I've been a fan of the Chessmaster series for many years. It has helped me become a better player, and with the use of the growingly strong tutorial enhancements, it has evolved into a much richer experience. However, like clockwork, with every review I submit for Chessmaster (and others), I get emails explaining how ignorant I am for not playing "The" chess game. For a lot of die hard chess aficionados, CM and the clones are like a low-brow wannabe to the heir of modern virtual chess. The King of Kings of which they refer is: Fritz. 

This is my first experience with Fritz, and I quickly saw why it is so popular. Prior to this, I knew it only by (stellar) reputation. It is different than the other offerings out there. Not necessarily "superior," but it has its individuality, and that is easy to recognize. It is a more streamlined, nuts-and-bolts program with the focus being on intense chess playing versus the flash and flair of other virtual chess. The (PC) system demands for it are much less than those of CM, but that is because the focus of gameplay is on the teaching, efficiency and execution of playing the game instead of how pretty it looks. There are voices, board/game piece selections, but it is obvious you have this game with the intention of playing hardcore chess, and not to admire weeks of graphics design.

Like all chess games, you set up a profile based on your skill level. As I always advise: be honest with yourself - no less, no more. You will have a numbered score that determines how you will advance and the struggles you will encounter. This is more of a factor when you venture online, where the Fritz community is like a shark tank - and I mean that in a good way. You can even insert your own (.bmp) picture if you like. 

You can turn the voices on or off. I first played with the voice on, and was taunted so viciously (in attempts to rattle me), that I soon changed that setting for a more quiet experience. Fritz 8 Deluxe will insult you in a million ways for every thing you do - or don't do (fast enough). After trading Queens, it laughed at me and more or less taunted me to "bring it on." It can be very aggressive, and is not recommended for the easily offended! Otherwise, expect this to be almost "ugly," but tremendously effective in lieu of familiar glamour. Yes, you can select pretty boards and pieces, but it's default is the professionally preferred 2D plain board that is easy to see and examine. True players know the importance of that. You will also have, at your disposal, a side screen showing each move as it occurs. This is crucial for the hardcore players as well. If you are true a student of the game, being able to "read" the moves and anticipate the path of attack is helpful. I am not at that level, but do know that many people can read these moves and recognize what is going on and subsequently know how to react/defend. 

You are also able to set handicaps just like in golf. You can skew the settings to help you play. You can implement a feature that allows the (pc) opponent to execute accidental mistakes that might occur when playing against a human player. We humans may not see a exposed  piece or move one into a bad position - with dire results. Computers do not make such mistakes. With this feature turned on, it will randomly make such errors. That was refreshing. 

Fritz also has the ability to use several different chess engines - not just one. I have not experienced that before. If you know of one by reputation, you can use it. Very interesting! The sheer volume of such details are too much to list. Many instructional manuals will direct you on how to set up your game to make it fancy or how to navigate various tutorial venues. Fritz's manual is like a schematic for a computer itself. The various paragraphs teach you how to constantly tweak the game to reach whatever level you need it to be. The information for online play is detailed in a structured way to best ensure you set yourself up to play at the maximum level for your ability and needs. It doesn't just tell you how to log on and "go at it."

The sound is very nice and the voice "acting" is fierce. I was yelled at by Mrs Doubtfire! The game will taunt you and try to shake you up, which is usually effective. Turn that off, and the experience is more friendly, though still as hard. Aside from the tongue-lashing, the audio portion is a minimal factor in the game. 

The graphics are sometimes weak, but this isn't supposed to be a flashy game. It's more utilitarian than that. If you select the fancier pieces, they do look very nice. There are some very lush combinations of wood boards with matching (or contrasting) pieces. However, I opted to go back to the more generic 2D views so that I could focus on the pieces and moves. Being able to upload your own picture is a nice touch for online play. I like for people to be able to see whom they are crushing in an online duel!

The whole experience of playing Fritz is like a high-brow, well-executed excursion into the world of chess that most people only see on TV or in movies. This is the real deal. It is also very hard to describe unless you have a lot of experience with various chess games. There is a stripped-away feel to it, and not in a bad way at all. The fluff and flash has been removed, and only 100% usable tools are left in their place. The current "who's who" of chess - Kasparov - is in this game and lends his talents to the training experience. You cannot get much better than that. You'd be hard pressed to improve any part of this game for what it is meant to be. It can't be criticized for not being as pretty as some, for that it is not it's strength. It does one thing great - plays Chess. 

Gameplay: 9.0
This is the King of the Game of Kings. Streamlined, game-focused action at its best. There is no extra padding to prop up a Trojan horse of a game. It is real, hardcore chess playing - and that's it. The moves are quick and the pace is as fast or slow as you want it to be. Any way you play it, you will better yourself, which is the objective. You will not have to struggle with tricky menus and options to get a quick game going, but it is a deep game if you later want to see what you can do. Being able to change chess engines is amazing.

Graphics: 7.5 
Pieces and boards can be very nice to look at. But, most computer chess players I know opt to keep it simple. They have some very pleasing combinations of pieces and environments to satisfy your whims, but in the interest in gaming and not decorating, I stay with the 2D basics. There are not as many selections as rival games, but nor are they missed.

Sound: 6.5
Annoying, crass verbal abuse at it's best! The speech is great, though not nice. Turn it off and unless you're letting Kasparov train you on the better points of opening moves, let your mind be unclouded by distracting noise.

Difficulty: Hard
I was smacked in the ego - hard - the first time at the helm of this one. I was not used to the blunt, direct style of play. I am more accustomed to a kindler, gentler chess .... but that does not teach me as well. Once you adjust to the stern gameplay here, you can focus on being a better player and really developing your game. Tough love at it's best.

Concept: 8.5 
Fritz 8 is a milestone in the growing virtual chess world. The introduction of the various specialty nuances takes it farther than any other chess game I have tried. They have allowed us to make useful tweaks - not just warm and fuzzy eye candy. From the timers and printable moves to the ability to TYPE your moves (instead of using a mouse!) makes this extra-unique. 

Overall: 8.5
I can easily see why this is the preferred chess game for hardcore chess enthusiasts. It has serious depth and intensely challenging levels of play. It is not one game that gets a little harder and harder as you go. It is tailored to you - based on your input and actual play. Of course you can play above your actual ranking if you wish, but if you let it operate honestly, it will keep you at a comfortable level with subtle, incremental challenge as you progress. It really, really thinks. In a game that is all mental and requires seeing moves way in advance, nothing could be more important. The packaging is simple, and the 2-disk software is deviously unassuming. Under the hood there is a chess engine that will challenge most any Master of the game. I look forward to having IT teach ME for a long time to come.