Fritz 8 Deluxe
In his introduction John DeWeese writes:
Fritz 8 Deluxe is the first computer chess game I’ve played since Battle
Chess came out in the early 90s. I’m a sucker for such cheap gimmicks
as animated pieces, so at first I wasn’t sure what to make of Fritz 8
Deluxe. Booting up one of the most powerful chess engines ever created, I was
disappointed to see the interface resembles Microsoft Word. Where are the cool
chessboards, blaring orchestra music, rooks that change into giant golems and
rampage across the battlefield?!?

Fascination for the beautiful Real 3D graphics of Fritz 8 Deluxe
I quickly learned that Fritz 8 is tailor-made for the chess purist; no flashy
backgrounds or animations here. This title combines heavy-hitting number crunching
with country-club sophistication. You can play against the Fritz 8 engine on
settings ranging from “assassin” to “drunk,” ask the
computer to help you with the next move, or call up hundreds of historical
games to study. The graphics are simple but elegant; you to play on several
lifelike 3-D boards or opt for a straightforward 2-D board. There are tutorials
for newbies, hints and cheats for intermediate players, and powerful analysis
tools for experts.

Summary: Fritz 8 Deluxe has many features that will appeal
to the true chess lover, yet is mostly accessible to newcomers. The coaching
and analytical tools can help players of every skill level improve. While other
titles may have a larger variety of chess boards to chose from, Fritz 8 offers
some brain-twisting game play even on the lowest settings. There is also a
strong online community who swear by this title, which is something not every
chess title can offer.
When I began playing Fritz 8, I figured a jeans and T-shirt guy like me would
hate it. While I’ll never be a regular at the local chess club, this
game let me experience the old world sophistication of the game of kings.
Learn to Play Chess with Fritz & Chesster 2
In his introduction John DeWeese tells of his early infatuation
with chess:
Back when I was a hopeless grade-school nerd, I fell in love with Chess. The
game absolutely fascinated me for both its simple rules and possible complexity.
I remember checking books out from the school library, challenging classmates
to after-school matches, looking at the board at home and dreaming of being
the next Bobby Fischer.
But after awhile I grew tired of studying dusty strategy books and stopped
playing regularly. Ever since, I have been the guy who never fails to step
on his bishop at the most critical time, costing me the match. Fortunately
for the next generation of wannabe grand masters, there is the Learn to Play
Chess with Fritz and Chesster series to keep chess training fun and lively.
Learn to Play Chess is produced by Viva Media and uses the same chess engines
as the top-selling Fritz Chess series.

Learn to Play Chess 2 (Chess in the Black Castle) is the sequel to
last year’s award-winning chess tutorial. This title assumes you already
know the basic moves, but that’s about all you need to know to get started.
This is one of the best children’s chess games I have ever played, and
even as a 30-year-old I learned quite a few new moves.

The game uses an entertaining Saturday morning cartoon style to teach what
many kids might see as either boring or frustrating chess strategies. As Fritz
and his cousin Bianca, you must rescue your beloved chess coach Chesster the
Rat who has been kidnapped by the evil King Black.

Summary: My most memorable chess experience was checkmating
one of the top jocks who thought he could best me over the chess board as easily
as he trounced me on the basketball court. (I remember him overturning the
game and chasing me out of the room, but the thrill of victory was worth it.)
Learn to Play Chess 2 gives young players all the tools they need to compete
in friendly games or aspire to higher levels of greatness. The drills are both
simple to understand yet a challenge to actually work through. The story-line
is simple but entertaining and the underlying chess engine has all the power
that the top chess minds have come to expect from the Fritz name.
If you’re looking for a way to fuel your son’s or daughter’s
interest in the game of kings, picking up Learn to Play Chess 2 is a very good
move.
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Fritz and Chesster
- Part 2
Jump into chess action, move by move, to rescue Chess 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. Price:
€ 39.00 (including VAT)
Fritz Deluxe
/ Fritz 8 Champion Edition
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