Majestic Chess (Jewel Case) | 
| From: ValuSoft
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $6.39
You Save: $3.60 (36%)
New (13) Used (2) from $4.49
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 2124
Format: Cd-rom
Platform: Windows Xp
Genre: Board Games
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Jewel case
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: MAJESTICCHESS
Model: 10431
UPC: 755142104313
EAN: 0755142104313
ASIN: B000922CCI
Release Date: April 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | WINDOWS 98/ME/2000/XP | | • | Improve your chess skills with the help of innovative in-game teaching advice | | • | Earn your army of chess pieces in story-driven chess challenges | | • | World-Class Chess Engine: Play the most power and entertaining personal computer game from the | | • | Chess Set Variety: 2D and 3D sets with true perspectives and stunning graphics |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Immerse yourself in a world of endless chess adventures. Challenge yourself for hours with multiple play modes. Compete against variety of opponents to improve your game. Choose your competition, playing style, and favorite chess s
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 I'm glad I bought it! December 16, 2005
B. R. Hassard (Utah)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful
I have taught children to play chess for about 12 years now and used several different programs in the past to give them a fun way to practice and learn the skills. My favorite program in the past was Chessmates, but it isn't compatible with my new xp machines so I started looking again. I tried Fritz and Chester and it was ok but a bit clumsy in the interface. Then on a whim I picked this up, and I love it! It will still give you the basics for learning chess, though it isn't geared to younger children as well as Chessmates. But my 7 year old son and I are having a lot of fun with the adventures on this game. It's a great way to build your skills and yet it provides some interesting variety too. If my boy hadn't already begun chess with me earlier I think I would have him wait a little to start this. (A lot of the instruction is reading with some basic animation). But we both love the graphics and the fun.
Fun adventure to learn or improve your chess. February 23, 2006
garfieldsk
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I think the biggest selling point of this game is the "adventure" that makes learning chess fun for kids, and yet still be very good at teaching tricks and rules as well. The story line is very campy, but still amusing. There are a number of challenges throughout the adventure that, for example, hone your skills in checkmating with only a few pieces, or recognize specific patterns on the board. This is a chess game I'd recommend to anyone looking to play chess for fun but wanting to improve your skills at the same time.
Great chess training without opening a book. January 7, 2007
GUILLERMO MADURO-VAZQUEZ (Atlanta, GA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Majestic Chess begins innocently enough as a medieval adventure. It progresses through chess theory tutorials, tactical problems, middlegame positions and endgame puzzles, going from plain beginner's moves, strategy and tactics on to intermediate and even advanced material.
Majestic Chess is marketed to a wide audience, including adults, with the bottom recquiring at least 2-3rd grader reading skills. My kids, 7 and 5, enjoy the game's graphics, the storyline and ethereal musical background, though the text does require some assistance from daddy because a good portion of the sometimes obscure vocabulary caters to a quasi-D&D crowd and is interspersed with humor. I enjoy its puzzles, the variety of challenges and the middle- and endgame positions found scattered around the adventures.
At $9.99, this is a steal. It complements other chess programs by making chess fun (again!) in a most instructive package.
 fun but lacking in features November 2, 2006
seeker010 (USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Ok to start off with the adventure mode is really fun. for those who are new at chess, it teaches not only the basics, but also some tips and tricks that will help with your game. The story is a bit lame, but who buys a chess program for a good storyline?
The main chess program itself is strong, but not even close to being the strongest. among computer programs it gets trashed even by the free crafty chess engine; though admittedly not much of a concern unless you're rated over 2000.
I found the interface a bit clumsy, and it forces full screen mode even if you just want to play a game of chess. Users of unsupported graphics cards could be in for a headache; anything post year 2000 from nvidia or ati should be clear sailing though.
Overall it's a good program for those who want to get their feet wet in chess, but for experienced players who want to improve their game this would not be my first recommendation. My favorite is Fritz Grandmaster Challenge II; for the same price you get the powerful Fritz 7 engine, and the very useful chessbase game database software, though that program has a severe problem with the Fritz 7 engine where it won't let you change back to it without a very technical workaround. Of course the venerable Chessmaster series will also provide an excellent alternative. Another advantage of both is that you can use literally hundreds of different engines for them; Chessbase supports UCI and chessbase engines while Chessmaster supports Winboard engines.
The adventure mode is a unique way to teach the game of chess to newcomers. But one has to consider for the club player, Majestic Chess does not offer any kind of games database, game analysis and annotations, which both of the alternatives offer (though fritz owns in this regard). That said if you do buy Majestic Chess for the fun adventure mode, scid+winboard+engines or arena+engines are free, and offers all those more advanced features except pre-installed weaker personalities that give you a better chance of winning, which is where Majestic Chess comes in.
Wonderful for all generations! February 20, 2007
K. Easton (Kansas USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is the greatest chess program! The chess adventure is like nothing else out there. My 5 year old, 7 year old and husband love it! My 5 year old can pass the first 2 levels by himself, and the 7 year old can pass the first 3 levels. They seem pretty satisfied by that. Last summer my husband and father spent our whole week at the beach passing the entire adventure. So it's fun for all ages!
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