Chess Game with Built-in Tutor?

July 11, 2016 8:26 AM

In 1996, Sierra released a program called "Power Chess" for Windows 95 and 98. It was based on the WChess engine and had a fantastic teaching mode. Your primary opponent, the King, would learn from you as you played. Games would get progressively harder as he tailored his strategy around your weaknesses. Once each game against him ended, you could play it back move by move and the "Queen" would explain his strategy and suggest how you could have played differently. Power Chess is no longer supported by Sierra/Activision and won't run on Windows 10. Does an Android or Windows equivalent exist?

I am not looking for a basic chess game. I'm looking for one that will act as a kind of tutor, to help a player improve their game play strategies.

Thanks in advance.

posted by zarq to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

This maybe isn't the help you're looking for, but if you run, say, Windows XP in virtualization, and have access to the Power Chess install files/binaries, then you could just keep playing Power Chess.

Besides that, Chess Tempo is a great way to learn chess. It doesn't have human avatars that teach you, but it still teaches you.
posted by dis_integration at 4:59 PM on July 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Try asking at the Sierra Help site. They may be able to help you get Power Chess running again using DOSbox.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:12 PM on July 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: IndigoRain, I used to own the game, but I don't anymore. So I'd have to find an old copy somewhere.
posted by zarq at 9:12 PM on July 11, 2016

I've got an old copy.
posted by MtDewd at 11:34 AM on July 22, 2016