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Subject: Re: The CM Contraversy: Fascinating!

Author: Mark Young

Date: 00:47:49 12/17/98

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On December 17, 1998 at 03:03:19, Mike Saavedra wrote:

>On December 17, 1998 at 02:31:19, Lawrence S. Tamarkin wrote:
>
>>Chessmaster6000 is a better Toy than a lot of the other programs out there.
>>
>>True, its opening book editor is a joke, but I don't use it, and I don't know
>>many people (or chess player's), who use the opening books editor in the
>>programs they do own anyway. In fact the Fritz5 default book is so excellent I
>>am plenty happy with it.  Even though I also own the 'power book', & with just a
>>few mouse clicks, I could import all of the Chess Base Magazine stuff into the
>>standard one.  I guess I'm not any kind of 'serious chess player' or student by
>>Komputer Korner's standards!
>>
>>Yes, CM6000 could benifit immensly from analysis in watch mode, no doubt.
>>
>>Features I like about this excellent toy;
>>
>>1. Rate my play.  I still haven't memorized these games completely, my memory is
>>so bad, but I (still),find this feature very challenging.
>>
>>2. Josh Waitzkins voice annotated games.  True, I don't like JW.  He was mean to
>>me in a face to face blitz game in front of his friends.  But this feature is
>>intriguing.  I enjoy his lecture's, even though I'm not too crazy about him.
>>
>>3. A wide verity of time control posibilities, and the capability to change the
>>value of pieces & way the program plays agianst you. (So called CM5500 or CM6500
>>settings?)
>>
>>4. 64 chess unique chess personalities or one's you set yourself.  I haven't
>>really tried this out, but my girlfriend likes this feature so much, (She seems
>>to like the 'Wendy' personality best!), that it is currently the only program
>>she will play.  (She used to like Fritz5, because of the handicap features).
>>
>>5. Much improved database features, with 400,000+ games in TascBase format.  If
>>you own Tascbase as well, it is a good combination, since it is so inexpensive.
>>
>>6. The King chess engine, in my random test, has solved tactics 'crunch
>>positons' faster than any other chess program I own.  I don't claim that this is
>>the objective truth, but it does seem that way to me.
>>
>>7. It creates its own topic!  Just say CM6000, and people seem to get very
>>worked up about it:) I think the only other program that Komputer Korner 'has it
>>in for', as much right now, is Convetka's, 'Encyclopidia Of Middlegames' Call me
>>crazy, but I like them both.
>>
>>All chess software has its limitations & faults, but if it doesn't crash as soon
>>as you boot it up, (Power Chess, anyone?), and it performs to some extent as it
>>is designed, then it has its worth...
>>
>>mrslug - the inkompetent chess software addict!
>
>I couldn't agree more Larry, all programs have their limitations and their
>strengths.
>I am fascinated by the passion in some of the participants in the CM debates. I
>don't get it. Must I hate CM if I prefer Fritz? Or vice versa? I say no.
>Different strokes for different folks. Maybe someone could explain it to me.

Lets never kid ourselves, when it comes to chess programs. ELO will always be
king to 90% of the people that buy chess programs. All other features tend to be
a secondary consideration. I don’t care if it is 1 elo point or 100. So the best
answer that rings true to me is, People that spent 100 dollars for a top of the
line program in the belief that top money buys also the strongest playing
program, never want to hear that a sub 30 dollar program has a stronger engine.
So they attack Chessmaster, in the hope that the attack alone will somehow make
it untrue. Just a thoery :)

>
>Mike



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