10 July 2016

Chessmaster : Waitzkin Version

In the anchor post, Chess Software for Children, after Fritz and Chesster the second package mentioned is 'Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition' (aka GME edition, aka 11th edition). Although I called it 'the Josh Waitzkin version', the American IM first appeared in an earlier edition. Here's an example from GME minus 1.


Josh Waitzkin Learn Chess Part 1 (1:18) • 'Chessmaster 10th edition'

Another, longer Youtube clip from the latest edition can be found at ChessMaster GME: Waitzkin J. vs Larry Christiansen. These video examples indicate that the software isn't specifically directed at children, while the Amazon comments page, Customer Reviews: Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition, confirms that the software is indeed 'For All Ages'.

A few years ago, Chess.com's Erik Allebest wrote an upbeat review titled, Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition - The Art of Extending a Franchise. It ended,

Conclusion: Overall I think Chessmaster is an AMAZINGLY good deal at $29 for the PC version. The total number of features is stunning. Sure, some of them are repackaged from the previous 10 versions, but there is some cool new stuff as well. [...] If you don’t own any chess software and you want to get in the game, BUY THIS. It is a no-brainer. If you already own the 10th edition, then I say buy it anyway unless you have to choose between food and new chess software.

The software's product page, Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition (chessmaster.uk.ubi.com), says 'Supported OS: Windows Vista/XP (only)', but other sources indicate that it works on more recent versions of Windows. To be certain, I would carefully study the Amazon reviews before spending my money on it.

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