Author: Richard A. Fowell (fowell@netcom.com)
Date: 18:19:21 06/04/99
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On June 04, 1999 at 13:13:59, Wes Groleau wrote: >I recently acquired MacChess 2.5 for a Mac IIsi. >I can not understand most of the controls, and the >"Manual" does not help when it says things like, > Edit > Preferences > This will let you change the preferences > >Anyone familiar with this able to give me e-mail advice >on how to set the thing up? > >OR .... > >My two young children have recently learned to play, and >they need an opponent that will challenge them but not beat >the pants off them in twenty move games. Currently, I still >beat them, but as I haven't played anyone but them in thirty >years, the older one is destined to surpass me very soon. >Can someone recommend a free or CHEAP game for them that will >run on a Mac IIsi? >Or can someone suggest, in detail, the settings I should put >into MacChess 2.5.1 ? > >Thanks, >WWG If you just want your kids to play MacChess 2.5 at it's weakest level, you don't need to worry about most of the bells and whistles, just do this: A) In the MacChess folder, find the opening book file, and move it into one of the subfolders, so MacChess can't find it. That will force MacChess to play without it's opening book. B) Set MacChess to it's weakest level (one-move lookahead). as follows: 1) Launch MacChess 2.5 2) Drop down the "Level" menu, and pick "Set Level". In the resulting dialog box, click on the "Fixed Depth" radio button, and then click on the control that says "Depth" and set it to "1", and click on "OK". 3) Start the game by dragging one of the White pieces forward, or, if you want to be Black, go to the "Players" menu, and select "MacChess vs. Player", then go to the menu again, and select "Play". I suspect that, even at this level, MacChess will be too strong for your kids. (Since I just tried playing against these settings, and got creamed). For a free "beatable" game, you might try RChess, at http://www.gambitsoft.com/mac.htm Unfortunately, only the PowerMac versions of MacChess have levels explicitly designed to be beatable. A commercial program that definitely provides graduated, beatable levels is Chess Mates, though it only lets you play White. Information is at: http://www.brainstormfun.com/chess/index.html Every kid I've shown it to has liked it. Richard A. Fowell (fowell@netcom.com)
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