Introduction
There are a plethora of chess software and apps online that have been created to entertain and help chess players improve their skills in chess. Many of these chess programs and apps have extremely beneficial use cases and have been designed to take chess players from the beginner to grandmaster level in chess. Utilising chess software and apps is a great way to develop the skills and mindset that’s needed to be able to compete at the highest levels in chess which is one of the secrets to success many of the greatest chess players of our current era have used to remain competitive during high level chess tournaments. Chess software and apps can be used to analyse the chess games of grandmasters and future opponents as well as your own chess games in order to help identify your opponents and your own strengths, weaknesses and areas where improvements can be made.
One of the most notable instances of the use of chess software in history is the infamous chess match between former world chess champion Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue in 1996 which Deep Blue ultimately won and which sent shockwaves throughout the global chess community. Since the infamous match between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue the technology behind chess software and apps have improved significantly. Although there have been some instances of chess software and apps being used to gain an unfair advantage during chess tournaments which is strictly prohibited, using chess software and apps outside of chess tournaments in order to study is perfectly acceptable. In this article I’ve outlined some of the best chess software, chess engines and chess apps that every chess player should be aware of as they can greatly enhance your skills as a chess player. These chess software and apps can be used on a variety of devices such as personal computers, computers, mobile phones/tablets and supercomputers.
Chess Software
1.Chess Mates
Chess Mates is a computer software programme for chess that was originally released in 1996 for Macintosh and again in 1997 for Microsoft Windows for the purpose of teaching children the basics of chess although adults can also benefit from the program. Chess Mates utilises a graphical user interface (GUI) to teach the fundamental principles of chess with the option to learn via tutorials, chess puzzles and through interactive chess games with opponents at various levels. The lessons that are taught on Chess Mates includes concepts such as tactics, captures, checks, double checks, pins, skewers, removing guards, discovery checks and checkmates. The lessons on Chess Mates are delivered in an entertaining format by a wise wizard on a flying red carpet which is great for keeping children engaged during the tutorials. After taking lessons on Chess Mates children will understand the basics of chess such as the name of each chess piece, how each chess piece moves and how to play chess tactically and strategically. Chess Mates is still available to download on both Mac and Microsoft Windows computers and it can also be purchased on Amazon and eBay. Chess Mates is a timeless chess computer program and is an excellent way to introduce children and adults to chess even 27 years after its initial release.
2.ChessGenius
ChessGenius is a chess playing computer software program that was initially released in 1992 to be used on Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system which went through a series of upgrades since it’s initial release in 1992 up until 2002 with the release of ChessGenius Classic version 7.2 for the Windows operating system. ChessGenius was created for the purpose of challenging the worlds best chess players and was written by Richard Lang who has written chess software programs in the past that has won the world computer chess championship on 10 separate occasions. Aside from the computer program Deep Blue, ChessGenius is the only computer program that has challenged former world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match and won utilising a less advanced computer operating system than was used with Deep Blue in 1996. ChessGenius has numerous use cases, aside from playing chess, ChessGenius can also read chess games in (CBF) chess base format, (PGN) portable game notation and analyse chess games even against it’s own assessments. ChessGenius’ interface is very versatile as other chess engines can also be ran in the ChessGenius software program. ChessGenius has a built in opening book built to be used in Windows which was written by a team spearheaded by Ossi Weiner. ChessGenius is an excellent chess software program that can improve your chess skills significantly as it plays at an extremely high level and it’s level of skill has even been compared to former world chess champion Garry Kasparov. ChessGenius is available on PC, tablets and both I phone and Android.
3.ChessV
ChessV also known as Chess Variants is a free open source chess computer software program that’s designed to play chess and numerous other variations of chess such as bughouse chess, hexagonal chess and over a hundred other variants. ChessV utilises a (GUI) graphical user interface and has many useful features which includes a built in sophisticated AI assistant and support for multiple opening books and several features that’s typically used in traditional chess software programs such as the ability to use different chess engines within the ChessV program and the ability to play with custom chess pieces and a variety of chess board styles. ChessV is unlike other chess software programs in that it is designed to be able to play traditional chess but also a plethora of different variations of chess as well as custom variations of chess. ChessV is capable of many functions which includes the ability to search and utilise various computer algorithms in order to improve the quality of each chess game, evaluate the winner of the chess game based on the composition of the chess pieces on the chess board, ensure fair game play by calculating the number of times a position has occurred during each game and decrease the strength of the chess engine to replicate a beginner in chess. One of the great things about playing different variations of chess using software programs such as ChessV is that it expands your thinking processes when playing traditional chess which can significantly improve your game in chess.
4.Colossus Chess
Colossus chess is a single player chess software program that was originally released in 1983 by chess software developer Martin Bryant as part of a series of chess programs which was built using his previous chess software program White knight Mk 11. The White knight Mk 11 program was the winner of the 1983 European microcomputer chess championships and was released commercially in 1984 as Colossus chess 2.0 on the Commodore 64 home computer. Subsequent versions of the Colossus chess software program were released from 1985 up until 2008 which came with a series of upgrades which includes the introduction of features such as time controls with game clocks, an opening book with a library of 11,000 chess positions, enhanced graphics utilising a (GUI) graphical user interface, the ability to learn from users past playing experiences, problem solving mode which can solve normal checkmates, self-checkmates and assisted checkmates, the introduction of a 3-D chessboard and the ability to analyse over 170 positions per second. Colossus chess was one of the first computer software programs that understood the full rules of chess such as the fifty move rule, promotions, underpromotions, draws by repetition, draws by insufficient material and all the basic checkmate positions even complex bishop and knight checkmate positions. The last update to Colossus chess made the software program free and compatible with the Windows operating system conforming to the universal chess interface which enables chess engines to interact with Colossus chess’ user interface. Colossus chess is a pioneer in the chess software sector and is an excellent chess software program which can help chess players massively improve their chess skills.
5.Cyber Chess
Cyber chess is a chess playing computer software program that was commercially released in 1993 for the Acorn Archimedes operating system which can also be used on Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Mac operating systems. Cyber chess utilises a (GUI) graphical user interface and allows users to play against other chess players that use the software program as well as against the computer at various levels depending on your understanding of chess whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced chess player. The Cyber chess software program has numerous features which includes the use of a numbered and lettered 3D chess board, the ability to time chess games using various time controls, the ability to record chess moves, the ability to analyse and evaluate chess moves and the ability to save chess games and export graphics as vector drawfiles. The commercial release of Cyber chess in 1993 was a huge success and Cyber chess was ranked number 55 out of the 100 best chess software programs. Utilising Cyber chess can greatly improve your game in chess as users can tune the difficulty level of their chess matches to their current level and gradually increase the difficulty level as their skills increase whilst utilising the software programs evaluation and analysis features to highlight areas of improvement. The Cyber chess software program can be bought on sites such as eBay and Amazon and comes in the form of a 3.5 inch floppy disk.
6.Delfi
Delfi is a free chess computer software program which was released commercially in August 2001 as Delfi version 4.0 that utilises a (UCI) universal chess interface which enables different chess engines to interact with the software’s user interface. The Delfi software program was created by the Italian chess software engineer Fabio Cavicchio to mirror the human style of chess play and has an Elo rating of 2627 on the chess engines grand tournament. Delfi utilises a 2.5D chessboard as opposed to a 2D or 3D chessboard which gives users a greater chess playing experience as graphics in 2.5D gives the perception of a faint amount of visual depth which is much more realistic than 2D visuals but less distracting than 3D visuals. The Delfi software program went through a series of upgrades from 2002 up until 2008 which introduced numerous features into the software program such as an opening book with up to 30,000 moves, beginner, intermediate and advanced player modes and improved computer playing capabilities with a focus on better pawn structures as well as a focus on king safety. The most recent software update to Delfi took place in July 2008 which increased the programs Elo rating by 80 points. Delfi allows chess players with an Elo rating of 1000 to 2600+ to train and sharpen their chess skills in preparation for future chess matches and tournaments and is a excellent resource for chess players that want to improve their skills in chess.
7.Fritz and Chesster
Fritz and Chesster is a German produced chess computer software program which was initially released for the Windows 95 operating system as a video game on PC that focuses on teaching children the basic principles of how to play chess in a fun and entertaining format. The Fritz and Chesster video game is part of a four part series and each part focuses on teaching a different lesson in chess. The first lesson is centred around the rules of chess, strategy, how to identify basic checkmate patterns and how to effectively checkmate an opponent. The second, third and fourth chapters of the program builds on the lessons learned in the first part of the series whilst also teaching more advanced concepts such as opening theory, tactics, middle and endgame analysis as well as additional checkmate patterns. At the end of the first three chess lessons in the Fritz and Chesster video game students must take action on the concepts they have learned by playing a chess match against King Black. Users of the Fritz and Chesster program can also play variants of traditional chess, chess puzzles and timed chess games. The Fritz and Chesster software program is an excellent resource for beginners in chess, especially children who want to learn the basics principles in chess and ultimately improve their skills in chess. The Fritz and Chesster program is available on numerous devices which includes PC, digital downloads and portable gaming devices such as Nintendo Ds.
8.Kasparov Chessmate
Kasparov Chessmate is a chess playing computer software program that was created by the Learning company which was also co-designed by Garry Kasparov. Kasparov Chessmate was initially released in 2003 for the Microsoft Windows, Mac and Palm operating system as a single player PC video game. Users of the Kasparov Chessmate software program are able to partake in timed chess games which includes blitz, bullet and classical time frames and set the difficulty level of each chess game to match the users level of experience in chess. Users can also take part in the Kasparov chess club tournament which consists of a series of chess matches against a list of computer opponents with each chess game increasing in difficulty until the final. Unlike other chess computer software programs the Kasparov Chessmate program doesn’t include any training or tutorials however a player profile of Garry Kasparov does make an appearance in the game as the last opponent that must be defeated in order to win the Kasparov chess club tournament. In addition to the timed chess games and the Kasparov chess club tournament chess players have the ability to play against other human players that have access to the software program. The Kasparov Chessmate software is a great resource for chess players that want to improve their game in chess regardless of their Elo rating. Kasparov Chessmate is currently available on PC in CD ROM format and it can be downloaded digitally on Windows, Mac and Palm operating systems.
9.Kasparov’s Gambit
Kasparov’s Gambit is a chess computer software program that was initially released on the Microsoft DOS operating system in 1993 by the Heuristic software company which was published by Electronic Arts. The design of Kasparov’s Gambit was heavily influenced by the Socrates II chess engine which is the only chess computer software program to win the 1993 North American chess computer championship running on a microcomputer. The Kasparov’s Gambit software has numerous features which includes video training tutorials by Garry Kasparov, a glossary of chess terms, a library of up to 500 world championship level chess games, a graphical chessboard that provides move by move analysis, the ability to choose computer opponents based on the specific playing styles of notable chess players as well as a coach window that provides opening advice and commentary on the effectiveness of each chess move made during a game. There are up to 125 video training tutorials on Kasparov’s Gambit written by Eric Shiller on topics which include opening theory, middle and endgame theory, tactics, strategy and checkmates. Kasparov’s Gambit also has an enormous database of world championship level chess games with commentary from Garry Kasparov and the option to learn from the chess games by taking a quiz centred around choosing the best possible move in specific positions on the chessboard. Kasparov’s Gambit is a championship level chess computer software tool that can help chess players make momentous improvements in their chess game. Kasparov’s Gambit can be played on a variety of operating systems which includes Microsoft DOS, Mac, Linux as well as Windows XP and can be purchased on sites such as Amazon and eBay and it can also be downloaded on numerous sites online.
10. Playchess
Playchess is an online chess server and computer software program that’s managed by ChessBase for the purpose of housing discussions on chess but also to allow users to have the ability to play both traditional chess and variants of chess against players around the world. Playchess is one of the most popular online chess computer software programs that’s utilised by many high profile chess players which includes Hikaru Nakamura, Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Garry Kasparov to name just a few. There are up to 20,000 daily users of the Playchess software program and as much as 60,000 to 70,000 chess games are played every day on Playchess. The main features of the Playchess software program include the ability to watch live chess games between some of the best online chess players, access to the broadcasting of grandmaster level tournaments, the ability to utilise the Fritz chess engine to analyse your chess games in order to identify your strengths and weaknesses, the ability to utilise Playchess’ server to create your own online chess clubs, the ability to play time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical matches, the ability to partake in live interactive training sessions taught by titled chess players and the ability to choose opponents based on your current level of experience whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced chess player. Playchess is an essential resource for chess players that can help to improve their game in chess.
11. REBEL
REBEL is a world championship level chess computer software program which was developed by Ed Shroder that was initially released in 1980 for TRS-80 and Apple II operating systems and was later upgraded to be compatible with MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows operating systems in the 1990’s. The REBEL chess computer software program has won the Dutch open computer chess championships four times, the 1991 world microcomputer chess championship as well as the 1992 world computer chess championships which was the first time a microcomputer competed against mainframes, supercomputers and custom chess hardware’s in chess and won. REBEL has also competed against numerous chess grandmasters such as Arthur Yusupov and Viswanathan Anand and won. The REBEL chess computer software program has many features such as a (GUI) graphical user interface utilising a (UCI) universal chess interface which allows different chess engines to communicate with the software’s user interface, the ability to play in time controlled chess games, an outstanding positional understanding with a library of over 1 million opening positions, the ability to analyse your own chess games as well as the chess games of other chess players including the chess games of grandmasters. The REBEL chess computer software program has a plethora of helpful features and is an excellent resource for chess players that want to improve their game in chess.
12. Sargon
Sargon is a chess computer software program that was released in 1978 for PC’s by software engineers Dan and Kathleen Spracklen. The Sargon software program was initially developed to be used on Z-80 based Wavemate Jupiter II computers and was later updated to be compatible with Macintosh operating system. Sargon was registered to compete in the 1978 west coast computer fair and won making the Sargon software program the winner of one of the first computer chess tournaments which was primarily organised for microcomputers to compete. From its initial release in 1978 up until 1980 the Sargon computer software program went through a series of updates which eventually paved the way for the creation of the Sargon III version which increased the Elo rating of the software program and made the Sargon software program compatible with a range of different operating system such as the TRS-80 and the Macintosh operating system. The Sargon software program has many features which includes a large opening repertoire, the ability to play time controlled chess games, easy and difficult modes of play for beginner, intermediate and advanced chess players, a 2D (GUI) graphical user interface, fast response times, the ability to ask for help during chess games, take back chess moves and compel the computer to make chess moves. The Sargon software program also has the ability to recreate 107 of the greatest chess matches for users to study. The Sargon computer software program has numerous helpful features and is a great resource which can help chess players improve their game in chess. The Sargon software program can still be purchased for PC’s on sites such as eBay and Amazon.
13. Socrates II
Socrates II is a chess computer software program that was released in 1993 for the IBM personal computer by software developers Don Dailey and Larry Kaufman which caught the attention of the global chess community after winning the 1993 23rd North American computer chess championship during the software programs first year of release. The Socrates II chess computer software program was the first and only stock microcomputer during the time to win the North American computer chess championships which even beat the previous winners of the event the Cray Blitz and HiTech software programs which utilised much more advanced computer software programs. Some of the features within the Socrates II software program included the ability to play time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical chess, an extensive library of chess openings, the option to adjust the games level of difficulty depending on your level of experience as well as the ability for players to record the moves made during the game in chess algebraic notation. The creators of the Socrates II chess computer software program Don Dailey and Larry Kaufman later went on the create the Komodo chess engine. Socrates II is an excellent educational resource for chess players of any level that can greatly help in improving their game in chess.
14. X3D Fritz
X3D Fritz is a chess computer software program that was released in 2003 which is an updated version of the Fritz chess software program that was created for ChessBase by the software engineer Frans Morsch. The X3D Fritz chess computer software program originally ran on four Intel Pentium 4 Xeon CPU’s and was ported to the DOS operating system by Mathias Feist and lastly the Windows operating system by Mathias Feist and Frank Schneider in order to make X3D Fritz more compatible with a variety of operating systems. X3D Fritz was the first chess computer software program to utilise a 3D (GUI) graphical user interface with a 3D chessboard and chess pieces. X3D Fritz is well known for having tied a four game chess match against chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov in 2003 in which X3D Fritz won one game and drew two of the four matches which prevented Garry Kasparov from losing another chess match against a computer which was the result of the 1997 chess match against the software program DeepBlue. Some of the features of the X3D Fritz chess software program includes a large library of chess openings, the ability to evaluate chess positions, the ability to play both regular and handicapped chess matches, the ability for users to partake in training modules, an intuitive user interface, the ability for users to play in time controlled chess matches and the option for users to adjust the level of difficulty based on their current skill level in chess making the software program great for beginners, intermediate and advanced chess players. X3D Fritz is an excellent resource for chess players of all level which can help chess players improve their game in chess significantly.
Chess Engines
1.Crafty
Crafty is a chess engine that was created by Dr Robert Hyatt in 1994 and is one of the oldest and most influential chess engines in history. The technology behind the Crafty chess engine was derived from the Cray Blitz chess computer program which was the winner of the 1983 and 1986 world computer chess championships. Since the release of the Crafty chess engine the software has been continuously developed with the last update taking place in October 2016. From 2004 to 2010 the Crafty chess engine competed in numerous chess tournaments and was estimated to have an Elo rating of 2608 in 2007 according to the (SSDF) Swedish chess computer association. Crafty utilises a chess engine communication protocol and is compatible with some of the most popular chess interfaces such as XBoard and Winboard. The Crafty chess engine utilises a 2D (GUI) graphical user interface to display both the chessboard and the chess pieces and has a variety of chess piece styles for users to choose from however version 23.2 allows users to play on a chessboard with 3D graphics. Some of the features of the Crafty chess engine includes a strong chess playing ability, an intuitive user interface, a large opening book, the ability to learn from previously played games and improve, the option for users to play against other chess players online, the ability to save games in PGN or HTML format, the ability to play in time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical chess and the option for users to adjust the game difficulty level depending on their level of experience in chess. Crafty is a chess engine that is an outstanding resource for chess players that can help chess players improve their game in chess.
2.Cuckoo Chess
Cuckoo Chess is an high level free and open source chess engine that was released for the public in 2003 by the software engineer Peter Osterlund. Cuckoo Chess utilises (GUI) graphical interface as well as the (UCI) universal chess interface which allows different chess engines to interact with the Cuckoo Chess software’s user interface. Cuckoo Chess is one of the strongest chess engines that has achieved a peak Elo rating of 2583 according to the (CCRL) computer chess rating list. Some of the features of the Cuckoo Chess chess engine includes an extensive library of chess openings, the ability to play other users of Cuckoo Chess online, the ability to customise both the appearance of the chessboard and pieces, an intuitive user interface, the ability to play time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical chess, a variety of training tutorials covering topics such as tactics, strategy, openings as well as middle and endgame psychology and up to six different levels of difficulty for beginners, intermediate and advanced chess players. Cuckoo Chess is also able to strengthen it’s playing ability by learning from it’s previous chess games as well as from the chess games of other players. Cuckoo Chess has a very active community of users that are constantly providing feedback and developers that are constantly improving the chess engine. Cuckoo Chess is an excellent chess engine with many useful features that chess players can utilise to improve their game in chess. The latest version of Cuckoo Chess version 1.07 was released in 2019 and Cuckoo Chess is available on numerous devices such as Windows, Linux, Mac and Android.
3.Deep Fritz
Deep Fritz is a German produced chess engine that was developed for ChessBase by Frans Morsch which is the successor of the previous chess software Fritz but the predecessor of the chess software X3D Fritz. Deep Fritz was released in 2002 and immediately made headways in chess after competing against chess Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik during the infamous brains in Bahrain chess match which resulted in a draw with each side scoring four points. The distinction between the naming of Deep Fritz and previous versions of the Fritz chess engine lies in the fact that the Deep Fritz version of the chess engine is much stronger and has much more in game features than the previous versions of Fritz. The release of the Deep Fritz model of the Fritz chess engine in 2002 marked the ending of the Fritz model of the chess engines software and the beginning of Deep Fritz model of the chess engines software. Each new version of the Fritz chess engine was built using the features that were utilised in the older models and new features were added in order to improve the software and so Deep Fritz is capable of performing many of the functions that were available in previous models of Fritz. These features include friend mode which enables the Deep Fritz chess engine to adjust it’s strength of play depending on the experience level of the user expressed by the users choice of moves, 3D graphics which were introduced with the release of X3D Fritz, a 3D Spanish room setting, the ability to switch to the Rybka chess engine, the ability to utilise pawn and piece handicaps such as sacrificing pawns or moves, training modules, the ability to analyse chess games and an easy game mode which provides in game assistance by highlighting good and bad moves during the game. The latest version of Deep Fritz, Deep Fritz 14 was released in 2013 and has an Elo rating of 3150 making it one of the strongest chess engines in the world. Deep Fritz is an excellent educational resource for chess players of all levels that can greatly improve any chess players game. Deep Fritz is available for purchase on ChessBase.com.
4.Komodo / Dragon
Komodo and Dragon by Komodo chess also known as Dragon or Komodo Dragon are (UCI) universal chess interface chess engines that have been developed by Komodo chess which is a part of Chess.com. Komodo was created by Don Dailey and chess Grandmaster Larry Kaufman and released to the public in 2010, Don Dailey and Grandmaster Larry Kaufman were also the creators of the Socrates II chess computer software program. From 2010 up until 2020 the Komodo chess engine went through a series of software upgrades with the release of versions CCT, 5.1, 6, TCEC, 7, 12.3 MCTS and Komodo 14.1 which is the latest version of Komodo that was released in 2020. Chess.com acquired Komodo in 2018 which resulted in Komodo changing its name to Komodo Chess and in the fourth quarter of 2020 Komodo Chess released Dragon by Komodo Chess 1.0. Dragon 3.2 is the latest version of the chess engine which was released in 2022 and in 2023 Chess.com gained full control of Komodo Chess after Grandmaster Larry Kaufman and Mark Lefter decided to leave the company. The main features of Dragon 3.2 includes the ability to utilise different chess engines in the user interface, advanced chess playing abilities with an Elo rating of over 3500, numerous levels of difficulty making Dragon 3.2 excellent for beginners, intermediate and advanced chess players, the ability to evaluate the strength of various positions on the chessboard, an endgame tablebase that can evaluate the likely outcome of chess games with up to seven pieces on the chessboard, the ability to play time controlled chess matches, a large database on chess games for users to study as well as a training and analysis mode. Komodo/Dragon is an excellent educational resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game significantly. Komodo Chess is available on the Komodo Chess website and is compatible with numerous operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac and Android.
5.Fairy Max
Fairy Max is a free and open source chess engine that was created by the software engineer H.G Muller which was initially released in 2007 and is the successor of the Micro-Max chess engine. The first version of the Fairy Max chess engine was version 4.8 as it was built from the software of it’s parent software program Micro-Max 4.8. Fairy Max is capable of playing both traditional chess as well as many variations of traditional chess. There are essentially an infinite amount of chess variants that can be played on Fairy Max as users of the Fairy Max chess engine are able to create their own variants of chess as Fairy Max allows users to use custom chess pieces and define the rules within any created variation of chess. Some of the most popular chess variants on Fairy Max include Shatranj, Xiangqi, Shogi, Makruk, Chess960, Bughouse, Crazyhouse, King of the hill, Capablanca chess, Courier chess, Berolina chess and Seirawan chess. Fairy Max also has some great in game features which includes a (GUI) graphical user interface, the ability to utilise different software’s within the Fairy Max chess engine such as FritzChess, ChessBase and Arena and the graphical user interface of various platforms such as ChessX, Winboard, Xboard, Pychess and KChess, the ability to play high level chess with an Elo rating of 1900+, the ability to evaluate positions and give chess players feedback, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game, access to a large database of chess games as well as a user friendly interface. Fairy Max is a great resource for chess players looking to improve their game in chess and is available on a range of operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux.
6.Fruit/Peach
Fruit is a free and open source chess engine that was originally released in 2004 by the software developer Fabian Letouzey. The Fruit chess engine utilises a universal chess interface which enables different chess engines to interact with the Fruit chess engines user interface. There have been several versions of the Fruit chess engine since its initial release in 2004 which includes versions 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1 and version 2.3.1. The last version of Fruit was Fruit 2.3.1 which paved the way for the creation of the Peach 2.1 chess engine that was released in 2005. The development of the Fruit and Peach chess engines were discontinued in 2007 due to reasons such as a lack of financial support and due to an increase in competition and an influx of superior chess engines in the market which made the further development of Fruit unsustainable. Some of the main features of the Fruit and Peach chess engines were the ability to play chess at an advanced level achieving an Elo rating of over 2700, a large library of chess openings with the ability to utilise both classical and modern chess openings, the ability to accurately evaluate chess positions, a (GUI) graphical user interface, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to adjust the chess engines level of difficulty and the ability to customise the appearance of both the chessboard and chess pieces. The Fruit/Peach chess engine is an excellent educational resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess .Fruit and Peach can still be used today for training, analysis and playing chess and even though further development of the Fruit/Peach chess engine has been discontinued. Although Fruit and Peach were primarily designed to operate on Windows operating systems they were later ported to other operating systems which include Linux and Mac.
7.GNU Chess
GNU chess is a free chess engine that utilises a command line interface chess board that allows users to interact with the chess engine using simple command lines. GNU chess was created by Stuart Cracraft and released in 1984 as part of the GNU project which was founded by Richard Stallman primarily for research purposes however GNU chess can been used to complete numerous tasks such as playing chess games against other chess players online, playing chess games against computers, analysing chess games and creating chess puzzles. Since the initial release of GNU chess the chess engines software has been continually developed until present date, GNU chess 6.2.9 is the latest version of the chess engine software which was released in 2021. Some of the main features of GNU chess is it’s ability to play chess at a high level and GNU chess has an Elo rating of over 2600, a (GUI) graphical user interface, a (UCI) universal chess interface which enables different chess engines to interact with GNU chess’ user interface, the ability to evaluate chess positions and give detailed feedback to users, the ability to adjust the strength of the chess engine, the ability to analyse chess games, an extensive database of chess games for users to study, compatibility with popular graphical user interfaces such as XBoard, ChessX and PyChess and an intuitive user friendly interface. GNU chess is a great resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess and is compatible with numerous operating systems such as Windows, Linux and Mac.
8.HIARCS
HIARCS is a chess engine that was created by Mark Uniacke and released to the public in 1980 that utilises a (UCI) universal chess engine which allows different chess engines to interact with the HIARCS user interface. HIARCS is an acronym that stands for higher intelligence auto response chess system. HIARS was originally written in the PDP 11 basic programming language but was rewritten in the C programming language in 1990 in order to boost HIARCS performance speed. HIARCS began competing in chess tournaments in 1991 and won the title of world amateur microcomputer chess champion at the 11th world microcomputer chess championships, HIARCS went on to win a gold medal at the 4th computer Olympiad 1992 and the 1993 world microcomputer chess championships which was held in Munich. The first commercial version of the HIARCS chess engine, HIARCS 1.0 was released in 1991 which enabled HIARCS to be used on PC’s using the MS-DOS operating system. HIARCS 4.0 was released in 1996 and was the first version of the HIARCS chess engine to be marketed by ChessBase and sold within the Fritz (GUI) graphical user interface. Since HIARCS’ debut in 1980 several versions have been released to the public which includes version 1.0, 4.0, 11.0, 12.1, 13.0, 14.0 and the latest version which was released in 2023, HIARCS 15.2. HIARCS 15.2 has many of the features that were available in the older models of the chess engine with some new additional features which includes a native (GUI) graphical interface, improved evaluation functions, a high Elo rating of 2850 and a new and improved opening book. The main in game features of HIARCS includes the ability to play chess at a high level, the ability to play time controlled chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game, a large opening book, a variety of playing styles, the ability to analyse chess games and an intuitive user friendly interface. HIARCS is an excellent resource for chess players that can help chess players of all levels improve their game in chess and HIARCS is compatible with a range of operating systems which includes Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Pocket PC and Palm OS.
9.Houdini
Houdini is a Belgian produced chess engine that was created by the software engineer Robert Houdart in 2010. Houdini utilises a (UCI) universal chess interface that allows different chess engines to interact with the Houdini user interface. The make up of Houdini’s software is largely influenced by a variety of different chess engines such as Robbolito, Stockfish and Crafty. Since the initial release of Houdini in 2010 Robert Houdart has been continuously updating Houdini’s software and several versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.03a, 1.5, 1.5a, 2.0, 2.0b, 2.0c, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.01, 6.0, 6.01, 6.02 and version 6.03 which is the latest version of Houdini that was released in 2017. Versions 1-1.5a of Houdini is available for non-commercial use whilst versions 2.0 and subsequent models of Houdini are strictly for commercial use. Houdini has a unique playing style that has been described by chess candidate master Tryfon Gavriel as being aggressive and similar to the style of chess play that was popular during the romantic era of chess. Houdini doesn’t have a native (GUI) graphical user interface which means that in order to utilise Houdini users have to employ the (GUI) graphical user interface of other chess engines such as Winboard, Stockfish, Shredder, XBoard or Pychess to name just a few. Houdini is well known for being one of the strongest chess engines in the world with a peak Elo rating of 3300. Houdini has also performed extremely well in numerous computer chess tournaments such as the (TCEC) the top chess engine championships in 2011 but ultimately lost to Rybka. Some of the main features of the Houdini chess engine includes the ability to play at chess at an advanced level, the ability to evaluate positions, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games, the ability to analyse chess games, access to a large database of chess games and an intuitive and user friendly interface. Houdini is a great resource for chess players that can help chess players improve their game in chess significantly and Houdini is compatible with numerous operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
10.Ikarus
Ikarus is a chess engine that was developed by software engineers Muntsin and Munjong Kolss in 1997 and released in 2000 in partnership with ChessBase under ChessBase’s young talent program which highlights amateur chess programs that’s able to natively communicate with the Fritz or ChessBase (GUI) graphical user interface. Ikarus competed in it’s first (ICGA) international computer games association event in 1998 at the 9th world computer chess championships which was held in Paderborn, Germany and finished in 26th place. In 2001 Ikarus competed in the world computer chess championships again which was held in Maastricht, Netherlands and performed much better finishing in 8th place. Ikarus also competed in the world computer speed chess championships in 2001 and finished in 6th place. Since Ikarus’ initial release in 1997 Ikarus’ software has been continuously improved and numerous versions of Ikarus have been released in the following years which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0. Ikarus 10.0 is the latest and final version of Ikarus which was released in 2009 and further development of Ikarus has been discontinued since 2009. Although the further development of Ikarus has been discontinued at it’s peak it achieved an Elo rating of 2800 and has been known to rank highly as one of the strongest chess engines in the world. Today Ikarus is mainly used for training, analysis and playing casual chess. Some of the main in game features of Ikarus includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to evaluate positions on the chessboard, a large database of chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games, (UCI) universal chess interface compatibility, a graphical user interface, an intuitive user friendly interface and a large opening book. Ikarus is a great resource for chess players looking to improve their game in chess and Ikarus is compatible with various operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux.
11.Jonny
Jonny is a chess engine that was created by German mathematician and computer programmer Johannes Zwanzger which was initially released in 2006. Jonny has competed in all world computer chess championship games since the 2003 11th world computer chess championships that was held in Graz, Germany. The Jonny chess engine was the Blitz champion of the 2011 19th world computer chess championships, the runner up of the 2013 20th world computer chess championships and the champion of the 2015 21st world computer chess championships. Jonny has been continuously developed since it’s initial release in 2006 and each version of the Jonny chess engine has come with new improvements. The versions of Jonny that have been released includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and version which is the final version of Jonny which was released in 2015. In addition to traditional chess, Jonny is also able to play several variants of chess such as Chess960, Crazyhouse and Bughouse. Jonny is among one of the strongest chess engines in the world that has achieved a peak Elo rating of 3200. The Jonny chess engine utilises the (UCI) universal chess interface which allows different chess engines to interact with Jonny’s user interface as well as a native (GUI) graphical user interface. Jonny has a multitude of in game features which includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, Jonny is extremely tenacious when playing in difficult positions on the chessboard, a large opening book, the ability to adapt and utilise different playing styles, the ability to learn and improve based on past playing experiences, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game, access to a large database of chess games and an intuitive user friendly interface. Jonny is an incredible chess engine that is a great resource for chess players that need to improve their game in chess and is available on numerous operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux.
12.Junior
Junior is a chess engine that was created and released in 1995 by Israeli software engineers Amir Ban and Shai Bushinsky with contributions from Grandmaster Boris Alterman for the creation of the opening book within the Junior chess engine. Junior is a six time winner of the Shannon trophy that was awarded at the world computer chess championships in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2013. The Junior chess engine also won the world microcomputer chess championships twice in 1997 and 2001 which gained the Junior chess engine the title of one of the most successful chess engines in history. Junior achieved a peak Elo rating of 2900 which was a remarkable achievement for chess engines in the late 1990’s which also made Junior one of the strongest chess engines of it’s time. Since Juniors release in 1995 the software has been continuously developed and several versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 13.8 and 14.0. Junior 14.0 is the latest version of the chess engine software that was released in 2019 and built upon the strengths of previous versions. Some of the main features on the Junior chess engine includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to utilise tactics impeccably during chess games, a great understanding and awareness of positional chess, the ability to adapt and play well in challenging positions, an extensive opening repertoire, the ability to analyse chess games and provide suggestions on the best moves for users to make, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess matches, the ability to play time controlled chess games, an intuitive user friendly interface and the ability for users to complete chess puzzles. Junior does not have a native (GUI) graphical user interface however it does utilise a universal chess interface which allows other chess engines to interact with Juniors user interface and utilise the (GUI) graphical user interface of other chess engines such as ChessBase Fritz, Lucas Chess and XBoard. Junior is an incredible resource for chess players of all levels and can help chess players improve their game in chess significantly. Junior is compatible with a range of operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems that support the (UCI) universal chess interface protocol.
13.Stockfish
Stockfish is a free and open source chess engine that was created by The Stockfish developers, Tord Romstad, Gary Linscott and Marco Costalba and released in 2008. Stockfish utilises the universal chess interface which allows different chess engines to interact with Stockfish’s user interface. Since the initial release of Stockfish in 2008 the developers of stockfish have continuously improved the software and several versions of Stockfish have been released which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 15.0, 15.1 and version 16.0 which is the latest version of the Stockfish chess engine that was released in 2023. Stockfish performs extremely well in computer chess tournaments and has either won or finished in second place in every (WCCC) world computer chess championship and (TCEC) top chess engine championship event since 2013 and the (CCC) chess.com computer chess championships since 2020. Stockfish currently holds the title as the chess engine that has won the most trophies in the (TCEC) top chess engine championships. Stockfish plays chess at an extremely high level and has achieved a peak Elo rating of 3546 making it one of the strongest chess engines in the world. Some of the main in game features of stockfish includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, a vast repertoire of chess openings, the ability to provide suggestions on the best moves during chess games, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to evaluate positions on the chessboard, the ability for users to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games, the ability to utilise the user interface of various chess engines using the (UCI) universal chess interface such as Chessbase Fritz, XBoard and Lucas Chess as stockfish doesn’t have a native (GUI) graphical user interface, time controlled chess games and the ability for users to complete chess puzzles in puzzle mode. Stockfish is a great resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess and is compatible with a range of operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.
14.Leela Chess Zero
Leela Chess Zero/LCZero/LC0 is a free and open source chess engine that was created by Gary Linscott and Gian-Carlo Pascutto in in 2018. One of the reasons for the creation of Leela chess zero was initially to verify the methods in the AlphaZero papers in relation to the game of chess in order to learn how to play the game of chess itself as the Leela chess zero software program started with little to no knowledge of how to play chess other than the basic rules of the game and has played a remarkable 1.5 billion chess games against itself in order to learn the concept of the game via a process of machine learning known as reinforcement learning which amount to 1 million chess games per day. Due to this process Leela chess zero is able to play chess at a level that is on par with Stockfish’s level of play. Leela chess zero began competing in the top chess engine championships in April 2018 but did not perform as well as was expected however within the preceding three months Leela chess zero became competitive with some of the strongest chess engines in the world such as Komodo, Stockfish and Houdini. Since the initial release of Leela chess zero in 2018 Leela chess zero has been consistently improved and numerous versions have been released which includes LC0.2, LC0.3, LC0.4, LC0.5, LC0.6, LC0.7, LC0.8, LC0.9, LC0.10 and Leela chess zero v.0.30.0 which is the latest version of Leela chess zero that was released in 2023. Leela chess zero is able to play chess at an advanced level and is estimated to have an Elo rating of around 3980. Leela chess zero has numerous in game features which includes the ability to evaluate positions on the chess board, the ability to provide move recommendations, the ability to analyse chess games, an extensive opening repertoire, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games, the ability to play time controlled chess games, the ability to complete chess puzzles and compatibility with the (UCI) universal chess interface. Leela chess zero is an excellent resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess significantly. Leela chess zero is also compatible with a range of different operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux.
15.Naum
Naum is a chess engine that was created by the Canadian software engineer Aleksandar Naumov and released commercially in 2004. Naum has competed and performed at a high level in numerous chess tournaments such as the (CCT) the programmers computer chess tournament 9 coming in 5th place and 10 coming in 2nd place and (TCEC) the top chess engine championships scoring 4 ½ points out of 5 ½ points. Naum plays chess at high level and has achieved an estimated Elo rating of 2300-2500. The developers of Naum have continuously improved Naum’s software since it’s initial release in 2004 and several versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 1.8, 2.0, 3.0, 4.2 and 4.2 which is the latest version of Naum that was released in 2013 as freeware. The development of Naum was discontinued in 2013 and only minor updates have been made to Naum since. Some of the main in game features of Naum includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to evaluate positions on the chessboard, the ability to provide recommendations on the best moves during chess games, the ability to analyse chess games, a vast opening book repertoire, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games, the ability to play time controlled chess games, a (GUI) graphical user interface and (UCI) universal chess engine utilisation. Naum is an excellent resource for chess players looking to improve their game in chess and is compatible with a range of operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
16.SmarThink
SmarThink is a chess engine that was created by Russian software engineer Sergei S. Markoff and released in 1998. SmarThink utilises the (UCI) universal chess interface and the WinBoard protocol. The SmarThink chess engine has been continuously developed since it’s initial release in 1998 with the latest versions being SmarThink v1.97 which was released in 2016 and SmarThink v1.98 which was released in 2018. SmartThink has also competed in a number of computer chess tournaments such as the 2004 Russian computer chess championships and the 2005 (CIS) commonwealth of independent states computer chess championships winning the championship in both tournaments. SmarThink plays chess at an extremely high level and is estimated to have an Elo rating of 2700-2800. The main in game features of the SmarThink chess engine includes the ability to play high level chess, the ability to evaluate chess positions, the ability to adapt the smarThink chess engines style of play, a large opening repertoire, the ability to access the features within other chess engines such as ChessBase Fritz, XBoard and Lucs Chess via the (UCI) universal chess engine such as game analysis and chess game databases, the ability to analyse chess games and the ability to play time controlled chess games such as rapid, blitz, bullet and classical chess. SmarThink is a great resource for chess players looking to improve their game in chess and is compatible with some of the most popular operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
17.Rybka
Rybka is a chess engine that was created by IM (international master) Vasik Rajlich with contributions from (GM) chess Grandmaster Larry Kaufman, (WGM) women’s Grandmaster master Iweta Rajlich, (IM) international master Jeroen Noomen and Dagh Nielsen and released in 2005. Rybka has competed in several chess tournaments and has won four consecutive world computer chess championships from 2007 up until 2010 although Rybka was stripped of these titles after the international computer games association concluded in 2011 that the Rybka chess engine plagiarised both the Crafty and Fruits chess engines software failing to meet the necessary originality requirements needed to compete fairly in the world computer chess championships. Rybka is able to play chess at an extremely high level and is estimated to have an Elo rating of around 3100-3200. Since the initial release of Rybka in 2011 Rybka has been consistently developed and several versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.3.1, 2.3.2a, 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, Rybka Cluster, Remote Rybka however the latest version of Rybka that’s available for public use is Rybka 4.1 which was released in 2011. Some of the main features of the Rybka chess engines includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to adjust to different playing styles, the ability to play time controlled chess games, utilisation of the (UCI) universal chess interface, the ability to utilise the user interface of popular (GUI)’s graphical user interface’s such as ChessBase Fritz, XBoard and Lucas Chess via the (UCI) universal chess interface protocol, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games and a large opening book. Rybka is an excellent resource for chess players that want to improve their game in chess and is compatible with various operating systems which includes Windows, Mac and Linux.
18.Shredder
Shredder is a commercial chess engine that has a native (GUI) graphical user interface that was developed in Germany by software engineer Stefan Meyer-Kahlen and released in 1993. Shredder is a world class chess engine that has won several chess tournaments such as the 1996 and 2000 world microcomputer chess championship, the 1999 and 2003 world computer chess championship, the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 world computer speed chess championship and the 2010 world chess software championship. The Shredder chess engine has been continuously developed since it’s initial release in 1993 and several upgraded versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0 and Shredder 13.0 which is the latest version that was released in 2022. Shredder plays chess at an advanced level and is estimated to have an Elo rating of 3300-3400. The main features of the Shredder chess engine includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to play time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid, and classical chess, a large opening book repertoire, the ability to record and replay chess games, a strong understanding of how to navigate in complex endgame positions, the ability to utilise different playing styles, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of chess games and the ability to utilise the UCI universal chess interface which allows different chess engines to interact with Shredder’s user interface. Shredder is a great resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess. Shredder is also compatible with the most popular operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
19.Torch
Torch is a chess engine that was created by chess.com developers Andrew Grant, Finn Eggers, Kim Kahre, Jay Honnold, Michael Whiteley, Dietrich Kappe, Mark Lefler and Larry Kaufman and released in 2022. All of the developers of Torch have worked on other chess engines such as Ethereal, Koivisto, Berserk and Komodo Dragon however the software code behind Torch is completely original according to the developers and no other chess engine code has influenced the creation of Torch. Torch is considered to be one of the strongest chess engines in the world that ranks highly in the list of the top chess engines and has won the 2023 chess.com computer chess championships beating world class chess engines Stockfish and Komodo in the process. Torch has an estimated Elo rating of 3400-3500. Since the initial release of Torch in 2022 the developers of Torch have consistently improved the Torch chess engines software with the most recent versions being version 1.5.0 which was released in July 2023 and version 1.6.0 which is the latest version of Torch that was released in September 2023. The main features of the Torch chess engine includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, utilisation of the (UCI) universal chess interface, the ability to adapt it’s playing style, the ability to play time controlled chess games, an extensive opening repertoire, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game, the ability to analyse chess games and the ability to provide move suggestions. Torch is a great resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess that is compatible with a range of different operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
20. Zappa
Zappa also known as Zap Chess and Zappa Mexico is a chess engine that was created by University of Illinois Urbana Champaign graduate Anthony Cozzie and released in 2005. Zappa has performed well in many chess tournaments and was the winner of the 2005 world computer chess championships beating former champions Junior and Shredder and won second place in the speed chess portion of the 2005 world computer chess championships losing to the Shredder chess engine. Zappa was also the winner of the CCT7 on the Internet Chess Club. Zappa is considered to be one of the strongest chess engines in the world with an estimated Elo rating of around 3400-3500. Since the initial release of Zappa in 2005 several versions have been released with the most notable version being Zappa Mexico II, which was released in 2009. In 2008 Anthony Cozzie announced that further developments of Zappa was being discontinued however in 2010 Zach Wegner acquired the rights to maintain and improve Zappa and released a new version of Zappa under the name Rondo. Rondo competed in the 2010 world computer chess championships and won second place after Rybka before Rybka was ultimately disqualified for plagiarism. The main features of Zappa includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, an extensive opening repertoire, an excellent understanding of how to navigate complex endgame positions, the ability to learn and adapt its playing style based on experience from previous chess games, utilisation of the (UCI) universal chess interface which enables Zappa to utilise the features within other prominent chess engines such as ChessBase Fritz, XBoard and Lucas Chess, the ability to play time controlled chess games, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game and the ability to provide move suggestions. Zappa is an incredible resource for chess players of all levels that can help chess players improve their game in chess which is compatible with a number of different operating systems which includes Windows and Linux whilst compatibility with Mac is possible using third party software programs such as WINE.
Chess Apps
1.Chess Tiger/Gambit Tiger
Chess Tiger and Gambit Tiger are strong chess Apps that functions as chess engines and analysis tools that was created by Christophe Theron in the mid 1990’s and achieved great success in several chess tournaments spanning from 1997 up until 2004. Chess Tiger achieved 27th place in the 1997 world microcomputer chess championships, 9th place in the 1999 world computer chess championships, 3rd place in the 2000 world microcomputer chess championships, 5th place in the 2001 world microcomputer chess championships, won the 1999, 2000 and 2004 French computer chess championships, won the 1999, 2001 and 2003 French programmers tournament, won the 1998 and 1999 Spanish computer chess championships, won the 2000, 2001 and 2002 Dutch open computer chess championships and won the 2001 Berliner Emmanuel-Lasker Computerchess tournament. Chess Tiger is able to play chess at an advanced level and is estimated to have an Elo rating of over 2100 according to FIDE and the American Chess Federation. Some of the main features of the Chess Tiger app includes the ability to help chess players identify threats during chess games, the ability to provide move suggestions, the ability to adapt playing styles with Gambit Tiger being more effective at playing gambits, the ability to analyse chess games and an intuitive user friendly user interface. Chess Tiger is an excellent chess app that chess players can utilise to both play chess and improve their game in chess. Chess Tiger is also compatible with a range of operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Palm and iOS.
2.Fritz Chess
Fritz Chess is a single and multiplayer video game that was created by Freedom Factory Studios and published by Deep Silver for Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 3 and released publicly in North America in 2009. Fritz Chess is based on the Fritz software program by ChessBase and allows chess players to play classical chess, establish and maintain an Elo rating whilst playing against a computer as well as human opponents. Users of Fritz Chess are also able to play some of the most popular chess variants such as chess 960 and giveaway. Fritz Chess was primarily created to help aspiring professional chess players train for competitive tournaments and so only a limited amount of copies were actually released to the public which makes Fritz Chess one of the rarest chess video games. The main features of Fritz Chess includes giving users the ability to play time controlled chess games such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical chess, the ability to complete chess puzzles, the ability to watch training tutorials, the ability to partake in chess tournaments, the ability to study 2000 of the most historical chess matches, the ability to challenge friends to chess matches in multiplayer mode, the ability to study chess statistics, the ability to learn how to read chess algebraic notations, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game and the ability to learn from move recommendations during chess matches provided by Fritz Chess. Fritz Chess is an excellent resource for chess players looking to improve their game in chess regardless of their experience level in chess.
3.Play Magnus
Play Magnus is a commercial chess app that also functions as a chess engine for iOS and Android mobiles that was developed by the Norwegian company Play Magnus AS which was also co-founded by chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and released in 2014. Play Magnus has up to thirty different levels of difficulty which are based on the Elo rating of Magnus Carlsen at various ages during his career in chess. Users of Play Magnus can earn in game points by playing chess games or purchase points directly through the app for tasks such as querying the Play Magnus chess engine for move recommendations and to undo moves, the cost to undo moves increases as the level of difficulty rises throughout the game. Users of Play Magnus with a sufficient amount of points were also able to challenge Magnus Carlsen himself to chess games although this feature is no longer available. Play Magnus also allows users to share their games via Facebook and Twitter or save their games in (PGN) portable game notation format which can then be uploaded into chess engines for analysis purposes. The main features of Play Magnus includes the ability to create personalised training plans, the ability to partake in interactive lessons, the ability to complete chess puzzles, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to track users progression in chess and provide feedback on areas of improvement, the ability to play time controlled chess games and the ability for users to adjust the Play Magnus chess engines level of difficulty. Play Magnus is an excellent resource for chess players of all levels that want to improve their game in chess.
4.Pocket Fritz
Pocket Fritz is a chess playing App for Pocket Pc and a variety of handheld devices that was created by the founders of ChessBase, Frans Morsch and Mathias Fiest in 2001. Pocket Fritz was the winner of the 2009 Copa Mercosur Tournament securing nine wins and one draw and has achieved an Elo rating of 2898. The developers of Pocket Fritz have continuously improved the Pocket Fritz App since the initial release of Pocket Fritz in 2001 and several versions have been released which includes versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and Pocket Fritz 4.0 which is the latest version that was released in 2009 utilising the HIARCS 13 chess engine software. The further development of Pocket Fritz was discontinued in 2009 however many chess players still utilise Pocket Fritz whilst on the go. Some of the main features of Pocket Fritz includes the ability to play chess at an advanced level, the ability to study chess history via Pocket Fritz’s large database of chess games, the ability to play both classical chess and various variants of chess such as Bughouse, the ability to play time controlled chess games, the ability to adjust the level of difficulty of each chess game and a user friendly touch screen interface. Pocket Fritz is an excellent resource for chess players of all levels whether stationery or on the go looking to improve their game in chess. Pocket Fritz is only available on Windows Mobile and Palm OS operating systems.
5.Chess Clash
Chess Clash is a chess App that’s available on iOS and Android mobiles that was created by Miniclip.com in 2021. Chess Clash has a single and multiplayer mode which enables users to play against the computer, friends and family as well as other chess players around the world. Chess Clash has a number of different arenas in which chess games can be played that each offer unique match prizes. Users can also challenge other top chess players that’s ranking on the leaderboards in order to win even bigger rewards. There are two basic modes on Chess Clash, classic mode which allows players to choose from various time controls such as blitz, bullet, rapid and classical and clash mode which allows players to collect and upgrade their chess pieces to gain an advantage. Each chess piece in clash mode has unique abilities and players can unlock new powers by levelling up their chess pieces however the amount of chess pieces that can activate their powers once they have reached new levels is capped once their energy bar is full. The main features of Chess Clash includes the ability to collect unique chess pieces and chess boards, the ability to receive free daily rewards, the ability to play in various arenas such as Delhi, New York and Paris, the ability to invite friends to play, the ability to chat with other players and exchange gifts, the ability to participate in tournaments, the ability to complete chess puzzles, the ability to watch training tutorials, the ability to analyse chess games, the ability to play offline on computer mode, the ability to unlock premium items on the season pass and the ability to potentially win free items by opening the golden box. Chess Clash is a great resource for chess players that want to play chess both on and offline as well as Improve their game in chess.
6.ChessKid
ChessKid is a free chess playing app that was created by chess.com for children and was released in 2013. ChessKid allows chess players of all ages to learn how to play chess for free and grow as a chess player whilst being guided and supported in your development by a thriving community of over 200,000 people. ChessKid has a single and multiplayer mode which enables users to play against the computer, friends and family as well as other chess players from around the world in an ad free environment. There are also regular tournaments on ChessKid that chess players can participate in to test their skills against some of the best chess players around the world. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced chess player ChessKid will enable you to grow as a chess player as there are numerous educational resources on the ChessKid app such as chess puzzles and training tutorials which cover both basic and advanced concepts in chess. The lessons that are taught on ChessKid includes subjects such as strategy, tactics, opening principles, middle and endgame tactics, checkmate patterns and much more. ChessKid is a great resource for chess coaches teaching students how to play and is trusted by 2,000 schools. Parents have full control over how their children interact with the ChessKid app and children cannot be contacted by other users of the ChessKid app without the explicit permission from their parents which is set in the permissions settings of the ChessKid app in order to create a safe and bully free environment for users of ChessKid. ChessKid is available in multiple languages and is an excellent resource for chess players of all ages and levels of experience looking to play and improve their game in chess.
Conclusion
There are dozens of chess software programs and apps that chess players of all ages and levels can utilise to improve their game in chess many of which are free and easy to navigate. Software developers have been creating helpful chess playing software programs and apps since the late 1970’s and some of the best chess players have been utilising these software programs and apps ever since in order to improve their skills which is likely one of the secrets to their success along with hard work and dedication to their craft. These software programs can assist with tasks such as analysing chess games and providing helpful feedback on areas of improvement as well as your strengths as a chess player, enabling chess players to improve their ability to identify an opponent’s blunders and mistakes via built in feedback tools and chess puzzles, improving chess players time management skills by playing in time controlled chess matches and much more.
As technology has developed throughout the decades many of these software programs and apps have seen massive improvements enabling chess players to accomplish much more than what was previously possible. Many of the software programs and apps today have surpassed the greatest chess players of our time in terms of their understanding of chess and their ability to play chess and have achieved outstandingly high Elo ratings as a result. Software programs such as Stockfish, Komodo, Shredder, Rybka and Houdini have achieved Elo ratings of over 3000 and are able to play chess at the Grandmaster level and beyond. The highest rated human chess player is currently Magnus Carlsen who has an Elo rating of over 2800 and many believe it’s unlikely that he will be able to significantly increase his Elo rating due to a lack of human opponents with an Elo rating within this range however this feat may be possible with the help of the computers.
