After playing with all these options, I did finally play a quick game, and again, I lost within five minutes. At least I'm consistent.

Conclusion
So, which is better? It really depends on your expectations. Both do an excellent job of fulfilling their primary purpose, which is to provide a challenging chess game. But both go about achieving that in very unique ways. PocketChess Deluxe gives the user many more options on how the game is presented. Chess Genius has stronger playing options. PocketChess Deluxe does a great job of tracking your games and keeping them organized. Chess Genius has a very good tutor feature.

I can see how the strongest players would be drawn toward Chess Genius because of the stronger play. Less experienced players should not be chased away by that, however, because after a few games with the tutor, I was able to defeat Chess Genius routinely at the lower skill levels.

For tournament players and others who are interested in keeping a record of their games and in replaying games to refine their strategy, PocketChess Deluxe may be a better way to go. Your best bet is to download them both and try them. Both programs allow limited play for free, and both programs are priced at $25.00.

In closing, I'd like to thank Richard A. Fowell for his help with the history of each program.

Michael Compeau is a Contributing Editor for PalmPower Magazine as well as the VP of Business Development and Planning for Cutting Edge Software (at http://www.cesinc.com), a subsidiary of Mobility Electronics.