Web site:
Category: Games
Sub-Category: Board
Platform: Apple II, Atari, MS DOS, Amiga, Amstrad, ZX Spectrum, MSX, OS X, Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance/NES/Super NES/DS, Sega Game Gear, Windows, PlayStation, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Xbox
License: Proprietary
Interface: GUI
Wikipedia: Chessmaster
First release: 1986
Chessmaster – a series of computer chess programs created by the Software Toolworks, later developed by several other manufacturers, currently owned by Ubisoft. It is a best-selling chess program, with over 5 million copies sold as of 2002.
The Chessmaster series began in 1986 with the release of Chessmaster 2000. In 1989, an expanded version, Chessmaster 2100, was released. In 1991, Chessmaster 3000 was released. The engine on which the game is based is called The King and was created by Dutchman Johan de Koning.
In 2000, Chessmaster 8000 was released.
In September 2002, Chessmaster 9000 defeated international grandmaster Larry Christiansen (three-time US champion) by a score of 2.5–1.5.
The latest version, Chessmaster XI – The Art of Learning (released on October 30, 2007), includes, among other things, an Academy featuring lessons prepared by Joshua Waitzkin.
The game allows for a two- and three-dimensional view of the board with pieces and the selection of a more original appearance of the pieces; the activation of some add-ons requires fulfilling additional conditions – winning a certain number of ranking games.
Players can play their games online against other players or choose from a variety of opponents with varying difficulty levels (stored in the program). Based on the player’s profile and recent gameplay, the program suggests an opponent with a skill level appropriate to their current skills. Among the opponents stored in the program are well-known chess champions.
