ISSUE
2004.3
Chess Tech
PAGE
7
Chess Assistant 8.0: The best gets better!
Available from Convetka. $109 or 129 Euros, Direct. Also available at Chess Central..Free "light"
version here.
Pros: Very fast. Capable of handling millions of games without problems. Huge database of over 2 million games included. Opening tree,
engine analysis, board position and commentary visible simultaneously.
Flexible classification scheme. Good handling of PGN import, able to
open native files in other formats, including ChessBase. Excellent HTML
and RTF output, easy to transfer to word processors and web page
editors. User-definable keyboard shortcuts. Great graphics!
Cons: Unwieldy menu structures, "round-trip" PGN is messy when
used with other programs. Can't save multiple layout and print specifications. No XML support yet.
When playing through a game, you can see all the commentaries,
information about the game, the current position with attractive
graphics (many to choose from) and a list of all the moves available
in the included huge database. You can see the stats for the move of
the game, highlighted in yellowAs you play through the game, you
can invoke one of the powerful chess engines included with Chess
Assistant, including a new version of Tiger.
For more intensive work, the program can perform all the usual database functions, such as calling up a list of all games where the current (or any other)
board position was seen. You can search for specific maneuvers, material balance,
and an almost unlimited number of players, tournaments, and openings. This
function truly shines, you are not limited to a single set of players. For example,
you could search for all games played from a specific position by a whole list of
players, such as all the World Champions. You can save searches for re-use.
You can customize the display in many ways. Indeed the power of the program
and its almost unlimited customization can make Chess Assistant a bit intimidating. The help file is helpful,.
Since Chess Assistant is the basis of a wide range of instructional offerings it has
many useful features for commenting games and highlighting aspects of the game.
It can automatically highlight the move it considers best for each position. Editing is easy, though you need to learn a few tricks, as some shortcuts aren't easy
to find. Pressing the Control and F3 key takes you to a window where you can
enter long commentary, while CTRL and A brings up a window for symbols or
short commentary. You can enter text before or after moves, enter diagram
markers which show as true diagrams, and customize display and output as far
as your imagination will take you!
Just look at all the options you can set in the collection of tabbed dialogs at
left!. There are detailed options for each tab along the top of the window. You
can email games directly, not having to save and then attach a file. You can
customize the notation, including the fonts and colors. You can create your own
classifications for openings or other searchable items. Notice the ICC tab. If you
play at the Internet Chess Club, you can use the program as an interface to log
on, read messages, chat, and play games (but make sure the engine is turned off
unless you are registered as a Computer player). Whether you are a beginner, or
a power user, Chess Assistant provides a wide range of tools which will help you
learn, study, or seek out chess wisdom.
The import and export of data is easy, and the output is highly customizable, even supporting stylesheets. You can set up and save specific layouts for different types of exports, for
example to word processors or web pages. If you have appropriate software, you can print
directly to PDF files to email to friends or post on the web!
Overall, chess Assistant is the finest chess processor available on the market today. It has far
more useful features than its rivals, and has a great deal of flexibility, allowing the user to
customize many features, including all of the keyboard shortcuts. While there are still a few
areas that could use some improvement, chess Assistant is clearly capable of performing any
chest task you require, from full game and analysis with a powerful engine to complex
searches.
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