The Internet Chess Club Proudly Presents
Reigning US Chess Champion Larry Christiansen vs. Chessmaster® 9000
Watch Four Exciting Matches Via Live
Internet Broadcast Saturday and Sunday, September 28-29, 2002, Complete With
Expert Chess Commentary & Analysis
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 5, 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 reigning US Chess Champion, Grandmaster Larry
Christiansen, will play Chessmaster 9000 in a four game match played over two
days via live internet broadcast. These games will be broadcast on
Chessclub.com’s website. The games will take place on Saturday and Sunday,
September 28-29, 2002, with the first beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
and a second game beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time each day. Mr.
Christiansen will take on four different Grandmaster-level personalities from
the Chessmaster 9000 retail product, finally facing The Chessmaster on Sunday at
6 p.m.
Celebrated chess players will provide
on-going commentary during each of the games, including reigning Women’s US
Chess Champion and Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade, and Grandmaster Joel Benjamin.
Additionally, Yasser Seirawan, Grandmaster and co-founder of America’s
Foundation for Chess will provide post-event written analysis of the four game
match.
"Pitting the reigning US Chess Champion
against the best-selling computer chess product of all time should make for some
very exciting games as chess enthusiasts enjoy a front row seat to witness two
great chess competitors in action," said Karen "KC" Conroe, group brand manager
for Ubi Soft Entertainment. "Larry Christiansen has proven himself repeatedly
through the years as one of the world’s best chess players, but we’re confident
he’ll find Chessmaster 9000 to be a most challenging and worthy opponent when
they square off on September 28."
"Chessmaster has long been recognized as both
a powerful chess engine and the world’s finest interactive chess product," said
Larry Christiansen. "I look forward to putting this new edition to the test at
the end of this month. Bring it on!"
"Chessclub.com is happy to be hosting this
exciting event," said Daniel Sleator, president and founder of the Internet
Chess Club. "We have a long tradition of broadcasting major chess events, such
as the Kasparov versus Deep Blue."
"As co-founder of America’s Foundation for
Chess, I’m delighted to be a part of an event that will expand the profile and
reach of the game of chess," said Yasser Seirawan. "US Chess Champion Larry
Christiansen will find it challenging to battle against the four personalities
of the Chessmaster program. One is hard enough! Chess fans should enjoy my
analysis which will capture the hidden thoughts of the players."
The schedule for Christiansen vs. Chessmaster
9000 is as follows:
-
Saturday, September 28:
-
Match 1 starts at 10:00 am EDT
-
Match 2 starts at 6:00 pm EDT
-
Sunday, September 29:
-
Match 3 starts at 10:00 am EDT
-
Match 4 starts at 6:00 pm EDT
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 EntertainmentUbi 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.
