Anybody know a simple chess program that could double as a electronic chess set? I don’t mean it needs and engine, but something that’s very easy to set up custom positions and go through it. Aught to do .pgn too, but mostly so I can save the analysis lines.
Want to go through some chess books, notably Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman.
Although many programs like Babeschess is perfectly fine for reading .pgn files, not so easy to find a program that’s really conducive to going through books.
I did try Chessmaster:Grandmaster one time, but seemed like it was too bulky to work with. Doable, but annoying to use that way.
If I can’t find a decent program, I might just rearrange my desktop and do it the old fashion way. My desk is big enough for 2 monitors (or 3), and a laptop, but over the years, the laptop died (it was ancient anyway), then my old monitor (even older than the laptop) died recently, so I’ve got a ton of real estate on my desk now.
Due to changing needs over the years, I’ve long abandoned needing a laptop (cell phone is way better), and don’t have a reason for a 2nd monitor either nowadays.
Hmm… come to think of it, I could have room for a DGT chessboard. Be years before I could afford something that ostentatious though.
I can think of two ways. On chess.com forums you can insert a diagram whenever you post. You can use the starting position or set up a position, then play over the game and never post.
Perhaps you would find something of interest in the E+Chess Books section (or other parts) of the Dinos to the Slav article by IM Jeremy Silman at uschess.org/content/view/12291/719
I find ebooks, and videos/fritz trainers less successful with me, since when I go through a print book, I’m forced to look at the positions at a much slower pace, thereby letting my brain kind of digest the positions in a much fuller way.
With Fritz-trainers, you go through the moves as fast as you can click a button or move the mouse. With print books, I’ll move the main lines by hand, and visualize the sub lines (or sub/sub lines). Although there is a practical limitation to what I can do, Jeremy Silman (and other authors), know how to write a book for players of various skill levels, so its not an issue.
-Perfect example of overkill is most of the encyclopedic style endgame books like Fine’s Basic Chess Endings… excellent material for someone that’s REALLY serious about learning endgames, but way too dense for lower level players. Perfect counterpoint is another somewhat generalized ending book by Jeremy Silman that has sections for players of various levels. Making it easy to go through, with limited examples of practical play. Covers a large number of endings, but only a fraction of what a encyclopedic book of chess endings would cover.
