The interaction between computers and chess is a hot topic, and this is a reasonable first guide for those with little knowledge of the subject area. The author's wide ranging discussion touches on everything from how computers "think" to how to play against them or, alternately, how to use them to improve your own chess performance. While the latter would seem to be of greatest interest to most players (and suggested by the book's title), I don't think it gets the lion's share of attention here.

The author is a journalist who also sports an ELO rating over 2200 and a correspondence rating over 2500. As can be expected from a strong correspondence player, he is well versed in the use of computers to assist in opening study and understanding key ideas and themes. The book's back cover blurb that "he has been interested in computer chess ever since he got his first chess computer at the age of eight" is born out by some cogent discussion of the history and current praxis of computer chess programs.

The author does a nice job of providing a broad overview of a lot of computer-related topics. It adopts a sort of  "Genesis" approach by reviewing the history of computer chess, all the way back to the rudimentary programs of old. When reading through these first pages, it is often hard to accept that computer programs now are among the strongest "players" in the world. These first pages are useful for context, although I doubt they will improve anyone's chess.

The early chapters focus on understanding - "getting into the head" of a computer chess program. These chapters cover how a computer chess program "thinks," its blind spots, and strategies for beating the computer. These are accompanied by many examples from play and entire games between human and computer. 

Those whose burning chess desire involves beating a commercial chess software program will find these chapters most useful. There are plenty of practical tips and examples of humans getting the better of the computer beasts to warm the hearts of any non-silicon chess player. While most of the games are, for the computer chess geek, of the "known" variety, there is plenty of useful material here for those with an interest in this topic.  Indeed, these discussions make up slightly more than half the book.

I doubt that the first half of the book will do much to justify the book's title that this can actually improve a player's chess (unless that only applied to improving their chess against computers). Fortunately, the second half of the book is much more practical in this respect and suggests computer use that can be a positive tool in chess development.

The author touches on a variety of important subjects, including use of databases, chess playing software and computer-assisted analysis. In each of these areas, the book provides useful guidance that can help a player understand what to use and how to use it.  That said, this portion of the book is only about forty-pages, although they are mostly densely packed with discussion.

The use of chess databases has revolutionized chess study, and this book spends a solid 20 pages on this subject. The author discusses the use of databases and also his verdict on the value of the two top choices, Chessbase and Chess Assistant. To the author's credit, he does a nice job of discussing pluses and minuses of both, and ultimately he suggests that both have value and may appeal to those with differing values on what is most important in making their decision. As one who has used both, I agree that Chessbase should not be the automatic choice simply because more strong players have decided to use it.

That said, the author's examples of how to use databases all revolve around Chessbase.  The author justifies this because it is the database he uses, but it flies in the face of the evaluation he makes elsewhere. If the reader truly has a reasonable choice between the two, he should have found a way to discuss Chess Assistant mechanics as well as Chessbase.

While this database discussion is important, the author's presentation is very tedious.  The chapter on "Hardware, Software, and Databases" is a weighty 15 pages of long paragraphs with few breaks in between. This is heavy reading that could have used more bullets, headings, and other ways to break up the text. This is the book's key material, and it reads like "War and Peace."

I enjoyed the authors' discussion of computer playing programs, hardware and computer-assisted analysis. These were practical discussions that will assist a player seeking to find the equipment that will best suit their particular needs. The author also suggests various free programs that can be found on the Internet, and many cost conscious (but unaware) players will find this useful.

I also enjoyed the author's insight into computer chess in the future. This is one of those "fascination" topics that will appeal to some but not others. The book closes with some puzzles and solutions from various aspects of the game. This seems out of place to me - a kind of sop thrown to those who want more actual chess in a chess book.

In conclusion, this is a niche book that will appeal to certain audiences. Those who are fascinated by play against computers will value it the most. The examples from play, however, are generally well known, so it will likely benefit most those who are new to this discussion. While there is a fair amount of explanation about how to use computers to improve overall play, it is probably not enough to justify the book's title. In the end, the book is interesting but not compelling.

Click to see Donaldson's and Watson's reviews of this book.