Fritz Chess 12

Fritz Chess 12 is a serious piece of software, full of computational algorithms and chess engines such as the Comet B68 and Crafty 23.00; it truly is a sight to behold. If you don't already know what I'm talking about then you are certainly not alone. Whilst ChessBase wants you to think its software is beginner friendly, it actually evokes constant feelings of frustration and inadequacy. Whilst there are short video tutorials providing explanations regarding chess pieces and basic tactics, this software is in no way a substitute for a proper beginner's chess course.

Right from the very start you get a sense that Fritz has everything you could ever need if you only knew what to do with it, and how to get to it. The interface is incredibly unintuitive and you better have your manual to hand at all times as it's frustratingly difficult to even set up a practice match.

If you can look past all of this and are versed in the beautiful game of Chess then Fritz 12 is a diamond in the rough. Tips can be gleaned from Chess Grandmasters and You'll learn tactics and strategy such as 'Pawn Storm' and 'The Secret Weapons Of the Champions'.  Opening strategies such as the Maroczy Variation, Gruenfeld Defence, The Pirc Defence and The ABC of the Budapest Gambit also make a firm appearance in your tutorage.

Fritz 12 does feature a 3D engine; however the boards run so sluggishly even on a powerful PC that 2D really is the way to go. There are a slew of options available at your fingertips for the mid level player such as dynamic hints which show attack/defence relations when entering moves, opening hints: displaying mainlines from the opening book, threatened squares: colour marking potentially attacked pieces and squares and the ultimate spy, which works out the current threat or plan.

As in any game of chess you need an opponent and Fritz 12 is fully linked into PlayChess.com giving you access to chess news, an event calculator and tournament information. You can hook up with local, regional and country specific chess clubs as well as playing various different types of game such as less than 3 minute "Bullet" games or "Slow" games which take over 15 minutes.

In order to interject some "fun" into the game, a bizarre announcer spouts comments such as "oh it's you again, how delightful, let's have some fun..", "my kingdom for a horse, like that one..", "oh.. that's new" and our favourite "have you not seen this one before dear?". It's best to leave this well alone ChessBase as hearing a pseudo Irishman spout dubious comments at you mid game is the ultimate concentration breaker.

There also seems to be a general lack of attention to detail, for example you can't use the scroll wheel on your mouse to scroll down through the options, you have to manually click, hold and drag the toolbar. Whilst this isn't a deal breaker by any means it's a standard feature in pretty much every application.

If you already have a grasp of chess, understand the basic mechanics and tactics then this is a powerful piece of software which should improve your game. You'll just need to get past the infuriatingly difficult menu systems and myriad of options. For the beginners out there, avoid it like the plague.