WHEN the world chess champion Garry Kasparov lost a six-game match to I.B.M.'s Deep Blue computer last year, it was not the first time he had been bested by a silicon-powered opponent. Three years earlier, he had been knocked out of an elimination tournament by Genius 2, a software program that ran on an ordinary PC and was widely available in computer stores.

Since then, computer chess programs have continued to improve. Best of all, they now give something back to their human opponents by teaching them to become better players. Many new programs can and will tell you what you are doing wrong in a match, even as they beat you into submission. But there are drawbacks. No on-screen game board, no matter how well rendered, is as easy to follow as a real board with real pieces. And unlike a human opponent, a computer is never going to have an off day -- that is, unless you instruct it to play worse (a feature found on some of these programs). Beating a program you have dumbed down does not provide the same level of satisfaction as beating your nemesis at the club, but it can get you in shape for a big match.

The best place to look for chess programs is on CD-ROM's. While electronic chess games are widely available, CD-ROM's take advantage of the multimedia features your personal computer already has. They are also easy to upgrade and, at prices often under $100, they are cheaper than either the electronic games or weekly sessions with the local chess master.

Slow-Paced Primer for Children


(Interplay; $29.95; Windows 95 and 3.1, Macintosh System 7 and later.)

IF THE trash-talking approach of Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess is a bit intimidating for the young chess player in your family, you might be tempted to consider Chess Mates. While the label says it is aimed at ages 9 and up, it is more appropriate for children younger than that. But for any chess player, Chess Mates has a few problems.

The program uses a wizard called Wigby, a magic wand called Wanda and a flying carpet called Rugby to teach people how to play. Initially the characters seem clever, but after a couple of hours, they wear a little thin.

Chess Mates gives a short history of the game and then meticulously, almost painstakingly, explains each piece and how it moves. Each piece is animated and has a distinctive personality. When one is captured, the square on which it sits opens up and it falls through with a look of surprise on its face.

The program then explains, with examples, the basic tactics of chess: forks, pins, skewers, removing the guard, discovery, double check and checkmate. The explanations are good, but the pace is slow because of all the multimedia fanfare. As with Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess, there are not nearly enough examples given for each tactic.

At any time, you can stop the lessons and play a game against the program. But here the software really falls flat. While there are a number of playing levels, the relative strength of each is not explained. And none are especially challenging for anyone beyond an advanced-beginner level. Because you cannot switch sides, you can play only the white (or as the program calls them, gray) pieces and not the black (or red). Since white always goes first and therefore is naturally on the offensive, someone learning chess with this program would not get the opportunity to learn what it is like to be on the defensive from the start of the game.

Other shortcomings include the lack of a glossary (chess is full of colorful terms that are helpful to know, particularly if you ever wander into a club or pick up a chess book), or Help feature, and the manual does not tell you much about the program that you cannot figure out on your own. Its most useful feature seems to be a few pages that your child can color in should he or she get bored with the program.

Unless you simply want a primer on the game, Chess Mates is probably not the partner for you.

High-Spirited Instruction From a Master


(Simon & Schuster/Davidson & Associates; about $30; Windows 95 and 3.1.)

MAURICE ASHLEY is an international master and coach of the Raging Rooks and Dark Knights, two Harlem-based school teams that have won national scholastic chess championships. Mr. Ashley's enthusiasm for chess and for teaching have also made him a popular commentator at world championship matches. That same spirit comes through here.

The package cover says that Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess is for beginners and intermediate players. It is probably best suited for teaching young adults because of its many sports metaphors and colorful descriptions. The knight, for example, is said to move with ''ninja-like invisibility.'' The bishop is likened to a laser beam ''slicing and dicing'' its way across the chessboard. Promoting a pawn to another piece (when it reaches the last rank) is called a ''touchdown,'' and removing the king from check is ''avoiding the sack.''

Beyond the basics, the course offers some strategic overviews -- when, for example, you should exchange pieces and which squares are the most important -- and a series of challenges. There are not enough exercises, however, so it does not take long to cycle through the 8 to 10 problems for each theme. When you have finished the lessons and want to test your newfound skills, you can challenge the program to a game. You can play either white or black, play quickly or slowly and change the board and pieces. (But the 3-D boards are too complicated to be read easily.) While the program is not so versatile or strong as others that are primarily designed to be an opponent, it is not a bad opponent.