Mac and Windows in one house.

You're using a computer from Apple's Mac family. You work, play, browse social media, watch movies, or listen to music. You sometimes want to run a cool Windows-only program on your Mac, like Chessmaster, or maybe you need to use ChessBase regularly. Is this possible on a Mac, and if so, is it easy and comfortable?

The answer to all these questions is: Yes!

In this article I will describe how to use chess programs designed for Windows on a Mac.

First, a brief historical background.

Back 10-15 years ago, when computers and software were far less powerful than they are today, using Windows and programs written for it was usually problematic on Macs. The computers of that time allowed you to run, for example, a Windows virtual machine in macOS, but its performance left a lot to be desired.

One solution, although not very practical, was the introduction by Apple of a solution called BootCamp, which allowed the installation of Windows "alongside" macOS. The user could then use Windows and programs fully and with good performance, but was forced to exit macOS, reboot their Mac, and only then could they use Windows.

However, today Macs are fast enough (especially with the M1, M2, etc. CPUs) that it's possible, comfortable, and relatively easy to use the benefits of macOS and its applications and Windows applications simultaneously.

In the first image of this article, I posted a screenshot where we see macOS Monterey along with Windows 11 running and the chess programs Chessmaster, ChessBase 16, Scid vs. Mac.

Certainly, if you look online for guidance you will find many options such as Virtual Box, UTM, VMware Fusion and others.

I will present you dear reader the most convenient and best way to use Windows software on your Mac.

Footnote: This article is not sponsored. The opinions below are those of the author alone.

Parallels Desktop

Source: Parallels

Parallels Desktop (PD) is a commercial program that runs on Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs.

Its strength is that the user can use macOS system and applications and at the same time work with, for example, ChessBase or train with Fritz.

Of course, using PD and Windows there is no obstacle to use any other software, such as Microsoft Office, games or Auto Cad, etc.

Steam for Windows 11 in... macOS :-)

The author of this article over the years has not encountered a situation in which any of the Windows programs did not work using PD.

A great and very useful option is the ability to use Windows programs in the same way as Mac programs.

Below in the image, an open window with Fritz and a Windows Explorer window.

Chess Assistant and ChessBase.

You can also use macOS programs and Windows programs at the same time - without losing performance!

Microsoft Excel for Mac and Deep Shredder for Windows.

Safari web browser and Play Chess server.

Examples can be multiplied.

Parallels Desktop for Mac is a mature program created by professionals and recognized by millions of Mac users. Each released version is always updated and extended with new features.

Based on his own experience, the author of this article confirms that the manufacturer also cares about the ever-increasing speed of PD, which can be seen especially on Mac computers with the M1 processor.

Using Parallels Desktop, it feels like the same work and/or play as on a Windows PC.

So what do you need to use Windows programs on macOS ?

The requirements are not high.

The latest version of Parallels Desktop is available for many Mac operating systems.

Source: Wikipedia

This means that even older Macs are supported and can use modern Parallels Desktop.