Just as Saitek are trying to win chess retailer’s confidence after years of poor product quality – they make a move that carries a significant question mark – they decide – for reasons best known to themselves to can their best product! Are Saitek trying to confuse us – or is it some genius move in preparation for some master stroke that will propel them from third place of three chess computer suppliers to, second or first? Saitek – the Expert is your only good product with the possible exception of the Maestro albeit with character recognition issues. The other closest product they do to the Expert is the ‘Master’ -but this product accentuates the cheap plastic pieces that appears to be a feature in all their products. Come on Saitek – we know you have other games and that chess is only a small part of your inventory, but chess is in growth mode in many countries and is perfect for handheld computers. Do you want to be subsumed by Excalibur and Novag – or can you aim high?
We have to add that the Expert has it’s imperfections. It’s too easy for the machine to be turned on whilst in transit which drains the batteries, and the pieces have to peeled off a plastic strip like an old airfix kit. But these things can surely be overcome to make a superb product and we wish Saitek would think the same – it’s their best product – and we have to protest – possibly their only decent one.
Buy the Kasparov Expert chess computer