February Windows 98 Shareware

A selection of newer versions of traditional board games.

By David Nourse

I'd be very happy to hear from readers about any topics that they would like to see covered in this column -- just drop me a line care of workshop@acp.com.au or APC Workshop, PO Box 37, Sydney NSW 1028

ChessPartner offers an attractively rendered 3-D board and pieces, and plays at an estimated Elo rating of 2250 on a Pentium 100 system, making it a tough opponent for all but the strongest players. It has the usual features of a good-quality chess program: you can load, save, annotate and print your games; set skill levels by search depth or various time options; and navigate backwards or forwards through a game with ease.

Several features make the program stand out from others in its price range. It interfaces with major chess servers, making it considerably easier to participate in chess on the Net. It incorporates a Winboard adapter, so it can be used as a front end for many other chess programs available on the Web. It supports endgame databases (available separately on CD-ROM) and has database capabilities that allow you to import games in standard PGN format and put together your own collections from the many available online. You can use ChessPartner as a tool to analyse and improve your game. You can use it to study individual positions (or entire games), and save variations that arise during analysis. If you need tougher opposition, you can build your own large opening books from game databases.

ChessPartner is a well-designed and versatile chess program that has plenty to offer players of all levels of ability, at a very competitive price.

You can play against a human opponent, via a network or the Internet, or try your hand against one of three computer algorithms. You can also set the computer to search to a wide range of depths; very strong players may find that things get a bit slow at higher play levels as computation time increases about tenfold for each successive level.

The program includes a game analysis tool that graphs progress during a game, the ability to print out moves in standard notation, and a feature that lets you backtrack to any point in a game û all of these capabilities are useful for those interested in honing their skills.

Other options include toggling sound effects, a choice of board sizes and the choice to play the game entirely with the keyboard. Deep Green ReversiÆs comprehensive help files round off a slick and well-designed package at a bargain price.

There are four commercial versions of Chessvision available; the most expensive comes with a massive database of over 900,000 games. This free version includes some small sample databases to illustrate the program's potential, is fully functional as a computer opponent (using third-party engines), has a front end for Internet play and a platform for experimenting with multiple engines. However, it won't save your games or allow you to import games or databases (a key feature of the heavier-duty versions).

The user interface relies upon multiple windows and is best viewed at a screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher. It allows you to access and observe numerous functions simultaneously using either, one of the preset screen layouts, or one that youÆve created yourself. A key element in all layouts is the Chessvision Assistant window. It gives you context-sensitive help by providing summary advice on any window on which you position your mouse. Unfortunately, the Assistant's advice is the only help available: the program would benefit considerably from better documentation -- preferably in conventional help files.

The free version is nicely set up for playing or experimenting with chess engines. It comes with a couple of versions of the powerful freeware engine Crafty, and installs the directories and initialisation files needed to run most of the better freeware engines available (the publisher's Web site provides the necessary links to obtain these additional opponents).

This is an innovative and complex program that has great potential. It's well worth a close look from anyone who enjoys chess.

To simplify piece movement, you can pick up multiple pieces, allow compulsory moves to be made automatically, and use either your mouse or keyboard to control the game. Dice rolls can also be automated. You can change direction, switch sides or colours and possible moves can be highlighted on the board during the game.

Beginners will appreciate the comprehensive help files and instant advice on pip counts, best moves, doubling options, the computer's best moves and the state of play. You get clear messages on invalid moves, and the Help menu allows you to check the odds in favour of hitting blots, getting a particular roll and entering from the bar.

Experienced players can set up board positions for study, input particular rolls for analysis, choose from five computer skill levels, set up money sessions and tournaments, use a range of doubling options, and maintain full statistics on their performance.

Numerous bells and whistles complete this elegant implementation. You can choose from several piece shapes, background pattern, animation speed, and board size and design. You can customise game colours at 24-bit level, use realistic sound effects, and even opt for speech output of game messages and dice rolls if you have a suitable speech engine installed. In short, David's Backgammon will give any player very good value for money.

The program provides three computer opponents whose skill levels and playing styles can be customised to your taste. You can choose from eight predefined sets of rules (Hong Kong, traditional American, contemporary European and official Japanese), or create your own.

The game display doesn't try to emulate the layout of a mah jong table, but arranges the hands in four rows, placing your hand at the bottom. The interface is straightforward: when a computer opponent discards a tile it's displayed for a few seconds, leaving the opportunity for you to take it by clicking on it or hitting the spacebar. If you elect to take a piece a dialogue box appears for you to indicate which scoring combination you're attempting. You can view the accumulated discards by calling up a separate window.

There's considerable help available for beginners, including thorough documentation, a hint option and a separate tutorial program -- you can also simplify the rules to minimise many of the game's complexities. One particularly helpful option is to waive the penalty you'd normally incur when you try to grab a tile you're not entitled to; the program just points out where you've gone astray and returns to the game.

The package is enhanced by pleasantly atmospheric MIDI music and nicely rendered tile graphics that make Four Winds Mah Jong a pleasure to use for the advanced player and the novice alike.