Beginning chess players and intermediates wanting to brush up on their game will find myriad challenging matches programmed into the Kasparov Alchemist Chess Computer. Designed to rest securely on a table or desktop, this unit--complete with regular-size, felt-bottomed plastic pieces--allows budding Grandmasters to rage against the machine at any of 64 skill levels of the game's Level I playing strength. Moves and elapsed time (courtesy of the built-in chess clock) are displayed on the small LCD screen incorporated into the sleek, touch-sensitive board. Other impressive features include a move "take back" button, electronic coaching on 16 chess openings, and teach modes, which enable players to study tactics and piece moves. The Kasparov Alchemist Chess Computer does take a little getting used to--the digital readout of the move coordinates may be a tad confusing, and because the unit doesn't talk, you may think it's communicating in Morse code. Just remember that it beeps after every move and emits two low tones if you make an unwise move. --Tony Mason
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
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