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REBEL 11.0 review

by Tim Frohlick

Introduction

First, a word about myself.

I was in the United States Air Force as a biomedical science officer at Andrews Air Force Base back in 1980 when my lust for computer chess burgeoned. One of my first computers was Boris the Talking Chess Computer--a relatively primitive and weak player with an ELO rating of 1000 on a good day. As my skills grew, I progressed up the line and one day bought a Mephisto Mondial computer that at last gave me a good game of chess. I believe that the program was written by some Dutchman by the name of Schroder. I was in Nirvana.

Finally, we all got PC computers that were much stronger than those old stand-alone units. One of my first programs was the Genius 2.0 program by Richard Lang back in 1993,again a Mephisto product. That was one heck of a program and even on my old 80486 66Mhz machine it beat me mercilessly.

Time marched on and then there was Rebel 7 and 8 and 9 and 10 and now in all its' glory Rebel 11.


Rebel 11.0

Rebel 11 represents the culmination of talents of two fine and smart chess programmer/businessmen. Ed Schroder, that ubiquitous Dutchman and Christophe Theron, the reclusive French genius pooled their great talents to give us the best collection of programs/chessdatabases in the world.

I can only say that the Rebel 11 CD is the best bargain in computer chess at the moment.

It contains enormous game databases that would keep the average man busy for over 200 years and five chess programs that are near or at the grandmaster level. My favorite is Gambit Tiger 1.0 for its' most entertaining and swashbuckling style. I use it in chess analysis and for friendly 20 minute games. I actually enjoy being beaten by this animal. Of course, the piece de resistance is Rebel Century 3.0 and its ease of operation. The 800,000 game encyclopedia of chess gives me the opportunity to view 150 years of the best chess games and to analyze at any point in the games a continuation that might have been better.

This Rebel 11 CD is a must-have chess tool that will benefit players up to and including grandmasters. It may be the only chess computer program that you will ever need....until Rebel 12 and 13 and 14 and........

Tim Frohlick