A question you will be confronted with almost immediately is how helpful is it to play with a computer. The question of whether to play nonhuman opponents is a thing of the past; it's really just a question of how much helps you and at what point you're better off finding a real opponent.

This second question is an increasingly important one as the ability to find players online has become easier and easier over the years. There is no question that there is a value in such a rational game to playing with a reliably rational opponent, which is exactly what a computer is. At the same time, all that logic will only help you develop the rote side of your play; competing against a calculating machine will not help very much in terms of developing a style and learning how to read and respond to your human opponents.

The best first step to take is to use the computer when you are practicing elements you have memorized or are trying to master some aspect of the game that is less complex. Then, when you are trying to play a full-fledged game, even if you cannot get out to a place where people are playing face-to-face, you can easily go online and find someone who will swap a few pawns with you.

Meanwhile, post in the comments section below to let us know if that approach is working for you or if you are unsure whether you need to seek out human competition.

Here are three links to get you started:

Best chess software: According to chess.com, Lucas Chess is a good choice, while the freeware review website Gizmo's Freeware recommends the Crafty Chess Interface for beginners. (These are not links to the downloads but links to the pages where the download links are.)

And speaking of chess.com, it's a wonderful place to develop your skills and learn a lot. Many of the features there are free, there are lots of folks to play chess with, and the subscription rates are within the reach of a lot of people with some kind of income.