Advice request--classic games

Not sure this is the right forum for this, but I'll ask anyway.

I've always loved classic strategy games like chess and go, as well as
modern classics like bridge. But these games are daunting to me. Even
after reading books and practicing, I really suck at them. It's so
discouraging that I always give up on them after a few weeks of trying.
Yet, I admire these games so much that when my shame wears off, I
always come back around and try them again.

So, my question is: Are there any good "mentor" packages out there for
the PC? I'm thinking of a software package that not only teaches
beginners how to play, but also takes novices (and maybe even
intermediate players) by the hand and walks them through the basic
steps toward becoming decent players. Something friendly that makes
these challenging games a joy to play.

I've had several versions of Chessmaster, but only my last one (5500)
offered much in the way of mentored play. Last time around, I bought
Fritz 8--but I ended up disappointed. It's a very strong and complete
program, but I never figured out how to use it as a good learning
device. (I did like its "Friend Mode," though, which automatically
adjusts to my playing strength.)

Last night, I played a game of chess in my Zillions of Games package.
I had the AI set on "pushover," which should have given me an easy win.
But I lost badly. Even though I could see my opponent making
strategic mistakes, I still made enough oversights and tactical
blunders to lose the game. And a bare-bones program like Zillions
offers no consolation or advice, but only the chance to play again.

I also have The Many Faces of Go (probably an old version of it, since
it's DOS-based). Played that last night too, on an 11x11 board. And
won by 5 points! Somehow I've always found go to be a more pleasant
game than chess. But again, there's very little in TMFoG to bring a
novice along toward becoming a better player. Just some puzzles to
work out.

Years ago I taught myself to play bridge on the computer, with an old
program called Grand Slam Bridge, IIRC. It worked well enough, and of
course I supplemented the computer program with a good book or two. My
favorite book was The Joy of Bridge, which was the only one written for
beginners. Most bridge books seem to presume the reader already has a
good deal of basic knowledge and understanding, but this one patiently
explained why players do what they do in a game. The best bridge
software I've heard of is Bridge Baron, but the demo I saw a while back
didn't look very friendly.

I've heard that the latest Chessmaster package has something called
"Chess University" (or something like that)--which sounds promising.
Maybe that'd suit me better than a stark program like Fritz 8.

I guess what I'm saying is that although I admire games like these (and
classic games like checkers and backgammon and mancala too), I'm not
exactly a fierce competitor. I'd love to learn to be a decent player,
to gain an understanding of these games, but I have no plans to take on
the world. Nor do I relish the thought of facing the world (or even
the AI on my home computer) and being mercilessly crushed time and
again. I'd like to play as a hobby, for relaxation and mental
exercise, and learn something while I'm at it.

But to learn, I think I need something like a teacher. My interest
isn't strong enough that I'll hire an actual teacher. But I'll buy
books to accompany the computer programs (I enjoy Yasser Seirawan's
chess books). And ideally, I'd like it if the computer program itself
included some kind of "mentoring" instead of just posing a stark
challenge every time.

Any suggestions?

--Patrick

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Relevant Pages

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