Fritz5 - The Talking Chess Program

Description:

Fritz 5 - The Talking Chess Program ...

Do you like to play chess, but can't find a partner? Fritz5 will play at any level, from a friendly game to a tournament match. Fritz will chat about your moves in either English or German. The English voice is definitely British and so is the commentary, for example "You must think I'm blind as a bat," "Boy, did you overlook something" or "The transpositional possibilities here are enormous."

The program has options for everything from the appearance of the board (2D or 3D, lighting, animation) to the levels of play (handicapped, friendly, blitz, tournament) and the chess engines used at different stages of the game. These 'engines' are different versions of computer software that calculate chess moves, and you can even set up matches between engines.

One useful option allows you to take back moves, after making a mistake in play. Another option lets you change sides at any time - this happens if you press 'Move Now' and can be confusing if you aren't expecting it. However, if you change sides whenever Fritz is winning, you may get dizzy! Fritz plays extremely well, which is not surprising, as the documentation states that he was the chess computer world champion in 1995.

You can watch Fritz thinking about his moves, via a display (if you can understand it), and there is also an evaluation profile of the game - it shows graphically who is winning, usually Fritz!

The chess coach is an excellent feature, and there are options for this too. The coach can watch over your shoulder and give hints on how to improve your game, for example 'develop your bishop'. If you don't choose to have the coach watching, you can still ask for hints at any time. Fritz is likely to say something like "Wait while I check a few million positions" but he still only take tens of seconds to respond. If you find the hint obscure, you can ask for a suggestion for a specific move.

If you are looking for an easier game, pick the 'Handicap and Fun' level. This level gives a choice of opponents, including Fraidy-Cat, Reckless, Moron and Drunk. These terms relate to style of play and are not reflected in the commentary.

Features:

• Available in 7 European languages including French and Spanish (1 per Talk CD)
• Computer opponent comments on the game
• Levels of play support beginners to grandmasters
• Coach gives hints and specific suggestions on moves
• Options for board appearance, level of play, coaching
• Ability to take back moves and to change sides
• Modify the board position at any time
• Display of computer's calculations on next move
• Display of evaluation profile of the current game
• Openings book can be used for training
• Access to database of historical games

Technical Aspects:

The program has a security feature, presented as a Refuel pop-up. When this comes up, you have to re-insert the Fritz 5.32 CD. This is mentioned in the documentation, but not as part of installation - I had some difficulty with it and had to restart before I could get past it.

Another installation feature is a pop-up to test your system's graphics and music capability. My machine passed the graphics test with flying colors, but failed the music, and I heard no music during play.

There was no uninstall feature.

The program did not install on another PC with Windows 95, and it seemed to be a problem with the fact that the CD ROM was on drive J on this computer and not the usual D.

Report and Conclusions:

This program is for the serious chess player or the beginner who wants to improve his/her game. It will challenge any level of player, and the commentary is varied and entertaining. There are a huge number of features and options for those interested in tactical training and detailed analysis. However, a casual player can enjoy a friendly game with Fritz, or even have a chance at winning by playing the 'Handicap and Fun' level (I enjoyed beating the Fraidy-Cat!).

I set it up with the panorama 3D board (this only shows the board and not the list of moves or the evaluation) at the fun level for my 8 year old. He enjoyed playing with Fritz and using the hints and suggestions and has gone back to the program several times. He liked the fact that the program talked, but I felt that the conversation was a bit too sophisticated for him.

If you have a chess enthusiast in your house, this program will provide years of training and enjoyment.