Chess Titans

"Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9AD569371C3FBandroid8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16...
> "Howard Kaikow" <kaikow@standards.com> wrote in news:#rwnvvo3IHA.1192
> @TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
>
> > What was MSFT's goal including Chess Titans?
> >
> > Even at its highest level, it is an awful player.
>
> Free.... FREE! Say it with me.... FREE!

Free does not mean that the product should be worthless.

"Howard Kaikow" <kaikow@standards.com> wrote in news:eTHvpah4IHA.3396
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

> "Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9AD569371C3FBandroid8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16...
>> "Howard Kaikow" <kaikow@standards.com> wrote in news:#rwnvvo3IHA.1192
>> @TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
>>
>> > What was MSFT's goal including Chess Titans?
>> >
>> > Even at its highest level, it is an awful player.
>>
>> Free.... FREE! Say it with me.... FREE!
>
> Free does not mean that the product should be worthless.

You get what you pay for... (in the immortal words of my father)

I suppose you could argue that you paid for Vista and Chess Titans is a
part of Vista, to which I say, GNU Chess is free as well, and I've heard
it's a "skosh" better, and it's free, being open source and all.

--
-A.

Clearly, there is little "chess logic" in the program.

For example, at level 9, I got careless and lost a pawn in the opening.
So we ended up with a K and Q vs. K end game.

The program does NOT know how to mate with such material.

The program allowed my K to circle its K.
Many situations arose in which there was forced mate in 2, yet the program
did not co-ordinate its K and Q.

After dozens of moves, in the process of avoiding a draw by repiition of
position, the program FINALLLY mated me.

Under normal circumstances, I would have resigned when it was K and P vs. K
in the given position, but I wanted to seeh ow the program would do in the
end game. It took dozens of moves.

There are other examples of potentially lost end games that, with some
effort, I ended up winning.

I only lose, or draw, even when I intentionally play bad openings, when I:

a. Doze off.
b. Fingers slip on mouse, amd do not have a chance to undo the move.

Very bad program.

"Howard Kaikow" <kaikow@standards.com> wrote in
news:OCLisCmCJHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:

> Clearly, there is little "chess logic" in the program.
(-- snip --)
> Very bad program.

You get what you pay for.

Try Chessmaster. I think you can get the latest version for like $14.99
online, and I've "Heard" it'll beat your nuts off.

I haven't tried it, for obivous reasons, and of course your milage may
vary. There are some GREAT places to play chess online. About 10 years ago
I went through a phase where I was playing "GNU Chess" online for months. I
got to play against some grandmasters, it was the most fun I'd had playing
chess, ever. My ranking was actually decent when I got done.

-best-a-luck

--
-A.

"Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9B0D7C4F649D2android8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16...
> I haven't tried it, for obivous reasons, and of course your milage may
> vary. There are some GREAT places to play chess online. About 10 years ago
> I went through a phase where I was playing "GNU Chess" online for months.
I
> got to play against some grandmasters, it was the most fun I'd had playing
> chess, ever. My ranking was actually decent when I got done.

I gave up on correspondence chess years ago, as you end up playing against
someone's computer, or against book moves.

I just started reading some chess opening books from 30+ years ago.
When I get up to snuff, I may play in a local club tournament.

Right now, I'm likely playing poor openings against Chess Titan, but, if I
am careful, and exchange material, I can win the end game 99+% of the time.
I've had a number of games, in which I played awfully, and ended up in
clearly lost end games, but won anyway.

One weakness of Chess Titans is it will make awful moves in order to avoid a
draw by repetition.

"Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns9B0D7C4F649D2android8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16:

> Try Chessmaster. I think you can get the latest version for like
> $14.99 online, and I've "Heard" it'll beat your nuts off.

Does Chessmaster still require the cd in the drive at least once every
week? That's annoying and IMO Fritz X is better than Chessmaster and
doesn't requirte the cd in the drive. You can get Fritz X for $19.99.

Maat <maat@nospam.invalid> wrote in news:JGHvk.246289$gc5.204557@pd7urf2no:

> "Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in
> news:Xns9B0D7C4F649D2android8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16:
>
>> Try Chessmaster. I think you can get the latest version for like
>> $14.99 online, and I've "Heard" it'll beat your nuts off.
>
> Does Chessmaster still require the cd in the drive at least once every
> week? That's annoying and IMO Fritz X is better than Chessmaster and
> doesn't requirte the cd in the drive. You can get Fritz X for $19.99.
>

I don't play chess too much, but I thought they had an online version you
could buy, but I'd never heard of Fritz X, so that sounds like good advice
from someone that knows their Chess programs.

--
-A.

"Andy [YaYa]" <android8675@MAPSONhotmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns9B0F500E27CF5android8675hotmailco@207.46.248.16:

> I don't play chess too much, but I thought they had an online version
> you could buy, but I'd never heard of Fritz X, so that sounds like
> good advice from someone that knows their Chess programs.
>

Fritz is rated as having the best chess engine for commercial releases of
chess games. Chessmaster is good too though but I prefer Fritz.