March 15, 2006

Fritz 9 Play Chess (***) is serious chess software. The playing engine is the same one that tied World Champion Garry Kasparov in the televised 2003 New York competition. That gives you some idea of what you’ll be up against if you play against your computer full force. And in this newest version, there are two additional play "engines" calculating the computer moves: Giveaway Chess and Fischerrandom (Chess960).

For game play, choose from more than 10 chess board presentations: a simple 2-D symbol layout, a 3-D layout with zoom and rotate capabilities, or more complex 3-D layouts. During game play, if you have Chat turned on, you’ll be treated to a variety of comments by your computer opponent--some humorous, some derogatory, or, occasionally, helpful. All games you play will be recorded, so you can study and replay any of them. In some modes you can even take back a move. You can select which display panes will be included on screen: Clock, Notations, Main Engine, Evaluation and others. Choose one of the 16 variations of chess engines available in the program to play against, or select two engines and watch the computer play itself.

For the more involved chess player, a program strength is its database of more than one million games covering four centuries of chess--all searchable for specific games, openings, themes (middle games), tactics, strategy or endgames.

The interface design may be familiar and/or helpful to seasoned players, but beginners may be overwhelmed by the lists of moves, possible moves and more. Fortunately for the novice, there are playing modes that will help to improve your play, such as training mode or the Position Explainer, which offers commentary about your current position. You can also increase the amount of help you receive with Coach, Hints, Suggested Moves, Display of Direct Threats, Kibitz or Expected Move, all of which are interesting in that the computer, based on the play so far, shows you what would be the expected next move. In addition, you can "dumb-down" your computer opponent in the handicap mode to improve your confidence. You can choose from handicap configurations such as Reckless, Desperado, Moron, Steam-roller or Dumb--or create a custom handicap. Or play the Friend mode, in which the computer automatically adjusts to your playing strengths. Play in this version is enhanced by the addition of 3D surround sound.

The program is not designed to teach you to play chess as much as it is to teach you to play chess better, although a one-hour video beginner course is included. If you’ve never played before, Fritz 9 Play Chess is not necessarily the place to start, and you might be better served to start with the friendlier ChessMaster 9000 (UBI Soft, $19.99). But if you want to better your game, be challenged, and play any time of day or night, we doubt you’ll be disappointed with Fritz 9. The program also comes with a free one-year membership to Playchess.com, a Web site devoted to chess, boasting more than 180,000 members, and with tournaments, training, teachers, news and more (a $24.95 value).

Geniu$: The Tech Tycoon Game (**** out of four) is a simulation building game in which you expand a fledgling bicycle shop business and build the town or city where it resides. The catch here is the decisions you need to make for your business. Decisions are based on real-world physics, math and chemistry problems. These decisions come in the form of puzzles that present themselves as the game progresses.

Solve correctly and you progress. If you don’t, you may suffer the consequences of a bad decision. For example, should you hire the scientist who claims to have made a perpetual motion machine? Some puzzles require knowing formulas to solve for an answer, such as calculating how much water a boiler will hold. For help, you are given resources such as technical journals, correspondence from scientists and such, where you can find the formulas or information you need. You also get input from a few key employees--for better or worse. From time to time you also get to talk to historic inventors and scientists such as Thomas Edison, Isaac Newton and the like.

Game play requires you to build a town to house workers for your factory and supply the town with needed utilities. Building and needs evolve as you progress from the mid 1800s to more current times. You can choose to start in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Berlin, London or Melbourne, each with a different level of difficulty and a different set of problems related to resources and terrain.

Graphics are good and navigation keeps you busy scurrying around the locale to build things and fix things, and much more. You start with a fixed amount of money and have to make more money to fund your progress. You’ll do this by mining coal and selling your products. But that’s all part of being a tycoon.

The program is an interesting combination of a building simulation spiced with historical facts and problems to solve based on real-world science. Remember though, don’t hire the mad science--he’ll just be trouble later on.

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