DAVIDSON & ASSOCIATES, INC. AND SIMON & SCHUSTER TOP THE GAME OF KINGS WITH
EXTREME CHESS

CROWNED THE 1995 WORLD COMPUTER CHESS CHAMPION, THE REVOLUTIONARY CHESS
ENGINE IN THIS CD-ROM PROVIDES SERIOUS CHESS PLAYERS BRUTE STRENGTH, RAW
SPEED AND A MASSIVE GAMES DATABASE

LOS ANGELES, MAY 16, 1996 -- Now, avid chess players can test their skills
against one of the world's most powerful chess programs, Extreme Chess,
new chess CD-ROM software of grandmaster caliber, announced Davidson &
Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: DAVD) and Simon & Schuster, Inc. (American: VIA)
at the E3 trade show beginning today.

Based on the internationally renowned chess engine Fritz, the reigning
World Computer Chess Champion, Extreme Chess's powerful chess engine has
defeated No. 1 ranked grandmaster Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue. In
fact, Kasparov uses it as one of his primary training partners.

Endorsed by the Professional Chess Association, Extreme Chess is designed
to help intermediate and advanced players boost their chess skills to a
whole new level. Extreme Chess includes many features previously only
found in high-priced, specialty chess software: state-of-the-art,
artificial intelligence chess technology, a massive database of millions
of moves, unparalleled analysis capability, a library of 10,000 classic
games, and customizable 2-D and 3-D chessboards. Additionally, users can
play and analyze chess game files downloaded from the Internet.

Says Peter Yunich, president of Simon & Schuster Interactive, "Extreme
Chess provides serious chess players with the qualities they look for in a
computer chess training program: speed, strength, full on-line analysis
and a massive games database.

Now, with one of the world's most powerful chess engines, intermediate and
advanced chess players can bring their game to the next level."

Adds Jan Davidson, president and founder of Davidson & Associates, Inc.,
"Extreme Chess offers personalized coaching and thorough game analysis to
help players fine tune their chess game. This CD-ROM offers players a high
level of customization ... players can tailor their training to work on
specific aspects of their game. In addition, the ability to play and
analyze games downloaded from the Internet provides new challenges and
unlimited competition."

Extreme Chess is expected to be available at most major computer retail
stores and mass merchants in Windows" 3.1 (Windows 95 compatible) CD-ROM
format during the 1996 holiday season for approximately $60.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: BRUTE STRENGTH, RAW SPEED AND A MASSIVE DATABASE

Extreme Chess is a computer chess playing and training program -- complete
with personalized coaching, full on-line analysis and a massive database
-- designed to improve game skills and board visualization. Extreme's
highly advanced chess engine (a software module that actually calculates
moves) is one of the most popular training tools for the best players in
the world, and has defeated many top-ranked grandmasters.

Players can customize their training with a variety of options. They can
train against the computer or a live opponent; adjust their computer
opponent's playing strength; select multiple skill levels; select game
simulation options (blitz, tournament and handicap); and alter attributes
of chessboards. In addition, Extreme Chess will automatically readjust the
playing field for any screen size and graphic resolution. The program
features optional coaching: warnings and graphical hints about pitfalls
and mistakes a player is making. The player can then take back the move,
start a new variation, or ignore the coach and complete the move.

The chess coach fully analyzes each game and offers players personalized
advice as they play, as well as annotation and analysis of key positions
in plain English or traditional chess commentary symbols. The program also
provides a real-time game evaluation profile, which is displayed as a bar
graph, to graphically indicate progress.

The CD-ROM incorporates an extensive games database and versatile search
engine for players to reference the moves and games of the world's top
players. Players can analyze and replay millions of moves and 10,000
classic games. Specific games can be effortlessly located by using search
criteria such as player name, tournament, year, annotator, ranking and
individual moves.

PRODUCT FEATURES

Extreme Chess boasts many features and benefits, including:

 State-of-the-art, artificial intelligence chess technology

 A massive database of millions of moves and 10,000 classic
 games to reference

 Ability to customize opponent's play with human qualities such
 as playing strength, sensitivity and aggressiveness

 Ability to customize perspective, lighting, board size and
 shadows on a 3-D virtual reality chessboard

 Ability to analyze or re-play games downloaded from the Internet

 Easy-to-use game controls such as customizable play level,
 tournament clock and extensive hints

 Game ratings and estimated ELO ratings

 English language commentary and graphical coaching analysis

FRITZ

Extreme Chess will include modified versions of both chess engines --
Fritz3.0 and Fritz4.01. Fritz3.0, which was crowned the 1995 World
Computer Chess Champion in Hong Kong, was developed by the Hamburg,
Germany-based software developer and publisher ChessBase. The software has
defeated many well-known grandmasters, including Garry Kasparov,
Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Boris Gelfand and Nigel Short, as
well as IBM's Deep Blue.

A new version of this champion software, Fritz4.01, was released in
December 1995. Fritz4.01 is estimated to be approximately 50 ELO points
stronger than Fritz3.

Davidson & Associates, Inc. is a leading publisher and distributor of
multimedia educational and entertainment software for both the home and
school markets. The company is internationally renowned for its
award-winning Math Blaster series, which has sold over 4 million copies;
other best-selling education and entertainment titles; and multimedia
software and technology from divisions including Blizzard Entertainment,
Maverick Software, FUNNYBONE Interactive, First Byte and Learningways.
Based in Torrance, Calif., Davidson & Associates was founded in 1982 by
Dr. Jan Davidson.

Simon & Schuster Interactive is the consumer software publishing unit of
the Simon & Schuster Consumer Group. The division enters its second year
with 22 CD-ROMs in the market. Simon & Schuster is the world's largest
educational, computer book and English language book publisher, with
imprints including Simon & Schuster, Macmillan Publishing USA, Simon &
Schuster Interactive, The Free Press, Prentice Hall, Silver Burdett Ginn,
Allyn and Bacon, Computer Curriculum Corporation and Educational
Management Group. Simon & Schuster is the publishing operation of Viacom,
Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and publishing companies
and a leading force in nearly every segment of the international media
marketplace.
 
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