TChess
Latest
t Chess Pro updated with dual core support on the iPad 2 and more
I liked t Chess Pro when I reviewed it many month ago. It had good clean graphics, and was a real challenge to play. One of the most frequent requests was for Game Center integration, and that has been added in the most recent release. Also interesting is the addition of support for the iPad 2 dual-core processors. It's the first use of dual-core support I've seen in an iOS chess program, and it's most welcome. t Chess author Tom Kerrigan told me the engine runs 50-80% faster, and he adds that if there's a good move to be found for the current position, the app will find it much faster. I hadn't played t Chess for a little while, but this new version did seem snappier on the iPad 2. The Game Center Support is most welcome. t Chess is a universal binary, so it runs on any iOS device, but of course dual-core support is only on the iPad 2. If you want to get a feel for t Chess, there is a 'lite' version you can try, but without the dual-core feature. t Chess is US $7.99. Given the excellent feature set, and the built-in documentation, I find it well worth it. Buyers should note that t Chess does not auto-detect a dual-core iPad 2. The feature must be enabled in the app settings menu. My only gripe is that the icon for the app still shows a graphic of a crystalline chess set that is not an option to select for gameplay. The options the app provides are just fine, but I'd sure like to see the nice one illustrated above on the iPad screen.
tChess Pro for iPad is very, very good
I love to play chess and was looking for something that worked well on the iPad. The large screen and crisp graphics make board games on the iPad an attractive proposition. Based on some reviews, I installed tChess Pro for US $7.99. I wasn't disappointed. While you can use the app to let two people play, I was more interested in playing against the computer. tChess Pro is a very strong opponent, but you can modify the levels that the game plays. It was the first time in a computer based chess game that I felt like I was playing a human, although at most levels except the lowest, I was getting clobbered. The app allows you to set up games, add time controls, and there is an opening library mode that helps you understand the finer points of the game. You can take back moves, get a running analysis of your game, and get hints for the next move if you want them.
