Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster 2: Chess in the Black Castle Reviews

• Excellent game for kids who know the rules

  
  By A12AVK1ZQDSOUZ on 2005-01-03
  Original Fritz and Chester (F&C), that was released less than two years ago, was a revolutionary program because it managed to combined introduction of chess rules and some very basic principles with exceptional graphics that kept children, including my 5 year old, glued to the screen and eager to play (and learn). The program was really high quality and proved to be very attractive for kids as young as 3. You can find my extensive review of the original F&C here on Amazon. Also, it is strongly recommended in my book "Chess Exam and Training Guide: Rate Yourself and Learn how to improve."
  
  When I heard that the second installment of the program was released, I was very eager to get it to see if the makers were able to beat their original. Well, the answer is "Yes!" and the comment is "Wow!" The best thing about the F&C that it is a sequential product with minimal rehash of the real basic material (rules) that was introduced in the F&C 1. You get the same high quality graphics, new games, which are very simple, yet hilarious and with some clever underlying coaching. For example, who in the right mind would have thought of trying to split the piece of pie to feed two pigs, all on the tennis court? Yet, the way it is done, not only it is funny, but also it will eventually help the child to learn the idea of double attack on diagonal. Another funny game is the shooting the cannon-man, will develop easy understanding of the pin and skewer.
  
  Besides the games there are plenty of training modules, each teaching some of the basic tactical and strategic principles in a very simple and entertaining way.
  
  Could this game be better? Of course, among the things that I found questionable are long dialogs that can't be interrupted and some unnecessary technical inflexibility. Some of the training modules are somewhat dubious, but... I am sure these issues will be addressed in the future. Until the F&C 3 is on the market this program is the best that is available for children who know basic rules and ready to learn some introductory level of strategy and tactics. For a complete beginner, I would recommend to start with F&C 1. For adults eager to improve, I would suggest products by Convekta, also available on Amazon.
  
  Also, to address concern's of prior reviewers:
  To be able to switch the chess pieces from cartoon characters to regular format - There should be a picture/button just outside of the chessboard, near square "a4". Clicking on it switches the look of chess pieces.
  Also, in some instances the dialogs / songs / music can be interrupted by double-clicking on left mouse button.
  
  Best of luck!
  Have you taken your "Chess Exam" yet?
  
  
  
  
  
  

• It could be fun, if you have enough patience...

  
  By AGVBC05TJB4DD on 2004-12-12
  We purchased this for our eight-year-old son for Christmas. I installed it to test it out ahead of time. Here are my observations...
  
  The biggest problem with this game is that you CANNOT get control of the game unless the program wants you to. You cannot get a mouse pointer to click on something while the compter is talking (and it talks a lot). When you first install it (or you're a new player playing it for the first time), you HAVE to sit through a long, drawn-out animation sequence that takes about five minutes.
  
  The navigation within the game is difficult because there are no written words. Everything is icon-based, so you have to memorize what each icon does, and if, heaven-forbid, you choose something other than what you wanted to select, you have to wait out the animation and talking before you can back out to another screen.
  
  In addition to that, there are several exercises within the game. The chess pieces are cartoony pictures that don't look anything like the actual chess pieces. I found no way to change these into the real chess piece images. The only place I found that you can do this is while you're playing a real chess game.
  
  Another really annoying glitch is that you cannot exit the game in a quick manner. Typical game protocol is, if you hit escape or alt-F4, you can get out of the game quick- that is, you get a prompt, you say yes, then it gives you a splash screen or something, and you can escape out of that quickly. Not this one. If you hit escape or find your way through the menus to choose exit, you are prompted (you have to wait for it to finish talking first), then when you choose yes, you have to wait out the animations again. It's a total of several minutes to get out of the game.
  
  I really want to say that this is a great game, because it looks well put-together, but the lack of control, lack of icon labels, and cartoon chess pieces are just too much for me. I didn't have the patience to play this game for very long. I hope my son has more patience than me when playing this.
  
  

• My kids beat me at chess today!

  
  By A2Z60PVKWFO3SW on 2006-01-06
  My kids (6 and 8) are learning so much from Fritz and Chesster 2!! In fact, my 6 year old daughter started winning a few games at their local chess club after graduating to this game (from Fritz and Chesster 1).
  
  Today I decided to play with them (since they don't like to play against each other - they're still working on that "good sportsmanship" thing), and I let them team up against me. I was viewing this as an opportunity to help them think ahead, predict moves, and protect their pieces.
  
  However, I was the one who learned!! They surprised me again and again by reciting strategies (move your bishops and knights out, save your Queen for the real battle, don't move your pawns willy nilly, break your oponnent's wall, etc...) they had learned from this game.
  
  They also knew the relative value of the pieces, but could see advantages to making uneven swaps sometimes. For example, they shocked me by sacrificing a bishop for a pawn in order to open a hole in my wall, which they later exploited to checkmate my king. This was a strategy that even 1 month ago would have been unthinkable to them.
  
  Anyway, I defer to other more experienced chess players and computer users who have made specific comments about graphics, dialogue, and strategies. I am sure that at some point, my kids will move beyond this game and what it has to offer.
  
  But for now I couldn't be happier with the Chesster and Fritz games! My kids absolutely love playing the computer games and are really learning to play chess - and not just "computer chess", but chess that lets them beat other kids at chess club - not to mention me.
  
  I think I'm going to go demand a rematch :)
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Even Better

  
  By A1R1050ABE19GA on 2005-01-31
  Even Better
  
  I bought the first title Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster about a year ago for my son and he liked it a lot. He likes it so much that I got curious and started playing it myself. This software really taught me how to play chess so easily and in such a fun way. I did not play chess when I bought it but I do now!
  
  When I saw on Amazon that there is a sequel available I ordered it right away and I have to say: It is even better than the first one.
  
  If you know the basic rules of chess you will learn so much with this program so easily. There are 21 games within the game that teach you everything you need to know in order to play chess better. You learn about opening strategies, forks and skewers, pinning, castling, deflection, square rules, and, and, and...
  
  The story is a lot of fun and makes you go through the games and learn because you really want to help free Chesster from the evil King Black (he is really evil).
  
  Like in the first title the training mode comes with ten levels of difficulty from very easy to very difficult. But this version comes with a really nice coach function giving hints and tips while you play. Also, you can now reverse the board so that you can play with black at any time.
  
  I also really like the graphics and the whole atmosphere the game provides. It really makes chess a game you want to play.
  
  This program should get 6 and not just 5 stars.
  
  
  

• Real Chess Learning - and fun too!

  
  By A6Y3JOD9I639R on 2004-12-14
  LOL jokes and cute graphics for parent's and kids to enjoy together! This game builds on the first one. It also has much of what the first one has - it really incorporates a wonderful storyline, humor and lots of little games to teach kids sophisticated chess techniques. Grade A+ - Tons of replayability.
  
  
• Happy Mom
  By AB89P1HA6QVKI on 2006-01-16
  My children absolutely love this version. They wake at 5 a.m. to play before school. My son says "it's great--I've learned lots of tips, and now I'm a much better chess player."
  
  Why a 4-star and not 5? The down-side--the game doesn't allow the player to "save" at a certain level--totally frustrates the kids when they want to return, they have to start at the beginning again.
  
  
• Part two Explains Castling. Helped my game!
  By on 2005-01-12
  I have the first part, but it does not tell me anything in regard to Castling, but part two does have it, and explains it well, and what a difference it has made in my Chess game. With 200 games under my belt (i am still a novice) this has sure helped me stand against the Chess machine in this part 2 of Learn how to play Chess with Fritz and Chesster: Chess in the Black Castle. The format is just like the first part, it is story form, & this time Chesster the Rat gets kidnapped by King Black, and so it is up for little Bianca and little Fritz to save him from the selfish King who wants to be the only Chess master in the land. This is a clean game which will be enjoyable for parents and teens, as well as for young children.
  
  Like i said, Castling will be explained, and it will show you how to do it in the Chess board. This is simply Awesome Chess entertainment by Viva Media.
  
  Part 1 was made in 2003 and part 2 was made in 2004. This software program is from the country Germany.
  
  *Message*, i find so surprising that this is so popular in some areas of the country(USA).
  
  This part 2 is highly recommended but i too recommend both discs(meaning part 1 and 2 of learn how to play chess with fritz and chesster) so your game can improve, like it has for me. Get a couple of discs for your friends if they want to know how to play Chess.
  
  This might sound washed up, but Chess is cool.
  
  
• Exceptional educational software that is fun!
  By A1J93EGDYK0IWA on 2007-01-08
  I'm not going to cover the technical drawbacks of this software except to briefly mention that you should look over other reviews before you buy. However, despite annoying design features, this is quite an amazing piece of software! I would certainly rate it a 5+ if there weren't some design shortcomings and undocumented features ;)
  
  For starters, the educational intent of this software was well thought out. Young people will certainly learn a lot about chess through using this program and they will have tremendous fun doing it! The game teaches fairly advanced concepts in very clever and engaging ways for children of all ages and even adults.
  
  The graphics and characters are great. The explanations of principles are sound and they are reinforced through fun chess exercises. The program encourages young chess players and at the same time challenges them to improve.
  
  The product description above covers the scope of the concepts covered in detail and I found this description to be accurate so I won't repeat it. I spent about 2 hours with a 9 year old playing the game and I had a lot of fun!
  
  I didn't find that this program was especially difficult to use and my young friend was able to figure it out intuitively. He also found it difficult to pull himself away and so did I. This definitely an activity you can enjoy along with your children.
  
  The overall concept for this teaching tool is interesting because it involves three layers of play. There is the overall game of rescuing the king who is trapped in the castle which is used as a tool to motivate the player to learn new chess skills that allow them to progress in this higher order game. Embedded within this larger framework are a number of clever chess teaching games where you can record high scores and learn various skills. These can be selected from within an animated room, which gives the player some freedom of choice. Additionally, there are other fun games that are not necessarily related to chess, but that allow the player to relax their chess concentration and refresh themselves for tackling more difficult chess skills challenges.
  
  I also think it's good that kids could join [...] for a year and play against others as part of the purchase price. This gives them an arena to apply their chess knowledge and is a good community that is always available. There are other online chess communities that are free, but I still think this is a nice added bonus.
  
  I don't think any parent could go wrong purchasing this software for their child. It's good for hundreds or even thousands of hours of entertainment and its powered by an excellent chess engine. However, you can't play a game of chess against the computer with it. It is ONLY a teaching tool. However, you can buy Fritz Grandmaster Software for about [...] which does have this capability at a very low price point compared to other products of comparable playing ability. I've heard criticisms of Fritz 9 and my understanding is the extra cost does not add a lot of value. In fact, at this point there seems to be some bugs with Fritz 9.
  
  If you purchase this product, you won't be disappointed. I wish they had it when I was learning to play chess!
  
  
• Great chess game to learn with!
  By A3GCD31RKK1X8Y on 2005-07-29
  My 8 year old son, who plays competitive chess, loves this game. It teaches stategy and has good games for openings and middle games and end games. This was recommended by his chess coach and it is a way for him to learn on his own between sessions.
  
  I would recommend this for players who know the rules, but need to strengthen their game - all done in a fun and truely learning way!
  
  
• Fun and Challenging Chess Drills
  By A1LJO9VUV2PY5W on 2005-08-29
  When you practice basketball, you practice one specific skill at a time. Repetition of fundamental movements leads to mastery. Chess, of course, is the same, but I have never really seen a book or program that uses this fundamental method of practice as an approach to learning the game.
  
  What is even more special is that the drills are FUN! My son (a precocious seven years old) will practice one drill for up to an hour, trying to reach the next level in the Black Castle. My wife looks at the "video game" he is playing and asks, "Where is the Chess?" But the Chess is definitely there. I play it myself to beef up my skills. Sure I know what a discovered check is, but I've probably only used it a half dozen times in an actual game. This lets me identify the move in dozens of different tactical situations - outstanding practice. Same for forks, pins, double checks, and lots of other really good tactical plays.
  
  I have heard the first version is great at teaching the game. My son already knew the basics quite well, so I got the second version. I think that was the right move. But for a beginner I think the first version has got to be great too after seeing how well this one works.
  
  
  
• What a find!
  By AUL1KBS4TNR0L on 2005-09-01
  My kids loved the first Fritz and Chesster chess CD. They were just as pleased with the second. Although they're recommended for ages 8 and up, there is minimal reading involved, making it appropriate for even our 5 year old. I know nothing about chess, but this works to make it accessible to my kids, despite my ignorance. Highly recommend!
  
  
• Don't Call It Chess If The Characters Aren't Actual Chess Figures
  By A29THQFOAB9U4U on 2006-01-10
  I have 7 and 9 year old boys that play chess. They are also both very computer savy. I bought this program to buff up their chess playing skills and stategy, but they say they find it boring and don't think it has anything to do with playing chess because the game pieces and boards look nothing like the traditional game pieces. The characters are very difficult to identify and confusing, they are cartoon renditions dressed up in costumes. I'd save your money and look for a better chess program or get your child involved in an actual chess club.
  
  
• Fun way to learn basic chess tactics and strategies
  By AAXIW3SRA0S4R on 2006-12-03
  Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster 2, continues where the first CD left off. Like the first CD, this program may take some guessing regarding what exactly is one supposed to do, and clicking on the crown in the upper right corner helps to navigate through the game.
  
  This program is really good for grasping the basic tactics and strategies because your progress is measured and you have to develop certain skill proficiency before moving to higher level and learning more tactics and strategies.
  
  The CD covers some popular opening moves, middle game tactics like pins, forks, skewers and deflection, and mating strategies in end game. With practice on this CD, you can begin to win some games, and then move on to Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster 3, which is out in German, and is supposed to be out soon in English.
  
  
• Great art and quirky sensibility
  By A2XNC6AZO7CG2S on 2007-01-21
  My four-year-old son loved the first Fritz and Chesster so much I just had to get the second. I would have gotten the third installment as well, but it appears to require a DVD-Rom and more up-to-date software than he has on his computer (I suggest you always review those details before buying). Like the first, this second installment has the same quirky and artistic sensibility and lots of amusing details that keep me as interested in it as he is.
  
  The first one seemed a lot more "British" than this one. Just one example: in the first installment, the pawns are often depicted as English villagers with low-brow accents. In this installment they are more often Texas ranchers... There were also numerous Britishisms in the first installment that were tough to understand for a child. This one is thankfully free of them. I suppose the American audience proved more lucrative than the original designers had expected....
  
  I think the suggested age is more 6-or-above (they really should be able to read, I suppose), but with a little help even a younger child (such as my son) can get into most of the exercises and spend time with it. There are several more advanced features in this one than in the first installment. Here the focus is on basic tactics, openings, and endgame situations. So a child should really have made it through the first one before getting this. He absolutely has to know all the rules, for instance -- the second installment is not going to teach them. The first also has some wonderful exercises with just pawns or kings on the board, for instance, that have much to teach. And some fun games like a maze with a monster chasing you (to teach the rook moves) or a cannon that fires diagonally (to teach the bishop). Some of the games here (which resemble early video games, like space invaders) are a little too advanced for a four-year-old's manual dexterity....perhaps for a six-year-old's as well. But there are many things he can get into nonetheless, especially if you take the time to explain things and get them started.
  
  Overall, I'd say that if you want to give a child an introduction to the game, nothing beats the first Fritz and Chesster. Other chess teaching video games are much darker and less helpful, really, for beginners. And if he or she likes the first installment (which is also very girl-friendly), then by all means advance to the second -- especially for kids over 6.
  
  
• great product
  By A3580E5Z9L9SKD on 2006-01-15
  we have number 1 and now this one
  very recommended
  my kids plays hours with it
  
  
• Great program, however
  By AVZ5EL789AD97 on 2008-03-31
  this is a great product, my kids (5 and 7) love it. They have learned a lot from it. All the positives and negatives about F and C from other reviews are spot on.
  
  The only thing I did not see anyone mention was the dialogue itself. I try to be careful with what my kids watch and I was a bit disappointed that this product uses "stupid" "shut-up" "idiot" all words I try to avoid. It is unnecessary and just frankly rude. Comments like these happen pretty frequently between the characters and I cringe every time I hear it. My kids have been told if they repeat what they hear, they cannot play the game anymore so it hasn't been a problem, but I thought I would at least warn parents of younger kids.
  
  
• Good software
  By AKZ5XVY12W7LX on 2005-10-21
  Nice software for kids. Not sure how much this will help their chess though. More for entertainment than chess improvement.
  
  
• Powerful training games
  By A2TBAP09O67KA0 on 2006-07-07
  Although this game maybe aimed for kids, it can still offer powerful training games in an entertaining way. Each assorted machines is like an arcade that trains each tactical aspects individually. Such as blind Chess, eye-training, memory training of chess positions are most notable that separates it from the other beginner chess training programs.
  
  The only thing I hate bout this game is the lack of options. You can't log off to a different username without having to shutdown the program first then relog nor can you delete usernames. No BGMs (backgroundmusic)during chess matches.
  
  Other than that, its an awesome tactical training tool. Kids really do love to play this game and is one of the best games out there that can get them into playing Chess. I think Chess can be a beneficial contribution to school learning and thinking process.
  
  
• Excellent product for kids
  By A1DSNTUNO91JB8 on 2006-08-09
  This is an excellent product for kids. My kid loves to learn with this software. I had issues installing this product. Other than installation issues, it has been excellent. We are having fun now!
  
  I will recommend this title for kids starting on chess!
  
  
• Absolutely Terrible
  By A17CI7MRTIK9HQ on 2007-08-03
  This is, without a doubt, by far, the worse software I have ever seen. Perhaps the software had a malfunction, but there was no help key, and no means by which to go from window to another. After 2 hours, we gave up. We had to play a sumo wrestling game, a pac-man type game with a witch, but no chess. This was a chess software program and it was terrible. We never learned one thing about chess. It was ridiculous. My kids much prefer Lego chess to this.
  
  

• Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software
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