Customer Reviews
Great Fun and Educational Game 
2008-08-15
My 6-year old and 7-year old love this game and the fact that they can play chess with each other using only one game card. They are novice chess players, but with this game they can really expand their skills.
Not bad 
2008-07-10
If you are choosing between buying this for your Nintendo DS or for your PC, obviously go with the PC. The AI in the DS version leaves much to be desired. It is a much simpler, trimmed-down variation.
With that said, however, for a small, compact and portable chess game that you can play virtually anywhere, Chessmaster on DS is pretty excellent. Some common complaints include: You cannot play a friend by handing the DS back and forth; you cannot give one person more time than the other on the clock. Two of my own complaints are that the "people" in the game (programmed personalities accompanied by a photo) tend to respond to the same move in exactly the same way (not so on the PC version). This takes a lot of fun out the game. Also, you cannot set the clock below 10 minutes. My biggest complaint of all is that you have to go through far too many screens to get to rated play. There should be an icon that takes you straight to it. Also, you should NOT have to select what language you want EVERY time you turn the game on. Ridiculous. On the plus side, moving the pieces with the stylus is a lot of fun. I also really like the graphics, the way the pieces look--simple, but elegant. I also really like the optional music that you can have on while you play. Very suiting.
5 for a good time 2008-07-10
I gave it five because for the platform you use it on it's great and I'm having fun. I don't think for the price you can go wrong. Not exactly a lot of different chess games out there for handhelds to compare it to.
Not perfect but fun.
Buggy Chess Engine 
2008-05-14
I've been looking forward to chess game for the DS and I thought the Chessmaster game would be perfect. I started a profile and have played up through 'Kenji'. I believe the Kenji profile and beyond plays a somewhat realistic chess match, though it still has some problems. A couple key issues I've found:
- The computer appears to play the same opening, no variance. Once you play a game that beats an opponent, then the same game can be played with the same results. They should have put in a simple opening book with some variance. This would make playing the same opponent last a bit longer. Using different time settings will alter AI play.
- Always set a game time in rated play, there are instances where the AI will just hang and there is no way to force moves in a rated game. Here is a game I played against Kenji that caused the AI to hang:
[White "Drew F."]
[Black "Chessmaster (Kenji)"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 e6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nd7 5. dxe6 fxe6 6. Nc3 c6
7. Nf3 e5 8. d3 Bd6 9. O-O Qe7 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bd2 e4 12. dxe4 Nxe4
13. Nxe4 Qxe4 14. Bc3 Qe7 15. Re1 Rg8 16. e4 Nb6 17. Qb3 Qxe4??
18. Rxe4
This was a 20 minute rated game, at this point, Kenji still had 11 minutes on his clock and he ran out of time. Something fried when Kenji blundered on move 17 and I had to wait for the time to run out, this would have been more annoying if I didn't set a time control.
- There isn't a way to replay a set up position, so you are forced to set up the position again.
chessmaster 2008-03-31
Chessmaster is the ideal programme for Nintendo. Comprehensive and versatile. The portability and screen clarity make it ideal for use anywhere without the need of a PC. I would recomend it to any chess player.
Limited Features But Easy to Like 2008-02-11
Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches you to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning. You can then practice your newly learned skills in single-player mode or challenge their friends to a fun-spirited competition in multiplayer mode via LAN or Internet.
This is a great Nintendo DS game. 2008-01-11
I cannot understand all the negative feedbacks of this game. UBISOFT has created an easy to understand and fun version of chess. I am a first time chess learner, and this game has clearly shown me the basics in an easy to understand tutorial. The graphics and instructions are excellent as are the sounds. The negative feedback probably came from those who do not know how to use this game or hot shot chess players who want to let others know how much they know and want to rub it in. This is an excellent game for first time learners, like me, and the pros outweigh the cons (I could not find any cons).
OK, considering the platform it's on 
2008-01-10
I bought this game for my DS about a month ago because it was (and is) the ONLY chess game available for the DS. Amazon is giving out a bad product description though, because there is NO 900 game annotated database.
What is available though is a decent enough chess game with multiple (if recycled) Chessmaster "personalities" to play against. There is also a rudimentary section that teaches the very basics of chess, including board setup, piece movement rules and special rules, plus small sections explaining skewers, pins and forks. There is no tutorial section per say, just a series of explanatory screens that explain the concepts and give chessboard screens to illustrate them.
New to the Chassmaster series and in my opinion most of the fun here is the mini game concept. There are several mini games available that are chess based, but quick and fun to play. These include a forking game, and minefield clearing game, a chain reaction game, a "Masterpiece" game in which your correct moves reveal an underlying painting, and my personal favorite a pawn removal game using a knight called "Breaking the Lines". These games are fast a friendly and yet help reinforce chess concepts as you play them.
All in all, if you are looking for a strong tutorial to the game of chess, this is not your ticket. The Nintendo DS platform really doesn't have the horsepower to provide that anyway. This game is great for simply playing some chess against either the CPU, or you can also play against another human by means of the Nintendo DS connect facility. The inclusion of online WiFi play would have been nice, but the Chessmaster series is not known for strong online play anyway. For that, what you want is a PC Fritz game. Personally I think this title is overpriced by $10 because at $29.95, it should have at least had WiFi in my opinion. Without it and considering that it only plays 2D chessboards and lacks tutorials, $19.95 would have been a fairer price. Still, I bought it anyway and I don't regret it because as I said it is the ONLY chess title currently available for the Nintendo DS platform.
Excellent Game with minor flaws - Highly Recommended 2007-12-10
I purchased this game for the PC so I did not experience the problems some mention for the DS. I did download the game via Ubisoft and did experience an issue with the PDF documentation not correctly being installed but after visiting the Ubisoft support website downloaded it manually and this worked for me just fine. There are also some minor flaws in some of the tutorials that do not seem to be free of bugs but this did NOT take away from my enjoyment of those tutorials but it is why I only give the game a 4 star rating.
Apart from these issues above the game is wonderful, and it has brought my joy of the game of Chess once again. The PC version has so much content in terms of lesson plans from various teachers, for beginners, to more advanced theories. There is also a database of past famous games with comments that will provide lots of insights.
I particular like Josh Waitzkin Academy where he will give you his approach to the game as well as some fundamental approaches to the game. His insight and philosophy will help redirect previous frustrations in looking at chess from a satellite view.
In the learning aspect of the game there are many tools, games and puzzles to get you familiar with the principles taught which I have found keep me coming back to play each evening.
For those who are learning and want to renew their passion in chess I highly recommend this game, do check and make sure you PC meets the minimum system requirements first.
I don't understand it 
2007-11-10
It may be a teriffic product. I bought it and couldn't understand the directions. Then, before I had a chance to ,"not give up", I lost the directions. I have wanted to learn chess for years and this looked promising. I actually ordered another game to get the lost directions.If anyone's interested,. I'll write a follow up.
