Many people wonder what chess software they should buy to play against and learn from their computer. There are various titles out there but for someone really interested in learning and playing chess it basically comes down to two programs: Chessmaster and, well, one of the Chessbase family of programs (Fritz, Junior, Shredder). I would venture to say that most Americans are more familiar with the Chessmaster series since that is what is on the shelves at the local Best Buy. And a great series it has been. The Chessmaster series has provided strong playing software and features that help teach you the game and has a number of pretty board setups and piece designs. I started out with Chessmaster and liked it very much.
Before I go any further, let me preface by saying I am not a very good chess player. In fact, I write these reviews from the perspective of an average guy who loves the game and is just trying to get better. I have a feeling that I am like most folks out there so I know where you are coming from and that is what I base my recommendations on.
With that being said, I have moved on to the Chessbase software family and would recommend that, if you are going to buy software today, you buy either Junior, Fritz or Shredder - generally referred to as the Fritz family. What is the deal with all these titles and why do I recommend these programs over Chessmaster? Glad you asked 
First, the titles. The programs are actually named after their respective chess ‘engines’. Chess engines are the brains behind the interface - the actual decision making algorithms. There are many chess engines out there, some of which are free, and each has its own playing strength and style. Each of these programs has the same user interface, board and piece designs but they play differently. Actually Chessbase offers even more programs than these with the same interface but Junior, Fritz and Shredder are the big three.
Now, why pick one of these? First and foremost they are phenomenal chess players! These programs have ruled the computer chess championships for years generally losing the title to one another and then regaining it back again. The other programs involved in the computer tournaments often take a back seat and simply play for fourth place and below. Of course, beating other computers isn’t what it is all about. So these programs also have played against human opponents. And not just any ol’ humans but the likes of Garry Kasparov and reigning classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik. These are the top human players in the world with Kasparov perhaps being the best of all time. How did the computers do? The won some games, lost some games and drew some games. By the time it was over the matches over the last couple years have been draws. Kasparov is rated over 2800 and he couldn’t beat these programs! But what if you aren’t quite that good, what chance will you have? The program can be set to play at a variety of levels. There are levels for fun, like “moron” or “drunk”, which, admittedly, I play once in a while to seek some revenge and there are more sophisticated levels too. For example, there is the ‘friend mode’ which will play just a little bit stronger than you to help you consistently improve without getting beat down badly. There is also a “sparring mode” in which the computer will purposely make tactical errors for you to take advantage. You can set this mode to even flash a red light when the computer has made the error so you know when to look for it. These are excellent training tools. Furthermore, there are some opening and endgame practice setups built into the program to help you win that pawn and king endgame. Have some over-the-board games you want analyzed? Just replay them in the program, click analyze game and have a program that tied Kasparov tell you what you could have done better in both chess notation and plain english. This alone is worth having one of these programs. The list really does go on and on so I would encourage you to go to the chessbase.com site and take a look but I do want to mention two more features.
One, you can add other chess engines to the program. Remember, the interface stays the same but you can tell the program to play with another engine for a different “style”. Again, some engines cost money, others are free (like Crafty). Some versions of the Fritz family come with multiple engines already installed. Secondly, the program typically comes with a free year subscription to the playchess.com chess playing server. You use the same program interface to logon through the internet to play people from around the world. I am not as big a fan of the overall playchess interface as I am of the uschess live interface but there are always tons of people to play and the competition is better, I think, than uschess live.
Finally, and this is a big thing, there are many software titles that are designed to go with these playing programs to help you become a better chess player. Again, take a look around the chessbase site - there are programs for openings, endings, tactics etc… Some even have video and audio where an IM or GM shows you what to do and why. In fact, I will be reviewing some of these programs in upcoming reviews. If you are serious about chess training you should look at their selection. And they interface wonderfully with these programs so you always have a familiar look and feel. The point, I suppose, is that these programs are infinitely expandable to as far as you want to take them. And they give you grand master analysis the whole time.
Which one should you pick? Junior, Shredder, Fritz? Truth be told, you probably can’t go wrong with any of them. But, if you have a particular playing style that you want to take advantage of the typical thinking is…
Fritz - all around strong and solid, good for a defensive positional player ready for the long haul
Shredder - known for its strong endgame technique (although it is a monster in the opening and middle too :-))
Junior - known for its exceptional positional understanding and attacking style. Junior has a strong ability to understand sacrifices and compensation - it is more for the attacking player and perhaps most like a human opponent.
Again, it is hard to go wrong with any of the three. If you ever became as good as any of them you would be more than pleased with your game!
Whewww, that was quite a long review and there is still one more big announcement!
If you have thoughts on these programs or other chess software and want to espouse your opinions, come on over to our new Delaware Chess Forums! Check out this new website feature at http://www.delawarechess.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi
Until next time….
Tom Fleetwood