Players get thrilled with computer games when the computer cooperates well or is reliable. And with plays like chess, they have to look if not for the best, the smartest chess computer. What is the smartest chess computer then?

Deep Blue is referred to be the one. Why? Is it because the machine won twice over the hailed world chess champion Garry Kasparov by a match comprised of six games on 1997? Is it why Kasparov had to accuse the creator of the machine of cheating and had to demand for rematch?

Deep Blue is a chess computer (one that that plays chess). It is a product of IBM. It has previous versions before it defeated Kasparov and one of which the grandmaster has beaten earlier in 1996.

The origin of the machine is traceable from Carnegie Mellon University where the project was conducted first by Feng Hsiung Hsu as a “Chip Test”. Deep Thought succeeded it and together with Thomas Anantharaman and Murray Campbell, IBM Research employed Hsu to create a chess machine to beat world champions. Arthur Joseph Hoane whose task is programming and Jerry Brody joined the team after Anantharaman left.

Deep Thought had a match against Kasparov in 1989 and after then, the chess machine was renamed “Deep Blue.” Grandmaster Joel Benjamin played with its scaled down version, the Deep Blue Jr., thereby IBM Research hiring him for the opening book assistance and preparation of the match against Kasparov.

For PR reasons, Deep Thought was renamed again “Deep Blue prototype” or Deep Thought II and it was played in the 8^th World Computer Chess Championship in 1995. Wchess was a computer program it played with and this resulted to a draw. It lost a match against the computer program Fritz and ranked second to another computer program Junior.

Under regular time controls, the so-called success of the chess machine Deep Blue was its victory against the world chess champion Kasparov in 1996. This made famous the game Deep Blue – Kasparov, 1996, Game 1. Nevertheless, Kasparov had a rematch with it and this concluded to two draws and three wins during the same year.

The machine was upgraded and then had an unofficial nickname “Deeper Blue”. The heavy upgrade resulted to another match with Kasparov in 1997. This match was known worldwide for the defeat of Kasparov under time controls of standard chess tournaments by a computer system.

The brute force computing power is where the main playing strength of the system derived. With a base system RS/6000 SP Thin P2SC having 30 nodes, it was massively parallel. Each node of the system has 120 MHz P2SC microprocessor equipped with VLSI chess chips for special purpose. The C-written chess program under an operating system called AIX, has the capability of evaluating positions reaching two hundred million per second, twice faster than the 1996 version. According to the Top 500 List, Deep Blue then became the supercomputer most powerful at 259^th after it has achieved 11.38 GFLOPS on the High-Performance LINPACK benchmark.

A depth of six to twelve plies is a typical search of the chess machine and sometimes, it’s maximized to forty. The playing strength is increased by 50 – 70 points with one additional ply according to Levy and Newborn.

A number of parameters to be determined comprise a generalized form of the evaluation function of the smartest chess computer yet. The determination of parameters is done by the system itself, usually by analysis..

Perhaps, you are still wondering where to get computer chess software up to now. Well, you are very lucky simply because this article will teach you where and how to get the latest version of Chinese chess game. All you have to do is to continue on reading and you will be able to get what you deserve to get.

Since chess has been introduced all over the world, many nationalities create their own versions of chess game. These include English chess, Spanish chess, French chess and of course Chinese chess. Likewise, modern advancements also revolutionized the popular game of chess. Hence, it’s not a surprise to see and play several versions of the game chess using computers and other handheld gadgets. More often, these versions of chess game were then caught the attractions of many chess enthusiasts especially young players. Before, computer chess software is not that familiar for many. But then because the game is quite challenging, many individuals find it as a good past time until now.

Talking about versions of chess game, the Game Chinese chess soul has continuously raising its popularity all over the world. This is due to the fact that Chinese chess looks unique compare to other versions of chess game. This comprises flat-round chess pieces and awesome chessboard. Although it is quite different compare to the traditional version of chess games, the rules and principles remain unchanged.

So what makes Chinese chess really appealing? Well, no doubt about, this version has unique features that can surely enjoy by players. First and for most, the game allows the player to invite other players in playing the game. Besides, the player can also decide to play on his own. This means, he will challenge the computer itself. Other than that, the game also features chat box wherein the player will have a chance to communicate with his opponent. Besides, the player is also allowed to save previous games for later analysis. Not only that, after the game is ended the game moves are being displayed on screen by means of WXF and ICCS notation.

For educational purpose, Chinese chess soul can also be a powerful tool in learning everything about Chinese chess. This is due to the fact, that the game features huge open books which comprise ten thousand Grandmaster’s chess opening as well as Chinese principles in the game of chess. Unlike other versions of chess game which are quite ordinary, the game Chinese chess soul allows the player to create his own opening book by saving previous games. In addition, the game also offers demo function wherein the computer plays itself.

Here we come! Getting the latest version of Chinese chess is actually not that tricky. By keying the keyword using your favorite search engine, the version the Chinese soul will automatically appear. Obviously you will need to have your own computer for you to play it. Once the game has been installed on your PC you can start the challenge and see how far your thinking is. At first you will find a bit hard to beat your greatest opponent – your computer. But then, after few games you will be able to get it right.

Chess is a thinking game and calls for serious thinking and attention on the part of the player to say “checkmate” to the opponent. There is no short-cut or any specific formula to win the game and one has to learn the game only by practice and thorough understanding of the basic tenets or guiding principles of the game.

There is no room for luck or chance in this game, and, as a player, you will decide the fate of the outcome. Put in simple terms, you can win a chess game only if the opponents commits a mistake and you can lose the game only when you make the mistake.

This leads to the conclusion that one should not only have a thorough grasp of the basics of the game, but also needs to play a number of games. It is quite natural that, as a novice, one would invariably hear the “checkmate” more than braving to say one to the opponent. There is nothing wrong in losing a game, but it would be a crime if nothing is learnt from the loss and ensured that mistakes are not made again in the subsequent games.

As long as the passion for the game and the will to learn from the mistakes is there, one can speed-up the process of learning by playing more number of games. The concept of Online Chess – playing with a virtual partner using the World Wide Web or the Internet using the computer and the broadband network – has further eased the process of learning this noble game. Using online chess, one can play with different types of partners or the same partner, separated by distance, at any time. The physical presence of the player across the board will be the only disadvantage in online chess.

Play with experienced players

If you are in the early stages of learning the game, try to play the game as many times as possible and if an experienced player in comparison with you offers to play a game, never refuse the offer even though you may be aware that you will most probably hear the word “checkmate” from the experienced player. It is this play with the experienced players that teach you practical lessons about the pieces, their importance in the board and many such invaluable lessons that books will not teach.

Avoid playing with novices or players less experienced than you

It might sound harsh to suggest this tip to you, since you are still a novice. But, if the first tip is followed, you will be playing with experienced players and would have gained some sort of understanding and expertise relative to the initial stage. If, with that new experience, you indulge in playing with amateurs, it is quite possible that you will be saying “checkmate” to your less-experienced opponent, and this moments of pleasure or joy might lead to neglect or indolent habit of playing on false sense of expertise and will impact your further progress in gaining expertise.

Do not move your hand over the board

Unless and until you have decided to zero-in on a specific move of a piece, do not hover your hands on the board. If you keep moving your hands around the board, though not touching any of the pieces, unable to decide which one to move, you are sending a signal to the opponent about your uncertainty and indecision, which may prove fatal to success.

Be patient or do not exhibit impatience

It is quite possible that the opponent takes time to make a move. He might be reading the board closely or analyzing the tactics to be deployed. Sometimes it so happens that he or she takes inordinate time to make the move. In such circumstances, you, as a player, have no other alternative but to wait for his move. Do not express any sort of impatience while you were made to wait for your turn. You should exercise patience and use the valuable time to study the board more critically.

As a novice, it is better that you learn to play the game slowly or do not exhibit haste or impatience. Remember that you can lose the game only when you make a mistake and traits of haste and impatience are barriers to thought process and might lead you to make mistakes.

There are also a lot of great chess strategies available on different blogs and I highly recommend the 50 chess strategies at mychessblog.

Chess clocks are not used in all scholastic tournaments simply due to the fact that most of these games finish rather quickly. On the other hand though, if a game is still running long past the ending of other games in a given round, a tournament director may introduce a chess clock into the game in an effort to speed up the game. The director will then explain the clocks use to the players. Chess clocks have been around for an impressive amount of time and are employed to help keep games running in a more time efficient timely manner.

No going slow

It was around the late 1800s that chess clocks were invented. The sole purpose of these clocks was to help avoid any overly lengthy games. Chess clocks each have two independent clocks on them and have a specific mechanism which allows only one clock to be running at any given time. This helps to stop any players from delaying the game on purpose to suit their own advantages; it also provides players with an equal amount of time to use. How their time is spent is completely up to the player. They may choose to participate in a succession of fast moves to set aside some thinking time for themselves for the more crucial moves which will be required in the later stages of the game. Time management is a very important skill to have when it comes to playing chess with these clocks as you can’t only lose when you make mistakes or you are simply outsmarted but you can also lose simply by running out of time.

Time Controls

Time controls can vary from 25 to 30 minutes per player depending on what kind of tournament is being played. When using the chess clocks each player must make a particular number of moves in that set time limit. If the player has no more time left before they complete making the required amount of moves that player will lose due to loss of time. Both of the players need to keep score until there are no more than five minutes remaining on the clock.

Sudden Death

Another type of time control is a fixed amount of time in which you must complete the game no matter how many moves are made. This time control style is known as “Sudden Death”. In games referred to as “Quick Chess” these sudden death time limits are applied regularly, these games are generally under 30 minutes in length and it is not a requirement for players to keep score.

Where to find them

When planning on playing in a tournament with a specific time control it is important to either bring your own chess clock or borrow one off of somebody else. The general preference when it comes to chess clocks are the ones which are digital and have time-delay functionality. Chess clocks can be bought at many different stores which stock board games but are more so easier to find at online chess supply stores. The best place to start would be on the internet with a simple search engine search to find the best online chess supply stores.

Correspondence chess means playing chess on the internet. The rules of the game are the same as an old board game. Only then, online chess games are being played using computers and other electronic devices. As one of the popular online games today, correspondence chess has a vital role in providing an access to other chess players. With the cutting edge technology used in networking, correspondence chess enables international friendships and tournaments.

Getting an access to correspondence chess games is not that hard. Since computers are in everyone’s house in this hectic lifestyle, you can access as many chess versions as you can anytime of the day or night. Visiting specific sites will always be the number one way to play your favorite board game. Some sites offer game servers wherein the best of the best chess players are situated. Tournaments are categorized according to skill level. If you’re good in playing chess then, you should go with other experienced players and grandmasters. But if not, then you have to increase your ranking first before you decide to go on to the next level.

As usual, before you get an access to chess games or tournaments you have to sign up as a member of a specific site. Some sites charge a small amount for membership. There are also premiums that cost additional amount. But most of the time, membership is absolutely and completely for FREE. Actually, there are two ways to play live chess games. The first one is to play with an opponent who is online at the same time and the other one is to play with another opponent which is offline at that time.

In playing with an online opponent, you only have a limited time to finish a single game. This is due to the fact that live chess games must be finish within a specific time frame. As a result, the player who loses the game is automatically eliminated and the other player must also leave after the time runs out. It could be better if you choose the second option. Here, there’s no time frame being settled. As long as you’re finish playing, you’re free to leave the room. Likewise when playing in this option, you can access multiple chess games at a time.

As you wish, you can make a move on one game then another move on the second game and so on. Your opponent can also see your moves as long as he or she gets online. Likewise, it’s up to both of you to decide on time frame if any. But what’s more interesting is that you can opt to chat with your opponent and ask for advises or raise your reactions in the game. You can also agree the number of moves before deciding to log off.

Today, more and more people are playing chess games online. And because of the unstoppable enhancements, hybrid sites are being established. These sites can be played using both options. Hybrid sites also allow game pause. As the player wishes, he or she can leave the game and go back later. Similarly, these sites also allow downloading and saving game for later analysis. Moreover, there’s not time limit in playing with hybrid sites.

In today’s modern way of living, we cannot deny the fact that even those people who live simple life in one way or another are influenced by the existence of the computers and internet. Some people say that their day is not complete if they would not spend time in front of the computer. Yes, this is true not only for us writers as well as other job that needs to be always in front of computers but also for online gamers. Computers seem like best fiend, siblings, parents and spouse to anyone who use it in their everyday life.

However, for online gamers it is a separate case. Because of the technological advancement even the traditional game of chess is influenced and raised it in a height that it can be played online. No doubt, nowadays playing online chess is the most favourite of gamers among other online games available in the internet. However, many chess players love to play the game online but do not know what the best chess computer available in the internet is.

One of the best chess computers that you can have is the chess station chess computer offered by Excalibur Electronics Inc. This is the newest breakthrough in computer chess offered by Excalibur. This model of chess computer is perfect for not only home or office use but also a good friend when travelling. Having this chess computer eliminates the hassle of carrying chessboards and pieces because it is a full featured travel unit. However, this breakthrough does not spare you to play the game in traditional way when you are at home. This means that the unit is versatile as you can play it electronically while on travel or plug it into its docking station. What make this unit outstanding are the magnetic sensory board as well as its powerful processor. The features of the unit are ideal for both beginners and advanced players.

One of the features that are beneficial for beginners is the teaching mode that would surely take a novice to advanced level. Likewise, the player can select opening lines to play and learn and has 73 power levels. Your skill will improve, as you would solve the 32 mate problems included in the features. The Chess station also provides hint option for coaching and you will be motivated to play well as your game will be rated. You can save your game so that you can review your mistakes and improve more or your weakness.

Nevertheless, no matter how modern the chess station is, still it cannot make its own decision as compared to human. Keep in mind that computers are just the product of human’s far-reaching imagination. Thus, without humans computers are futile. In this reason, the features of this innovative chess computer will not be as useful as it is if not played well by human. Remember that it takes two to tango thus, if a human chess player is not well acquainted with the modes in playing chess computer it would not be possible to win any game. Therefore, the bottom line of enjoying the innovation is to study and learn first the basics of the game.