Best chess coach/analysis tool ever – Analyze This Chess Review

Without a doubt, Analyze This Pro is the best chess app I have ever purchased for my iPad. Let me explain why. First and foremost, the developer is extremely responsive. When I had a request for a new feature or two that would make the app more helpful to me, I wrote to him, and he responded very quickly, and agreed that the features were doable and reasonable. So I'm sure it won't be all that long before the version here incorporates them. Now I personally am using this program to help me play through chess games from the books I am reading, to study and improve my own play. It is so cool to be able to play up to a certain point, then play out a variation for a few moves, and just as easily, return to the main line. This is exactly the power of a computer-based analysis tool. That in and of itself would be a strong recommendation, but the true value comes from incorporating the StockFish engine. This means that not only can I play out a line or it's variations on my own, but I can also get the perspective of a fairly strong computer chess engine. It is interesting to read a book where it might say, "If instead, Black plays 14 ... Qd2 15 Nxb5 axb5 wins the exchange for white" to then see StockFish show a variant that has Black coming out even on the exchange. It really enhances my ability to study, when there is a virtual coach available to help me explore the variants more fully. As if that weren't enough goodness, it is really easy to import large numbers of games in PGN format. Where this really shines is that USCF makes all the games from each digital issue of ChessLife available as PGN files on their website, free to download. The practical upshot is, I have the PDF on my iPad, and can load the PGN files in Analyze This Pro, and play along with the magazine. Score! While this won't take the place of a good computer chess game, it isn't meant to. It's job is to be your chess coach, your second. And it does it superbly. I am thrilled with this program, and cannot recommend it as highly as it deserves. Buy it now, it will be money well spent if you are serious about improving your chess!
Review by TDK in WA on Analyze This Chess.