Virtual Kasparov

This is great for kids. I have played tournament chess and used some of the best commercial software. I went through another round of purchases and trials for this time. There is some powerful software available, but I needed something that young kids could learn with. I looked at PDA software as well, but that did not fit the bill either (one with the "legal-moves" is a good fall-back option). The GBA module works very well. It is easy enough for beginners. It shows the moves. It encourages them to compete against opponents with an increasing degree of difficulty. It is compact and inexpensive. A great buy.

i have played several different chess computers as well as numerous human players.this game acts more human than computer. several times i've had to fight my way back for positioning when after i've set a trap that most computers would fall for find that in response the computer set a trap that appeared to be a blunder.I love the addition of the story mode as it shuffles around the skill levels and will go from basic to grandmaster in one sitting.if you enjoy chess you will enjoy this. with ten different 2d chess boards and 2 3d chessboards this is the perfect solution to travel chess (no pieces to lose) ..............except to the computer that is

The gameplay is fun and I feel that I am learning while playing, not working at learning the game. This alone makes it preferable to the Chessmaster software that is on my computer.The lettering used in the tutorial is very difficult to read. Had to go into sunlight to go through the tutorial.Have yet to find the letters to be used to save games. Could not find them on the save page. Games are saved, however when the Game Boy is shut off.

Good thinking game

Unlike other reviewers here, I would say I'm a serious chess player. This game fell far short of my expectations. As someone who played PalmChess on a PalmPilot III a few years back, I know that it doesn't take a lot of memory or horsepower to beat me.In story mode, you play in "untimed" mode, where you can think as long as you'd like. Few of the players take more than 4 seconds to make a move. Until you get to Garry, everyone has the same flaw: blunders. Okay, you play the beginners, and you expect to have thrown queens and the like, and you do. But even advanced players will forget to move their queen out of danger, even when you make an obvious attack on it. So you diddle around and avoid mistakes yourself, and eventually you win when they toss a piece. Contrast this with more believable mistakes, like not figuring out a combo leaves them a piece down.Even Garry isn't much, if you've played much chess against computers.I said there was a caveat, and here it is: in match mode, you get a countdown clock (5/10/15 minutes) and the computer thinks much longer. I haven't beaten Garry in this mode. The other players still blunder too much to be a serious challenge.

... This version however packs a wallop of perfect balance between fun, difficulty, and speed. To start the game you have a couple modes quick and story. With quick you set your parameters and launch into a game. With the story mode you are given a world map and bios of opponents for you to beat. This adds to the game since you get a feeling of playing an adversary instead of a computer. After easily beating the first ten ... I was stopped cold by [a] Russian chick. Luckily I can easily select another person to take on. I came back to her after I cooled off and beat some dude in India. The interface is simple enough pick a piece and move it... What I found great about the game was the speed. Normally the more complex your enemy is slower the computer is to move. Not in this case though, as it is fast and quick to move you along, yet tough enough to actually beat me. I was also very shocked to see the little extras like board and piece changes. I did not have to use the tutorial but I checked it out for this review. It was fascinating to see some great openers and strategies laid out for anyone to use. It did teach me at least two new things that help me destroy that Russian chick. I guess you are never too old to learn. In my final analysis I conclude that the game was great with little negatives given that chess is chess and you know what to expect and if it is well done then that is all it takes. If you like chess then you need look no farther. Forget the ... computer sim from [your local store] and check out this GBA gem....

This game is AMAZING! I am a novice chess player who has been trying to improve my chess. Ive been reading some books "Complete Idiots guide to Chess", "Reasses your Chess", "The Amatuers mind". And this game is really helping my game. The story mode is cool with 31 different personalites. And they play like different people as well. Some are cautious and play the game running and countering. Others come out blasting like Yosimate Sam. The guy who said there is passwords is mistaken. There are three save slots and the game is saved after every move which means you can play in the doctors office without worrying that you have to finish every game in one go. I have never been happier with a game and have played 6 hr settings regularly. I love this game!

I love this game. It has tutorials on chess if you don't already know how the pieces work. Then you start playing people from all around the world each different skills and strategy.That's what makes this game so nice is that you play it until you meet someone who challenges you. It has a lot of different computer opponents with varying skill levels. It's not like some other chess games that go from very easy to very very hard with little in between. There are many opponents that have some good skills but some weaknesses and some of them seem to make almost human mistakes in their chess plays. Then they get progressively tougher. I like this. It's a nice step of progression to harder opponents. I'm reading some chess books and I know as my skills improve I will be able to move higher towards the more difficult opponents. :)