GNU Chess is a communal chess program. Contributors donate their time and effort in order to make it a stronger, better, sleeker program. ~Anonymous

Developer: Various (ACK. Stuart Cracraft, Richard Stallman, Jake Oshins and D. Baker)

Publisher: Free Software Foundation

Release Date: 10/26/1990-02/22/1995

Price: Freeware

One of the most interesting CHESS games out there, this version of CHESS called GNU CHESS, it is developed by various players, designers and so forth. The object of the game follows the rules of chess but there are certain features that are implemented then just the standard point and click. If you were wanting to move a piece via the keyboard, then you could use an algebraic notation to move the pieces.

One of the interesting facts about this game is that it will make its move according to your moves and/or try to win the game via a strategy. Its AI allows the computer to think about the move being made before the player moves his or her piece. There are a lot of different things going on here that even I have no idea what they are talking about and some of the comparisons are to older model Chess computers that are not currently around anymore. For a game that started in 1990 to the current release that I am playing right now (1995), this is some serious CHESS gaming. There are options in the game that will allow you to change the color of the pieces, background color, change the skill levels, force the computer in playing a move and there are hints that can help you win.

Don’t let the old fashion interface fool you, this is a highly rated CHESS game that will give even the most advanced players a workout with their mind. As noted from a Contributor; Contributions take many forms: interfaces to high-resolution displays, opening books treaties, speedups of the underlying algorithms, additions of extra heuristics. These contributions are then distributed to the large user-base so that all may enjoy the fruits of our labor. The original and continuing purpose of this project is to permanently end the rampant hoarding of computer chess software that has been the case for the past 20 years.

~ Retro Mark

Reviewed: 05/24/2020