I had Sargon 4 as kid, I wonder how that one stacks up.

-One point could be experiment different engines. Some of the old Chess games use to have a more modern and better engine version usable in new computers, but not always it is the case. And every engine plays different.

-Appeal to some GUIs over others. Aesthetic preferences. Usability...

-Or maybe it can be a game used in a less powerfull laptop where you have other oldes and DOS games.

-There is also the collection hobby, specially for chess fans.

Anyway I understand what you mean, with the powerful enough computer, choose Chessmaster 9000 over Chessmaster 10th could be a nonsense, but the reasons to play supposed obsolete things are wider than we can imagine.

This are 3 strategic tabletop games but only one is chess (Grandmaster Chess).
Theatre of War ist a RTS game on a chess grid field and King's Table - The Legend of Ragnarok is a ancient nordic game named Hnefatafl (nef·ah·tah·fel) https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2932/hnefatafl.

This are 3 completly unique games.

While I'm not sure what the Grandmaster Chess has to offer over the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockfish_(chess)]Stockfish[/url]
chess engine and sticking that in GnuChess, but the other two releases get an affirming nod from my hand.

Hey, you can be a King, a Queen, a Pawn and some other classes are available too, each with different skills! Oh, and you have a party of 16 characters, thats impressive! So isn`t that RPG enuff? :-)

Thanks GOG. And I join to the comments requesting to bring Chessmaster (any of 8000, 9000, Grandmaster Edition)!!

Only one of the classes can level up, though. Obviously they rushed the game out before it was done.

Pssh, I already got the best classic chess game of them all: Battle Chess! ;) ... All kidding aside, I actually wouldn't mind trying another classic chess game. Theater of War looks weird though. *shrug*
Neat. Never played it so I'm definitely curious enough to give this video game iteration a try. :) I vaguely recall it being featured in some gaming rag back in the day. I don't think I've ever seen another one like it since. Yeah, it's a shame that one isn't sold anymore. Ebay is pretty much the only place one can find a legal copy. I wonder if it can be played without discs.

The Hnefatafl "simulator" could be interesting. I was lucky enough to buy it, when it was still available. In chess, you play the role of kings battling over the realm, so chess fits the R(ole)P(laying)G(ame) criteria. ;)

I want to get a chess game or two but since I got chess com app on my phone where I can play with people anytime I want I don't know if old game is necessary. I usually not really into online multiplayer but this is chess, it's more fun with human opponent.

I always wondered what the reason was that Chessmaster 9000 was delisted. Anyone know?

Yeah, sometimes the budget for indie games isn`t enuff! :-)

As far as I recall, it was a simple matter of Ubi losing the license to the Chessmaster branding.

That said, I just tested 9000's compatibility, and it's a glitchy mess in Win 10.

Necessary = no
Nice option to have = yes
;)

And yeah, you're right...human interaction will always be more fun than a bot, I don't believe AI will ever be able to simulate a randomness to 100%. That's where the magic is. :)

After a life-threatening stunt (climbing a very old, shaky chair to get to a disc box on a tall cupboard) this morning... i found the two ragnarok floppy disks ... first i grinned, but the evil laugh froze very quickly; my stupid younger me had thrown away at some point the box and the manual etc.
Well: this is just one of a number of occasions when i would like to have a tough word with my former me. ;-)
At least: my civilization 1 discs are still there & i kept the manual (of course: not the box...) for the first pc game of my life. :-)