Chessmaster Live

When I was a kid, I played some chess. I learned how to move the pieces. I would make random moves without a thought. I never thought that chess was much more than just another classic board game.

Boy, was I wrong!

Between 2000 and 2002, I learned to really how to play chess from one of my co-workers at the time. We played daily, and he taught me everything I know about chess. He was by far one of the best chess players I have personally played yet. My interest in chess grew as I learned more about it. Chess is one of the most complex and challenging games to master. After falling in love with chess, I have been playing mostly against a computer on a PC and more recently on a Nintendo DS to hone my skills and feed my addiction. Although playing against a computer is challenging and can certainly improve a person's game, it is by far more fun playing against another person. A person is not as methodical. A person is random.

Finally, Chessmaster developed a version for XBox Live's platform. Chessmaster Live, as it is called, has a decent single player mode that is not as in-depth as Chessmaster for computers. However, what makes Chessmaster Live shines is its multiplayer mode. A player may find another player to play chess in real time or via message chess on XBox Live. The feeling of connecting to another person and playing a quick game of chess using XBox Live is the same as going to a local park and jumping on a table to play an unknown. It is intense especially with a chess clock ticking down. Chessmaster Live also tracks players' records and calculates their ELO ratings to see how everyone stacks up against each other. It is about time that a decent online chess program has made its way to online console gaming.

If you love chess or want to learn how to play this classic game, Chessmaster Live is the game for you. The replay value is infinite, and it only costs $10.