# Any good free chess downloads out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2007, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-free-chess-downloads-out-there/401170 "2007-04-22T11:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-free-chess-downloads-out-there/401170/1 "2007-04-22T11:53:46Z")
It says it all in the title. I’m a novice player and am looking to improve my skills. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-free-chess-downloads-out-there/401170/2 "2007-04-22T13:11:15Z")
Not a download, but [this mammoth chess site](http://www.chessgames.com/index.html) is terrific. Lots of discussion about many of the games and, of course, a tremendous index of games. ---
**Author:** ![Chasing\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Chasing\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chasing_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-free-chess-downloads-out-there/401170/3 "2007-04-22T19:02:02Z")
[Old Man/]Why you kids! Back in my day, I taught myself chess from books and went to junior nationals that way. [/Old Man] Try getting some books from your library. I don’t know of any good, free chess tutorial programs out there. The good ones are all commercial. The Chessmaster series of programs are pretty instructive and nicely done. Try playing chess at [www.freechess.org](http://www.freechess.org) and get some players to teach you.