Hey all,

I help out with a gaming website, http://gamesquad.com, and did a review of Chessmaster XI. You can read it here:

http://www.gamesquad.com/index.php?option=com_articles&id=8&pform=&aid=182

Now I know why there are so few reviews of chess software packages! Reviewing one of these items is less like doing a game review and more like reviewing an OS!

Anyway, I hope it proves helpful to those undecided out there.

Haven't read it all yet, but so far looks like a good quality review. However, seeing how mostly 'not-so-happy' customers visit the forum (seems that way at least), most will not agree with the 8.5. I would though. (i never use the online feature, one of the cons in CM11, so it's inferiority doesn't bother me).

the tutorials is what it's all about anyway...

Dear Scott

It is a well crafted and well written review.
You highlighted CM11's strengths well.
However, the review could have made mention
of these two points:

1) CM11's Import Engines feature only works with Winboard engines. It doesn't work with UCI engines. Which is a pity since its been like this since CM9000...when will we ever see a UCI import feature!?

Also, I think that Chessbase Fritz has a Friend feature that allows one to dumb down Fritz or any Chessbase engine. So CM11 is may not the only chess software that allows dumbing down of personality game-play-strengths.

Nevertheless, kudos to you for a very entertaining read. I like the part where you highlighted the tutorials and learning academy.

Keep up the good work!

KAM BOON SENG

Thanks for the feedback, guys! This was my first review of a chess program so I tried my best to answer those questions I thought would be most important to potential purchasers of the game.

Those were good points, Kam Boon Seng. There was actually quite a bit more I wanted to say but as my review was going to break the 3000 word mark (!), I had to call it quits with what I had. Nonetheless, good point regarding the import engine limitation. As for Fritz, I was never impressed with it's friend mode (at least from Fritz 9). I always found it to make moves that swing from idiotic to brilliant in the same game, which can be confusing to a newbie.

Tomski: I don't care for these numerical scores that all the gaming websites use. What's the point of writing a review in the first place if we are just going to encapsulate the whole thing into a number in the end? Oh well, industry practices are industry practices, I suppose. 8.5 seemed like the most accurate score I could come up with all things considered. But as it is a highy subjective process, I would never defend it to the death. The text of the review is the most important part.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Thanks for sharing... I thought it was great.

You definitely hit the nail on the head with how you mentioned online play -- "lackluster".
It's absolutely amazing that there's no e-mail feature to correspondence chess games -- I would have thought this to be a mandatory requirement...