Power Chess

Last updated
Power Chess
Powerchesscover.jpg
Developer(s) Sierra On-Line
Publisher(s) Sierra On-Line
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows 95
ReleaseSeptember 30, 1996
Genre(s) Chess
Mode(s) Single player

Power Chess is a chess-playing video game originally released in September 1996 by Sierra On-Line for the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. Later revisions of the software were released as Power Chess 98 (1997) and Power Chess 2.0 (1998). [1] Power Chess was also the "intermediate" game included in Sierra's Complete Chess (1998) along with Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess (1995) and Extreme Chess (1996). [2] [3]

Contents

Engine

Its chess engine is "Wchess" by David Kittinger, which played against Deep Blue in the 1995 World Computer Championship in Hong Kong. The game is included as a watchable "Great Game" in Power Chess.

Gameplay

Power Chess had two major innovations: the program would adjust its level during the game trying to match that of the player (presaging Chessbase Fritz's Friend Mode). In addition, after each game, a female voice, the Queen, walks the player through the game, pointing out and explaining where the player could have played better. [4] The program keeps track of the player's rating. Players can also create their own characters with differing gameplay styles and difficulty.

Narration

The voice of the Power Chess Queen was voiced in English and French by voiceover artist Natacha LaFerriere. [5]

"Great Games"

A collection of famous games is included for review and study, each one narrated turn-by-turn by the Queen. The games include:

Reception

Power Chess won Computer Games Strategy Plus 's award for the 1996 "traditional" game of the year. [6]

In a comparison between four chess programs, PC Joker rated Power Chess the highest. [7]

See also

Comparison of chess video games

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Blue (chess computer)</span> Chess-playing computer made by IBM

Deep Blue was a chess-playing expert system run on a unique purpose-built IBM supercomputer. It was the first computer to win a game, and the first to win a match, against a reigning world champion under regular time controls. Development began in 1985 at Carnegie Mellon University under the name ChipTest. It then moved to IBM, where it was first renamed Deep Thought, then again in 1989 to Deep Blue. It first played world champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match in 1996, where it lost four games to two. It was upgraded in 1997 and in a six-game re-match, it defeated Kasparov by winning two games and drawing three. Deep Blue's victory is considered a milestone in the history of artificial intelligence and has been the subject of several books and films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer chess</span> Computer hardware and software capable of playing chess

Computer chess includes both hardware and software capable of playing chess. Computer chess provides opportunities for players to practice even in the absence of human opponents, and also provides opportunities for analysis, entertainment and training. Computer chess applications that play at the level of a chess grandmaster or higher are available on hardware from supercomputers to smart phones. Standalone chess-playing machines are also available. Stockfish, Leela Chess Zero, GNU Chess, Fruit, and other free open source applications are available for various platforms.

<i>Caesar</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Caesar is a 1992 city-building video game published by Sierra On-Line in which the player undertakes the role of a Roman governor, building ancient Roman cities.

Chessmaster is a chess video game series, currently owned and developed by Ubisoft. It is the best-selling chess video game series, with more than five million units sold as of 2002. The same cover art image featuring Will Hare was used from Chessmaster 2000 to Chessmaster 9000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Blue versus Kasparov, 1997, Game 6</span> Chess game between human and computer

Game 6 of the Deep Blue–Kasparov rematch, played in New York City on May 11, 1997 and starting at 3:00 p.m. EDT, was the last chess game in the 1997 rematch of Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov.

<i>Caesar II</i> 1995 video game

Caesar II is a 1995 video game of the Caesar video game series that takes place in Ancient Rome. It is the second game in the City Building series.

<i>The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery</i> 1995 video game

The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery is a point-and-click adventure game, created by Jane Jensen, developed and published by Sierra On-Line, and released for MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows, in 1995. The sequel to 1993's Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, the game's story focuses on a new investigation for Gabriel Knight, adjusting to his new life as a "shadow hunter", as he investigates a spate of killing around Munich believed to be the work of a werewolf, with assistance in his work from Grace Nakimura, who looks into a link between the killings and the final years of a Bavarian king in the 19th century.

<i>Robert E. Lee: Civil War General</i> 1996 video game

Robert E. Lee: Civil War General is a 1996 computer wargame developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra On-Line. Set during the American Civil War, it tasks the player with leading the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to victory against the Union Army of the Potomac. Impressions sought to make Civil War General accessible to wargame newcomers by streamlining its gameplay, and the Panzer General series was a reference point for its design and title.

<i>Janes Longbow 2</i> 1997 video game

Longbow 2 is the sequel to Jane's AH-64D Longbow from Jane's Combat Simulations. The game was developed by Origin Systems with executive producer Andy Hollis on board, and released by Electronic Arts on November 13, 1997.

This article documents the progress of significant human–computer chess matches.

<i>Chessmaster 6000</i> 1998 video game

Chessmaster 6000 is a 1998 chess video game developed and published by Mindscape for the Windows operating system. It is part of the Chessmaster series. The Classic Mac OS port was published by Mattel Interactive in 2000.

<i>Chessmaster 5000</i> 1996 video game

Chessmaster 5000 is a 1996 chess video game developed and published by Mindscape for Windows. It is part of the Chessmaster series. An upgraded version, Chessmaster 5500, was released in 1997. An online game, Chessmaster Live, was included with 5500. The chess engine was designed by Tasc ChessSystem.

<i>Grandmaster Chess</i> 1992 video game

Grandmaster Chess is a 1992 chess video game for DOS and Macintosh developed by IntraCorp and its subsidiary Capstone that was focused on neural network technology and an artificial intelligence (AI) able to learn from mistakes.

<i>Chessmaster 4000 Turbo</i> 1993 video game

The Chessmaster 4000 Turbo is a 1993 chess video game developed and published by The Software Toolworks. It is part of the Chessmaster series. An enhanced CD-ROM version was released in 1994.

<i>The Great Battles of Alexander</i> 1997 video game

The Great Battles of Alexander is a 1997 turn-based computer wargame developed by Erudite Software and published by Interactive Magic. Adapted from the GMT Games physical wargame of the same name, it depicts 10 of Alexander the Great's key conflicts, and simulates the interplay between Ancient Macedonian battle tactics and its rival military doctrines. Gameplay occurs at the tactical level: players direct predetermined armies on discrete battlefields, in a manner that one commentator compared to chess.

<i>Chess Wars</i> 1996 video game

Chess Wars is a 1996 computer chess game released for DOS by WizardWorks and developed by Art Data Interactive and Digital Arena Software. It is the last game to be released by Art Data Interactive.

<i>Sargon V: World Class Chess</i> 1992 video game

Sargon V: World Class Chess is a 1992 chess video game published by Activision. It is part of the Sargon series.

<i>Battle Chess 4000</i> 1992 video game

Battle Chess 4000 is a 1992 chess video game developed and published by Interplay Productions for the MS-DOS. It is a sequel to Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess and the third and final game in the Battle Chess series.

<i>Virtua Chess</i> 1995 video game

Virtua Chess is a 1995 chess video game developed and published by Titus France SA for the MS-DOS. It was later ported to Windows. Two sequels were released: Virtual Chess 2 for the Windows in 1997 and Virtual Chess 64 for the Nintendo 64 in 1998.

References

  1. ↑ "Power Chess 2.0". Catalog 98 99. UK: Sierra On-Line. p. 24. CAT JX 98/99 FE S0013471.
  2. ↑ Budinska, Agata (Feb 1999). "Sierra's Complete Chess". PC PowerPlay . No. 33. Redfern, NSW, Australia: Next Publishing. p. 113. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. ↑ King, Nancy, ed. (1998). "It's Your Move". InterAction Magazine. No. Holiday Issue 1998. US: Sierra On-Line. p. 18.
  4. ↑ Dulin, Ron (1996-11-15). "Power Chess Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ↑ "Power Chess 98 | Natacha LaFerriere". www.natlaf.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ↑ Staff (1997-03-25). "Computer Games Strategy Plus announces 1996 Awards". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Archived from the original on 1997-06-14. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  7. ↑ Duy, Manfred (March 1997). "Strategie - 4 Neue Schachprogramme". PC Joker (in German). No. 3/97. Joker-Verlag. pp. 72–74.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.