Customer Reviews
A great way to learn chess 
2008-04-26
This is how I, my 10 year old son, and 6 year old son learned to play. The tutorials and advice were excellent.
The only reason it did not get 5 stars is that it has a bug where if you start in tutorial mode one needs to reset the layout in order to get the icon for the menu which will allow you to get out of the mode and play a game. Other than this it seems to work fine.
A word of advice, check the suggested processor and memory before buying and installing it. Using the game on a slower processor causes the 3D games to be so sluggish they are unusable.
Greate gameplay! 
2008-04-20
Chessmaster 11 is a great mentor for chess.
The lessons, for those who love the game, and those who just started, are so interesting you simple can't put it aside.
greate gameplay and training modes!
Severely Flawed 
2008-04-12
I was excited about chessmaster. I had recently gotten interested in chess, and I thought this would be a convenient and fun way to learn some of its finer points.
Initially I thought the game was really good. I started out going through the chess lessons, and I really felt like I was grasping the game better.
Once I thought I should take a break from the lessons I tried playing computers. When I did so though I ran into (one of) chessmasters flaws: the game took up 100% of my cpu and the game came to a complete standstill. I went to chessmaster's support page and forum looking for some sort of solution to my problem. To my surprise, not only was it extremely common for users to experience the same problem, but there was no real solution. A few users suggested some work-arounds, but none of them worked for me or many of the other users. So basically, I can't play a simple game of chess against a computer opponent because the program then takes up all of my cpu. Everything else is fine. I just can't play against the computer in a real game. My computer is well above the minimum specs too.
What makes matters worse too is that this has apparently been around since chessmaster 10, and no one did anything about it. Also, representatives of ubisoft argued that it was not the program at fault, but the users. Sounds like great customer service to me.
Runs only on Windows XP and Vista - NOT Windows 2000 
2008-04-02
I wish I could review this game but I can't because my operating system is Windows 2000.
Although there is no mention in Amazon's description, the box clearly says that only Windows Vista and Windows XP are supported. This is the box that you can read only after you get it in the mail.
The game will install on Windows 2000 but it will not run. Until I upgrade my operating system all I can do is look longingly at the icon on my desktop.
It depends on your level 
2008-03-17
I am a 1400 player, and have enjoyed several versions of CM, albeit a
few annoying things. This version was intentionally shipped needing a
patch, because upon install it askes for it. That means the programmers
knew they were not done but shipped it anyway. You better have hispeed
access or forget it because it is a HUGE patch about the size of the
whole program. If I had known this I would not have bought it because
this is just wrong. Second, CM claims a rating of 2969. PLEASE! that
annoys me, but since I am only 1400 it doesnt hurt too much. It is a
wonderful tool for beginners - experts, and it will help your game!
It's worth $20 2008-07-17
I've owned Chessmaster 10 since it first came out, but was hesitant to buy the Grandmaster Edition based on some of the reviews. True, it is very similar to its predecessor, but for me was worth Amazon's $19.95. Finally, no cd is required (I know, you could download no-cd patches for earlier versions, but this made upgrading especially troublesome). This to me was almost reason enough to buy it. Second you can customize the interface with various skins, and add your own avatar, which I really appreciate. Third, the chess engine seems a little better. Even though I usually play the mid 1500-level players, their gameplay seems improved. For me, however, the best new feature is Josh Waitzkin's "The Art of Learning" module." Hearing his blow-by-blow description of his match with Jeff Sarwer is amazing.
I'm running this under Window's Vista Ultimate, and have had no problems whatsoever. Once again, for me this upgrade *IS* worth $19.95, though I probably wouldn't have paid $49.95 for it.
Great way to start playing chess 2008-07-11
This is my family's favorite computer game now. I find the tutorial and games with audio commentary fascinating...almost like watching a good movie. My kids (6 & 10) enjoyed the tutorials, and they love to play against the computer simulated players (with name and personality). At this price, it's a great bargain. It's a great way to start to learn to play chess, and the kids are getting pretty good.
Excellent Chess Tutorial & Game 2008-06-07
This is the best version so far. It's particularly good for those who are new to the game or who want to learn new strategies. It includes both the classic tutorials which are comprehensive, as well as the new "art of learning" tutorials narrated by chess expert Josh Waitzkin. The tutorials overlap but that is a good thing since it reinforces all the knowledge. Anyone interested in learning chess can't go wrong this this program, especially for the discounted price it's selling at these days.
THIS PROGRAM IS AWESOME 2008-06-06
I started playing Chess in 2000 and at the time thought I was ok. I was playing online. After getting beat up I purchased Chessmaster 6000 (maybe 8000) and used the Academy to get better. And now we are at the Grandmaster addition.
I have both Fritz and Chessmaster. I use Fritz for my serious study and game analysis. I bought Chessmaster for my kids. I already have Chessmaster 10th Edition on my home pc but lost the disk so I bought Grandmaster Edition for my laptop.
Many improvements in the Grandmaster addition. Over 20 3d Chessboards that are awesome. They added a bunch of House of Staunton chess sets that are 3d and very realistic looking. Four animated kids sets that are insane. I was even playing with them. The Josh Waitzkin academy is phenominal. I love sitting back and just watching him explain his annotated games.
So if you want a great program to analyze and study game and be able to store millions of games in a database buy Fritz. Read D. Lester's review. I completely agree with him.
If you want a kids game with insane graphics, an awesome chess course, mini chess games, chess coach, teaching while they play, and much more Chessmaster is the best. Period!
Great Chess Partner 2008-05-09
I have Chessmaster 10th edition. I bought this one because some reviewers were saying it was more stable AND reports that you could run the game without the CD (10th edition requires CD in the tray to run). You CAN run this version without the CD.
The interface is definitely improved and the game does not have as many visual flaws in it that the 10th edition had. I like how the new sets are structured. Also it is cool how you have to play a certain number of games to "unlock certain sets." That is kind of a reward/motivator to play more games.
Yes, this edition also uses more than one core if you have a dual/quad core (I have a quad). On my Quad it uses 2 cores at 100% instead of just 1 core at 100% as before. Those of you with older computers might not find this a good thing (I see some reviews claim lockups). I have an XFX Nvidia 8800 GT graphics card - this game runs smooth and is beautiful!
For the kids this game has the fun section with some seriously entertaining chess sets. Nothing like a fun way to play chess!
Warning: There is a massive update when you get done installing the software. It is over 100MB if I remember right - took a good 15 mins to download on my high speed cable.
Should you update to this edition if you have 10th edition? Yes - the fact that you don't have to use the CD is worth $20 for me.
