Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster 2: Chess in the Black Castle

Other products by Viva Media

Product Features

• A new chess adventure with Fritz, Bianca, and Chesster
• Covers openings, middle game tactics, endgames, pinning, and more
• Over 20 mini games within the game for practice
• Powered by "Fritz", the world's leading chess software
• For kids ages 8 and up

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00068M52W
• Item model number: 00168
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #499 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Software > Children's Software > Games > Board Games
  #89 in	Software > Games > PC Games > Classic Games

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Fritz, Bianca, and Chesster are back in a new chess adventure! Advanced training in the Black Castle will have every player, from beginners on up, improving their skills and strategy. Jump into chess action to rescue Chesster from deep within the walls of King Black's Castle. You'll have lots of fun learning move by move about openings, middle game strategy and tactics, endgames, pinning, delivering check, attacking, protecting--and much more. Try out over 20 mini games within the game to practice what you've learned and see if you can get your name onto the high scoreboard!

Fun Coaching and Training:

Opening

• Basic openings
• Bull-head opening
• King's Gambit
• Fool's mate and scholar's mate

Middle game (tactics)

• Attack and protect
• The pin
• Forks and skewers
• Distraction

Endgame

• Square rule
• Key squares

And lots more!

• Powered by "Fritz", the world's leading chess software
• Bonus! One-year free membership of www.PlayChess.com to the world's fastest-growing chess server

For kids ages 8 and up.

Product Description

Fritz, Bianca and Chesster are back in a new chess adventure! Jump into chess action to rescue Chesster from deep within the walls of King Black's Castle in Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster 2, "Chess in the Black Castle." You'll have lots of fun learning move by move about openings, middle game strategy and tactics, endgames, pinning, delivering check, attacking, protecting - and much more. Try out over 20 mini games within the game to practice what you've learned and see if you can get into the high score. Chesster, the most amazing Chesshire rat-chess coach, is always ready with lots of tips on strategy and tactics! Fun Coaching and Training: Basic openings Bull-head opening King's Gambit Fool's mate and scholar's mate Middle game (tactics) Attack and protect The pin Forks and skewers Distraction Square rule Key squares Learn how to note down games just like the experts. Also print games out, save them, reload them and play them again another time! Choose your own opponent, but whatever you decide, Chesster will always be at the ready with useful tips and pointing out the best moves and positions. Great games, testing tasks, and chess commentary will make sure you never get bored. In fool's mate and scholar's mate Fritz and Bianca find out what not to do! And lots more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent game for kids who know the rules, January 3, 2005

By	Igor Khmelnitsky (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

Original Fritz and Chester (F&C), that was released less than two years ago, was a revolutionary program because it managed to combined introduction of chess rules and some very basic principles with exceptional graphics that kept children, including my 5 year old, glued to the screen and eager to play (and learn). The program was really high quality and proved to be very attractive for kids as young as 3. You can find my extensive review of the original F&C here on Amazon. Also, it is strongly recommended in my book "Chess Exam and Training Guide: Rate Yourself and Learn how to improve."

When I heard that the second installment of the program was released, I was very eager to get it to see if the makers were able to beat their original. Well, the answer is "Yes!" and the comment is "Wow!" The best thing about the F&C that it is a sequential product with minimal rehash of the real basic material (rules) that was introduced in the F&C 1. You get the same high quality graphics, new games, which are very simple, yet hilarious and with some clever underlying coaching. For example, who in the right mind would have thought of trying to split the piece of pie to feed two pigs, all on the tennis court? Yet, the way it is done, not only it is funny, but also it will eventually help the child to learn the idea of double attack on diagonal. Another funny game is the shooting the cannon-man, will develop easy understanding of the pin and skewer.

Besides the games there are plenty of training modules, each teaching some of the basic tactical and strategic principles in a very simple and entertaining way.

Could this game be better? Of course, among the things that I found questionable are long dialogs that can't be interrupted and some unnecessary technical inflexibility. Some of the training modules are somewhat dubious, but... I am sure these issues will be addressed in the future. Until the F&C 3 is on the market this program is the best that is available for children who know basic rules and ready to learn some introductory level of strategy and tactics. For a complete beginner, I would recommend to start with F&C 1. For adults eager to improve, I would suggest products by Convekta, also available on Amazon.

Also, to address concern's of prior reviewers:
To be able to switch the chess pieces from cartoon characters to regular format - There should be a picture/button just outside of the chessboard, near square "a4". Clicking on it switches the look of chess pieces.
Also, in some instances the dialogs / songs / music can be interrupted by double-clicking on left mouse button.

Best of luck!
Have you taken your "Chess Exam" yet?

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids beat me at chess today!, January 6, 2006

By	Learning All The Time "It's Never Too Late to... (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

My kids (6 and 8) are learning so much from Fritz and Chesster 2!! In fact, my 6 year old daughter started winning a few games at their local chess club after graduating to this game (from Fritz and Chesster 1).

Today I decided to play with them (since they don't like to play against each other - they're still working on that "good sportsmanship" thing), and I let them team up against me. I was viewing this as an opportunity to help them think ahead, predict moves, and protect their pieces.

However, I was the one who learned!! They surprised me again and again by reciting strategies (move your bishops and knights out, save your Queen for the real battle, don't move your pawns willy nilly, break your oponnent's wall, etc...) they had learned from this game.

They also knew the relative value of the pieces, but could see advantages to making uneven swaps sometimes. For example, they shocked me by sacrificing a bishop for a pawn in order to open a hole in my wall, which they later exploited to checkmate my king. This was a strategy that even 1 month ago would have been unthinkable to them.

Anyway, I defer to other more experienced chess players and computer users who have made specific comments about graphics, dialogue, and strategies. I am sure that at some point, my kids will move beyond this game and what it has to offer.

But for now I couldn't be happier with the Chesster and Fritz games! My kids absolutely love playing the computer games and are really learning to play chess - and not just "computer chess", but chess that lets them beat other kids at chess club - not to mention me.

I think I'm going to go demand a rematch :)

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Better, January 31, 2005

By	Trish L. - See all my reviews

Even Better

I bought the first title Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster about a year ago for my son and he liked it a lot. He likes it so much that I got curious and started playing it myself. This software really taught me how to play chess so easily and in such a fun way. I did not play chess when I bought it but I do now!

When I saw on Amazon that there is a sequel available I ordered it right away and I have to say: It is even better than the first one.

If you know the basic rules of chess you will learn so much with this program so easily. There are 21 games within the game that teach you everything you need to know in order to play chess better. You learn about opening strategies, forks and skewers, pinning, castling, deflection, square rules, and, and, and...

The story is a lot of fun and makes you go through the games and learn because you really want to help free Chesster from the evil King Black (he is really evil).

Like in the first title the training mode comes with ten levels of difficulty from very easy to very difficult. But this version comes with a really nice coach function giving hints and tips while you play. Also, you can now reverse the board so that you can play with black at any time.

I also really like the graphics and the whole atmosphere the game provides. It really makes chess a game you want to play.

This program should get 6 and not just 5 stars.