In fact, it's difficult to think of ways that aspect of the program could even be improved. That's not to say the game absolutely won't run under Windows 2000-apparently, several users have reported that the game runs fine on their Win2K systems-but the lack of official support for a fairly widespread OS is somewhat disquieting.Ĭhessmaster's biggest strength has always been its suite of chess lessons, tutorials, and drills aimed at novice and intermediate players. Leaving Windows 2000 owners in the lurch, on the other hand, seems a bit miserly. Omitting Windows 95 support is somewhat understandable. Chessmaster 9000 supports Windows 98, ME, and XP, but not Windows 95, 2000, or NT. They might-if they have the right operating system to run the game.
Will owners of the previous games in the series see enough new features in the latest game to make a purchase worthwhile? Chessmaster 9000 offers the same impressive number of options as its predecessor.
In fact, the Chessmaster series has become so dominant in the mainstream chess game market that it's practically its own worst enemy. For years, the Chessmaster series has rolled along unchallenged as the chess simulation of choice for a huge range of players, thanks to its combination of strong artificial intelligence, excellent teaching tools, and crisp graphics.
