Video game:Sierra's Complete Chess

Chess is an ancient two-player game which evolved in England during the 15th century, based on an earlier Indian game called Shatranj. A complex strategy and tactics game, it is still one of the most popular worldwide. Chess is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee and is played at home, in clubs, by correspondence, and in tournaments.

The version of chess we play today played very nearly the same way in England during the Renaissance. At first it was known as a game for nobles, and it was also used, in literature, as a metaphor for moral behavior. Different classes of people were associated with different chess pieces, and proper behavior derived from aspects of a piece's movement and even its design. For example, a knight on a noble steed ought to behave as befits his station. Chess soon entered into the popular culture of the middle ages, appearing in literature, song, and art. During the Age of Enlightenment, chess was viewed as a way to self-improvement.

Chess is taught to children in schools around the world today and used in armies to train minds of cadets and officers. Many schools hold chess clubs and there are scholastic tournaments specifically for children. In addition, many countries have chess organizations that hold tournaments regularly, such as the United States Chess Federation and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation.

Chess itself continues to evolve. Within written history each generation refined the game, using ever more complicated strategies to win. And since the 1950s, scientists and computer programmers have designed chess playing programs, with increasing levels of accuracy and success. These, in turn, have influenced the play of the game in contemporary times. And chess still appears as a part of contemporary culture, in literature and movies, and in art and music as well.

Warren Buckleitner, the editor of "The Children's Technology Review" and a doctor of educational psychology, has donated a representative sample of this diverse and still-growing medium. His extensive collection, which includes educational software of all subjects and for all ages, is an excellent example of the merging of work and play, and will encourage us all to remember that "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."