Thanks squelchbelch and wormwood! 😉 I am downloading the free trial version of chessimo now! 🙄
http://www.chessimo.com/download.php
Looking at these too:
http://store.convekta.com/shop_model.asp?gid=123&sView=Catalog
Is it best just to pay to download them?
Also do you think it might be useful buying fritz or rybka or is it pointless using advanced s/ware at ~1500 strength (on RHP anyway!). Thanks again!
Originally posted by Diodorus SiculusI just tried out the new chessimo. like before, it has some very annoying 'features' like a non-resizable BIG board. very clumsy on my big screen. but the chess content is great.
Thanks squelchbelch and wormwood! 😉 I am downloading the free trial version of chessimo now! 🙄
http://www.chessimo.com/download.php
Looking at these too:
http://store.convekta.com/shop_model.asp?gid=123&sView=Catalog
Is it best just to pay to download them?
Also do you think it might be useful buying fritz or rybka or is it pointless using advanced s/ware at ~1500 strength (on RHP anyway!). Thanks again!
I purchased ct-art online, and besides the retarded installation procedure, it worked out fine. it also has numerous annoying 'features', but after getting used to them the chess content (tactics only) is great.
I don't know about rybka, but the training features of fritz have never been very good. but it has some database functionality and comes with a free subscription to playchess server. considering training functions, chessmaster is very good, but as an engine it's one of the worst. -in my opinion engines are only useful for blunder checking your past games. which makes their usefulness a bit limited, but still a good tool. pretty much any engine will do for blunder checking, it doesn't have to be the strongest one, as the things you're checking for will be only a few moves deep.
"Can anyone recommend good chess training software??
Especially for tactics and endgame play!
I am trying to improve at this mad game and need help!"
Turn off you computer.
Get some chess books and a normal size set.
If you want to improve at this mad (but oh so beautiful) game
then Monitor Memory will do you no good at all.
You must set up the positions and get the patterns stored.
Get your eyes used to roving and reading a chess board.
There are no short cuts. No quick fixes.
You must give up the time to study.
With good books this can be very enjoyable.
Most Reinfeld or Chernev books are good clear and instructive.
These two guys could write in an instrucive manner that
has seldom been topped.
Chernev's 'Most Instructive Games of Chess'. is very good.
Do not fall into the trap that a very good chess player is a
very good writer. Most are not.
Join a club - play humans - ask advice from recognised
stronger players.
(that rules out 99% of the people who post on here - most
mean but.....).
Play games on here - write them down and study them
on a full size set.
You must learn how to use the tools that were designed for
the game.
I would keep well clear of learning DVD's and alike (rip off).
You can look at a video of a man playing a guitar for 20 years
and when you eventually pick one up to play it. Kerplunk plunk.
Good luck friend.
May your sacs be sound and your King never back rank mated.
Originally posted by Diodorus SiculusI play theoretically won positions against the strongest software I have. Reinfeld's book offer an excellent collection of theoretically won positions. Probably 990 of the 1001 are excellent training, while the others show what happened when strong players wrote books on tactics without first checking their solutions with a chess engine.
Also do you think it might be useful buying fritz or rybka or is it pointless using advanced s/ware at ~1500 strength (on RHP anyway!). Thanks again!
Finding the tactic is one thing, but if you can't nurse the resulting advantage to the end, your development as a player is stifled.
Good advice.
I Do that - play won positions against the comp.
(I've lost some masterpieces in my time - Morphy to Capa
spin in their graves)
I have a board next to me so I can see things correctly.
You should always use a board.
Tactical blunders in writing.
Been party to a few of these things mysefl. Not checking tactcal
positions - should use a machine more often, they are
good at spotting shots. Getting older now (57 in a few days time).
Most of the time the guy has just copied somebody else's
analysis without checking it. It happens all the time.
see some Schiller & Keene's stuff - Oh Dear.
I play a program called Grommit. It plays as close to a human
as 've found. It tries tricks/traps and cheapo's.
In a lost position Fritz just sulks.
Originally posted by greenpawn34Generally good advice, but not equally applicable to everyone.
I have a board next to me so I can see things correctly.
You should always use a board.
I've played almost 40,000 games online, solved many thousands of positions in my head from looking at a diagram, and played OTB competitively for more than 30 years. For several years, I could not always translate two dimensional into three. Now they are the same. Both board and diagram are mere representations (Plato says so) of the real chessboard in my head (the ideal board, according to Socrates--see Plato's Republic).
For many years, I set up problems on a physical chessboard in order to solve them. I still do occasionally, most often while coaching or among friends at chess club.
Perhaps I need more practice at the 2D stuff.
But I'm not alone on this matter. Some strong players
I know agree with me (older strong players I add).
Playing on a monitor I lose all my pattern recognition.
I play a mean 5 minute on here - win loads more
than I lose but it's just cos I'm OK at tactcis.
But not happy with general play. Often get into odd
positions and have to trick my way out.