Wvw Foursome Sparkles For Class Aaa All-stars

Alexander Luckes Jr.

Sunday, June 23, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





`Kasparov' doesn't deep-six the fish &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Expose a king and it will get sacked. Immediately. And there will be no
second chanceIt's not surprising that this basic rule of chess was driven home
time and time again as I struggled to beat a computer with rooks, bishops and
knights, kings, queens and pawns and sheer determination. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If all this smacks of a match of the magnitude of World Chess Champion
Garry Kasparov tackling -- and beating -- IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer,
forget it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In chess slang, I'm a fish. A patzer. A rank amateur with more enthusiasm
than experience and savvy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And I suppose it should not have been surprising that "Maurice Ashley
Teaches Chess" firmly put me in my rightful place and continues to provide
lesson upon lesson. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ashley is well known in chess circles. At age 29, he has achieved the rank
of international master. He is listed in the U.S. Chess Top 50 list. And he is
now focused on becoming the first black person in the history of chess to earn
the game's highest ranking, that of international grandmaster. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As a chess professional, Ashley also teaches the game. To children, mostly,
in 42 schools in six cities. Via computer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And there is the connection. Chessmaster Ashley is also a computer whiz who
uses the medium to advance the game that took him from the ghetto as a boy and
made him a man of international acclaim. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Geared for beginning and intermediate players, "Maurice Ashley Teaches
Chess" will do more than soundly whip the bold and brassy. The lively program
will guide players to a higher level of performance. And it will do so with
extensive video coaching, thousands of fast-paced interactive challenges and
clinics on strategy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the scholarly, Ashley provides a "chalkboard" analysis of 10 master
games, including the Fischer/Byrne "Game of the Century." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Review the program to determine where you want to start. For beginners,
Ashley starts with the basics and introduces each chess piece. Timed
challenges such as "Seek and Destroy," "Touchdown" and "Wolf"' follow. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After that, players can advance and study strategies, those systematic
schemes the masters use to make all the right moves. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There is also a humbling, 30-hour learning sequence called Championship
Training. The sequence runs 30 hours if your every move is the right one. Plan
on spending extra hours if your game is not on par with the legendary Bobby
Fischer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Regardless of the time spent in training, I suspect that when you finally
progress through the three levels, you won't believe your newfound ability to
play killer chess. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I whizzed through the first level, felt prideful and cocky, then humbly
bogged down in the middle of the second level trying to avoid a sack. I remain
bogged down -- but learning -- with a queen escape challenge. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While the instruction could be sequential if preferred, you can access any
level of the sequences at any time. And at any time you can play a game
against the computer and select exactly what level of competition is required. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Need help with a ruling? Drop down menus provide a listing of rules, a
glossary of chess terms and a directory of books and chess organizations that
can help budding Kasparovs move from patzer to pro. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The program installed in minutes and ran smoothly using Windows 95 in an
AST Advantage with 16 MB of RAM. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 My 15-inch NEC MultiSync 3V monitor portrayed the color images well, though
there was an irksome glitch in the short video clips in which Ashley
introduces the program, as well as each segment of the program. An annoying
"hiccup" accounted for slight pauses when the program was run through my
double-speed CD-ROM, which is exactly what the system requirements called for. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I suspect a quad-speed or faster CD-ROM would eliminate this hang-up. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess" conveys virtually every facet of the game,
from basic moves to advanced strategies. It inspires, it teaches, it keeps you
interested and it should, because it is the only software endorsed by the
Professional Chess Association. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For a patzer like me it could provide years of fun learning -- and
frustration. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now, if I can only learn to keep my king from getting sacked. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Like to write? Creative-thinking families who can imagine a powerful,
innovative personal computer in their homes may find their wish fulfilled.
Compaq Computer Corporation is kicking off a new program to award Compaq
Presario PCs to ten families who creatively answer the question,"How could a
Compaq Presario family computer change your family's life?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You can win a Compaq Presario by submitting a 500-word essay about the
impact a Presario family computer could have in your home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Whether it is balancing the family checkbooks, keeping up-to-date with
world events, e-mailing Aunt Sophie's Tuna Souffle recipe or keeping track of
when Fido last had his shots, the Compaq Presario inspires dozens of uses for
a family PC. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But before clearing off the desktop for their prize, families should call
the toll-free hotline at 1-888-2-WIN-A-PC to learn how to request an official
entry form. Contest rules and regulations are also available from Compaq
Computer Corporation's world wide website at www.compaq.com. Entry forms and
essays should be submitted no later than August 26. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 George Smith is The Times Leader outdoors editor. Contact him by e-mail at
103417.1754@compuserve.com. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess" Price: $35 Requirements: Windows 95 or 3.1
with 8 MG RAM, 33 MHz 486 or faster, 256-color SVGA graphics, double-speed
CD-ROM, mouse, sound card. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Produced by Davidson &amp; Associates and Simon and Schuster. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`kasparov' Doesn't Deep-six The Fish Expose A King And It Will Get Sacked. Immediately. And There Will Be No Second Chance.