Jack Jones wrote:
So..... I downloaded Crafty and I'm ready to go again in the 21st
Century. In fact maybe Crafty is setting my sights too high perhaps
I should download another chess engine, maybe GNU Chess until I can
beat it?

Any decent chess program running on modern hardware will play at
comfortably over 2000 level so, frankly, if you beat it any time soon,
you don't need our advice. :-)

In my experience, the free programs are written by people whose goal
is to write the strongest program they can. These programs tend not
to dumb down too well. You could buy a copy of Fritz or Chessmaster
-- you should be able to find an older version very cheaply. The
commercial programs are generally better at playing weaker chess.

(For Fritz, I'd recommend `handicap' mode rather than `friend' mode or
`sparring' mode.)


Well anyway that's not really my point, what I'm really after are
some pointers to some good resources to really improve my strength.
I mean sites, DVDs, books, anything really. I just want to get back
into the game but also move "to the next level".

The first thing to sort out is tactics. Reinfeld's books of problems
(1001 checkmates and 1001 sacrifices and combinations) are a good
place to start. http://www.chessgames.com/ has a daily tactics
puzzle, which gets harder through the week (Monday is usually a queen
sacrifice to force mate in two; Sunday is usually impossible unless
you're Russian and your surname begins with `K'.) Dan Heisman's
`Novice Nook' column at http://www.chesscafe.com/ is invaluable.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Permanent Gnome (TM): it's like a
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ smiling garden ornament but it'll be
there for ever!