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A very basic chess program

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 21 / 26
Date: November 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When compared to the variety of computer chess programs available on the market, Kasparov Chessmate lacks in every aspect, from graphics, training, and play-strength.

A price conscious consumer shopping for a chess program might consider this program since it is relatively cheap, but as they say, you get what you pay for. Actually, a program like Chessmaster 9000 is a bargain compared to what one might pay for Kasparov Chessmate if one considers all the extra features found in the former.

If you are mildy serious or serious about chess, Chessmaster 9000 is a better choice. It offers much more than Kasparov Chessmate, especially in terms of the training and education aspects. Frankly speaking, Chessmaster 9000 has no competition in that aspect, in my opinion.

One of the selling points is Kasparov Checkmate's ability to synchronize with either the Palm or Pocket PC, but in my opinion, it's not sufficient as a reason to purchase this in light of other options available.

For the super serious chess player, a good choice would be Fritz, but it is probably overkill for most people. Fritz is strong, but doesn't have the nice graphics or features of CM 9000. For the beginner, casual or serious players, Chessmaster 9000 is the best choice.

Get Serious

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: November 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Garry must be desperate to allow his name to be attached to this product. There are half a dozen free programs that do what Chessmate does, several in the price range that are superior (e.g. Majestic Chess), and many that, for a bit more, can really play chess (Fritz 8; Rebel 12; Chessmaster 9000). These last 3 also have didactic funtions that are greatly superior to those of Chessmate. If you want to beat up a computer program, Fritz and company can be suitably lobotomized with a little fiddling; if you want to get serious about chess, Kasparov Chessmate is not the way to go.

Disappointing, even at its low low price

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: October 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this on a whim because it's so darn cheap, but man was i disappointed.

My problems aren't even with the chess play. They're with the total clumsiness of the way Kasparov checkmate looks and functions. Things are in odd places, there's no choice of size except full screen and too small, the 3D boards look completely pixellated in full screen mode, and, God, there's just so much more. When I start KC up, it makes my display freak out for a minute before appearing.

I really don't think this program should have been released. It needed AT LEAST six more months of tweaking before it was ready.

Oh yeah - AND the 'internet play' option works only when you enter another player's IP address. This is a HUGE pain for all of us without static IP addresses (about 90% of computer users, I'd guess). I thought I was going to be able to search out games online and meet people to play, but no such luck.

All that said, I still think the person who rated this game one star without ever playing it is a moron.

Kasparov Chessmate?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 61
Date: December 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have never played Kasparov chessmate but after reading
the reviews dont think I will be purchasing it.
But if your really interested in learning chess and improving your game there is one I can recommend! CHESSMASTER9000
Great PC chess program! Too much to list!
Its money well spent!
I have improved my game and on my way to becoming a High rated player! The sky's the Limit! Before chessmaster I used other programs but nothing can compare to Chessmaster9000!
Just my opinion,...

Not even worth a look

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: March 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Poor graphics, few features, limited playing styles, nothing to really recommend this title at all. Don't waste your time. Buy ChessMaster for $20 and forget this one exists.

not worth it

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: March 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I didn't care for the graphics in this game, even though I had high hopes for a game that would run both on my Palm tungsten E2 and my PC. But I find it distracting if I can't clearly make out the pieces or see the position on the board, and this failed in that area on both platforms. Luckily I didn't spend too much. I much prefer Fritz or Pawn on the PC, Chess Tiger on the Palm.

Good game with a stupid interface

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: June 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game is quite enjoyable on the whole, though it is a little light on the special features. One very annoying "feature" of this software is when you try to synchronize a profile from the Palm to the PC. It is very unclear as to which is the source, and which is the target. Time and time again, the wrong profile gets synchronized. The idiots who designed the user interface need to learn how to see a software from the user's perspective.

Other than that, the game is quite enjoyable.

For the wood-pusher in you...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 68 / 70
Date: December 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you rate this game (or any game on amazon.com), it tells you to rate it based on 'How much fun is this game?'. For me, chess programs have been quite an exercise in frustration. So far, I have found Kasparov to be pleasantly enjoyable, even though I know that it lacks some of the incredible features (analysis, play strength, graphics) of the heavy hitters on the market (CM9000, Fritz 8).

Instead of writing a negative review about this, allow me to take a moment to explain why I decided to buy Kasparov Chessmate. But let me first confess that I am little better than a wood pusher (or, if you would prefer... a patzer). That means that although I know the rules, and am familiar with basic tactics and can recognize a couple openings by name, I am not a strong player. I have no rating... but believe I am class E in strength. Over the last 9 months, my chess studies/purchases/results have included:

- Chess for Dummies (still working on finishing up the last few chapters... but it introduced me to tactics)

- Play Winning Chess (just bought last week - and am very pleased with it)

- Chessmaster 9000 (gave it away to a good friend, but will be buying again - but only for it's training material)

- Fritz 8 (for chess analysis and playchess.com chess server)

- ChessTiger for my palm (which beats me 99% at it's training level 3 playing with it's book)

- play and lose to my Dad regularly in online and e-mail chess(who is the reason why I continue to play)

- Polgar's 5334 chess problems (a great big book that I enjoy)

- am loosely rated around 1200 on yahoo chess

Why did I buy Kasparov? For starters, Chessmaster 9000 confounded me. I would struggle and lose against very poorly ranked players. I don't think chessmaster 9000 has quite figured out how to reduce it's strength at it's weaker/weakest levels. It either makes really good moves, or really dumb moves. [I believe that it still has a few issues with XP. They have not released any patches/updates in over 9 months.] This is where Kasparov seems to shine. When I downloaded the trial version of Kasparov to try it out for an hour, I discovered that it has players ranked down to elo 500. Although I haven't had enough time to seriously try it out since I bought it (midnight last night at WalMart), I am pleased to announce that I wasn't trounced on the lowest level (elo 500) of Kasparov on my Palm - and I can tell you that Kasparov on my palm was not throwing completely random/stupid moves at me as Chess Tiger will tend to do in Training level 1 (what it claims is elo 1000). I feel like I actually 'met my match' playing Kasparov on my Palm.

I also spent sometime going through the training last night before falling asleep and this morning. It could be better, but it does a reasonable job of explaining how pieces move, and what is checkmate. I wish that they would have placed middle-game tactics before openings (it gives you about a dozen examples of common open games played out to about a dozen turns (24 ply) - without any variations). I won't be able to give an adequate evaluation of the training until I complete it.

I'm not saying Kasparov is better than Chess Tiger on the palm (no analysis, strength of play, etc). But I feel that at my weaker level of play, I have possibly found a program that isn't playing 'stupid moves', but isn't trouncing me either. If you can stand losing occasionally (especially against Fritz in 'friend mode') and analyze your failures, that's great - and we often learn by losing. But it sure is nice to win once in a while.

I've given Kasparov 4 stars because of it's quality of weaker play (which may - in fact - be it's greatest selling point to the average consumer), and for the Palm version of the software. For me, it was a bargain because I got two chess programs for the price of one (one for my pc, and one for my palm). As I take more time to evaluate the game (and if I notice improvement in my play) I will be sure to post additional comments.

Keep in mind - Kasparov is aimed at the general consumer market. Anyone serious about chess programs is already aware of Fritz/Chessbase and Chessmaster 9000. This program is not better than those for reasons already stated. But I will confess, that so far I have enjoyed playing Kasparov chess - and hence it earns 4 stars on the merit that 'I had fun'. If you want to make money selling chess software to the masses, then you want to offer a game that is fun and challenging. If, and when, I win the 'bronze level' tournament in Kasparov, I'll be back to give additional feedback.

Powerful opponent, easy and cheap

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: April 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The engine is very powerful and realistic. Whereas the strength of opponent in Chessmaster is all over the shop, Chessmate provides a consistent opponent who doesn't make dumb mistakes that a player at a given elo rating would never make in real life.

The training options are quite good if limited. The best parts are how you can follow standard openings in a video play manner for 20 or so moves, and the quick hint function while playing games. Of course it can't compete with the much more expensive Chessmaster for full training options or eye candy but it isn't trying to do this.

If you want a good strong opponent who will give you a realistic (and somewhat humbling- in my case a couple of hundred points lower than Chessmaster) assessment of your true rating then Chessmate wins hands down.

If you want all the glitzy bells and whistles then Chessmaster is hard to better and very entertaining.

I think both are well worth having, but if you just want an honest assessment of your true playing stength and an opponent who doesn't throw in the towel for no reason, then Chessmate is a bargain as the more powerful chess engine at much lower cost. It goes right down to 500 elo so kids can still have a chance of beating it in a realistic competetion even without it throwing the game away (unlike misleading Chessmaster).

Chess will never be a rainbow colored shoot em up 3D video game. Chessmate will not disappoint a serious chess player who wants to play honest chess against a very realistic and powerful opponent. Its very entertaining to train and improve by fooling around with Chessmaster, but the real test of ability is playing rated games against a realistic and powerful engine like Chessmate.

Pretty good except....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: April 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Played this on a friends machine - a dozen or so games.
THe game has a really nice feel to it. The lower levels can let you win without performing obvious blunders and that is the one thing that Chessmaster is sadly lacking. This game actually feels like playing a human.
Two gripes -

1. the graphics are a bit ordinary (2d mode)
2. If you get checkmated or checkmate/stalemate or lack of material you cannot choose to 'undo' !!!! the game just ends !

The second point is really annoying because I primarily use chess programs to learn

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