Chess Titans It’s not just chess—it’s computer-generated chess on a gorgeously rendered board with a set of realistic 3-D pieces. You can rotate the board in space, as described in Figure 7-15. Figure 7-15: How did this chess board get rotated like this? On Aero-capable PCs, you can right-click a corner of the board and rotate it in 3-D space to study your situation from a different angle. (It snaps back to its original angle when you let go—unless, of course, you choose GameÆOptions and turn off “Rotate board back after free view.”) Cool!
When you launch Chess, you’re asked what difficulty level you want. Then you’re offered a fresh, new game that’s set up in Human vs. Computer mode—meaning that you (the human, with the light-colored pieces) get to play against the computer (your PC, on the dark side). Drag the chess piece of your choice into position on the board, and the game is afoot. If you’d rather trade piece colors with the PC, no biggie. Choose GameÆOptions and select “Play against computer as black.” Tip: Click a piece without dragging to see where it’s allowed to move, courtesy of light-up chessboard squares.
If you and a buddy are looking for something to do, you can play against each other. Choose GameÆ“New game against human,” and enjoy the way Windows rotates the chessboard after each person’s turn.
FreeCell You might think of this card game as solitaire on steroids. When you choose GameÆNew Game, the computer deals eight piles of cards before you. The goal is to sort them into four piles of cards—one suit each and sequentially from ace to king—in the spaces (the “home stacks”) at the upper-right corner of the screen. (To move a card, click it once and then click where you want it moved to. You’re allowed