By Dale Farris, Secretary
Golden Triangle PC Club
July 2003

Game Overview

Tivola, the supreme children's software distributor, announces new chess tutorial games with these 2 super games for children interested in learning how to play chess. Parents also have 2 wonderful software additions that will exactly meet their needs
for chess tutor programs that are directly made for children.

As many readers likely know, children's software programs that are supposedly created to simulate reality, or offer experiential, interactive learning, many times fail to make the grade. However, as any computer owner familiar with the award-winning lineup of software from Tivola knows, you can always depend on Tivola for top quality programs, regardless the targeted age group.

In the special case of chess tutor programs, most readers are probably familiar with various of these programs that target adults, but finding such a program created at the level of children has been a problem. With Play Chess:  Fritz 7 and Fritz 8 you now have exactly what you want if you are interested in helping children learn to play chess.

What always stymies any computer software creator with a desire to create a program on learning to play chess is of course the inherent complexity of the game, something that just naturally makes for an added challenge if you want to help children learn to play chess by working with a computer program.  Fritz 7 and Fritz 8 score a bulls-eye with the marvelously playful approach to chess tutorials that will appeal to all children, as well as adults new to the game of chess.

Despite the fun you will have, the games are built on serious matters, namely how to play chess and all the subtle, powerful aspects that accompany playing this highly intellectual game. The "brain" in the game is the well known Fritz chess engine, used by grandmasters to train for tournaments.

The Fritz engine, the core of both games, is the most powerful Chess engine. Created by ChessBase, the world's leading chess software manufacturer, Fritz has evolved through 8 versions since its birth in 1991. Fritz 8, the newest version, has the playing strength of current world champions. Many of the world's renowned grandmasters train with Fritz software.

Despite the power, both Fritz titles are far from intimidating. With over 1,000 voice files and context-relevant chatter technology, Fritz comments humorously and in plain language about what is happening on the board.

According to world champion Vladimir Kramnik, Fritz is stronger than Deep Blue. Kramnik should know. Not only did he study Deep Blue extensively in 2002. That same year Fritz was Kramnik's opponent in the famous man vs. machine competition.

In 1999, Fritz became the only chess software to ever be played in space when it entertained cosmonauts living in the MIR space station. Fritz's narrator is a little spacey too. Hugh Spight was one of the aliens that appeared in the famous Star Wars: Return of the Jedi cantina scene.

As readers may suspect, learning chess with any particular approach is not an easy task, and once you get the basics of the different pieces and their movements, you have learned merely the beginnings of this ancient, powerful game. Learning chess takes time, patience, and practice, along with discipline and determination. Hence, Play Chess: Fritz 7 and Fritz 8 are not going to magically result in hundreds of 8-year old chess masters. However, playing the games will provide you with hours and hours of fun as you learn to play chess.

Playchess.com

Play Chess: Fritz 7 and Fritz 8 come with a full, one-year subscription to playchess.com, where kids can find still more information about and help on playing chess. You can even play online with opponents around the globe. This is a $24.99 value. Of course, you will need an Internet connection.

Game Play

You move the pieces and interact with the screen by using the mouse.

Age Group

The box covers state the games are relevant for ages from 8 to 102, and I think the games are super choices for a CD ROM approach to a chess tutor. Adults will also likely have a great deal of fun learning to play chess with these marvelous games.

Features in Fritz 7

350,000+ games database
More than 1,000 voice files respond intelligently to your moves
Easy to use and fun to play
Introductory course for beginners
Comprehensive tactical advice for advanced players
Opening, middle, and endgame training
Deep analysis functions
Huge openings book
Zoom, tilt, and custom color your board
Virtual 3D board

Features in Fritz 8

500,000+ database of games
Matches with Napoleon, a chess automaton, and Fisher vs. Spasky
Easy to use and fun to play
Amazing photo-realistic 3D graphics
Tilt and zoom functions
Complete introductory course for beginners
Comprehensive tactical advice for advanced players
Opening, middle, and endgame training
Intelligent commentary of board events
Let Fritz tell you, or click the "shut up" button
Spy, hint, and threatened squares functions
Analyze your game
Learn from your mistakes to avoid future blunders
Giant openings book

Educational Value

Obviously, the most significant educational value of these games are their tutoring in learning how to play chess. While many may think that learning chess can be tedious and difficult, in these games children will have a ton of fun as they learn the basics of chess. Once they have worked through the basics, they can of course move on to higher levels of playing chess. Any parent who desires their children learn to play chess now has the right computer software to help them in this endeavor.

Targeted Customers

Viva Media's marvelous games Play Chess: Fritz 7 and Fritz 8 are targeted to the age group 8 to 102. While the youngest 8-year olds may indeed have fun with these games, because they are learning to play chess it will be a more likely success the more serious the player is about learning the game. Older children should also find the games to be super tools to use in their initial learning steps, as well as to help hone higher level skills.

Again, Tivola presents titles that provide super value to public libraries as wonderful additions to their collection. The games could be made available on workstations for children and their parents to play, or they could be used as super tools for use in Little Bookwork programs designed around the topic of learning to play chess.

Price

Fritz 7
$19.99

Fritz 8
$39.99

Minimum System Configuration Requirements

Fritz 7
Pentium PC
32MB RAM
Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP

Fritz 8
Pentium PC
32MB RAM
Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP

Installation and Setup

The games should install and set up with no problems. You do need the game disc in the CD ROM drive to play the games.

About Viva Media, LLC

Viva Media, LLC, is a privately held New York company dedicated to publishing a wide array of interactive content of the highest standards. The company's collection of more than 40 multimedia titles tout more than 30 awards for excellence in publishing. Viva Media features the award winning line of Tivola Publishing. CD ROM games and the Viva range of titles include Viva Chess, Viva Adventure, and Viva Reference.

About TIVOLA Publishing

TIVOLA Publishing, now a part of Viva Media, LLC, creates and publishes a wide range of award-winning multimedia products designed to open up a world of interactive fun and learning to children and young people. The German based company has offices in New York, London, and Berlin, and produces a wide range of innovative interactive CD ROMs that stimulate a child's curiosity, while encouraging smart play. In 1995, TIVOLA published its first title, and has developed six distinct categories of software.

These include Play and Learn, The World Around Us, Quest for Knowledge, Stories and Adventures, Crimes and Clues, and Games for Fun. The company has a commitment to producing high-quality, multilingual CD ROMs that tell exciting, entertaining stories through beautiful graphics, witty animation and original games. TIVOLA titles are currently in more than 49 countries worldwide.

TIVOLA began in 1995, when founding partners, Karsten Voelker, Mil Thierig, and Barbara Landbeck founded the Berlin office to fill the need for original CD ROM games that are clever but also promote learning. In 2000, TIVOLA was named "Company of the Year" by the Berlin Association of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs, who recognized the company's fast development into an internationally successful multimedia company with an innovative brand building strategy.

The TIVOLA UK offices opened in 1998, and with the launch of 10 new titles in 2001, the company continues to grow in the UK children's software publishing market. The TIVOLA US offices opened in 1999, and the company signed a contract with the Navarre Corporation to distribute their products in the US and Canada. 

The company develops books and story games on CD ROM, and all titles are simultaneously produced in English so that they can be understood by potential international licensees. The software is also produced for the PC and the Apple platform.

TIVOLA also buys and sells license for different products. For these purposes, the company has developed optimal localization standards. With this new system, TIVOLA titles are obtainable in countries all over the world.

The TIVOLA line of CD ROM programs are products parents can depend on to provide a fun and educational computer experience for their children. Teachers can also feel secure in integrating the educational lineup of TIVOLA products into their curriculum, especially those teaching entry level classes. TIVOLA's series of learning CD ROMs for children that include the many Oscar the Balloonist titles, the many Max adventures, the super Chemicus science-based program, and of course The Little Prince, all assure a solid worthwhile computer experience for all ages, especially young learners.

With the worldwide notoriety of TIVOLA products, the company has also ventured into a new online interactive arena. Companies can now rent online games from TIVOLA to make available at their Web site for their own customers. This new portfolio of online games for rent expands still further the success of the company.

Recent news has also revealed that TIVOLA has been granted worldwide licensing rights to develop and publish educational discovery games based on the legendary comic strip icon, PEANUTS, through United Media. The most widely syndicated comic strip in history, PEANUTS reaches over 350 million readers in 75 countries, appealing to adults as well as children. The first TIVOLA PEANUTS CD ROM will be introduced at the 2002 Toy Fair, and will combine PEANUTS humor with the suspense of a discovery game. As would be expected from any TIVOLA title, the game will integrate educational elements into the distinctive humor of the PEANUTS world. 

Contact Information

Linda Weal, Media Coordinator
Tivola Publishing
580 Broadway, Suite 604
New York, NY 10012
212-431-4420, ext. 201
212-431-4420
FAX 212-431-4537
linda@viva-media.com
mail@tivola.com
www.tivola.com

You can also order from other retailers or online vendors.