If you want a little ego boost, then Brutal Chess is the free chess program for you. I have played it several times since I downloaded it and won every game. It doesn't play good openings, but it plays well enough that it looks like it is going to give you a good game, then suddenly you are winning. I decided to play and record my moves like I was playing an OTB game at the chess club, since I haven't been there all this year to get a little practice before I head back to Columbia. Here two games that I played with some notes that might help beginners.
[Event "Human vs Computer"]
[Date "2013.07.23"]
[White "RJHinds"]
[Black "Brutal Chess (Medium)"]
[Result "1-0"]
Opening: Sicilian Defense, Alapin's variation
1. e4 c5 2. c3 {The idea of Alapin's variation is to support the later d4 push to maintain two pawns in the center if possible} e5 {This move prevents me from maintaining two pawns in the center, but leads to pawn structure weakness for Black, so 2...Nf6 or 2...d5 is normally played} 3. Nf3 Bd6 {Another unusual way of defending the pawn, more natural is 3...Nc6} 4. d4 {I figured I might as well push the pawn since I was not going to be able to maintain two pawns in the center anyway} exd4 5. cxd4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nf6 7. Nc3 Bb4 {Pinning my only defender of the e4 pawn} 8. Bd3 {I prepare to castle and protect my e4 pawn at the same time} Bxc3+ {This gives me two isolated pawns which could become an advantage to Black in the ending} 9. bxc3 Nc6 {I saw that if he traded knights that would give me two pawns in the center again, so I was about ready to castle when I saw a way to delay Black from castling, so I played...} 10. Ba3 Ne5 {This attack on my bishop was a surpise and I normally don't like to give up the two bishops, however I could not see another good place I could put it and I didn't want to delay castling any longer} 11. O-O Nxd3 12. Qxd3 Qa5 {This turns out to be a useless computer move attacking my bishop; blocking out the bishop by 12...d6 so that Black could castle would have been better} 13. Bb4 Qc7 14. Nf5 {I played this move attacking the g7 pawn because if Black protected it the d6 square was a great place to put my Knight} d5 15. Nxg7+ Kd8 16. exd5 {Things are looking really good for me all of a sudden for I am now two pawns ahead and one is a passed pawn, but even better I have lines opened up to attack the Black King that has never castled} Qb6 17. Rfe1 Ng4 {Black is aiming at my weak f2 pawn that is protected only by my King, but it is too late, for I already have a bead on the e7 square next to the Black King} 18. Be7+ Kc7 19. Qg3+ Ne5 20. Qxe5+ Kd7 21. Rab1 Qg6 22. Bf6 {Now I have the threat 23.Qe7 checkmate} Qxf6 23. Qxf6 Kc7 24. Qe5+ Kd7 25. Qe7# {Checkmate}
The next game is on hard level, but it doesn't seem to play any better than it did on medium. Nobody had ever played this defence against me before so after the game I had to look it up to see what it was called. After the first three moves, I thought I had fallen into an opening trap, however I figured a way out that gave me an advantage.
[Event "Human vs Computer"]
[Date "2013.07.23"]
[White "RJHinds"]
[Black "Brutal Chess (Hard)"]
[Result "1-0"]
Opening: Greco defence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6 {I knew that this violates opening principle by the Queen coming out this early, I did not see it attacked anything so I continued normal development of my pieces} 3. Bc4 Qg6 {Here Black is attacking two undefended pawns at once due to my last move} 4. O-O {I decided it was better to give up the e4 pawn then I would be able to attack the exposed Black Queen with my castled Rook} Qxe4 5. Bxf7+ {I suddenly realized I could get my pawn back immediately this way since the King can not take because of 6.Ng5+ forking King and Queen} Kd8 6. Re1 Qf5 {Here I thought about taking the e5 pawn by 7.Nxe5 which also guards my bishop, but I was not sure if I might lose a piece after 7...d6 so I chose the following moves that were easier for me to calculate} 7. Bxg8 Rxg8 8. Rxe5 Qg4 9. d4 {This move opens up a line for my Bishop} d6 10. Bg5+ Kd7 11. Nc3 {I am just continuing my development because the Rook can not be taken because of 12.Nxe5 forking the King and Queen} Nc6 12. Re4 Qf5 13. d5 {I was also thinking of playing 13.Rf4 first and then 14.d5 but decided on this move order} Ne5 14. Rf4 Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3 Qxg5 16. Rxf8 Rxf8 17. Qxf8 b5 {Better would have been 17...Qe5 or Qe7 to prevent my next move} 18. Re1 Bb7 19. Qf7+ Kc8 20. Nxb5 {There is no way to stop checkmate now} Qxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Bxd5+ 22. Qxd5 a5 23. Qxa8+ Kd7 24. Qe8# {Checkmate}
The Instructor
Winning Against A Chess Computer
24 Jul '13 07:412 edits
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