Championship Chess All-Stars

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on August 20, 2009

Championship Chess All-Stars offers to help users have fun and improve their chess game. With a great selection of ways to play and many helpful tools, this is a fantastic choice for chess players of all skill levels.

The program's interface is highly intuitive, thanks in part to its well-labeled and cartoonish, but professional, design. Users will not need to utilize the Help file, because on-screen direction is so helpful. Users begin their play by selecting a game style: untimed, speed play, suicide play, progressive, or customized. From there, gameplay is remarkably simple: users click on a piece and the computer highlights possible moves. Users can right-click the screen and cycle through options, such as asking the computer for help, undoing a move, and throwing a pie at your opponent. The program's opponents are 24 cartoons with various skill sets that should challenge all players. On the whole, the program will be fun for newcomers and chess fanatics alike, thanks to its versatility. Our favorite feature was Championship Chess All-Stars's ability to keep track of statistics and moves. Users can view their opponent's stats with the click of a button and just as easily see a script of every move in the game.

The program's trial limits you to three games. With simple gameplay and an intuitive format, this program will be a hit for chess rookies and experts alike.