Chess 2024

Chess 2012 is a fantastic free chess game from Filip Hofer. Players can enjoy a realistic feeling game against the computer, or against a friend, in several different difficulty settings.

The rules of the game are the same as those of real life chess, with all the standard pieces and 64-square checkerboard layout.

The moves are the same as the real-life game: pawns move forward but attack diagonally – the only piece that moves differently when attacking, castles (also known as rooks) move and attack forward or sideways, moving in straight lines, knights move in a unique L-shaped formation, bishops move diagonally, also in straight lines. The king and queen can move in any direction, but the king can only move one place whereas the queen can travel the entire length of the board. Specialised moves such as castling and the playing out of advanced moves are also possible: some of these have been programmed into the game too.

There are six levels of play available, to ensure that the player can choose an evenly matched computer opponent: from beginner to slightly more experienced to expert levels. For players who think to think twice there is an undo and redo button, and each move and position can be graded on a centipawn scale. A centipawn breaks a pawn into 100 points, with a positive weighting awarding points to the white player and negative points show positions that are of advantage to the black player. Learning to heed this system can help a player to make the most advantageous move in every situation. Usefully, for players whose attention wanders from time to time, the game animates all the moves and also high-lights the last play, making it easy to see what has happened. For beginners, or those trying to improve their game by seeing all the possibilities, it is possible to turn on a feature that high-lights all the moves that can be made by a certain piece. There is also a comprehensive rules and help section available with the touch of a button.

The game is powered by multi-threaded artificial intelligence algorithms that work to quickly compute moves, meaning that the game can move at a comfortably pace, with the player not needing to wait for long periods of time for their opponent to make their next move.

This is a great functional game that is suitable for both complete beginners and masters that have been playing the game for many years, and everyone in between. It is excellent for recreational play between family members and more serious games between passionate rivals.

Pros

• Good graphics, helpful animations and high-lighting
• Rapid play on the part of the computer opponent to control the length of time taken for each move
• Fuss-free playing

Cons

• The game is quite basic, with no gimmicky programming that might enhance the playing experience