Producer: CP Software, 48K
£5.95

Oddly enough, considering how many chess, reversi and card games versions, there are, there is really only this Draughts program. Perhaps the game is too simple to excite programmers' attention, which would be a mistake, since Draughts is quite hard to play well. There are ten levels of play against the computer. Illegal moves refused and you are forced to take pieces by jumping if there is the option. Pieces reaching the back file opposite are automatically made into kings. Good value for money and one of the more absorbing board games.

Producer: CP Software, 48K
£5.95

Oddly enough, considering how many chess, reversi and card games versions, there are, there is really only this Draughts program. Perhaps the game is too simple to excite programmers' attention, which would be a mistake, since Draughts is quite hard to play well. There are ten levels of play against the computer. Illegal moves refused and you are forced to take pieces by jumping if there is the option. Pieces reaching the back file opposite are automatically made into kings. Good value for money and one of the more absorbing board games.

Memory: 48K
Price: £5.95

The CP Software ZX Draughts program offers to play you at 10 levels of difficulty. Pride, however, precedes a fall and the player who opts for the highest level will find the computer looking 10 moves ahead, with a response time of about 13 minutes for every move.

It is a game designed for the Karpovs of the draughts world. A less than mediocre player selecting the lowest grade of play was soundly beaten. The higher levels play with a degree of skill which amazed us. The cover material warns you not to be fooled by the "easy games at level 0." The level of skill the programmers clearly expect from the player is very high and we did not find the games at all easy.

The board is laid out clearly using colours designed to be equally visible on colour and monochrome television sets, and moves are made using a co-ordinate system-i.e., 1-8 and a-h - which is used commonly in chess. The program is easy to use with excellent instructions, a rare factor in modern games programs.

ZX Draughts should have been called 'Anthill' - it has more bugs in it than a termites nest! I hope this isn't their production model. I managed to load it with little trouble and a chess board appeared on the screen.

Moves are made by simple co-ordinates (a4-b5) as with a lot of chess games. This is where the trouble started, most of my legitimate moves were greeted with "move impossible". I fiddled about for ages and made a few moves and when I took one of the computer's pieces it took my piece off the board. The darned thing cheats as well!!!

CP Software is at 17 Oreland Lane, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Bucks.