MacChess

Dedicated to chess on Mac

Information for Chess players, Chess programmers and Apple users

Updated on : 04/01/2022
Version 1.58
En français

Overview chess programs

The following table gives more detail on different chess programs.

Name Elo License Source OS 9 / Classic OS X Xboard / UCI Remark
Kasparov Chessmate >2500 € 45 - Yes / - Yes - Ruffian engine
review
Chessmaster 9000 >2500 € 40 - - Yes - Engine The King 3.23
review
no longer available
j2chess 1700 Free - - Yes -
Apple Chess ? Free Yes Yes / Yes - - GNU based, with Exachess.
Chessmate 6.3.5 ? ? - - - - -
ChessKing 1.0 ? ? - - - - -
RChess 2.2.2 ? Free - - - - -
Apple chess 2.0 ? Prop Yes - - ? Sjeng engine 11.2
Screamer ? Free - with Exachess.
Chessmaster 3000/4000/6000 ? n.a. - - - - no longer available
Vanessa chess ? Free - Yes / - - - No longer available
Vektor 3.2.1 ? € 10 - ? ? - No longer available
Freeverse deluxe ? ? - - - No longer available
Scorpio ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Elo: Guessed elo value.

Overview of terminal based chess programs

The programs in this table run on the terminal and can be used as plug-ins in programs that support the UCI or Xboard (CECP/Winboard) chess interface.

Name Elo License Source OS 9 / Classic / X / X11 Xboard / UCI Remark
Stockfish 14.1 3700 Free Yes X U
Dragon 2.6 3500 € 99 - X U
Hiarcs 11.1 2900 - - Classic, X - review
Deep Shredder 2800 € 99 - Classic, X - review
Komodo 12.1.1 2750 Free - X U
Shredder >2700 Free - Classic, X - review
Hiarcs 9.60 >2700 € 25 - Classic, X U review
Fruit >2500 Free Yes X ?/U -
Ruffian >2500 n.a. - X X -
Crafty 19.17 SMP >2400 Free Yes X X  
Crafty 19.13 >2400 Free Yes X X -
Gothmog 1.0 >2200 Prop - X X/U -
GNUChess 5.0.7 2200 GPL2 Yes X X -
GNUChess 4.0b5 2000 GPL1 Yes 9, Classic, X X -
Belofte 1200 GPL2 yes X X/U From the site owner
Hiarcs 7.0.1 ? n.a. - - -
Hiarcs 6 ? n.a. - - - -
MacChess ? Free Yes 9, Classic, X - GNU based, with Exachess.
Glaurung ? Free Yes Classic, X X/U -
Sjeng ? GPL2 Yes X X Included in Mac Chess 2.0
Phalanx XXII ? Free Yes X X -
Pepito ? ? Yes X X
Gothmog 0.3.0 ? Free - X X
MSCP (Marcel's) ? Free Yes X X -
Beowulf ? ? - X -
ZZZZZZ ? Free - X -

Suites

The following table gives more detail on different helper programs to be used for different use-cases.

Name Type License Source OS 9 / Classic OS X / X11 Xboard / UCI Remark
XBoard 4.2.7 Suite GPL2 Yes - X11/X X
Jose Suite Free - Yes X/U see review
Sigma chess pro 6.0.3 Suite € 15 Yes/Yes Yes - -
see review
Sigma chess lite 6.0.3 Suite Free Yes/Yes Yes U UCI engines can plug in
see review
Exachess pro 3.2.1 Suite € 100 - Yes - Exachess engines can plug in
Exachess lite 3.0.1 Suite Free - Yes - Exachess engines can plug in
Scid Suite Free Yes - Yes X/U
Fixation 2.1.1 UI Free Yes/Yes - - No longer available
FixationC 2.1.1 UI Free - Yes - No longer available
Jin 2.12 UI Free - Yes - Internet
ChessWorks UI ? - Internet
Chess browser UI € 10 - - Yes - DB
Project Gridlock UI Free Yes Server available

License: GNU open source (GPL1, GPL2), BSD open source (BSD), Propriatry open source (Prop), Undefined free (Free). Commercial price as purchased in Belgium, ...

Terminal: Application only available from a command line script.

XBoard/UCI.: Application is xboard or uci compatible and can be used as a plug-in engine for either XBoard or Sigmachess.


Other solutions

Special chess requiements:

Please have a look at the specials page.

Through emulation:

I tried about 10 different chess programmes for PC throught the use of Virtual PC and Parallels desktop. Other emulators include VMWare Fusion, Real PC, Bochs, ... All programmes should normally work correctly.

I want to hear your reports if somethings fails.

Older programs, still looking for details.

BattleChess Enhanced:(C-$30)
Checkmate:(C-$15)
Chess II:(C)
ChessMates:(C-$40)
Chess Wars:(C-$40)
Classic 5:(C-$30)
Dr Schiller's Chess Game:(C-$15)
Game Parlor:(C-$25)
GrandMaster Chess:(C)
Psion Chess (v1.6):(C)
Sargon V:(C-$25)
USCF Chess:(C)
Chess++:(S)
ChessKing (v00.80b):(S-$40)
ChessMate (v6.3.5):(S-$24)
ChessPro (v1.00):(S-$30)
Kibitz (v3.0):(S-Free)
RChess (v2.01):(S-Free)