Chessmaster 8000

List Price: $9.99 Discount Price: $6.95

Features:

• Works as a chess teacher, mentor, and ultimate opponent
• Animated chess sets with whimsical 3D sets
• Intuitive user interface, with simple and efficient learning tools
• Comprehensive chess engine introduces the basics and simple strategies

Accessories:
PC Gamer (1-year)	Games for Windows: The Official Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Mostly good, but I'd buy Chessmaster 9 or 10 for stability [Posted on 2008-04-07]
I bought this and it's a pretty darn strong chess program. Has lots of useful features and good master games to play through. Some good teaching components in it as well.
Weaknesses: when you start the game there is a quiz of what's the best move or how to checkmate and it's OFTEN completely wrong! (E.g., sometimes it says checkmate in 2 moves and it's showing the opening setup.) No biggie, tho'. I just clicked thru to the game mode. The worst thing (remedied in CM9 and CM10--I own all 3) is that when you're accessing the pull-down menus and you mouse across horizontally the program freezes almost every time.
If you're careful and don't do this move you're fine. Another annoyance: you have to have the disk IN the drive when you play (also unfortunately true for CM9 and CM10--bad move for them). One more small annoyance: there's a plethora of boards and game pieces and little focus on the 5 most likely to appeal to players. I mean, does ANYONE really play chess using these bizarre star wars-ish pieces??? Just give me lots of nice Staunton and similar pieces and have done w/ it.
But CM9 and CM10 are both great w/ surprisingly excellent play and tutorials across a variety of levels. Don't own CM11 yet.

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