Program to help with chess. The best chess programs: engines and shells

Good day, dear friend!

Computers have been playing stronger than humans for a long time. The best chess programs and even more so, it is impossible for even the strongest chess players to directly compete with them on equal terms.

However, the “iron monster” is not as big and powerful as you might think. Him There is weak spots and disadvantages . Which a chess player of any level simply must take into account.

More on this at the end of the article, but for now let’s look inside the computer for a second and review the best engines and user interfaces.

What's inside?

A computer program (engine) is a counting unit. He counts, operates with numbers and does not understand at all what chess is .

The program translates the chess language into mathematical operations. Adds, subtracts and compares numbers. At the end of each option he gives a numerical rating.

That's how they work chess engines.

Engines

There are also competitions between engines, consisting of a large number of games, much larger than between humans. Based on the results, rating lists are compiled.

Engine rating 2016

Komodo

Komodo ranks first in most rankings. The interesting thing is that the Komodo differs in its brains from most of its brothers.

He has learned to better evaluate a position and places more emphasis on evaluation and less on depth of calculation.

Perhaps this is the secret. The engine combines best qualities man and machine. However, these are my suggestions, which, of course, are not the ultimate truth

The latest commercial version of the engine is 11.2 . Komodo 9 and older versions are offered for free distribution.

You can download it at publisher's main portal

Stockfish

This is the logo. Stockfish literally means dried fish. Where does this allegory come from - I don’t presume to judge

Stokish competes Lately With Komodo And Houdini and is ahead of its rivals in a number of indicators

Stockfish's success owes much to its distribution policy. Having created a boost, the developers release the version for testing to all users. Perhaps for this reason there are almost no serious bugs left.

The program is free. The latest version is eight. You can download it here: https://stockfishchess.org/download/

But that is not all. It is difficult to use an engine without an interface for practical purposes .

Shells and client programs

In order to use the capabilities of the engine and see its work, you need a shell, an interface. A custom chess program (shell) plus an engine (or several) is a ready-made product suitable for human use.

I will give examples of the best, in my opinion, shells and client programs:

Arena

One of the most famous and powerful programs. Can be used as a user interface, wrapper for almost all the best engines

You can download/install it on the official Arena website.

Chessbase

Perhaps the most advanced analytical program known to the author.

ChessBase provides all the necessary analytical tools and can:

• Work with game databases - watch played games and analyze
• Conduct a search according to certain parameters: openings, positions, material ratio, endgames and more.
• Upload your games, with comments and cards
• Analyze by selecting different engines
• Create player dossiers based on databases
• Print batches and charts in various configurations

And also much more.

Latest version of the program – ChessBase-13

Shredder Classic 3

One of the best chess engines Shredder complete with interface.

• Possibility of playing both with the engine at different levels, and online with real opponents

• Choice of time controls, ability to create your own control.
• Analysis of both parties and positions

• Interface setup: design of the board and pieces, etc. figures, etc. further.

The full version is not free. To get started, you can download the shareware version.

Chess planet

A specialized program associated with the portal http://chessplanet.ru/, where you can play online, in tournaments, by correspondence, play by correspondence. There are competitions and a lot of interesting things.

The client program is installed on the user’s computer and provides the opportunity to play, chat on the forum, view and analyze games, watch lessons, and more.

There is also a simplified version where you can play in a browser without installing a client program on your computer.

You can install the client and get acquainted with the portal in more detail.

BabasChess

Multilingual interface (though I couldn’t find Russian) for playing via the Internet.

Combines ease of use and a fairly wide range of functions. This is what captivates.

Runs on Windows. Can also work on Linux

For training

For beginner chess players and for training, in my opinion, it is better to use multidisciplinary chess portals or an online school.

However, there are also stand-alone programs. For example, on a smartphone you can install:

Chess training - from simple to complex

Something like a navigator in the world of chess. The application will show you the basic rules and give tips on how to improve the game.

The training course contains more hundreds topics Including basic techniques and typical combinations. More 1000 various examples.

You can find out more and install Here

Don't believe your eyes

The best chess engines are already partly “humanized” and are similar to people in terms of evaluating positions. However, they are also wrong. And rudely.

Just one example, the simplest one:

Position “on the board” is drawn and this is known to most chess players, not just masters. And it’s not difficult to guess - the black king sits in the corner and it’s impossible to smoke him out of there. Neither checkmate nor advance a pawn. And pressed in the corner - stalemate.

So, most engines, even the most modern ones, evaluate this position as won for White. Stockfish gives +7 . If you don't believe me, you can check it yourself.

In fact, I could give about a dozen such examples when the machine makes a gross mistake in assessing a position. I don’t know why this happens, but a fact is a fact.

Hence the conclusion: deifying the computer, it would not be amiss to remember that “even an old woman can have a problem” . It turns out that we are not the only ones who check our calculations using a computer. Sometimes the reverse process is required. That's it.

Thank you for your interest in the article.

If you found it useful, please do the following:

• Share with your friends by clicking on the social media buttons.
• Write a comment (at the bottom of the page)
• Subscribe to blog updates (form under the social media buttons) and receive articles in your email.

Garry Kasparov once called chess a torture for the mind. But people have been addicted to this game for at least one and a half thousand years. It is firmly entrenched in the culture of mankind and develops tactics, logic, strategy, combination vision, and visual memory. For beginners, they have created many applications where you can learn chess almost from scratch, practicing directly on your phone. Perhaps with them you will reach the highest level of skill and be able to play chess blindfolded. And then one day you will break the record of the Hungarian player Janos Flesz, with eyes closed winning 32 out of 52 games that were played simultaneously.

Chess tactics for beginners

ChessKing developed it based on Sergei Ivashchenko’s book “Textbook of Chess Combinations”. 1275 training exercises on twelve topics. Practice all of them at once or choose in the settings and work on a specific area: learn to make a double check, checkmate with a queen, “eat a knight” and master others game moves. Go through those exercises where you made a mistake before. The difficulty of the tasks is calculated from ten to ninety.

While you are solving the problem, the computer will tell you how correct your move was in a particular situation. There is a step-by-step game analysis function. The program is designed simply and tastefully. Half a million downloads. Rating 4.7.

Chess training - from simple to complex

Another educational application from ChessKing, where beginners are offered to learn how to play professionally and become a 2nd category chess player. The course covers 100 chess topics. From easy ones (board, simple endings) to levels that open after learning the basics (exploiting opponent's mistakes, short games and traps, etc.). The program has hints. The application has more than 500 thousand downloads. Rating 4.6.

Chess strategy for beginners

The program positions itself as a course for those who are familiar with the rules, but do not know the basic techniques of the game. Here you can learn the basic laws of the endgame, basic tactics. All topics were studied by chess masters. The exercises are divided into levels, so you can constantly hone and improve your skills. The appendix contains five blocks of theory and practice, each with several subtopics: the laws of pawn endings, the fight for the center and others. The application has one hundred thousand downloads. The average rating on the Market is 4.6. The downside of all applications from ChessKing is that part of the course is available only on a paid basis.

ChessCoach / Chess coach

“Challenges” are divided into three levels: easy, medium and difficult, with 10 exercises in each. The section is updated daily. Every day you are awarded ten coins for entering the game. You can spend them on hints, one costs five coins. You can earn another +1 coin by solving a challenge problem within 30 seconds. There are checkmate and checkmate training - they offer checkmate tests in one, two, three or more moves. There are nine types of training in the “Middlegame” section: double strike, destruction of defense, trap, perpetual check and others. All of them are also divided into levels. The app has ten thousand downloads. Rating 4.2.

Chess for kids – Play & Learn

To study here, you need minimal knowledge of English. Although it’s not difficult to figure out what’s what without them. The application was developed by the creators of the popular chess website Chess.com.

At the initial stage you will have to solve simple but also difficult puzzles. Registration is required for further training. You can also play with robots of different formats and take hints. There are funny videos for 1-7 minutes chess pieces, basic moves, capturing enemy positions, building defense, attacking and other useful techniques. The video here has been prepared for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels, choose the one that suits you.

Free 8-Queen app

Chess players consider 8 queens a useful platform for learning and understanding the geometry of the chessboard. The rules are as follows: all the queens are placed on the board so that they do not attack each other. It may seem simple at first glance, but a beginner will have to carefully place each piece so that it does not intersect in positions with the previous ones and leaves free cells for the next ones. The hardest part is finding a place for the remaining queens. This teaches you to calculate your moves. This kind of training will also help the player to see in the future long moves, understand where chess may be in danger. The program has a time counter and incorrect moves are highlighted in red.

Knight move: puzzle

Colorful design of the program. The training begins with small platforms, tips on how to complete the tour. The task is to collect all the coins by making knight moves. At first the game is on only on a green field, then stones appear. You can only step on a green tile twice, otherwise it will collapse and you will lose. You can put a horse on the stones as much as you like. Gradually the area of ​​the board increases and its shape changes. As the complexity of the levels increases, the user learns to calculate the knight's moves in advance and plan the game.

Defense move

The game has three sites: Forest, Playville and Magic Tree. The last two locations will open after completing all stages of the Forest. But winning is not easy, you need to think through every step in order to prevent your opponent from kicking you off the board. Already at the third initial level, new figures are added, the game becomes more complex and interesting. You can cancel moves and look at the solution to a level if you were unable to complete it. In the settings - turn off sounds or change the type of game.

A minor minus is that the program is apparently poorly translated from English - the training tasks are written with errors, but this does not affect the understanding of the essence. An application with funny chess characters, pleasant background sounds, and unusual design will definitely appeal to children and adults. User ratings are as follows: gameplay, graphics – 4.5, controls – 4.4.

Tiny Battle Chess Free

Amazing fantasy game with 3D graphics. Here you can switch difficulty levels, select figures - orcs, zombies, people. And also look at the opponent’s standard moves - the computer at the initial levels quickly displays strong pieces, so often, for example, a knight can be killed with a pawn already on the 4th-5th move. Due to the brightness and realism of the battles, the game is interesting to children who are just learning chess and do not linger on boring simulation programs. Over a million downloads. Rating 4.3.

One-move

The interface is very simple. You immediately get into the game, solve the problem - you need to checkmate in 1 move. There are 150 exercises in total, with seven attempts for each. The correct move is highlighted in green, the wrong move is highlighted in red. There are no hints here, and the tasks are not easy; some of them will take you more than a minute to think about.

The application has only three buttons: settings, information, next task. The information contains your results. In the settings, you can enable screen locking using a game - choose how many tasks you need to solve to unlock the phone, set the number of attempts, and the time interval before locking.

Chesify: scanner, analysis, game

The application can scan positions on the chessboard from another device or media: computer screen, tablet, phone or photo, book. Several engines are offered for game analysis (mainly they differ in speed). You can see how the scanned game is played by the computer - this way you can see possible strong moves. That is, the program will give you hints for real game with an opponent.

For those who want to learn chess, a great opportunity analyze any variants of the game, learn to see moves for yourself and predict your opponent’s plans. There is also a chess clock for one and two players. Database with scanned boards.

Ratings: 4.5 for gameplay and graphics, 4.4 for controls.

Chess puzzles

The program offers to raise your level of play by solving chess puzzles: 150 simple, 100 regular and 50 complex tasks. For example, checkmate in one, two or moves. There are hint functions and move undo functions. Using them, you can learn to analyze your mistakes, chess placement, and combinations yourself. There are daily puzzles across three levels. There is also a simulator, it gives 1400 points, points are deducted for each wrong step. You need to play with both white and black at once. The application has been downloaded by more than one million people.

Chess problems, tactics

Another application where tasks are collected. Standard mat exercises in one, two, three moves, several selections of tasks for training combinations double strike. To run the program, you will have to load the general database, then the task data by groups. It’s a little inconvenient, but if you have the Internet, the issue can be resolved in just a minute. It is better to download all the necessary sections at once. The interface is simple, but unusual; there are only three buttons in the menu.For those who don’t pay attention to minor inconveniences, one and a half thousand tasks of different levels await you, on which you can hone your skills. The tasks you have completed are highlighted in green, the remaining ones are highlighted in red.Gameplay and controls were rated 4.4, graphics - 4.5.

Magnus Trainer

Training for beginners and experienced players from best chess player world, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen. The program will immediately test you by asking several simple questions to tailor the course to your level. The difficulty can be changed in the settings at any time. Only at the first stage there are 29 steps. Thirty more - on the next ones. There are also basics with descriptions of chess moves. The sections include tactics, basic skills, strategy, opening, endgame, calculation and bright moments author's games. The lessons are based on famous games of professional players of past years and even centuries. The author on the board shows strong moves and those that threaten your pieces.

Minus - descriptions on English language. You can upgrade your foreign language or use a translator.

Chess is the most famous board game of all time. Naturally, with the entry of computers into our daily lives, virtual games on this topic. We invite you to download chess to your computer for free.

This is a complete analogue of board battles, which you can play against artificial intelligence or with a real person. On a field consisting of black and white cells, figures are located. One player plays black, the other plays white. The winner is the one who can drive the opponent's king into hopeless situation, which is called checkmate.

We present to your attention the best computer chess games that you can play in full screen:

Chessmaster

Chessmaster is a balanced game that will appeal to amateurs, professionals and even people with high aesthetic requirements. The game has a convenient training mode in Russian, which will bring your playing level to a higher level. Then you will be able to play chess with the computer, going through various tournaments and championships. Fans of real opponents go to network mode, where you can fight with people all over the world!

The Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition features fully 3D graphics (look at the board from any angle). And great amount design themes for boards, figures and interiors - from classics to fantasy scenes.

Deep Fritz

Deep Fritz is not so much a game as a full-fledged chess program. Over its more than 20-year history, it has shown itself at a high level in matches with world champions, including Kramnik and Kasparov. IN latest version Fritz, you can very accurately select a computer opponent that is suitable for your level. Study various games and openings.

Play with a personal trainer who will give you advice throughout the game and will also help you improve your form with special workouts. Two-dimensional schematic graphics are easy to read and are not full of unnecessary embellishments.

The name of Garry Kasparov is inextricably linked with this topic. And to everyone’s joy, this man had a hand in creating one of best simulators, which is called “Chess with Garry Kasparov”, which can be downloaded below via torrent.

In the game you can play against the computer or a real person. You can also undergo training using Harry’s own method, where he will personally guide everyone from the very basics to the pinnacle of mastery. Together you will analyze many interesting situations and games. The board is presented in three-dimensional form, but there is also a schematic arrangement of the pieces in miniature. The moves are recorded.

Lucas Chess

Lucas Chess is a game and a simulator in one package. It contains several engines at once that you can compete with. At the same time, you will not have the situation that it is impossible to defeat a computer opponent, because he is too smart or he is so stupid that he makes stupid mistakes. Each engine is tailored to a certain level of skill on the Elo rating scale, so you can always choose an opponent who is really interesting to play with.

Also in Lucas Chess you will have the opportunity not only to express yourself, but also to improve your skills in playing chess with a computer. Get training from the best masters. Solve problems, checkmate in a limited number of moves. Analyze real situations that happened at championships, find the best moves. A huge number of openings and endgames from masters are at your service.

Chess video review

Screenshots from chess games for PC

System requirements

OS: Windows 8 / 7 / 10 / XP / Vista
Processor: Intel or AMD 1 GHz or more
RAM: 512 GB
HDD: 100 Mb or more
Video card: NVidia or AMD
Genre: board games
Release date: 2015
Publisher: various
Platform: PC
Publication type: license
Interface language: Russian (RUS) / English (ENG)
Medicine: sewn in

Installing Chess on a computer

1. Select and download your favorite game via torrent
2. Run the installation file
3. Perform installation
4. Launch and start playing.

With the advent of innovation, the process of playing chess also changes. If previously rivals could only play while in close proximity to each other or, at most, by correspondence, now you can play with a person from the other end globe or even with a robot. All this is possible thanks to chess programs, which anyone can download to their computer completely free of charge.

Stone Chess

Classic style game Chess board and the figures are made of stone, hence the name. You can play against the computer (there are 5 difficulty levels), or against another person on the same computer or over a network. There is a save game function, so you can take a break and continue the game. You can also receive advice from the computer on the most optimal step.

Size: 34 MB.

Mephisto

The program can save games to the database, import and export them into PGN format, work in analysis mode, supports the ability to set various time controls, play from an arbitrary position, set a handicap, etc. This is an excellent partner for playing chess.

Chess Kids

Teaching a child to play chess is not the easiest task, but thanks to this program, it is feasible. There is a gradual, dosed presentation of material, elements of play and jokes that will help to involve the child and interest him in this complex and exciting game. You shouldn't expect too much from the program, but it's a very good start.

Nagasaki

This is a fully featured chess game having 10 opponents with at different levels difficulties from beginner to professional. The player can customize the entire interface to suit his taste - there are 6 various styles game board and pieces to choose from. There are also sound settings and a save game function.

Partner

The program allows you to play with your opponent in real time. There is also a mode network game. This program has come to replace “chess by correspondence”, with the difference that now you don’t need to wait for weeks or even months for a response from your opponent, all this is done with the help of this program.

Kasparov Chessmate

This program allows you to become a student of the legendary Garry Kasparov. It includes a description of the matches in which the chess player took part, as well as exercises and problems that he came up with. The program has several difficulty levels that will help you hone your chess skills. There is also a huge number of settings, different game modes and three-dimensional graphics.

Queen

Not bad free version chess with an opponent at a decent level. The program does not require installation, and its size is only 123 KB. You can save a batch in the program and use files with the extension .FEN. The look of the board is classic, in pastel colors.

Shredder Classic Chess

A program familiar to most chess fans. It is suitable even for experienced players, because... has a fairly high level and a small volume at the same time. This is enough classic game both in design and in content.

Chess 3D

This program stands out among similar ones thanks to its 3D design and will delight fans of all kinds of innovations. Otherwise, this is a fairly classic simulator with an average level of play. However, this is compensated by its small size and 3D, of course.

Elite Chess

A chess program, the main highlight of which is its multilingual nature. The program has a very user-friendly interface and small size. And what will please many chess fans is that the program has a fairly high IQ, so raising your level with the help of this program is quite possible.

BoxChess

This is a chess program from the “mini” series, it’s like a box with chess. The game is made in the style of minimalism. Like many mini-games, it doesn't have cool effects or high level difficulties. But it attracts the attention of players due to its simplicity and accessibility, and besides, it has good level for your class

Mini

Another “baby program”. It is more intended for beginners who want to practice and is unlikely to interest experienced players. However, the program is one of the best chess simulators in its class, which attracts chess fans. In addition, the program has a pleasant visual and sound design.

Net Chess

With this program you can play chess with opponents over the network or on the same computer. You can also play against the computer by choosing the appropriate difficulty level and using different chess engines. The program is suitable for beginners, intermediate players, and professionals.

Grandmaster

Perhaps this is one of the most best versions chess games for both beginners and masters. The game has decent graphics and the ability to switch to 3D mode. main feature: The program's gameplay constantly improves as you play. The program also has a huge number of settings from sound to visual effects.

In the age of digital technology, many users forget about intellectual games, preferring online battles with amazing graphics. But still, as before, there remains a significant portion of players who do not like this kind of gameplay at all. They are interested in other games, such as chess.

On this page you can download them to your computer or laptop for free and without registration. Below you will find a number of games in Russian and links to download them. Choose what is closest to you and go ahead, prove to the electronic brain that a living person is still smarter!

Download chess for every taste

Below you will find 10 chess-themed games for different tastes. You just need to read our review and choose the one that suits you and likes it the most. So let's get started.

This is a completely free toy for your computer that you don't even need to install. You will be opposed by 10 levels of artificial intelligence. Start small and try to overcome them all. Although it will not be so easy for a simple amateur to do this. But even more interesting!

Grandmaster (Grand Chess)

This free game will suit many. Users who don't play well enough will find the tips here useful. More experienced players the grandmaster will also be appreciated. The algorithm playing against you can be finely tuned. The melodies that sound during the game are also pleasantly pleasing. The graphical component is also on par. You can choose 2D or 3D mode.

Another mini PC game. There are no beautiful graphics or super-smart computer intelligence here. But there is some kind of charm that makes players, especially beginners, spend many hours playing the game. But don’t expect that it will be very easy to win, no, you will have to fight for victory.

Our next nominee is another free game for people with a not too high level of play (beginners). It is perfect for training on a computer or laptop. This is essentially your new coach.

In addition to a simple opponent, you will get a teacher who will show you what to do in certain situations. As a result, the level of play will steadily increase. The program is small in size, which will once again save space on your hard drive.

Elite Chess

Elite Chess is a program for playing chess, which has several interface languages. In addition, there is some pretty smart electronic intelligence and a small game size.

Chess Titans

This is a miniature version of the famous computer program that fought against world champions, Fritz. In essence, they simply erased everything superfluous from here, but the main thing was that they left a smart opponent.

There is no need to install the game, just unpack the archive and run the file. You can play. Moreover, the program is supported in Russian in any version of Microsoft systems, including Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1 and 10.

Download Chess Titans

Queen

Judging by the name you might think that this is royal game. However, this would be a slight exaggeration. Still decent in quality artificial intelligence and no installation required are the advantages of the application. Exactly the same as the interface in Russian.

A very good chess simulator, made in Russian, which everyone will like.

Chess for children

Everything here is clear from the name. If you decide to teach your child to intellectual games on the computer since childhood - this is exactly what you need. There is a comic design, and the makings of thinking, etc. Good game for the smallest residents of your home.