I have loved chess since my Dad taught it to me on a fancy clear-plastic board (with game scenario board overlays and move combos) when I was a small child. In fact, it spoiled me from ever wanting to play checkers or other board games that my peers were playing. I was the nerd that wanted to capture Rooks and find that unseen grab of my opponent's Queen. So, my play was very limited. I longed to own one of the electronic versions found at Radio Shack and the Sears catalog, but I could not afford those. I started a chess club in my high school, but found that there weren't many aficionados in my deep-Southern school system. Years later, along came home computers and variations of the game such as "Battle Chess" and other such whimsy. Still, I finally had a means to play and be challenged without pestering my neighbors.

The Chessmaster series came along years ago, and for many, has been the standard for home play on various platforms. I have been using it since version 2 or so. I cannot bring myself to discard any of the old, out-dated versions because they taught me so much. Now, we have the 10th Anniversary Edition, and it is slick. Ubisoft went all-out on this one, and made sure they tried their best to incorporate as much depth as possible. The title is not cheap compared to other board game offerings out there, but this is a much more detailed game than "Celebrity Poker". That is not to say that CM 10th is flawless, but the game is very nice to play, and one of the best versions they have yet to produce. There is so much to this game (the manual is almost 60 pages long!), it is impossible to cover it all in one review. I'll hit mostly on the highlights and items that affect gamers the most. The bells and whistles are just icing for this multi-layer cake. 

For starters, they have Josh Waitzkin (watch "Searching for Bobby Fischer") back on board (pun intended) helping you out by teaching, tutoring and mentoring you into becoming a stronger player. From the sound basics of the game, to deeper attacking strategies, he is there to help you grow as a player if you should desire such help. Heck, the guy is a Master player, so why not let him show you around? There is also Grand Master Larry Christiansen, whom I am not as familiar with. Both real-life players are available if you want to get more insight and/or just plain want to LEARN how to play it from scratch. You can literally sit someone in front of this game with no prior knowledge, and have them tutored on how to play by the best teachers around. Excellent for young players.

The actual play has many options. The standard "vs computer" mode, online gaming and various ranking and Tournament offerings. As you begin playing, you must setup your personality which can include an avatar of your choosing. They were nice, and reminiscent of Sierra's format of characters. You can even place your own face in there using the advanced options. Once you have entered your personal information, it will assign your skill level. Depending on how you answer the questions, it could be in the low 100s, or over 1,000. After that process, you can jump in and play against the computer, utilize the tutorials or go online for real-life play. 

The board and visuals are very nice. You can choose flat, 2-D boards that look like the early days of computer gaming (and some still prefer that perspective to this day), or get a high quality, three-dimensional board and gleaming pieces. From basic wood texture to futuristic sculpted pieces, you are going to find something you like. In fact, choosing your setup is as challenging as playing the game itself! Did I mention the 3D glasses??!!! Yes, they come with the game and enable you to feel like you're playing on a real board with shadow and depth to the pieces and board. THAT was new to me!

In the actual play, there are such options as "blunder alert". It is what it sounds like-- a warning system that tells you about potential pitfalls or mistakes you're stepping into. I like to turn off such things, as mistakes are my best teacher. The online play (from Ubisoft's site) is almost null. I tried many times since getting the game, but the attendance is poor. Is that the game's fault? I doubt it. If you don't want to go online and play, that's not the fault of the maker. I played and lost. If there were more people, the options for skill levels would be greater. Instead, I was a lamb offered up to the hard-core chess players to toy with. Online, you also sacrifice selective ability with appearance and setups, but that's a minor concern unless you absolutely MUST play with Deco pieces or fancy boards.

You must have a disk in the machine to play the game, and your processor had better be beefy. It's a 3-disk game, and it's doing a zillion calculations-- constantly. For lesser PCs, I envision crashes and frustration. Maybe not, but I did hear my Duron processor groan in pain at some point. Or, maybe that was me. 

Visually, the game is nice. More than nice, it is lavish and grand... or simple and non-dimensional if that's your preference. Point is, it offers tons of options for your viewing needs. The 3D glasses perk was a nice surprise, though I rarely made use of them. You can adjust little things such as how fast the player's pieces move. Some like to see them slide, while others may prefer they "POP" into position. 

The sound is good, though music and etc are a distraction if you're playing a serious, ranked game. Some may like it, but I don't. Again, a preference thing. 

Of all the Chessmaster offerings up to now, this is one of the three best. The depth alone is worth the experience. If you're an ultra hard-core player, you can stick with a Fritz or Kasparov model, but for those of us that do not eat, breathe and sleep chess, this is an excellent game. It's basic enough for the novice, but allows the seasoned Pro enough challenge to test their meddle. I am somewhere in the middle, and liked what it offered. By the way, in case anyone is still looking-- Bobby Fischer is in Japan, trying to get political asylum. Just a trivia note for my fellow aficionados. 

Gameplay: 8.5
Sleek and powerful, the AI here is a challenge and a blessing. The active help available from Josh and Larry make it an interesting and educational experience. You can get prompting if you get stuck, and should you make a terrible mistake, you can "bend the rules" and reverse your move. But, that would be cheating, wouldn't it?

Graphics: 9 
Small selection of 2-D setups, but there are plenty of 3-D ones to choose from. Also, the 3-D glasses enhancement is fun to play with, though distracting for a serious game. The pieces and boards are lavish and smooth. There are options to play with silly, or serious, pieces. 

Sound: 7.5
Great sound is not a prerequisite for great chess playing. So, there is not much to brag about here. Nor, is there anything to apologize for.  

Difficulty: Medium
Depending on what you do and with whom you play, this is an easy or extremely hard game. It's geared to ease the novice, or frustrate the experts. I would not pretend that it is capable of stumping Grand Masters, but I would imagine it is challenging enough to give seasoned players an afternoon of sweat and titillation. 

Concept: 8.5 
Ubisoft has taken the Chessmaster series a little further this time, as they try to do with every release of the chess favorite. Offering Josh and Larry, as well as the online gaming and 3-D icing, is a fun way to bring an ancient game to us again- without it being too stale. Remaking a board game and keeping it interesting is a challenge, but Ubi has done pretty good with this one. 

Multiplayer: 8
I am sure the CM online community will grow. At least, I hope it will. Right now, the world of playing against people from all over the globe is small, but the potential is there. 

Overall: 8.5
Could this have been better? Probably; but not for lack of trying. The shortcomings in online play are not the fault of the designers. It is also extremely demanding on your PC, and will downright frustrate a laptop user for the constant processor usage and potential heat issues. Otherwise, it is a lush game with extras (look at the Fun Area-- made mostly for kids) that keep it fresh. I imagine the disk will stay in my drive for a long time. That's the sign, for me, of a game that's worth playing a lot. I would like to grow as a player and in my ranking, and CM 10th Ed. provides that opportunity for me. I can play the tournaments (where I keep getting smashed) or just work more with Josh and Larry to learn more about how to think about gameplay. The options here are plentiful and not wasted disk space. For a three-disk, large manual game, that's quite a statement. You get what you pay for, here. The best name in electronic chess-- for those of us that play for fun-- delivers a worth-while edition to the legacy.