Chessmaster® 9000 Defeats Reigning US
Chess Champion Larry Christiansen
Chessmaster Wins Four Game Match 2.5 to
1.5 Via Live Internet Broadcast on ChessClub.com
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – October 1, 2002 – Ubi
Soft Entertainment, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, and The
Internet Chess Club (Chessclub.com), the world’s premiere online chess
destination, today announced that Chessmaster 9000 defeated reigning US Chess
Champion, Grandmaster Larry Christiansen, two and a half games to one and a half
games, in a four game match played over two days, Saturday and Sunday, September
28-29.
"The Christiansen vs. Chessmaster 9000
results prove that Chessmaster’s world class chess engine offers a serious
challenge to even the world’s chess playing elite," said Karen "KC" Conroe,
group brand manager for Ubi Soft Entertainment. "We sincerely thank reigning
U.S. Chess Champion Larry Christiansen, one of the world’s finest chess players,
for his exciting play in this hard fought exhibition match and wish Larry the
best of luck as he defends his title next January in Seattle."
The four game match was broadcast live on
Chessclub.com’s website, with audio commentary provided by Chess.fm featuring
live, expert commentary during each of the games from some of the chess world’s
most celebrated players. Reigning Women’s US Chess Champion and International
Master Jennifer Shahade, Grandmaster Joel Benjamin, International Master and
Chessmaster celebrity Josh Waitzkin, and Woman’s Grandmaster Susan Polgar all
provided commentary during the match. Yasser Seirawan, Grandmaster and
co-founder of America’s Foundation for Chess, will provide post-event written
analysis in the coming weeks.
Mr. Christiansen, rated 2559, took on four
different Grandmaster-level personalities from the Chessmaster 9000 retail
product, finally facing The Chessmaster personality on Sunday at 6 p.m. In the
first match on Saturday morning at 10am, Christiansen played as black, facing
down Chessmaster 9000’s Alexander Alekhine personality, known for its
trap-setting style, and jumped to an early lead in the match. "Christiansen
fought hard in all four games and was obviously ready to play," said Terry
Coleman, producer of Chessmaster 9000 for Ubi Soft Entertainment. "He saw right
through the traps the Alekhine personality set and just crushed Chessmaster in
game one."
Game two pitted Christiansen against
Chessmaster 9000’s Bobby Fischer personality, a hard-fighting controlled
aggression style. This tense positional struggle resulted in Chessmaster 9000
evening the match at a game apiece. Game three was the pivotal point in the
match, with the score all even and Christiansen facing Chessmaster 9000’s
Botvinnik personality, which offered a balanced, counterattacking style.
"Christiansen launched a ferocious attack true to his style, but Chessmaster
9000 successfully defended and eventually won the game in over four hours of
intense play," continued Coleman.
Sunday’s final pitted Christiansen against
The Chessmaster, a personality rated at 2767, and featuring Chessmaster 9000’s
strongest, most comprehensive style of play. "After five moves, both
Christiansen and The Chessmaster were out of opening theory," said Coleman. "The
fourth game was played for over 40 moves to a classic draw, completing this very
exciting match."
About US Chess Champion and Grandmaster Larry
Christiansen
Born June 27, 1956 in Riverside, California,
Larry Christiansen first started playing chess when he was nine years old. In
the following years, Larry developed a love for the game as he regularly played
and honed his skills. At the age of 21, in 1977, Larry found greatness, becoming
a Grandmaster by winning the Malaga Tournament in Spain. He is a three time US
Chess Champion having won in 1980, 1983 and 2002, and an eight time veteran of
the chess Olympiads.
About Chessmaster 9000
Chessmaster is a teacher, mentor and ultimate
opponent that provides countless hours of interactive competition and fun for
anyone interested in chess. Since the first version appeared for the PC in 1986,
Chessmaster has been the dominant chess franchise in the world, selling more
than 5 million units and winning numerous awards. Chessmaster 9000 builds on the
strong foundation of its predecessors by adding many new tools and a complete
curriculum to help players discover the fun of chess, while mastering the game.
A 2 CD set, Chessmaster 9000 has over 150 opponents, 800 classic games, a free
online matchmaking service and rated games online via Ubi.com, offering a
challenge to players of all skill levels from beginners to Grandmasters.
Chessmaster 9000 has an MSRP of $39.99. Owners of previous Chessmaster PC
versions are eligible for a $10 rebate when they upgrade to Chessmaster 9000.
Additional details on the rebate can be found at Ubi.com or at your favorite
videogame retailer.
About The Internet Chess Club
With over 25,000 paying members from all over
the world, The Internet Chess Club (Chessclub.com) is the longest running and
most vibrant chess community on the internet. Chessclub.com is the only internet
site with a substantial presence of titled players, and is the undisputed leader
in online chess. On the site you can play games and get a rating, watch
Grandmasters play, take lessons, play in tournaments, play in simultaneous
exhibitions, try chess variants like bughouse, crazyhouse and atomic, play chess
programs of all levels, and much more. To learn more visit
www.chessclub.com.
About America’s Foundation for Chess
America’s Foundation for Chess is a 501(c)3
public charity. Founded in Seattle, Wash., the Foundation’s mission is to
strengthen the minds and character of young people, by advancing chess in
American schools and culture. More information can be found at
www.af4c.org.
About Ubi Soft Entertainment
Ubi Soft Entertainment is an international
producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. A
leading company in the multimedia industry, Ubi Soft’s strong and diversified
line-up has grown considerably, as has Ubi Soft itself. As well as steadfastly
continuing to partner with several high-profile companies, Ubi Soft has also
confirmed its presence on the global market by developing its own exceptional
properties. Founded in 1986 in France, Ubi Soft is now present on every
continent, both through offices in 22 different countries including the United
States, Brazil, Morocco, Germany and China and through sales of products in over
50 countries. The group is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge
video game titles to consumers around the world. To learn more, visit
www.ubi.com.
2002 Ubi Soft, Inc. All rights
reserved. Ubi Soft Entertainment and the Ubi Soft logo are registered trademarks
and Chessmaster is a trademark of Ubi Soft, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
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