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Cyrus II arrives on the Spectrum, with a good reputation from its performance on other micros and with the recent release of Psi Chess and Colossus 4 Chess, Spectrum owners are being spoilt for choice.

There will obviously be a lot of debate on which is the strongest program available and Alligata have thrown down the gauntlet with a statement from their managing director included on the inlay which says, "I am confident this game will beat all existing Sinclair Spectrum chess programs published."

No doubt the makers of Colossus 4 Chess will dispute this. Making a comparative assessment of the two programs with any degree of accuracy by playing them off against each other requires an awful lot of time - too much to fall within the parameters of this review. I'm sure both software houses will be letting us know the results soon enough.

Leaving aside the issue of which program can beat the rest, it has to be said the Cyrus II is a very strong player and there are all the features included which single it out as an excellent opponent.

There are no 3-D graphics (the Mark 2 version for the 128 will have them) but the screen display is very bright and clear. There are nine standard levels of play with thinking time ranging from two seconds to three and a half minutes. In addition there is an adaptable mode (Cyrus adapts to your response time), infinite mode (Cyrus will wait until you decide he can move) and a problem mode (Cyrus will search for a checkmate in five moves or less).

Other features include replaying the game, taking back moves, playing both sides, changing sides, hints from Cyrus and demonstration games. There is also a simple print-out facility, if you want to record game situation for posterity.

One big advantage with Cyrus II is that accessing different modes is very simple with most commands being made with a single key entry.

Making the moves is also very straightforward by use of cursor keys (there is no joystick option). Simply move the cursor key to your chosen piece, hit ENTER, then move a second flashing cursor to your chosen square. Hit enter again and the move is made.

This program is a very welcome addition to the Spectrum chess scene, and is recommended highly, the drawback however is the price. At £11.95 it's two quid more expensive than both Psi Chess and Colossus 4 and one wonders why it couldn't have been released at just under a tenner like its rivals.

Cyrus II is a superb program and still worthy of a Monster Hit at the price but in a sector of the market which is now fiercely competitive it may have spoilt its chances with those who are after just one chess game.