Power Chess 2.0

Last updated: January 16, 2026

Overview

Power Chess 2.0 is a chess simulation game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1999 for Windows¹. As the third entry in the Power Chess series, the game represented “the culmination of a long history of chess games that have ranged from Radio Shack hand-held computer chess games to IBM’s Deep Blue”². The game allowed players to compete against computer opponents or challenge human players over the Internet, featuring multiple AI personalities modeled after famous chess grandmasters including Gary Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, Judit Polgar, and Anatoly Karpov¹.

The game continued Sierra’s mission to “humanize” computer chess, a concept French reviewers praised as “un pari réussi” (a successful bet)³. Power Chess 2.0 featured the distinctive voice of Natacha LaFerriere as the Queen character, who provided post-game analysis and tutoring in both English and French versions⁴. The program incorporated adaptive difficulty technology, automatically adjusting its playing level during games to match the player’s skill⁵. Despite being positioned as an updated release, some critics noted it was essentially “a simple update of Power Chess 98” with nothing significantly new⁶.

Game Info

Developer: Sierra On-Line¹ Designer: David Kittinger (WChess engine)⁷ Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Engine: WChess⁷ Platforms: Windows¹ Release Year: 1999 Series: Power Chess Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Power Chess 2.0 offered players multiple viewpoint options including traditional top-down view and 3D perspective¹. The game was controlled entirely via mouse, providing an accessible interface for chess players of all skill levels¹. Players could choose from a large array of boards and visual options to customize their playing experience⁸.

Structure and Progression

The game featured single-player mode against AI opponents, hot-seat multiplayer for local two-player games, and Internet play for online competition⁹. The AI system was designed to learn and adapt to player strategies over time⁸. One of the game’s most distinctive features was its post-game analysis system, where “a female voice, the Queen, walks the player through the game, pointing out and explaining where the player could have played better”⁵.

AI Personalities and Historical Matches

Power Chess 2.0 included AI personalities designed to mimic the playing styles of famous chess masters. Players could compete against computer representations of Gary Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, Judit Polgar, and Anatoly Karpov¹. The game also featured an archive of over 150 famous chess matches, including the historic 1996 game between Kasparov and Deep Blue¹⁸. The Deep Blue versus Kasparov matches from the archives provided educational value for players studying championship-level play³.

Tutorial System

The voice tutorial feature, performed by Natacha LaFerriere, was praised by users who found her voice “lovely” and the program “actually a good tutor”⁴. The game also included the full book of Nimzowitsch’s “My System,” providing comprehensive chess education for aspiring players⁶. The AI could be customized and configured to improve at the player’s skill rate, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced players¹.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Power Chess 2.0 received mixed reviews upon release. Génération 4 magazine awarded the game 3 out of 6 (50%) in January 1999⁹. PC Player gave a more favorable assessment with a score of 68 out of 100 in March 1999⁹. The MobyGames aggregate score sits at 67%¹.

The original Power Chess received significantly better reception, winning the “Traditional Game of the Year” award from Computer Games Strategy Plus in 1996⁵. PC Joker gave Power Chess (1996) its highest rating in March 1997⁵, and the French magazine Joystick awarded it the “Mégastar” rating³.

Modern Assessment

Contemporary users and chess enthusiasts have provided mixed assessments of the Power Chess series. Some users on chess forums have praised the tutoring aspects, while others have been more critical. One prominent forum member, Sean Evans, bluntly stated “Power Chess is full of bugs, don’t bother with it!“¹⁰. The compatibility issues with modern operating systems have significantly impacted the game’s accessibility, with users reporting challenges running the software on Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11⁴⁶.

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 67% (combined reviews)¹
• Génération 4: 3/6 (50%)⁹
• PC Player: 68/100⁹
• VGTimes User Rating: 5.5/10¹¹

Development

Origins

The Power Chess series originated with Sierra On-Line’s effort to create an accessible yet powerful chess program for home computers. The original Power Chess was released on September 30, 1996 for Windows 95⁵. Sierra chose to license the WChess engine created by David Kittinger, which had an impressive pedigree in competitive computer chess⁷. The WChess engine won 5 of 6 matches against American chess grandmasters in 1994 and competed against IBM’s Deep Blue in the 1995 World Computer Championship³⁵.

Production

Power Chess 2.0 was developed by Sierra On-Line with the chess engine work attributed to David Kittinger and development support from Headgate Studios⁶. The game was released during a tumultuous period for Sierra, which underwent major corporate reorganization in 1999, shutting down several development studios⁶. This corporate instability may have contributed to the limited scope of improvements in the 2.0 version, which critics noted was “a simple update of Power Chess 98”⁶.

Development Credits:⁷⁶

• Chess Engine: David Kittinger (WChess)
• Development: Headgate Studios
• Publisher: Sierra On-Line

Technical Achievements

The WChess engine powering Power Chess 2.0 represented significant achievement in computer chess programming. The engine’s competitive performance against grandmasters and other computer programs demonstrated its strength³. The adaptive difficulty system was particularly innovative for its time, allowing the program to “adjust its level during the game trying to match that of the player”⁵.

Technical Specifications

System Requirements:³¹

• Operating System: Windows 95/98
• Graphics: WinG compatible
• Audio: DirectSound
• Display: Raster graphics with top-down and 3D view options
• Input: Mouse
• Media: CD-ROM

Multiplayer Options:¹

• Single-player vs. AI
• Hot-seat (1-2 offline players)
• Internet play (1 online player)

Language Support:⁹

• English
• German
• French (voice)

Technical Issues

Power Chess 2.0 has significant compatibility problems with modern operating systems. Users report being unable to run the game on Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11 without special measures⁴¹². The error message “impossible de démarrer le moteur d’échecs” (unable to start the chess engine) is commonly encountered when attempting to run the game on newer systems¹².

The recommended workaround involves using virtualization software. Forum users suggest “télécharge virtual pc et tu install ensuite tu install ton windows 98 sur ta machine virtuel” (download virtual PC and install Windows 98 on your virtual machine)¹². The game can reportedly run in VirtualBox with Windows 98 emulation⁴. Some users have noted that a special patch exists for running the game on newer Windows versions, though availability is limited⁴.

The game was described as “buggy” even on its native Windows 98 platform, with reports indicating it worked best on Windows 95⁶.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Power Chess	September 30, 1996	Windows 95	Initial release5
Power Chess 98	1997	Windows 95/98	Updated version5
Power Chess 2.0	1999	Windows	Final release, also called Power Chess 9916

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The WChess engine competed against IBM’s Deep Blue in the 1995 World Computer Championship⁵
• The game includes the historic Deep Blue vs. Kasparov match from 1996 in its archives¹
• Power Chess was included in Sierra’s Complete Chess compilation released in 1998⁵
• The game supports PGN file import/export for sharing games with other chess software³
• The full text of Nimzowitsch’s classic chess instruction book “My System” was included with the game⁶

Voice Cast

Character	Voice Actor
Queen (English/French)	Natacha LaFerriere45

The Queen character serves as the game’s narrator and tutor, providing post-game analysis and instruction to help players improve their chess skills⁵.

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

The original Power Chess was commercially successful enough to warrant two sequels. The 1996 release won the Traditional Game of the Year award from Computer Games Strategy Plus⁵. However, the series was discontinued after Sierra’s acquisition, attributed to the existing saturated chess game market³.

Collections

Power Chess was included in Sierra’s Complete Chess compilation released in 1998, which bundled multiple Sierra chess games together⁵.

Critical Perspective

Power Chess 2.0 represents the final entry in Sierra’s attempt to make chess accessible and engaging for casual computer users. While the series began with genuine innovation—adaptive AI, voiced tutorial features, and historical match archives—by 1999 the improvements had stagnated. The game arrived during a difficult period for Sierra, and the corporate turmoil may have limited development resources⁶.

The series is perhaps best remembered for its educational features rather than its competitive chess engine. The voiced Queen character, performed by Natacha LaFerriere, remains fondly recalled by users who appreciate both her pleasant delivery and the genuine instructional value of the post-game analysis⁴. In the modern era, the game’s legacy is unfortunately overshadowed by severe compatibility issues that make it nearly impossible to run on contemporary systems without virtualization⁴⁶.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Not currently available on major digital platforms

Download / Preservation

• Compatibility requires Windows 98 virtual machine setup⁴¹²

Series Continuity

Power Chess 2.0 was the third and final entry in Sierra’s Power Chess series. The series evolved from the original 1996 release through Power Chess 98 before reaching its conclusion with this 1999 edition. While marketed as an upgrade, Power Chess 2.0 was essentially a compatibility update with minor improvements over its predecessor⁶. The series was discontinued following Sierra’s corporate restructuring, and no further Power Chess titles were developed³.

• Previous: 1997 - Power Chess 98

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – Power Chess 2.0 – release date, developer, publisher, ratings, AI personalities, technical specs, multiplayer options ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

2. GameFabrique – Sierra Developer Page – historical context quote ↩

3. Abandonware France – Power Chess – release date, voice cast, awards, technical specs, WChess engine history, PGN support, series discontinuation ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. Chess.com Forum – Older Chess Software Discussion – voice cast, compatibility issues, virtualization workarounds, user quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

5. Wikipedia – Power Chess – release dates, developer, publisher, voice cast, engine, awards, adaptive difficulty, Queen analysis feature, Deep Blue competition ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

6. TalkChess Forum – Power Chess 2.0 Discussion – developers, compatibility issues, My System inclusion, Sierra reorganization, version history, critical quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

7. Chess Programming Wiki – Power Chess – WChess engine, David Kittinger credit, version history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. MobyGames – Power Chess (1996) – game features, AI learning, historical matches, voice cast ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. UVList – Power Chess 2.0 – review scores, language support, technical display info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

10. TalkChess Forum – Sean Evans bug criticism quote ↩

11. VGTimes – Power Chess 2.0 – user ratings ↩

12. Comment Ça Marche Forum – error messages, Windows XP compatibility, virtualization solution ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴