Computers: London Chess Centre

Probably the most fundamental criteria is where will you actually use the computer most often? For home usage, a tabletop computer makes more sense, while if the plan is to while away some time spent while on planes, trains or even on the beach, a small travel unit is the most practical. No need to worry about losing pieces – several of the travel computers use an LCD screen, complete with a stylus for simple move entry.

What are the benefits of a more expensive machine?

The main difference between the top of the range machines and the entry level computers is playing strength. The more expensive machines will give you a much tougher challenge. However as well as playing strength, many of the better machines also offer certain tutorial facilities, or in a couple of cases, auto-sensory move input, meaning you don’t have to press down on each square to enter the move, creating a more realistic game environment. Even if you feel you may not need a very strong machine, it is worth considering that as well as playing against the computer, you may wish to take advantage of the superior position analysis and mate search facilities that a stronger machine offers.

What is the significance of having a large number of playing levels?

A common misconception is that the more levels a machine has, the better it is. This is not necessarily the case. A level is purely a time setting. Examples of this could be blitz levels (where both sides have a set amount of time to finish the game), tournament levels for longer games, fixed time levels, where the computer will make a move after thinking for a predetermined length of time (such as 10 seconds per move). There are also mate search and analysis levels for problem solving. Therefore a larger number of levels purely indicates greater flexibility in terms of the types of games offered.

What do the ratings such as ECF 150, ELO 2000 mean?

The ratings are used to give a guide to the chess computers playing standard to help determine which machine is right for you. ECF stands for English Chess Federation and will be more familiar to players used to playing their chess in England, while the ELO system is used everywhere else in the World.

The following is a short guide to what standard of competition you can expect based on the machines rating :

Under ECF 80 / ELO 1240 : Entry level, suitable for beginners and social players.
ECF 80-110 / ELO 1240 – 1480: Competitive social standard, or weak club player
ECF 110-140 / ELO 1480 – 1720: Average Club Standard
ECF 140-170 / Elo 1720 – 1950: Strong Club Standard
ECF 170 – 200 / Elo 1950-2220: Top Club/County Standard
ECF 200 / ELO 2200+: Prepare yourself for a very tough game indeed !