Power Chess

Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows 95
Release date(s)	September 30, 1996
Genre(s)	Chess
Mode(s)	Single player

Power Chess is a chess-playing video game originally released in September 1996 by Sierra Entertainment for the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. Later revisions of the software were released as "Power Chess '98" and "Power Chess 2.0"

Engine

Its chess engine is "Wchess" by David Kittinger, which played against Deep Blue in the 1995 World Computer Championship in Hong Kong. The game is included as a watchable "Great Game" in Power Chess.

Gameplay

Similar to most other chess programs, Power Chess provides tutorials in helping new players, while analyzing gameplay to improve one's strategy. Advice is given by the game's Queen, who walks the player through the move sequence and points out any mistakes made. One of the features that made the program stand out, is the fact that the queen's advices are given orally, in natural language, making it easier for beginners to follow the games analysis . The player can play ranked matches by challenging the game's King. A rating is assigned depending on play style and whether the player won, lost or drew the game. Players can also create their own characters with differing gameplay styles and difficulty.

"Great Games"

A collection of famous games is included for review and study, each one narrated turn-by-turn by the Queen. The games include:

• The Evergreen Game, Adolf Anderssen vs. Jean Dufresne (1852)
• The Opera Game, Paul Morphy vs. Duke Karl of Brunswick and Count Isouard (1858)
• Wilhelm Steinitz vs. Curt von Bardeleben (1895)
• Ruger vs. Gebhard (1915)
• Vasily Smyslov vs. Bobby Fischer (1970)
• Wchess vs. Deep Blue (1995)
• Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov, Game 1 (1996)

1. See Power Chess review by Ron Dulin on Gamespot :

2. The voice of the Power Chess Queen was voiced in English and French by voiceover artist Natacha LaFerriere.

• Power Chess at MobyGames