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| News From the Dragon's Lair |
May 2008 |
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Graduation Day!
DreamQuest Software congratulates graduates everywhere for their accomplishments – earned from diligence and perseverance.
Pride. Destiny. Relief. Graduation day arrives with the sweetest sensations. Whether it's yours or a loved one's, make graduation day memorable. Treat your graduate (or even your inner graduate) to something special.
You can start with a game from DreamQuest Software. Pick a favorite game, order and play today! If it's Chess or Checkers you want, this month's special is especially for you. Read on... |
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In This Issue:
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DO YOU KNOW?
Traditionally, Mahjongg is a game for two or more players. Do you know what the name "Mahjongg" means in Chinese?
- Yarrow
After the divination method in the I Ching.
- Sparrows
The sound of tiles being discarded during brisk gameplay.
- Hands Wave in Clouds
A popular move to win the game.
- Crouching Dragon
A famous tile thought to bring good luck.
Please send your answer and your snail mail address to contest@dqsoft.com before June 20th.
Three winners will be selected at random to receive a free set of DreamQuest playing cards. |
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Graduation Giveaway
FREE Championship Checkers All-Stars game
with every Championship Chess All-Stars purchase,
any time you order between now and June 30th! |
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Chess and Checkers...
Classic board games that go hand-in-hand.
Spend your wits on complex Chess strategies, then turn to the deceptively simple challenge of Checkers - perfect for passing time between between classes or wherever you are. |
- Endless Excitement: Choose from scores of customizable game options, rules and game variations
- Extra Fun Gameplay: 24 colorful All-Star virtual opponents
- Challenge: Five levels of difficulty
- Improve your game: in-game help and tutorials, personal DreamCoach(TM) advice
- Enjoy cutting edge game design: High definition graphics - Windows Vista ready
- Relax and Enjoy!
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You're Invited! Visit Questie's Latest Digs at www.DQSoft.com!
A New Look for the DreamQuest Software Website |
The DreamQuest Software team has been hard at work behind the scenes to create a fresh look for our website. In addition to beautiful, eye-popping graphics, we have streamlined site for ease-of-use and quick loading.New visitors and loyal customers alike will find it that much easier to find and order the games they want. And, as always, find exclusive specials and great values only at the DreamQuest Software website. Visit http://www.dqsoft.com and take a look around. We know you'll appreciate the changes.
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DreamQuest Software Games in Airport Kiosks
International Travelers Play
Championship Hearts and Chess at DIA
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DreamQuest Software proudly announces the installation of two popular game titles in entertainment kiosks at Denver International Airport.
Championship Hearts All-Stars and Championship Chess All-Stars will be available on 64 Internet and gaming kiosks throughout the airport, making summer 2008 one of the best times to travel ever!
"This is a great opportunity for traveling casual gamers to escape into our games," says Christopher Williamson, CEO and founder of DreamQuest Software. "Our titles are sold worldwide – any place people access the internet. They have universal appeal. This new venue is a great fit for us and we expect good things from it." |
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Questie's Corner
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Game mascot Questie shares aspects of our games with you to help make your DreamQuest Software experience more enjoyable. |
Mahjongg Magic
Championship Mahjongg Solitaire for Windows is one of DreamQuest Software's most unusual games. Not a card game,nor a board game in the same sense as Chess or Checkers, Mahjongg is an ancient Chinese game played with a set 144 of tiles. The goal of Mahjongg Solitaire, a more recent variation of the traditional game, is to match pairs of tiles to eliminate them from the board. You are scored by the number of matches made against the playing time. Solitaire, puzzle, and memory game enthusiasts will discover hours of endless entertainment in Championship Mahjongg Solitaire.
Championship Mahjongg Solitaire for Windows is has some special features you won't find in any other DreamQuest Software game. Like a lot of our games, there are multiple variations and the opportunity to customize your game experience. Here are some of Questie's favorite special options:
Window Size: Right from the opening screen you have the chance to set your preferred game window size. Questie usually picks "Full Screen" for an impressive Mahjongg experience (unless he has other games running at the same time - as he often does).
Click "New Game" to see your next set of options:
Game: Your first option is to select which variation of Mahjongg Solitaire you want to play. Questie's favorite is still the Solitaire game (Image A). You might start there, or try out Memory Match, Zig Zag, or Flip Flop. If you have a friend near by (or even multiple personalities) you can play our special version of two-player Mahjongg Solitaire!
Tile and Background: Scroll these windows to choose from among 20 tile sets (Image B) and 52 background presets. You can create and load your own backgrounds as well. Pick a favorite photo or your lucky charm. Make your background image 480 x 640 pixels (.jpg, .gif, .png or .bmp files).
Game Layout: Start with the classic Mahjongg tile layout ("The Turtle") then select from among more than a hundred alternative layouts. The best part about Championship Mahjongg Solitaire is the freedom to create and play your own unique tile layout. Click the "Design Layout" (Image C) button and click the screen to place tiles and drag them into position. Express yourself!
Other Options: Click the "?" button in the screen's upper corner for in-game Help. Select in-game music from your "New Game" screen. Set music volume by clicking the musical note button at the bottom of the screen. Once you begin your game, set the volume of game sounds by clicking the wave-form button next to the music volume button. |
Championship Mahjongg Solitaire
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Chess Top 5 |
Buy Championship Chess All-Stars, get Checkers FREE! |
The following tips are excerpted from Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier's article "Play Chess - Tips for Winning Chess Strategy".
TIP 1: Look at your opponent's move.
Every time your opponent makes a move, you should stop and think: Why was that move chosen? Is a piece in danger? Are there any other threats I should watch out for? What sort of plan does my opponent have in mind? Only by defending against your opponent's threats will you be able to successfully carry out your own strategies. Once you figure out what your opponent is attempting to do, you can play to nip those plans in the bud.
TIP 2: Make the best possible move.
When you're considering a move, ask yourself these questions:
a. Will the piece I'm moving go to a better square than the one it's on now?
b. Can I improve my position even more by increasing the effectiveness of a different piece?
c. Does this move help to defend against my opponent's threats?
d. Will the piece I move be safe on its new square?
- i. If it's a Pawn, consider: Can I keep it protected from attack?
- ii. If it's another piece, consider: Can the enemy drive it away, thus making me lose valuable time?
Even if your intended move has good points, it may not be the best move at that moment. Emanuel Lasker, a former world champion, said: "When you see a good move, wait - look for a better one!" Following this advice is bound to improve your chess.
TIP 3: Have a plan.
If you threaten something here in one move, something over there in the next move, and so forth, your opponent will have an easy time defending. Your pieces have to work together to be effective. Just imagine each instrument in an orchestra playing a different tune! When you develop a plan, your men can work in harmony. For example, you might plan to attack your opponent's King; one piece alone probably wouldn't be able to do much, but the combined strength of several pieces makes a powerful attacking force. Another plan could be taking control of all the squares in a particular area of the board. The chess men are your "team"; to be a good "coach," you have to use all of their strengths together.
TIP 4: Know what the pieces are worth.
When you are considering giving up some of your pieces for some of your opponent's, you should think about the values of the men, and not just how many each player possesses. The player whose men add up to a greater value will usually have the advantage. So a crucial step in making decisions is to add up the material, or value, of each player's men. The Pawn is the least valuable piece, so it is a convenient unit of measure. It moves slowly, and can never go backward. Knights and Bishops are approximately equal, worth about three Pawns each. The Knight is the only piece that can jump over other men. The Bishops are speedier, but each one can reach only half the squares. A Rook moves quickly and can reach every square; its value is five Pawns. A combination of two minor pieces (Knights and Bishops) can often subdue a Rook. A Queen is worth nine Pawns, almost as much as two Rooks. It can move to the greatest number of squares in most positions. The King can be a valuable fighter too, but we do not evaluate its strength because it cannot be traded.
TIP 5: Develop quickly and well.
Time is a very important element of chess. The player whose men are ready for action sooner will be able to control the course of the game. If you want to be that player, you have to develop your men efficiently to powerful posts. Many inexperienced players like to move a lot of Pawns at the beginning of the game to control space on the chessboard. But you can't win with Pawns alone! Since Knights, Bishops, Rooks, and Queens can move farther than Pawns and threaten more distant targets, it's a good idea to bring them out soon, after you've moved enough Pawns to guarantee that your stronger pieces won't be chased back by your opponent's Pawns. After all the other pieces are developed, it's easier to see what Pawns you should move to fit in with your plans. It's tempting to bring the Queen out very early, because it's the most powerful piece. But your opponent can chase your Queen back by threatening it with less valuable pieces... Instead of just moving pieces out, try to determine the best square for each piece and bring it there in as few moves as possible. This may save you from wasting moves later in the game. |
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