H**S
Program is good but you need fast computer also
I have used numerous other chess engines and this is currently rated the best playing chess engine in various forums. So as a chess playing engine it works fine. I have tried Houdini 1.5a and 3 is rated higher. I caution users on thinking that this will be the "God" of chess engines, because it is also only as good/fast as the computer you are up against. I am using it on a 2 year old i7 laptop but that won't stand up well against modern desktops with their speed and memory capacity.There was some confusion about the "Art of War" that is supposed to be packaged with it. I was disappointed in that it did not seem to be included. I was expecting another DVD or some other physical indication about how to get that item. When I received the item there was an outer cellophane wrapper which I removed and discarded to get the program package inside, but it is possible that some download instructions were included on that wrapper. Nowhere in the literature or description does it indicate how that Art of War is meant to be received so I was not expecting download instructions on the outer wrapper. Amazon refunded some of my money for the confusion.
K**L
The best Chess Engine!
This program has a lot of great features, and has the best chess engine around. I wanted a tough program to play against, and this one definitely delivers!
U**R
Outstanding-- With Some Very Strange Moves...
The quality of the challenge of this program is at least as good as the other top engines, and with Fritz 13, the practice and educational value are obviously superb.The oddest thing is the play in the opening and endgames. Normally, openings vs. even the top engines are pretty balanced and predictable if you follow traditional lines. The BIZARRE thing with this program is that it has some algorithms/ heuristics that I don't totally get that seem to center around pawn structure more than the usual opening library defenses and offenses, ESPECIALLY if you play black. It is almost like playing a recognized club player (say at 2300) who goes off script just to confuse or challenge you.Your "counter" can rack up some really good points if you spot this and apply known higher value lines, but strangely, the algorithm then gets back on track and evens it out quickly. You then go back and wonder what it did and why. What's really COOL is that, if you publish unique games as I do, you get some really UNUSUAL results, some of which you can actually do quite well at!Endgame is similar-- every other engine I've played simply uses libraries, because most of the rook/pawn, bishop/pawn etc. are now "mate in 12" type propositions if you make even the tiniest mistake. Of course it pounces if you do, but it also deviates from the library to "try" quicker mates for some reason, at some risk to itself!! I kid you not, I actually beat it when it tried this and didn't get the count right on my p-Q path! Or maybe it did and I just confused it by going off library in response to what I saw as an earlier attempt at a smothered mate.One thing you really have to watch with this devil: it has a MUCH stronger suspicion if you are targeting a piece, even 8 or 9 moves out. How, don't know, but it "senses" even pawn threats (especially in good positions) a LOT better than any other current engine. Meaning: stay on your line and don't try some gymnastic calculated to sneakily get to a vulnerability, fork, or isolation-- it will come at you big time with counters before you get to move 3. Frustrating, but fun and educational! Really IS like playing a MUCH better opponent who won't let you make small gains if they are pointed at snagging a piece rather than just maintaining balance. Of course I'm a huge black player, so take it in that context!For reference, my FIDE was right at 2200 a few years ago, but I've gotten old, and endgame memories fade-- hey, yes, I DO look at the endgame libraries when I play this critter! My club calls me a Master to be nice to old people, but I was really just a candidate at best. Don't laugh, there are 85 million other boomers in my predicament. You can really learn a lot just by playing this vs. websites and other programs, it gives you LOTS of new ideas (and I have a library of over 1,000 chess books and write a weekly moves column).BTW I don't know what the art of war thing is all about, you can get it really cheap in print ( The Art of War ) -- under $2 used, and I guess it is an ebook link here-- I didn't even try when this came in. As far as processors go, my older I7 with 16g of RAM digests it just fine, but this game IS a RAM hog, so if your machine is pre-2008 with 4-8 gig, I'd consider a RAM upgrade to 8 or 16. Think of this as you'd think of a video game. Serious gamers swear by the $65 Corsair Vengeance ( Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB (2X4 GB) PC3-12800 1600mHz DDR3 240-Pin SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B ) clocking better at 8 than many others do at 16 or even 32 for gaming. Some custom alienware models use it.IF you are doing other gaming too, consider the Vengeance. Otherwise, just try Houdini first, then hop up a good RAM pair (replace the whole pair) if you need to (Kingston or Corsair are about $40 to $50). If you don't go in pairs, you're defeating the purpose as only 4 won't integrate with the other 4. See Corsair's site for info on this, especially if you have an HP. Dell is a little more forgiving in upgrading piecemeal.Highly recommended program for the serious player... and serious fun! Do me a favor: BEAT THIS THING.Library Picks reviews only for the benefit of Amazon shoppers and has nothing to do with Amazon, the authors, manufacturers or publishers of the items we review. We always buy the items we review for the sake of objectivity, and although we search for gems, are not shy about trashing an item if it's a waste of time or money for Amazon shoppers. If the reviewer identifies herself, her job or her field, it is only as a point of reference to help you gauge the background and any biases.
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