My father is well above average chess player and WinBoard is his best friend. And it's free.

It is nice for single player. Interface is nice.

Tested it... but I don't really like the online/multiplayer aspect... and it adds a delay when you don't own the premium DLC.


I would recommend checking http://www.freechess.org/ which is quite known online servers and have many clients.

Fritz 5.32 is a free download.

http://freechess.50webs.com/fritz.html

I have fritz 6 and can get it to run on win7 if that helps.

I can see you this used one, though it may take a bit of work to get it running again.

Well spotted, that one. Completely different positions on the screens- a legendary continuity classic!

I didn't even pick up on that, and I'm usually really good with that stuff. :P

You can also play online against the Fritz engine: https://fritz.chessbase.com/?lang=en

There is also PyChess. It's available for both Windows and Linux (but originally developed for Linux I think). A load of features, and you can install the Stockfish engine, which is the best one around (or close enough). This game is free to download (and the Stockfish engine is free too).

Think this is the program I tried a while back, and there were some pretty interesting exercises.

If it's not the same, it would be interesting to re-locate it. The game had some pretty cool exercises, where you had to arrive at a certain board situation in X moves, or find the only way out of a sticky situation, and then some memory exercises too, where you tried to play ahead games in your head, by just noting down the moves in a list. You scored higher if you got the "right" moves correct, especially early on.

You can also refuse to play chess !  :-p

If he likes it raunchy theres also the "Love Chess" series.

Definitely Fritz chess. I can still remember when I got it on a disket (Fritz 3) as a small kid and the game is still being continously developed today with newer and newer versions. Still has its price but needs always onlince connection. Why I don't get it.

Nice!

Kasparov's Gambit, a chess of my childhood.

here on gog? no.

else - chessmaster 9000

A few months late but since the thread was bumped, https://www-lucaschess.rhcloud.com/ is the one I use. You unlock stronger levels of an engine by playing against weaker ones. It gimps them until you beat their weaker versions.

You get hints from an engine of your choice, and the higher the level the less hints you get until you're one on one with it.