# Anyone play computer chess? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055 "2017-12-09T23:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/1 "2017-12-09T23:46:38Z")
First time in the game room. I haven’t played chess against a human since… oh about 1969. That would be my Dad. He taught me how to play. The moves aren’t that difficult. The strategy is everything. Anywho, I’m playing against a computer program currently, and find it to be a lot of fun. Do it on my phone. There are 12 levels of difficulty. I suspect that is how far the computer is allowed to ‘think’ ahead. At level 4 I win 31% of the games. It’s very interesting. Sometimes I beat the computers ass very quickly (my best was in 12 moves). Other times I get creamed. Mostly it ends up at near stalemate with only 6 or so pieces on the board. I enjoy it when I don’t have a book to read. No real question. Just wondering if anyone else on the board is playing computer chess. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/2 "2017-12-10T02:56:52Z")
I play it semi-frequently. I never used to mind losing to my father because when he played competitively he had a master’s rating. But I hate to lose to the computer, because there’s no level low enough for me to win consistently. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/3 "2017-12-10T04:28:29Z")
I used to play Chess Titans all the time (loved it!), but i had to get a new computer and the whiz kids at microsoft decided not to add it to windows 10. I am bummed. mc ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/4 "2017-12-10T05:16:10Z")
I played Chess Titans also, and every time I download it, it gets wiped out whenever this fucking version of windows that I’m using does its “upgrade”. :mad: Been drinkin’. Don’t bother with me. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/5 "2017-12-10T05:19:34Z")
I think I can recommend a chess game (not against board rules?). Anyway, on my Android phone I play “Chess Free AI Factory.” Or that’s how you can find it in the Play Store. You do get an ad that you can cancel out of at the beginning of each game. It has 12 levels of difficulty. I would say at level 1 it just makes random moves. It’s almost silly and hard to lose. Level 12 is a bit different. Kicked my ass 8 in a row. And you can see on the board how many moves it’s ‘thinking about’ (the different chess board squares flash). Perhaps it’s ‘thinking’ 12 possible moves ahead (that’s probably a few 10,000 possibilities). It may take as long as 4 seconds to make a move on level twelve. It’s quite humbling. Now, I must admit I play in casual mode. You can take back a move when you pull a :smack:. Yeah, call it cheating, but the computer doesn’t :smack:. And it’s nice for when your finger hits the wrong board square when moving a piece. That REALLY sucks if you have a good game going. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/6 "2017-12-10T14:25:06Z")
This is the one I play: [Play Chess Online Against Computer](http://brainden.com/chess/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/7 "2017-12-11T02:48:09Z")
I downloaded a free program, The Chess Lv.100, a little while back. I think it’s pretty good. The control freak in me really enjoys having such a ridiculously fine level of say over how powerful the computer is. None of that Level 1 through Level 10 crap for me! If I want just a teensy bit more challenge, I can dial things up, like, 19 points or so. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/8 "2017-12-11T03:58:24Z")
I used to have a standalone chess set when I was a kid. It had 16 difficulty levels, 1-8 and A-H. On the numbered levels, it would make occasional deliberate mistakes, and the lettered levels took progressively longer to think about their moves. I was about a fair match for it at level 4 (halfway through the deliberate-mistakes levels), though I did once manage to beat it in six moves (a Fool’s Mate with a few irrelevant embellishments). ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/9 "2017-12-11T13:55:21Z")
yes, thanks to this thread I am now playing Spark chess and I play someone named Cody who is so dumb I can win over half the time. I need _a lot_ of moves to finish him off and chase his King all over the board, but I can get it done. I hope I get better at it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/10 "2017-12-14T08:30:42Z")
I can figure out online chess except for one thing: the godamned Knight. If I had my druthers it is a piece that would be eliminated from the game. It follows no logical movement compared to other pieces in the game. I can mentally envision EVERY piece on the board, but the fucking Knight, and it burns me in the ass every time. FUCK THE KNIGHT!!! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/11 "2017-12-14T18:46:44Z")
**JackieLikesVariety** , it might help to set up the board with just a few pieces, and play out some of the standard endgames: King and two rooks vs. king, king and a single rook vs. king, king and two bishops vs. king. Play them against the computer both ways, as the advantaged side (trying to force mate) and as the disadvantaged side (trying to postpone it as long as possible). Not only is it embarrassing to get down to a winnable endgame and not being able to seal the deal, but it’ll give you a better feel for how the pieces are useful in a non-endgame scenario. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/12 "2017-12-14T19:54:15Z")
this is an option on spark chess? I’m trying to put in the next better opponent but then she kills me right away I think I need a lot more practice ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/13 "2017-12-14T20:02:51Z")
I play “Chess Free” on my phone, at level 4. At that level the computer only rarely makes egregious errors and has some notion of tactics - it will take advantage of things like knight forks and it tries to advance pawns. My main complaint is that it is sort of limited in its strategies. It rarely does Sicilian defense, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/14 "2017-12-14T20:54:25Z")
National Lampoon’s _Chess Maniac 5 Billion and 1_ made me what I am today. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/15 "2017-12-14T20:56:33Z")
I used to have Battle Chess back in the DOS days. Great game, great graphics. Pieces would fight when you made a capture. Great game. Wish I could find it in a version that would run on Win10, but no joy so far. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/16 "2017-12-14T21:00:45Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > I can figure out online chess except for one thing: the godamned Knight. If I had my druthers it is a piece that would be eliminated from the game. It follows no logical movement compared to other pieces in the game. I can mentally envision EVERY piece on the board, but the fucking Knight, and it burns me in the ass every time. FUCK THE KNIGHT!!! I love the knight, There’s no other piece like it and it can be employed in so many wonderful combinations. Without it the game would be far poorer. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/17 "2017-12-14T21:05:41Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I love the knight, There’s no other piece like it and it can be employed in so many wonderful combinations. Without it the game would be far poorer. And short four pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/18 "2017-12-14T21:55:30Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I used to have Battle Chess back in the DOS days. Great game, great graphics. Pieces would fight when you made a capture. Great game. Wish I could find it in a version that would run on Win10, but no joy so far. Have you tried Good Old Games? [Best Video games, DRM-free | GOG.COM](https://www.gog.com/game/battle_chess_special_edition) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/19 "2017-12-14T22:16:21Z")
HF, thanks for the link. I’ll check it out! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055/20 "2017-12-14T22:27:08Z")
To anyone who doesn’t grasp how the knight moves, I say fork you. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-play-computer-chess/804055.md?page=2)