Chess Tutor 1

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 7/10

Memory: 48K Price: £9.95 There are many programs for the 48K Spectrum which will play chess with a human player but very few which will teach the game of chess. Chess Tutor One compensates for that shortcoming in the computer market and serves as an excellent introduction to the mind game. The program comprises several segments which can be loaded from a main menu. The segments introduce all the information you are likely to need when starting to play the game and it is split up in such a way as to be easy to understand. It also takes into account the level of play which you can obtain and could even be helpful to the experienced player. Both the pieces and the tactics are explained and you have only to pick those parts of the course you need. For the beginner it may mean looking at the parts relating to all the pieces, whereas the experienced player will want to learn about tactics, such as skewers, pins and forks. All the lessons are punctuated with practical examples and the moves which can be made with the various chess pieces are shown graphically. As well as teaching the game, the package will also give the potential player a series of exercises to help reinforce the information provided. Most of the questions are fairly easy but they will help to put theory into practice. Having said that, the price of Chess Tutor One seems excessive. It is a pity that price was fixed as it will deter many people who would otherwise buy this excellent piece of software. Chess Tutor One can be obtained from Sinclair Research.

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