Power Chess 98 - game presentation

A game presentation from an old chess software (using Wchess engine) by Sierra released on Nov 30 1998 (so it is exactly 10 yrs old!)

Recently I ran through my win9x era files and thought this was pretty neat for a chess playing software this old!

By now (late 2008), many engines should have surpassed it in elo, but I believe none have come close to emulate its 'humanity' in both voice commentary and human-like weakness; Chessmaster's natural language is too rigid and numerical (and thus artificial), while its weaker playing modes suffer from common ailments of modern engines trying (badly) to play like a human - moving too quickly, crippled by overly simplistic measures like valuing knights as pawns. Of course, considering the era it was from, wchess also has the advantage of being 'naturally weaker' (and thus closer to a human).

PS: Note that the Wchess engine was also used in Hoyle Majestic Chess (also known for its 'humanity') many years later, although it did not have voice commentary.

PS2: doesn't help that this is one of the titles that do not work on emulated win98 (I had to restore an old system just to load up my saved games for it)

PS3: Do not install the official patch on win98se/win95osr2 unless you absolutely have to for some reason

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• chess
• power
• 98
• sierra
• humanlike
• chessplaying
• engines
• wchess

[Averagebum2]

Please help me, somebody! I can't run my Power Chess program. I am using Windows 7/Vista. What can I do? Please help!!!

Thanks!!!

[Arkansaw]

@Averagebum2

you'll need either windows 95 or 98, and preferably native instead of virtual machine

[Averagebum2]

@Averagebum2 I know. but how do I install Win 95 even if I can find it? do i have to uninstall Windows Vista first?

[Arkansaw]

@Averagebum2

Firstly, chances are your hardware that is using Vista, is unable to support a native install of really old systems like win 95 due to lack of drivers etc. Assuming you are not going to the trouble to acquire the parts (either cannibalized from your older systems, or second hand shops) for such a system, your best bet lies in virtual machines. I have tried both vmware and virtual pc, though there are others as well

[Yntec]

I loved her voice.

[copilotmacabre]

no, you can't. i've tried it in many ways and it simply doesn't work.

the only way to bring it back to life is by using a virtual machine. virtual pc works well for windows 95.

may be it's quite annoying to make all this, but it's worth. i have my power chess back. :)

[paragshah2112]

who does the queen's voice?

[Averagebum2]

@Arkansaw Hey, thanks very much, that was very helpful. i will look for vmware and virtual pc!

And maybe acquire the hardware parts. But I am perplexed. Why do our newer machines need older parts to play older software? isn't it just the software that may be incompatible.

[Arkansaw]

@copilotmacabre

I would agree that vm is indeed the method of choice for most people. But once in a while they may crash in the middle of a game (painful for those standard games). No problems for playback of presentations though (which I used to record videos such as this one)

[jenserikbech]

Excellent played!;-) I have 2 videos of the program, you have commented on the newest.

Virtual machines can be transferred. That makes it an excellent choice.

[nosuchthingasgod]

This was an awesome chess program. I bought a 3 CD Sierra program that had Maurice Ashley's Beginner's Chess, Power Chess, and another chess engine that escapes me.