==== ==== Mike Hoffer's Chess Academy offers chess lessons in schools, in your home, in Mike's home and by videos. He also offers a chess club that meets on Thursday nights and chess tournaments for both children and adults. http://yes2chess.com ==== ====
Since the 15th century people have been playing chess. It's a board game with 64 squares on an eight-by-eight grid... there are a few different pieces and each piece has rules that govern how they can move. There are a few chess games out there that enable players to play the game, but what sets this one apart from others is the extra features that come in the game. For beginners there is not just a help file with the moves and a stack of reading to go through (which most people can find on the internet, anyway). The game features instruction videos, starting from the basics of how the board works and the various notations. There is a video about each piece, as well as detailed instruction on the piece in question. Players might think that going through videos of a person talking to them about the rules will be just as boring as reading the dictionary, but these videos are actually highly beneficial, featuring a board to illustrate point. So, while they talk through the concepts of chess, they are displayed on the board at the same time. Players should not skip these videos if they feel that they know the basics, as there are also other rules that are taught during the first lessons. The video list is not limited to just beginner training courses; there are in-depth videos detailing tactics and strategy. There is a big list of opening moves and why players would want to start them, for example. There are even video recreations of famous games, explaining the moves and tactics that the players used in them. The videos are a great value-add to this title, and will prove beneficial to anyone who wants to improve their chess game. As players go into their first chess game they are asked to setup a profile so that the game can enable and disable certain features. Beginners will receive move assistance in the form of arrows to show (on the board) potential moves that can be made against them after a move, and possible follow-up moves to make. The color coding is very friendly and anyone will pick up the system quickly. Fritz Chess 12 has a great system of going through each move and displaying the board and the Chess notation moves on the right hand side, allowing for detailed analysis of how any game fared for the player. The game can also be played through automatically, allowing the player to be a spectator. The program can even show the missed moves and opportunities to check opponents. For advanced players the game has different features to make them feel at home. There are the timing options and levels, from a blitz games to long games, for club and professional playing styles. Tournaments can be setup and played to add a competitive edge to the game if a normal chess game does not have enough pressure for you.
The appealing thing about Fritz Chess 12 is that players can play chess both offline (against the computer) and online, against other humans. There are a few free chess programs that can be played online and these might have some appeal, but with Fritz Chess 12 players will become a member of playchess.com, which adds several benefits. Playchess.com does not just let you play online; there is a full list of up-to-date content on new moves and famous games, and videos that analyze those games. Don't think that online is the only way to feel as if you're playing an opponent... Fritz comes with comments from the computer. My first few games I played without sound, as I did not think it would need it, but when turned it up I found the game making audio comments about my moves. Fritz Chess 12 comes with a wide range of boards and viewpoints, allowing you to play your game in 2D or 3D, and includes boards with different colours and finishes. Even the look of the timers can be changed. This also continues into the game editing features and analysis of the game, from editing moves in a game or even pausing the game to ask the engine to calculate other possibilities. A very good option as a chess game. At A Glance This will be an excellent start for beginners, as well as a challenge for experts Developer: TBC Publisher: Excalibur Publishing Distributor: Apex Interactive Platform: Xbox 360 PC
The author is an active gamer and XBox 360 evangelist who writes game reviews for several websites. He is most excited about the new XBox Kinect and the Kinect Xbox games. If you are interested in Kinect games, you can read more in depth descriptions and reviews at KinectYourself.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Espinosa
==== ==== Mike Hoffer's Chess Academy offers chess lessons in schools, in your home, in Mike's home and by videos. He also offers a chess club that meets on Thursday nights and chess tournaments for both children and adults. http://yes2chess.com ==== ====