DESCRIPTION

Chessmaster is a top-down 2D chess game for the Game Gear. You can play against one of the game's 14 AI difficulty levels, or play against another human by handing off one Game Gear back and forth. Chessmaster supports all chess rules, including pawn promotions, castling, and en passant.

Chessmaster compiles a move list for each game using its own notation system. Instead of standard chess notation, however, a letter and number pairing identify each square. Columns are marked from A to H, while rows are marked from 1 to 8. By tracking moves, the game allows players to take back any number of turns during a game. Players can also set up their own board positions, choosing to either modify the current board or create a new layout.

Other options include the ability to turn piece touching on or off; when activated, players must move the first piece they select on each turn. The game can also display valid moves on the board for a currently selected piece for chess novices.

Players can also make the pieces of either side, or both sides, invisible. Pieces turn visible for a short time while moving; then turn invisible again after the completion of their moves. Invisible mode challenges gamers to develop their memorization skills while playing. In addition, players can direct the CPU to solve for mates given a certain board position and a number of moves, and can give the CPU the option of resigning in a single-player game. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide