Home of the Underdogs
About News FAQs Contact HOTU GoogleGroup Music Manuals
Category Applications Action Adventure Education Interactive Fiction Puzzle Role Playing Games Simulation Special Sport Strategy War




Support the EFF
Welcome How you can help
Browse Games
Welcome Random Pick
Welcome By Company
  Welcome By Theme  
Welcome By Alphabet
Welcome By Year
Welcome Title Search
Welcome Company Search
Welcome Designer Search
Recommended
Welcome Freeware Titles
Welcome Collections
Welcome Discord
Welcome Twitter
Welcome Facebook
Welcome File Format Guide
Welcome Help: Non PC Games
Welcome Help: Win Games
Welcome Help: DOS Games
Welcome Recommended Links
Site History Site History
Legacy Legacy
Link to Us Link to Us
Credits Thanks & Credits
Abandonware Ring

Abandoned Places

dungeoncrawlers.org

Creative Commons License


Game #2721
Hall of Belated Fame Inductee  Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess    View all Top Dogs in this genre
Strategy   Board - Western

Rating: 7.55 (52 votes)

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess box cover

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess screenshot
Possibly the best instructional chess game ever made, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is based on the excellent book of the same name. For those who are not in the know, Bobby Fischer was to chess what Michael Jordan is to basketball. Winner of the United States Chess Championship by age 14 (the youngest player ever to do so), International Grandmaster the following year, and the first American to win the coveted World Chess championship, Fischer is reputed to be the strongest player the world has ever seen.

With excellent tutorials and a challenging AI, BFTC will appeal both to children who are learning the game, as well as intermediate-level players who want to improve their skills. While not as animation-rich as Interplay’s Battle Chess 4000 which were released during the same period, BFTC nevertheless has a lot to recommend it. Among the game’s highlights are the 300 self-paced, interactive lessons developed with Fischer’s help. The lessons explain the rules of the game; the elements of checkmate; back-rank mates, defenses, and variations; displacing defenders; and attacks on enemy pawn covers. All strategies are based on Fischer’s insights. The illustrated chess lessons are sequenced, building on moves and principles learned previously. The program grades your progress by evaluating your answers to questions based on course content. Unfortunately, an incorrect answer may elicit a humiliating round of laughter instead of a simple, “No, try again.”

As an added bonus, the game includes a digitized version of Fred Wilson’s “Picture History of Chess”, a great book that provides more than 300 photographs and commentaries describing important events in the game’s history. Unfortunately, the text isn’t hyperlinked or cross-indexed. There are also no search, bookmark, or print options.

The game proper lets you play against the computer on 10 levels of play (with or without a timer). You can also watch the computer play itself. Features common to chess games are all here, including hints and undos. Another neat one is the “Show Book Moves” option, which tells the game’s chess engine to play a series of predefined moves at the beginning of each new game. Although the board is presented in bland 2D graphics, it is more than adequate. While you cannot play against another human, you can set up the board to play any legal position so you can solve particular chess problems or test different endgame positions. An optional “Author Mode” lets teachers or chess coaches create custom lessons and chess tutorials. Last but not least, players can study 570 Fischer matches by watching each game replayed in 2-D or 3-D mode. You can control the playback manually (move by move) or choose the Animate Game option to watch moves made automatically.

In summary, BFTC has a plethora of excellent tutorial options that make it ideal for a novice or intermediate player. It won’t develop your chess-playing skills overnight, but if you are interested in learning how a chess master thinks, BFTC teaches you effectively how to analyze chess problems and strategies to the point where you can really improve your skills. Two thumbs up, way up!

Reviewed by: Underdogs
Designer: Unknown
Developer: Mission Studios
Publisher: Interplay
Year: 1994
Software Copyright: Mission Studios / BOOKUP
Theme:  
Multiplayer:  
None that we know of
System Requirements: DOS
Where to get it:
Related Links:  
Links:    
If you like this game, try: Sargon V: World Class Chess, Complete Chess System, Mychess

© 1998 - 2024 Home of the Underdogs
Portions are copyrighted by their respective owners. All rights reserved. Please read our privacy policy.