sometimes you have to ask, "How many chess games does one OS really need?"

A lot! The more, the better
Seriously, there a few nice chess programs for OS X with a GUI (sigmachess, Vector Chess) but these are no top chess programs. Then there are some programs that you can use with xbord under X11 (ruffian, crafty, gothmog), but a state of the art program like chessmaster with a professional GUI is a welcome addition to my chess program collection !

I have the PC verison and I'm glad to see it being ported to Mac OS X. I am getting rid of all my computer games except for 3. Hoyle Casino, Warcraft III, and Chesmaster 9000. The first two because they come with OS X support right out of the box and the other because I want to learn how to play chess to become a better strategic thinker.

I'm planning on switching sometime in the new year when I have the money. (Which might be a while.) I like knowing that Chessmaster 9000 is available on OS X, so I can keep training on the same program on both OS'es.

Go is a better game for improving strategic thinking.

The chess program that comes with OS X already kicks my butt in roughly 4 minutes. There's no way I'm gonna actually get a BETTER program just so that I can lose even faster.

The thing with Chessmaster is that it can be your personal tutor. Chess in OS X can give you hints but never explain why you should make the move it recommends. Train with Chessmaster for a while and you might have a chance beating Chess in OS X.

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Small White Car wrote:
The chess program that comes with OS X already kicks my butt in roughly 4 minutes. There's no way I'm gonna actually get a BETTER program just so that I can lose even faster.

i have an imac g5 and want to get chessmaster 9000...but
will i need to buy a graphics card, too?

No, the iMac has a video card built in.

With Chessmaster 9000, I can select from opponents of varying skill levels. Mac's chess game, on the other hand, is a good teacher but it's much too humbling (it's not good to be perpetually humbled). I haven't beaten it yet. It does indeed impress me though the way it so skillfully advances its pawns in the end game. Masterful!

Now that I know I can get it for my new iMac I will definitely purchase it.

Well, when someone says that ChessMaster is better, they don't mean that it's better at beating you (though this could be the case as well). It's a much more well rounded program, giving you beginning-to-end analysis and training.

Besides, there are many chess AI players in ChessMaster of various levels. You choose one that's at your level and work your way up through training. It's awesome!

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Small White Car wrote:
The chess program that comes with OS X already kicks my butt in roughly 4 minutes. There's no way I'm gonna actually get a BETTER program just so that I can lose even faster.

I love how chess is supposed to be the game for sophisticated people and its our free game, while Windows people get Solitare. Think that says something?

Maybe if I say something here this robot won't find [you know what] in the last post and will stop bringing this thread back to life?

(That's probably too much to hope, though.)