First Encounter

By J.N. Cobb

Thanks to Ubisoft's Chessmaster®, the classic sport of kings has arrived on the Xbox® in all its glory.Chessmaster features a comprehensive set of features that will challenge every chess player to improve their game, from the grandmaster to the guy who isn't quite sure how all the pieces move. In addition to a wide range of AI-controlled opposition,Chessmaster has deep tutorial and practice modes to help you polish your strategy and tactics. You can test your skills in the game's offline tournament series, or take your game online against other Xbox Live™ subscribers.

Choose your opening gambit wisely.

To get started, all you need to do is create a user profile and set up the board. After choosing Quick Game from the main menu, you select an opponent from among the AI players (who range in skill from novice to grandmaster), set the match parameters, and you're off. During the game, you may call for tips or board assessment from the AI coach to help you make up your mind. The coach will show you all possible legal moves, warn you of impending capture, skewer, and pin moves so you can plan your defense, or display the best check move you can make to put the heat on your opponent. You can even force your opponent to hurry up and move if they're taking too long.

Once you're comfortable with your single match performance against the AI, you can enter a series of more than 60 progressively more difficult tournaments across five skill categories: Apprentice, Initiate, Adept, Master, and Style (which groups your opponents by their playing style). You can also create your own tournament to play against the AI, other players, or a mix of both.

Learn from your mistakes; become a better player.

Chessmaster is not just a true test of your chess skill, it's an entire training camp for players at every level. No matter where you start, you are virtually guaranteed to improve your game. Famous players like Josh Waitzkin and Bruce Pandolfini serve as virtual tutors who will give lessons, run drills, and administer exams. Pass their tests and you'll advance into the next level of instruction, from opening moves to the endgame. By the time you're done, you will be ready for a Chessmastertournament and online games.

Another key learning tool is the ability to replay famous games from the past (and I do mean the past—the oldest historical scenario is from 1600s). Veteran players may remember the classic Boris Spassky/Bobby Fischer matches from the late 1960s, while others will recall the Man vs. Machine showdown in the 90s between Gary Kasparov and Big Blue, the IBM supercomputer. Now you can take on either role in any of these historic head-to-head matches and virtually compete against the sharpest minds ever to play the game.

Finally, Chessmaster offers up an unlimited number of Puzzle scenarios that present you with a game in progress and require you to do something specific in a specific number of moves. You may find yourself backed into a corner with only a pawn and a bishop to defend you and the goal of beating your opponent in two moves. You can always call for tips from your coach, but solving Puzzles is one of the most effective ways to sharpen your eye and your wits under pressure.

Can you rewrite chess history?

At the bargain price of about $20, Chessmaster is an incredible value for anyone with an interest in one of the oldest and most respected strategy games in the world.

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