Author: Roger D Davis
Date: 18:35:27 05/16/99
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On May 16, 1999 at 18:13:58, Michael Fuhrmann wrote: >I'm about a 1400 player and would like to buy a chess program that would help me >improve a couple hundred rating points. Any opinions on which PC software would >be the best at helping me learn to play better? (A games store salesman told me >Fritz 5.32 has features that make it better for improving one's game than >Chessmaster 6000. Is he right? Should I consider another program?) I have Fritz 5.32, Junior 5, CSTal II, Rebel 8, and Chessmaster. I would recommend Junior 5, now that its got the updated Fritz interface, possibly with the forthcoming Hiarcs 7.32 engine. That will let you download and play all the nice Winboard programs off the net. I would not recommend Fritz by itself, since Fritz seems to play by its own logic sometimes, IMHO. It wins games, but not in a way I find easy to understand. I would not recommend CSTal II. The interface is pretty, but the features are a little thin for the money. I would not recommend Rebel, because it's a DOS program, but that's my own bias. Spend your money on the Hiarcs engine instead when it comes out at the end of the month, and you've got a stronger engine than Rebel, with what a lot of people would regard as more humanlike play (although Rebel is humanlike, too), and all with a prettier interface. Chessmaster 6000 can be fun, and its various personalities give different styles of play and strength. I'd get it before Rebel or CSTal II. CT Art is great for drills. That's a separate program, but highly recommended. Roger
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