NEStalgia

← All episodes

Cover art for Chessmaster

254 · Chessmaster

January 6, 2023 · 41 min
Apple PodcastsSpotify

The Chessmaster is a game where the player has the chance to play against the CPU controlled Chessmaster at a standard game of chess. 

Support NEStalgia directly by becoming a member of our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Nestalgia  Members at the $5 and above level get access to our brand new show NEStalgia Bytes. A look at the famicom games you can play without any Japanese knowledge! For More NEStalgia, visit www.NEStalgiacast.com

Show notes

  • The most powerful chess program in the world today! And the friendliest!
  • NES Longplay
  • Introductions
    • Many ways you can expect a chess game to start, but not with an 8-bit rendition of TAKE FIVE by Dave Brubeck
  • Overview
  • Gameplay
    • Chess Features
      • Computer Level
        • The numbers after the level indicate how many moves the Chessmaster will make in a certain time. For example level 1 is 60 moves in 5 minutes, while level 7 is 30 moves in 45 minutes. On the level infinite the Chessmaster will think until he has decided upon his best move or until you force him to move.
      • Deep Thinking
        • allows the Chessmaster to think during your turn
      • Opening Book
      • Move Assist
      • Taking Back moves
    • SETUP MODE
      • Both from initial positions and however you like
    • Solve for Mate
      • A neat little feature good to solve mate in as many as 3 turns
    • Watch Mode
      • Would be better if it could explain why. It's tough to understand the rationale for computers that can visualize many moves ahead and thus make moves that a human most likely would not.
    • Missing features
      • No timer controls for Blitz Chess
      • No Puzzles or Lessons
      • No suggested best move
      • No analysis mode where you can play the moves of both sides to see if your play will pay off. You’ll have to picture it in your head
    • Views of Board vs War Room
      • No ability to change cosmetic pieces or boards
      • It is cool to see a little under the hood in the War Room
  • Development
    • The first Chess Master engine was MyChess II, developed by David Kittinger. Unclear though if the NES is using the same engine.
    • In 1989, Computer Gaming World found Chessmaster 2100's features "the clear winners" over Sargon 4,
    • Chessmaster would be absolutely obliterated by engines like Stockfish and AlphaZero. There is, if you can believe it, an entire competitive computer chess engine scene.
  • Sequels and Spinoffs
    • 1986: The Chessmaster 2000
      • Not called 2000 for reasons like Sim City 2000. It’s because the computer’s ELO was capable of 2000 level play
    • 1988: The Fidelity Chessmaster 2100
    • Afterwards they started naming these things like GFX cards with yearly releases
      • 4000 Turbo
      • 5500
  • EGL
    • There’s MANY ways to learn how to play chess and Chess engines have and will continue to offer much more than what is offered here on the NES. I will admit that playing this convinced me that Archon is way more exciting in video game form than Chessmaster can hope to be.
  • NEStalgia Byte - All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. (a look at MANY SMB games)
← A Boy and His BlobClash at Demonhead →