''Chessmaster 7000'' is a 1999 chess video game developed and published by Mindscape for the

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

. It is part of the ''

Chessmaster ''Chessmaster'' (originally ''The Chessmaster'') is a chess video game series, currently owned and developed by Ubisoft. It is the best-selling chess video game series, with more than five million units sold . The same cover art image featuring ...

'' series.

Gameplay

Chessmaster 7000 has a new interface. The game's features are organized into "rooms". The Classroom has quizzes and tutorials with audio game commentary from

Josh Waitzkin Joshua Waitzkin (born December 4, 1976) is an American former chess player, martial arts world champion, and author. As a child, he was recognized as a prodigy, and won the U.S. Junior Chess championship in 1993 and 1994. The film ''Searching ...

. In the Game Room or Tournament Room, you can play against personalities. The Game Room offers options like coaching modes and watching the computer's thought process. The Tournament Room has single rated games and tournaments with no hints or other help features allowed, and games affect your rating. New to ''Chessmaster 7000'' is the Kid's Room that has features tailored to children like chess sets, tutorials, and personalities. The game's database includes over 500,000 matches, 200,000 more than ''

Chessmaster 6000 ''Chessmaster 6000'' is a 1998 chess video game developed and published by Mindscape for the Windows operating system. It is part of the ''Chessmaster'' series. The Classic Mac OS port was published by Mattel Interactive in 2000. Gameplay The ...

''. The chess engine, King, is the same as the one in ''Chessmaster 6000''. Network multiplayer options are

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, modem, and

TCP/IP The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the suite are ...

. Internet play, ''Chessmaster Live'', is through

MPlayer.com Mplayer, referred to as Mplayer.com by 1998, was a free online computer games, PC gaming service and community that operated from late 1996 until early 2001. The service at its peak was host to a community of more than 20 million visitors each m ...

service.

Reception

''Chessmaster 7000'' received generally positive reviews from critics. The game was said to be mostly a minor upgrade from the previous title. ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'' thought the new interface was worse than in ''Chessmaster 6000''. In conclusion it was said that "If you already have Chessmaster 6000 and don't have a kid who wants to learn the intricate game of chess using dinosaur pieces, I can't really recommend spending money for what's little more than a cosmetic overhaul to an already classic product." ''GameSpot UK'' said that "If you're a big fan of Chessmaster 6000 then this new game, despite having more to it, may seem to be just a fussy reworking of an already great game." and " ..you may even find that you prefer Chessmaster 6000's interface to this update." ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' was very impressed with the game: "What makes this game different is the degree to which you can customize the play options. But when stacked up against a title with the same flexibility, it's the usefulness of CM7000 as a reference tool that brings the most value to the game." ''

Computer Games Magazine ''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 1 ...

'' commented: "If you already own Chessmaster 6000, there’s not a lot new here unless you have children who would enjoy the Kid’s Room. In fact, the new interface leaves less room on the screen for the board and windows. If you’re an accomplished chess player looking for serious tournament preparation software, something like Fritz 6 may be more appropriate." ' gave a positive review and said the only drawback was that the game is only in English. '' PC Joker'' said ''Fritz'' is the stronger chess program and recommended ''Chessmaster 7000'' for more casual players.

References

External links

* (archived) * {{Chessmaster 1999 video games Chess software Chessmaster Mindscape games Multiplayer and single-player video games Multiplayer online games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Windows games Windows-only games