Hello,
After buying my new graphics card, I tried to set the resolutions from Preference-->Layouts and then clicked on load. I tried to set a resolution of 1280x1024 or higher.

But the problem is that if I try to play a game whether online or offline the Game Status won't show up on the screen, its as if I ticked it off
However, when setting the in game resolution to 1024x768 or 800x600 only then the game status will appear.

I had the same problem with my old Nvidia 8600 GT. And I thought that buying a new card will fix it. I installed my new Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4890 OC card and it still appeared in the same way. Even on 1600x1200 resolution won't fix it.

Ofcourse I can play it on 1024x768 resolution or lower, but the problem with that is that the chess pieces look like stones (due to the sharp edges) rather then realistic chess pieces. It loses its physics

Does anyone know how to fix this problem, or is this something that everyone experiences

Thanks!

Are you sure the Game Status window is actually open? Check 'Game Status' from the Windows menu or click Ctrl+2.

However, I think you're confused... Resolution settings (such as anti-aliasing) aren't controlled by Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition... they're controlled via the graphics card settings in the Control Panel, or the software that came with your card.

Layouts contain information about the current view -- such as the wallpaper, skin, set, board position, and location of various windows, such as the Chess Coach, Game Status, and Captured Pieces. They're primarily used if you switch between different size screens (i.e., you have a laptop with a 1600 x 1200 LCD, but you dock it with a monitor that only has a 1280 x 1024 screen).

Provided you didn't overwrite them, you should be able to restore the default layouts (go to the Preferences menu, select 'Layouts', and then Layouts, and then 'Restore Default').

Hmmm, yes I am 100% sure that the game status is opened because I can see the box highlighted.

Here's a screenshot I made for evidence, you can see that to the Left of preferences that Game Status is highlighted with a blue box to the left. At the top in the Windows tab you can also see that Game Status is opened.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img...atusnotshowingup.jpg

However its not displaying no where in the screen, I am not sure whether its hiding somewhere.
Strangely, even the captured pieces isn't displaying despite the fact that it is boxed.

But interestingly as you can see the Navigation Bar as well as the Shortcuts Bar is also visible, they are open in the same way as the Game Status and Captured Pieces.

But ofcourse even if I press Ctrl+2 it doesn't make difference, (not on the higher resolutions at least).

My LCD monitor only supports up to 1440x900 resolution. But even if it doesn't support 1600 x 1200 resolution. It should at least support 1280 x 1024 resolution which my monitor would support perfectly. I don't have issues like that with other games.

And I didn't overwrite the layouts, infact even if I restored to default its still the same.

Anyway, I don't mind playing on 1024x768 or 800x600 resolution, ofcourse there's no problem when setting the resolutions to any of them, but oh well I guess there is no solution to this problem, its probably a bug or a glitch in the actual Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition game.

Okay... load your profile for 1024 x 768. Then all you should need to do is click on the Maximize button in the top right-hand corner (next to the Close button).

From there, drag your windows where you want to. Then save your current settings as the 1280 x 1024 layout.

Thanks KHollister. Worked like a charm.

The window is "invisible" because it is somehow positioned outside your view (outside the 1600x1400 pixel box).

If you go to

C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition\Data\Users\YourName

and open the YourName.lay file with WordPad, you'll see your layout settings. Those numbers represent the coordinates of the position and size of the windows. So if you go under [gameroom] and the biggest numbers under Game Status are bigger than 1600 and/or 1400 then you have to lower those numbers to make it "into the box". You'll have to figure out on your own which number does what.