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28/06/2008 Kvetka 2.0, our favourite tiny pgn reader, has seen strong development and now includes english menus. Homer and Queen added to the Engines section.
05/06/2008 For beginners, or those of us who just want a chance to beat the computer once in a while, take a look at Delfi GUI and its 2.5d chess set! The demo version is meant to simulate a 1000 ELO player, but you have to be very careful... Or you could try the Nagaskaki GUI, which has a range of personalities from strong to hopeless! Glaurung 2.1 has been released.
08/05/2008 SMIRF FullChess GUI added to playing software. Added Thinker, Alaric and Bright to the Engines section. Added Chess Informant Expert Lite to Pick of the Best - and then removed it again!
12/04/2008 Kvetka added to database software. Link for Fritz 5.32 updated.
17/03/2008 Mayura Chess Board 2.1 released with many changes, including UCI and some PGN support. However, don't throw out your last version if you like things small and simple, as the new version has a different, slightly more complex, feel!
04/03/2008 Nothing
much happening re: chess releases - another Toga, yet another
Arena beta!
So how about PC Mag's review of the best free (non-chess) software :)
03/02/2008 Bobby Fischer 1943-2008 - Thanks for the games! Iceland will always have my esteem for giving him citizenship and a home. Pascal Georges' latest versions of SCID have seen considerable development and improvements. ChessOK have two more web applets - broadcasts and a huge opening book. There's a very good chess diagram composer on the jinchess website.
01/01/2008 HAPPY NEW YEAR! This site has now seen 78,760 visitors - a big thanks to you all! Here's looking forward to another year of outstanding free chess software!
21/11/2007 Added Chess Informant Expert Lite to database software. Added Chess Theatre and the FICS Jin Applet to internet software. Take a look at Jan van Reek's site for some very interesting databases of annotated games. ChessOK have 3 new web applets on their site: using your web browser, you can play a game against Rybka, try some tactical puzzles, or view best lines from the 6-man endgame tablebases. There are a couple of minor changes in the new Shredder Classic 3.
22/10/2007 Added EG Chess to playing software. I have a new guestbook - (the entries from the old one are archived here) - if you know of a better free guestbook provider with minimal ads, please let me know.
23/08/2007 A new version of Toga II 1.3.1 has made 2nd place on the CCRL rating list, above all engines except the commercial Rybka. Congratulations to Thomas Gaksch and Co. for this fantastic result!
28/07/2007 The strong commercial engine, Fruit, has been made freeware! Downloads include a new version 2.3, some beta versions, and the last commercial release, 2.2.1, which topped the rating lists in 2005. Thanks and the best of luck to programmer Fabien Letouzey.
11/07/2007 Take a look at the latest alpha release of ChessX, a promising new chess database program. I'm sure the developers would welcome any feedback! It seems that the new UCI engine Strelka was nothing more than a Rybka clone.
22/05/2007 ChessBase Light 2007 knocks off Arena from Pick of the Best. Seems it's perfectly usable for large databases as well as small ones - download it before Chessbase change their mind!!
09/05/2007 MAJOR NEWS! Chessbase Light enters the twenty-first century! Chessbase have finally released, after more than 10 years, a new version called ChessBase Light 2007: I hope to be updating the Pick of the Best List after I've tried it out - watch this space!! Added instructions on how to use Rebel with FreeDOS and Virtual PC 2007. Added Mayura Chess Board to Playing section, and removed Chess Genius demo.
25/04/2007 José added to the Playing Software. It was tempting to add it to Pick of the Best just to include a screenshot ! Added a Survey (see above) - let's hear from you!
07/04/2007 There's a quality one million game database on Ed Schroeder's new site - combine it with the Week in Chess and you'll have an excellent reference database! Arena 1.99 beta 4 released. And there's another updated version of SCID in competition with ChessDB, with some interesting new features: you'll have to decide which version you prefer!
11/02/2007 Ed Schroeder, Rebel / Pro Deo programmer, has started a new computer-chess site, Home of the Dutch Rebel, which aims, among other things, to preserve old chess software. Available for free download for the first time are many of the DOS rebels - so don't delay, try them out!
13/01/2007 Chess Position Trainer added to Database Software. Babaschess 4.0 released. ChessDB knocks off Playchess from Pick of the Best.
01/01/2007 HAPPY NEW YEAR! Well, Rybka dominated the discussions in 2006; who knows what surprises are in store this year? Let's hope there are some good new free chess programs! The SCID project continues as ChessDB. If you're looking for a big free database, why not try ICOFY Base? So far this site has had 34,775 visitors - a big thank you to you all!
07/12/2006 The World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, was defeated 4-2 in a match with Deep Fritz 10. In game 2, Kramnik rather unfortunately allowed a mate in 1 - you, too, can play like a world champion!! ;-) - but was beaten fairly and squarely in game 6.
19/11/2006 A new version of my favourite engine, Pro Deo 1.2, released: Ed Schroeder says this is to be the last update :( And a new beta of the smart-looking Universal Chess Interface, Arena, released. It's now possible to play online at Chess Assistant Club (also known as ChessOK) using a flash interface in your web browser: try it here.
27/10/2006 Shredderchess Online has updated its opening database and endgame interface, and you can now play a game against shredder in your web browser.
29/08/2006 Keep an eye on this promising new site, Superchessengine.com, for engine fans!
01/08/2006 The Internet Chess Club (R.I.P.) no longer allows guests to do much, so I've removed the ICC interface, Blitzin. Spike 1.2 has shown a big jump in strength to put it at the same level as the top commercial engines: congratulations to Spike authors, Ralf Schäfer and Volker Böhm.
18/07/2006 Rybka 2.1 demo UCI engine released, limited to 1 second a move.
08/07/2006 Spike 1.2 Turin released, and now supporting multi-pv mode.
25/06/2006 Redesigned and moved website! Let me know what you think!
01/06/2006
Junior was the surprise winner of the World Computer Chess Championship
2006 in Turin, half a point ahead of Shredder and Rybka, while the
private engine Ikarus won the blitz.
17/05/2006 Did you know that you can access advanced game
analysis
modes in Chess Assistant 7 Light by going to the Engines menu and using
"Analysed marked positions"? This brings up a dialog box with several
analysis modes, such as search for blunders. There are some extra piece
sets, an opening encyclopedia, and useful articles at
ChessAssistance.com.
15/05/2006 Shredder Classic 2 is available for download.
There are just
a couple of changes to the interface over version 1.3, including a
better-looking piece set.
12/05/2006 The open source UCI engine TogaII 1.2 is
available, and
judging from the beta results has even surpassed the commercial version
of its parent Fruit, not to mention the likes of Fritz, Shredder and
Hiarcs! At around the same strength as Rybka 1.0 beta, but with the
added possibility of displaying multiple variations, it takes the no.1
position on my top 3 UCI engine list.
09/05/2006 Congratulations to The Week in Chess, which has
just reached
its 600th edition. The Archives go back to edition 211.
02/04/2006 Chesslib has made a free 3.7 million game
database available
for download in four (rather large) parts. You can use Fritz to combine
the games into a .cbh file. (Did you know that you can open large
databases (including .cbh files) in Chess Assistant Light by right
clicking on the file and using open with CALight!)
09/03/2006 If you want to get the most from your endgame
tablebases,
give Wilhelm a look. A new version of the top UCI engine, Spike has
been released. Computer Chess Club has a shiny new forum!
10/02/2006 Or why not try Rybka under the latest beta of
the free UCI
interface, Arena? This latest version (1.99beta2) is looking pretty
good!
08/02/2006 Rybka 1.0 beta is available for free download.
This is not
just the strongest free chess engine, but, apart from later beta
versions, the strongest chess engine full stop! The engine can be
downloaded from the WBEC Ridderkerk site: go to the News Page, and look
under today's date. It's a UCI (Universal Chess Interface) engine, so
I'd recommend using it with either Shredder Classic or Chess Assistant
Light.
05/02/2006 The popular email correspondence chess software
Ectool has
just been made freeware.
12/01/2006 Vasik Rajlich has announced on Computer-Chess
Club that
there will be a free version of Rybka, probably one of the beta
versions.
01/01/2006 HAPPY NEW YEAR! A big thank-you to all my
visitors
(especially those that signed my guestbook)! These are fascinating
times! Rybka has topped the rating lists, and won the Paderborn CC
tournament ahead of Shredder, Fruit and Zappa. I hope you got a copy
while you had the chance. If not, don't worry, as there are plenty of
other top programs for free. Keep watching for the latest news!
05/12/2005 Rybka 1.0 beta, soon to be released as a
commercial engine,
is available for free until midnight tonight. If it's the 5th of
December, download it while you have a chance! You'll definitely be
hearing more about this one!
30/11/2005 Thought I might mention the new online
databases at
Shredderchess. Using a java interface, you can get statistics from a
huge opening book, or check out your endgame position using more than a
terrabyte of tablebases!
25/11/2005 The 2nd Man Machine tournament, Bilbao 2005,
ended with
another victory for the computers. Hydra, Junior 3; Fritz 2;
Kasimdzhanov, Ponomariov 1.5; Khalifman 1. Here are the games:
bilbao05.pgn.
19/11/2005 It's time to say Toga! Based on the open source
Fruit 2.1,
Toga II has added a few improvements, and is also available in a
MultiVariation version. This is undoubtably the stongest free chess
engine at the moment, and is a must download!
08/11/2005 Chessbase's online client for the Playchess
server added to
internet software. Also rearranged the top 5 a little!
29/10/2005 Well, the strongest chess engine in the world
(probably),
Fruit 2.2, is now free!! Only for the 14 day trial though! Download
from fruitchess.
20/09/2005 For those interested in Pocket PC and Palm
chess, there's a
definitive review of 60 (!) programs on Surak's website, including the
best free programs.
08/09/2005 Chess Assistant have redisigned their website.
It now
includes news and an excellent java board on which to replay some
analysed games. Some competition for chessbase.com at last!
02/09/2005 There's a new top-rated free UCI engine, Spike
1.0 Mainz,
available for download. As well as being no. 3 on the on the CSS list
and no.7 on the CEGT rating list. it's the 2005 Chess 960 (Fischer
Random) World Champion! It can also be downloaded with Arena.
21/08/2005 The amateur engine Zappa 2 has won the World
Computer Chess
Championship 2005 in Reyjavik with an incredible score of 10.5/11 ahead
of Junior and Shredder. Fruit took a worthy second with 8.5, followed
by the commercial engines Shredder and Deep Sjeng with 7.5. I imagine
Zappa 2 will be released commercially, while Zappa 1.0 is available for
free.
11/07/2005 A fine new interface for the Chess Assistant
Club added to
internet software.
05/07/2005 Fruit 2.1 takes the second spot on both the CSS
rating list,
and the CEGT rating list, ahead of Fritz, Junior and Hiarcs among
others. With such great results, it makes it to my top 5 downloads
list! :), knocking off SCID.
21/06/2005 Fruit 2.1 released. Some engine matches have
rated it as the
top free uci engine, ahead of some commercial programs. You can
download it here.
05/06/2005 New rating list added to useful sites, and the
Shredder
Classic Demo makes it to the top downloads list as it seems that if you
uninstall and reinstall the program at the end of your 30 day demo, the
trial period begins again! Don't tell anyone though!
01/04/2005 I've added a couple of piece sets for
Chesspartner, taken
from Fritz and Genius. Download here.
24/02/2005 Pro Deo 1.1 has been released and there's a new
shredder
classic demo. Also added a new link to a decent computer chess news
site.
30/01/2005 A new link for old chess programs :).
13/01/2005 HAPPY NEW YEAR! Nothing much happening... Fruit
2.0 is the
latest UCI engine to cause a stir... I'm still trying to find out where
to download it!
24/11/2004 Slow Chess 2.94 added.
19/11/2004 I've changed the crappy default guestbook to a
pretty good
external one. Take a look.
18/11/2004 Der Bringer and a link to UCI engines added.
13/11/2004 Chesspad added.
02/11/2004 New section: 30 day demos with Shredder Classic
and Chess
Partner. They're worth a mention, I guess! And the
Freewebs banner ads have finally arrived - Ah, well, hope it
doesn't spoil the pages!
28/10/2004 Added a picture of someone I know.
hmmm...
27/10/2004 Looks like the machines have finally got the
edge over the
top grandmasters, earlier this month in Bilbao. Final scores
in the man-machine tournament: Fritz, Hydra 3.5 Topalov, DeepJunior 1.5
Ponomariov, Karjakin 1.0 !! Here's the pgn file bilbao04.pgn. And 2
more links added.
30/09/2004 Another link on the Useful Links Page!
25/09/2004 New section: Internet Chess Software.
MailChess
added. And I demoted Rebel 12 DOS (though it's a great
program if you haven't got Windows XP or a laptop!)
22/09/2004 BabasChess added. Arena knocked off the top 5!
20/09/2004 Pick of the Best added. When will I
get my first
visitor? :o(
11/09/2004 Fritz 6 Demo and Shredder 6 Paderborn added.
05/09/2004 Guestbook and more links added.
15/08/2004 Links added for Arena, Inemesis, Blitzin,
Chessbase Light,
SCID, Chess Assistant 7 Lite. Unofficial SSDF Top Ten added.
12/08/2004 Web site created. Links added for Pro Deo,
Rebel 12, Fritz
5.32, and Chess Genius.