I thought you were lucky, but it turns out you have the same problem – a stretched game.
The information that Roman found was written by some inexperienced newbie. "Early computer monitor models with a resolution of 1280x1024..." Early models were actually 4:3 – if you take Heroes of Might and Magic III (released in 2001) and all previous versions of Windows, all their wallpapers had that resolution – 800x600, 1024x768. They were also designed for CRT monitors. But in Heroes of Might and Magic IV (2002), in addition to these two sizes, a 1280x1024 (5:4) size appears – that's when LCD monitors started to develop. Nevertheless, the best LCD monitor I've ever used remained 4:3 (1600x1200). It's a pity that they stopped producing that format.
A widescreen is not always the best option. Take stretching, for example. Therefore, on a 1680x1050 screen, you can only open the game at 1024x768 without distortion.