Nacho Daddy's Chessmassa?

Back in the days of the Spoiler Empire in the 70’s in NYC, it was not unusual to stumble into HQ and find a group of leather-jacketed punk rockers smoking weed, sipping beers and…playing chess. There would be as many as four games in progress with players waiting their turn. As I moved along in life away from my playing partners, I came across the original Chessmaster in San Antonio. I would have to say my greatest chess moment was when I beat the second-ranked player in the program, leaving only Chessmaster itself to topple. Unfortunately, my interest waned and the showdown never took place.

Over a decade later, I decided to return to the chess wars, finding that there is a Chessmaster 10 these days. Knowing how much software improves and updates these days, I expected to find a fair share of perks and was not disappointed. With a plethora of opponents, chess sets, timing and coaching options, classic matches and brain teasers, CM 10 was more than a bargain.

Compatible with Windows XP and most other versions, the three-CD set is a quick loader with no fuss or muss. There have been online complaints that you have to keep Disc #1 in the CD drive to play, but I’ve had no problem with that. It appears in a screen-size window that you can reduce to work on other programs as needed. The menus and options are easy to locate along the toolbar, and you can even change chess sets and coaching features while the games are in progress.

CM 10 provides you with ranking updates as you make your way along the gauntlet. One noteworthy point is that it does its best to keep your ego in check, a major key to development. It gives you a selection of ugly avatars to use, while the pics of the virtual players are of real people who you may not expect to be exposing you to such mental anguish. The worst of these is Josh Age 6, who reappears as Age 7, Age 8, et cetera. Along with him are women of all ages, blacks, Asians, and even Krycik, who appears as a male but is identified by the chess mentor as he/she. The point of this is that you should always be prepared to be crushed like an ant on any given day by anyone across from you regardless of race, religion, creed, age or gender. Chess, like God, is no respecter of persons. Xenophobes beware.

The sets are also new and improved although some are extremely exotic and may prove distracting to many players. The traditional Staunton and classic wood sets are the easiest to view. Some, like the Irish and the metal sets, make it hard to distinguish king from queen which can cause major problems in the clinches. Others, like the Indian and the animated sets, have pieces that I find indistinguishable. There is also a great rotation feature that allows you to tilt the board to different viewing angles or rotate it entirely. You can even adjust the shadows on the pieces to your liking.

The timing and coaching features allow you to tailor the games to your preference. You can set the games from 10-minute to one hour time limits, and activate an announcer who calls the moves as the match progresses. The classic matches provide a great learning tool as it allows you to review games between the greats of the game, from Tal to Fischer to Kasparov. You can click the moves as the game progresses, allowing you to view it at your leisure. The brain teasers provide puzzles and quizzes designed to help newbies up the ladder with simulated game situations.

For someone like me trying to dust off their long-lost skills, or beginners turning themselves onto the game of kings, or even competition-level players wanting to sharpen their claws without driving down to the club, CM 10 is the best deal around at a bargain price.