The Chessmaster 2000

The Chessmaster 2000 brought serious computer chess to a huge audience while also making the rather bold suggestion that your humble home PC could become a terrifyingly patient opponent. The game offers multiple difficulty levels, tutorials, analysis tools, and a variety of chess-related features designed to appeal to everyone from casual players to dedicated enthusiasts. Its famous talking computer opponent and polished presentation gave it a personality unusual for a chess program of its time. Underneath the decorative touches, however, lies a genuinely substantial chess engine, so beginners can learn while experienced players can spend an alarming amount of time discovering just how many ways a computer can ruin their afternoon. The interface is unmistakably vintage, but that is part of the attraction today. For anyone interested in the history of computer chess, this remains an important and surprisingly entertaining milestone.