Chessmaster Challenge Review

Chessmaster Challenge Review

Review by Brandon

Chessmaster Challenge is a game that will likely have little appeal to those not interested in chess. For fans of chess or players in the mood for some chess action, it's a great choice. There's even a training mode and learn mode to teach you everything you need to know to play chess and win. A few puzzles are included as well to put your skills to the test. Take on any of the 25 AI opponents as you battle for the win and a better ranking.

Help for Beginners

The game plays like any normal game of chess would. You control several different pieces on an 8x8 board, and your goal is to place your opponent in Checkmate. For players with past chess experience it should be familiar and straightforward. For anyone else, there's help provided to explain how to play the game.

Different Modes Help You Improve Your Game

Chessmaster Challenge includes several different modes of play that let you learn the basics or take on the AI opponents in ranked chess matches. The Learn mode is where you can learn anything and everything you need to know about chess. This mode teaches you the basics (and some more advanced things as well), and then tests you on the topic you just covered.

The Training mode lets you take on one of the AI opponents in a game that won't affect your ranking. Training mode lets you undo moves, receive hints, will warn you when you make bad moves, and can show you moves available to you. It's a great way to get your feet wet before putting anything on the line in real chess matches. The Fun mode consists of a few puzzles to solve by moving various chess pieces. The Ranked Play mode is one that lets you take on one of the computer opponents in a match. A victory increases your ranking, while a defeat or stalemate lowers it.

No Ability to Play Against Other Humans

There are a few downsides when playing the game. The biggest issue is that there's no option or ability to play against another player. While having different computer opponents is great, there's still no substitute for another person.

Waiting On a Computer is No Fun

Additionally, you have to wait a large amount of time for the computer players to make moves, especially for the higher ranked ones. There's no way to speed up their moves or force them to make one quickly. The computers also sometimes make strange or stupid moves that can cost them the game.

Various Views But 3D Can Be a Drawback

The presentation in Chessmaster Challenge has some good points, but some issues as well. You can choose from one of six chess sets to play on. Three of these sets are 2D, three are 3D. However, the view on the 3D boards makes it a bit hard to properly see/view the board and can't be changed. The overall graphical quality of the game isn't amazing either, but this is only a chess game. Another issue is that there's no sounds when playing. While some players may enjoy the quiet, waiting for several minutes of complete silence for the computer to move can be annoying.

Conclusion - More Suitable for Beginning and Intermediate Players

Overall, Chessmaster Challenge is a decent choice for anyone interested in or looking for a chess game to play. There are some issues with the length of time computers take to move and the presentation is a little lacking, but the chess basics and gameplay are all there. There's a large selection of computer opponents to take on or a few puzzles to challenge yourself with. There's plenty of information to get you started in the game and give you some helpful tips.