93 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
93 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
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CHESSMASTER 2100
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If you're a PC user and play chess, the chances are excellent that
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you have at least heard of -- and quite possibly may own --
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CHESSMASTER 2100 from The Software Toolworks. The program's
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popularity isn't hard to understand, considering it offers a
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plethora of features, plays a respectable game (even on an XT), and
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can usually be found selling for less than $50 (and occasionally
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under $25!) in most software stores. (This review is based on the
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IBM-PC version.)
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Probably the most appealing aspects of CM2100 are the many features
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accessible via six pull-down menus. You may specify a
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three-dimensional set, the ability to design your own pieces, a
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voice that announces the openings and provides running commentary
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during the course of the game, and a teaching mode.
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Each of the folowing six headings has its own menu: GAME (Save,
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Load, New Game, etc.); PLAY (choose a playing level, from
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"Newcomer" through "Championship"); ACTION (Switch sides, Take
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Back, Hint, Offer Draw, etc.); BOARD (standard Staunton pieces in
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either 2-D or 3-D); CHOICES (Sound, Commentary, Colors, etc.); and a
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WINDOW that appears on demand showing one of various functions,
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including recommended variation and CM2100's analysis of the current
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position.
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To accomodate a wide range of user abilities, navigation of the
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program is accomplished via six pull-down menus. However, in my
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opinion, the number of menus -- and the titles of each -- only serve
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as a source of confusion. I found it difficult to remember which
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features were listed on each menu, since only "Board" is
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self-explanatory. For instance, "Play" actually refers to the skill
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level (most other chess programs refer to it simply as "level");
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"Choices" is a collection of sight and sound options; and "Game" is
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the file menu. Until I became familiar with the terminology and use
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of the features, I was spending as much time learning how to use the
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program as deciding on a move!
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The playing strength can be adjusted via numerous settings --
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again, maybe too many. But curiously, only the "Championship" level
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need be selected for CM2100 to play its strongest game. There is a
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significant drawback to choosing that level, though: Most other
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features are disabled, including such mandatory conveniences as the
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"beep" when the program moves, and the ability to force a move when
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necessary.
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The majority of players will find CM2100's playing strength to be
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challenging. On my XT, playing it on "Championship" at three minutes
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per move, I would judge the program to be the equivalent of about a
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1600 U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) over-the-board rating, slightly
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better than an average (1500 USCF) tournament chess player. CM2100
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seems to be very time-sensitive. Although all programs (and humans,
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too!) play better the more time allotted per move, there seems to be
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a noticeably steep decline in the quality of CM2100's play when time
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is reduced. (I suspect the difference may be much less obvious on a
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PC AT, however.) Secondly, I did notice a definite difference in the
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program's play when set to the three-minutes-per-move
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"Championship" level, compared to selecting "Advance/Best Style/Deep
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Thinking" and gaining access to the vast array of features.
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It should also be mentioned that I experienced repeated problems in
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prompting CM2100 to make its move upon resumption of a saved game.
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CTRL-F would seem to instantly force it to make any legal move,
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regardless of quality. When I "switched sides" and took back moves
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(to get CM2100 to try again to make a move), the program would
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crash!
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The 14-page manual adequately explains each of the features, but
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does not contain a macro-key summary page. Included is a separate,
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56-page addendum providing an explanation of the movement of chess
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pieces, the history of chess, 10 problems, and a description of each
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of the 110 "Classic" games that come loaded into the program.
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CM2100 runs on IBM PCs (XT/AT) and compatibles, including Tandy. It
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supports Hercules graphics or better, as well as mouse input. The
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game requires 512K of RAM, and is distributed on both 5-1/4" and
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3-1/2" diskettes; there is no copy protection.
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Despite the fact that CM2100 is beginning to show its age a bit (I
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understand that the Software Toolworks people are currently working
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on an upgrade), it can still be a very satisfying program for most
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anyone who plays chess. I strongly suggest that the less experienced
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player give it a hard look, especially in light of the low price tag
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and the multitude of features it contains.
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CHESSMASTER 2100 is published and distributed by The Software
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Toolworks.
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