Quick Selection Guide - Computer Chess
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3.0 
Unrestricted Freeware 
Windows 95, NT4 or higher. Also Linux on Wine (help files downloadable 
Free online chess apps (Java):
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Little Chess Partner is a good first stop. You can also find the Little Chess Partner app on several site's, including the developer's own and ChessGames.com, which helpfully provides a carefully reasoned set of online alternatives with something for everyone:
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Jester Chess offers a whole series of options, including some colorful variants, ranging from Throne of Chaos (Shuffle Chess) to Crazy Horses (knights instead of bishops) or the delightfully named Lethal Amazones (where queens take the place of knights and bishops). In One Step Beyond, both players start with their pawns one rank ahead. And true to its name, this app can also be set to make unorthodox moves (Fantasy) or play in Clownish Style: when Jester gets ahead he'll suddenly doff his metaphorical hat by making a silly move to let you get back into the game.
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Sparring Partner (at ChessKit.com) is another attractive option, which also allows engine vs engine play.
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Thinking Machine isn't so strong but shows countless lines of play...
3D interface chess freeware pick:
- For a great blend of frivolity and ability on a lively 3D interface, don't miss WJChess 3D—an ultra cool program for all weathers! [Windows 9x/Me to XP; works fine for me on Vista]
Free internet chess servers for peer-to-peer play:
You can play humans online (after free registration) at many sites, including:
Free online chess databases and e-books:
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ChessGames.com has a search engine which provides access to a great free online database of historical chess games, some annotated. You can either play games back on ChessGames' online java app or download as .pgn files.
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The Bishop's Bounty should help you locate and download free e-books on chess from various sites, including Chessville.
Free online chess puzzles:
- A large collection of daily chess puzzles (mainly taken from real matches) is available at chessvideos.tv. The interactive applet has good graphics and the hints are stimulating. A winner.
- For a catalogued collection of puzzles, try wtharvey.com: searchable by Grand Master, opening and year. Some composed chess problems too.
Other free internet chess resources:
- Get Fen is a useful online app to generate FEN strings to describe chessboard positions (for software or reference): just drag the pieces to their squares and then copy and paste the fen read out.
- Virtual Pieces provides beautiful free chess graphics resources, including icons, diagram kit, wallpapers and more.
Top pick specialist site for free chess software reviews:
Want more chess freeware? A brief review like this cannot hope to cover the gamut of available free chess software. If you're hankering after more goodies, then you'd do well to check out a dedicated site. Zarkon Fischer's Free Chess Programs provides an exceptionally well presented specialist guide by a friendly chess enthusiast who also knows how to write. Although some of the programs discussed are only demos, you'll still find a wide range of lively freeware suggestions. The engines page, for example, is a must visit. Zarkon's top pick freeware chess program is Fritz 5.3.2. Two of the more recent additions are Haundrix and Homer (unmissable!). [Note: Sad to say, Zarkon Fischer's site is no longer being updated. In October 2010, Zarkon signed off saying "So long, and thanks for all the fish!". For me at least, Zarkon's site remains the foremost guide to the galaxy of free chess software. Strongly recommended.]
Free online chess tutorials:
- ChessCorner. This attractive site is an excellent learning tool and could provide a sound starting point for beginners. The simple but effective presentation gives you the feel of having quite a sizable interactive book at your fingertips, enticing you to explore many aspects of the game at leisure. Animations work well (example) and there are plenty of well indexed games to play through or download. A seamless experience, highly recommended.
- For something a bit more advanced, Chessville also has a nice collection of learning resources with plenty of advice and annotated games.
- The Exeter Chess Club sports "a place to enjoy and learn about chess" with plenty of coaching material to browse and study.
- MyChessBlog. A blog may not be the easiest format to consult (though the Categories menu on the right helps somewhat). However, there's some nice writing here. And the examples taken from tournament play are linked to ChessGames.com, so you can easily play through the entire game on an animated java app.
- YouTube is a stand-out search engine for many different video tutorials.
- ChessEye promises free online chess visualization training. True, you have to register, the app is clunky, and they do rather want to plug their standalone shareware version. But you can still try and see...
Chess news online:
- The world of free chess software is fast moving... If you want alerts on the latest releases, you'll find daily updates at wbec-ridderkerk.nl. To keep up to date with tournament and other chess-related news, Topix.com provides an international chess news aggregator (vying here with Google News). Alternatively, try ChessVibes.com, Chessbase.com or the Chess.com news page.
Best internet chess link collection:
- Worldchesslinks.net provides a well organized and frequently updated repository of links to chess sites and articles, with sections on chess theory, tournament news, and even archeology... Not to mention free software, chess databases and sites to play chess online. Recommended.
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