Games

Grand master

Chess simulation game is a richly rewarding experience

By Matt Leppard

Did you Know : The longest Chess game theoretically possible contains 5,949 moves.

Game: Chessmaster
Publisher: Ubisoft
Game rating: All
Game type: Board game simulation
Minimum system requirements: Windows 98-XP, 450 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 540 MB hard disk space
Multiplayer support: Internet and LAN
Reviewer�s opinion: 5 out of 5

Teacher, mentor, ultimate opponent� is how Chessmaster, now into its 10th edition, sells itself. Given that a cat walking across a chessboard and moving pieces around randomly is what I consider a pretty challenging opponent, I was eager to see how the teacher and mentor stuff worked out.

I was also keen to see how the good people at New Era Interactive and Ubisoft could price such a game at 799 baht. I mean, 800 baht just to play chess with a computer? Come on, guys.

Well, I�m glad to say that, had I paid for it, the game would have been worth every single baht. Chessmaster isn�t a game you play for 20 hours just to beat up some big, bad boss then leave to gather dust in a cupboard. It�s one of those games that will keep nagging at you to play, lose and then play again and again. I�ll admit it: I�m hooked.

WHAT�S IT ABOUT?

It�s tempting just to fill this section with the word �chess,� but that would be doing you a disservice and would be shirking my responsibilities. In actual fact, rather than just present you with a chess board and some tacky voiceovers telling you what to do, Chessmaster gives you a luscious 3-D interface (if you have a 3-D video card) that you can customise, tutorials, in-game analysis, hints, replays so you can see where you messed up and a whole lot more.

HOW DO YOU PLAY IT?

Chessmaster is easy to set up and play, whether you�re a complete novice or a grand master. When you start, it asks you a few simple questions to determine what level you�re at, and then you click �Play,� �Learn� or �Fun.�

The �Fun� section is probably the least rewarding of all, although the animated characters are kind of cute. If this was all Chessmaster was, I�d be very disappointed, and after one session of �fun,� I�ve not been back there.

My next and natural destination was �Learn,� itself divided up into sections including analyses of famous games and a highly detailed tutorial-based �Academy.� Lastly, when you�ve mastered at least the basics, you can get to grips with a real game, although I haven�t left �training mode� yet.

THE FINAL VERDICT

With no bangs, no monsters and no building or razing of civilisations, Chessmaster may sound about as much fun as watching water evaporate. And with such a hefty price tag, you�d be forgiven for scoffing at the game�s 5-star rating.

But trust me � Chessmaster is one of the most elaborate and sophisticated games around, and if you�ve got even a passing interest in chess, then it�s a real winner and well worth the money.

Hints and tips

Chessmaster isn�t really a game for hints and tips being as it�s essentially a game based upon hints and tips. However, you can unlock different boards and some pretty cool chess sets � if you play the console version, that is � by visiting www.consolecheatcodes.com/playstation2/chessmastercheats.html. You should also check out the official site at www.ubi.com/US/Games/chessmaster/ before spending so much money.

Vocabulary

grand master (n): a chess player of the highest standard
mentor (n): an experienced person who advises and helps somebody with less experience over a period of time
nag (v): to worry or irritate you continuously
hooked (v): in this use, enjoying something very much, so that you want to do it, see it, etc. as much as possible
shirk (v): to avoid doing something you should do, especially because you are too lazy
tacky (adj): cheap, badly made and/or lacking in taste
luscious (adj): soft and deep or heavy in a way that is pleasing to feel, look at or hear
novice (n): a person who is new and has little experience in a skill, job or situation
raze (v): to completely destroy a building, town, etc. so that nothing is left
elaborate (adj): complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organised

Idiom

get to grips (with something): to learn how to use or do something