Software

A selection of our most popular software is presented below.

How to Play Chess

Learn to Play Chess with Fritz & Chesster 1 & 2

Fritz 11

Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition

Searching for Bobby Fischer

 

How to Play Chess DVD by Derek Jeffries - $30

This is ideal for beginners, young and old. It takes you through all the basics, including notation, value of the pieces, etc. Supported by a good instructional booklet.

Learn to Play Chess with Fritz & Chesster
parts 1 and 2, $75 and $80 respectively

  Fritz and Chesster - Part 1

This programme does not teach chess in the usual way. It does not set up a board and explain how each of the pieces move. Instead it targets children who have never played chess before in their lives and teaches them the basic rules in a Sesame Street like environment. There are cartoons and stories for the children to follow, and then there are tasks for them to solve interactively.

Fritz and Chesster - Part 2

Jump into chess action, move by move, to rescue Chesster from deep within King Black’s castle. Join Fritz and Bianca in a thrilling chess adventure as they enter rooms of the castle, where each challenge will help you sharpen skills and prepare for the ultimate showdown.

* Powered by Fritz, the world’s leading chess software
* Learn about tactics and strategy, the opening and endgame
* Developed together with experienced children’s chess coaches

For ages 8 and up System requirements: Multimedia PC: Pentium II 233 processor, 32 mb ram (16 mb free momory), 16 bit soundblaster compatible sound card, 16x speed CD-Rom Drive, Graphics card 800 x 600 (16 bit color), Win 98/ME/XP

Fritz 11 - $99

  • New, dramatically improved chess engine (about 80 Elo points stronger)
  • Upgraded database with over one million games, from 1625 to 2007
  • Improved openings book
  • New training function to practice the calculation of variations
  • New section on the chess server with tactical puzzle solving competitions; "the magic eye" which scans the 3D board, making the search visible for the user.
  • Listen to Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Viktor Korchnoi, Alexei Shirov or (former world champion) Rustam Kasimdzhanov while they explain important openings and ideas that lead to success. A host of famous chess teachers provide instruction in more mundane(!) subjects, like opening traps, middlegame strategy, or endgame skills. Video running time: more than 13 hours!

 

Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition - $70

Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning (Free Press). Players can then practice their newly learned skills in single-player mode or challenge their friends to a fun-spirited competition in multiplayer mode via LAN or Internet.

Key features:

  • Learn from champion Josh Waitzkin: Using the principles outlined in his book The Art of Learning, Josh puts players in his shoes during some of the most riveting moments of his career. He then walks players through the classics, introducing beginners to the fundamentals of the game and providing revealing commentary about the road to mastery.
  • Multiplayer wireless: Two players can battle each other using the wireless option on the DS. A variety of exciting multiplayer games are available, including: Dark Chess, in which the opponent's pieces are invisible; Extinction Chess, where the winner is the first player to capture all of the opponent's pieces; and Losing Chess, a game that rewards the first player to lose all of his/her pieces!
  • Six original mini-games: Each mini-game is packed with its own music, sound effects, a high-score record and 20 levels of gameplay. Players can look forward to: Minefield, in which chess pieces are used to locate mines hidden in the board; Breaking the Lines, where the knight is moved to capture all of the pawns; and Fork My Fruit, a game that uses chess pieces to fork fruit of the same kind, among others.
  • Famous games: Players have access to 900 of the most important chess games, which are analyzed to provide key tactics
  • Checkmate: With an arsenal of 600,000 games, players will never run out of fun!

 

Searching for Bobby Fischer - $39

Searching for Bobby Fischer is an acclaimed 1993 film based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin, played by Max Pomeranc. Adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father Fred, the film was written and directed by Steven Zaillian. In the United Kingdom the film was released under the title Innocent Moves.

In this film, Josh Waitzkin's family discovers that he possesses a gift for chess and they seek to nurture it. They hire a strict instructor, Bruce Pandolfini (played by Ben Kingsley) who aims to teach the boy to be as aggressive as Bobby Fischer. The title of the film is a metaphor about the character's quest to adopt the ideal of Fischer and his determination to win at any price. The main conflict in the film arises when Josh refuses to adopt Fischer's misanthropic frame of reference. Josh then goes on to win on his own terms with the kind of gracious sportsmanship that Fischer rejects.