easy to navigate, this all-new interface represents the biggest upgrade to the look and feel of Chessmaster in over seven years. Full-featured online chess module - more than just a place to play chess live with other players, Chessmaster online allows players to establish rankings, create tournaments, utilize teaching tools, and join a thriving chess community More fun for the whole family - Features such as animated chess sets, a variety of whimsical 3D sets, and simple and efficient learning tools, makes chess more fun than ever. Younger players and chess beginners will appreciate the specialized section just for them. As players improve, the game suggests an appropriate AI opponent Comprehensive chess engine - wise enough to teach an absolute beginner and powerful enough to defeat a grandmaster, experience the all-new edition of the King engine--the brains behind the best-selling brand in chess

Learn How To Beat Chess Computers

This article goal is to assist you winning a bit more often against chess computers. A few things that really help are to be able to understand how they work and think, be able to predict what sorts of things they might not spot and to understand what parts of the game a computer is better than humans at playing.

Since Deep Blue victory over Gary Kasparov it has become apparent to all that computers are very good at playing chess. But, fortunately, they still have weaknesses, so with a little preparation the results of playing against chess machine can be improved. A chess computer assesses who is ahead in a slightly different way to how many human players would. The piece values are the same, but not all humans would consider some of the other factors that a computer does.

How Chess Computers Play

Computers use evaluation functions to determine as accurately as possible the likely outcome of the game from that position, however it doesn't need to take account of a great deal of tactical information, as hopefully the tactics in the position are taken care of in the variations themselves.

Strategies for Beating Chess Computers

• Breaking rules of Thumb - The chess computers evaluation function is basically a list of 'rules of thumb' and when you give it a position where these rules aren't valid it will still blindly follow them (unless it can see the consequences).

• Opening choices against a master Tactician - When faced with a master tactician one should try to avoid open positions, where simplistic strategies of centralization and tactical awareness predominate. Openings that tend to lead to 'quiet' positions are to be preferred against computers. For example, in positions with a closed center and a build of wing attack behind a pawn advance, in most cases modern computer programs seek counter play with a pawn advance on the opposite wing, but they are outplayed as they don't recognize patterns for opening files, and make lacklustre moves.

• Bookish Opponent - As we have said modern computer chess programs have extensive opening books, but often primitive understanding of a position, so one strategy that has been used successfully is to deviate from book early. Many of the Grand masters do not use this strategy - perhaps they have the advantage of being familiar with all the latest analysis - possibly even more up to date than the machines - but for the less strong players, this is a useful strategy and probably will give the club player good practice at thinking through opening plans.

• Win the Endgame - Look for non-standard Endgames, in which chess computers can be mislead by the pre-defined evaluation of position.

• Play Great Chess - Always a good strategy in chess and can make up for not following any of the above advices

There are certain online chess schools where you can learn chess from some of the best chess tutors. They are committed to provide some of the best online chess lessons. Their chess tutorials or lessons are delivered using a learning platform developed to satisfy your needs and make you feel welcome in our community.

About the Author

Alex Rabinovich is an International Chess Master and a Software and Management Engineer. He has been a World Champion for High Schools in 1996 and has also got a 3rd place in Europe under 18 in 1996. He is a coach of Junior Israeli Olympic team.

What is the best computer or game system chess game for a "beginner" skill level?

My son is autistic and loves to play chess. His skill level is a high beginner to low intermediate. We live in a very rural area and there's no one for him to actually play with that doesn't beat him every time. And so far we haven't found a computer game that also doesn't beat him every time. He may be autistic, but like anybody else, he likes to win. Thanks for any advise!
Thanks Karl, this helps a great deal! My son's computer is several year's old and runs Windows XP Home. Will look for Grandmaster Chess. Are you talking about on-line gaming to find someone that would play chess games with him? If so, I don't know how to do this, but will try to find out. Thanks again!
Oh, and if you're talking about people to actually play chess with him, it's very very limited for him to find someone that will take the time to play him outside of our family, and my son knows when someone (like his dad) looses intentionally.

If you have Windows Vista, there should be a program called "Chess Titan" somewhere in the Start menu. To the best of my knowledge, it's a fairly simple AI. If not, try getting a hold of a program called "Grandmaster Chess" (any edition). They are very good games and usually have a wide assortment of difficulty levels ranging from Beginner to Grandmaster (expert).

If you continue having difficulty finding an appropriate program, try finding people who are willing to deliberately lose games. I don't mean that in the sense of playing badly to the point where it becomes impossible for your son to lose, but more of a "teaching game". This is when the "teacher" sets up scenarios in the game where the student should be able to identify the strategically superior move, sometimes through some coaxing or advice (basically a puzzle for him to solve). Ofcourse this will require somebody with a fairly high skill level to accomplish. If you do manage to use this method, it should improve his skill level (given enough time) and at the same time allow him the satisfaction of winning.

Good luck!