For this installement of the iPhone App Review we will be concentrating on a recent edition to the 99Games App Store line up.

99Games have launched a Chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch which joins the fair few chess games already available on the App Store. In an attempt to cater for all, there got two versions on offer: Chess Lite, a more basic, cheaper version, plus the fully featured Chess Pro, aimed at both the more capable chess player and those of us that like lots of fancy options. The two versions are currently available in the App Store with Chess Lite coming in at a credit crunch busting $0.99 (£0.59), were as Chess Pro is currently $3.99 (£2.39). Both are around 4.5 MB’s and are rated 4+, meaning those who have kids can start their sons/daughters chess career at a young age.

Hit the read link for a look at Chess Lite and Chess Pro’s features.

As with the lite version Chess Pro gives you the option to play with a friend on the same device flipping the screen 180 degrees between turns. However with Chess Pro, there is now the option to play two extra variants of the regular chess game. Suicide, as one might expect from the name, changes the aim of the game to where you have to lose all your pieces. An odd concept, but one that is actually quite good fun, if a little confusing at first. In Suicide the king is treated as a regular piece, although castling is still an option. The second variant is Loser which is similar to suicide except the king operates like normal and therefore you can win via checkmate.

The default chess board is a simple 2D layout with options to save, undo, hint and obviously a back option. Save is useful for those short of time like the poor soles on tube journeys who might run out of time to checkmate your iPhone. Undo allows you to step back as many turns as you want (unless you have been beaten).

Chess Pro has two extra theme options however, both 3D, Metalic and Wood. When using either 3D theme the method of moving your pieces across the board changes from a simple yet effective drag, to a tap to select and move the piece to the desired square. The 2D theme is therefore slightly easier to use and a little more pratical.
The pro version also has the option to show what moves are avaible everytime a piece is selected. Listed in the menu as ‘Legal Moves’ this is helpful for beginners or those who are a little rusty. Along the same lines as ‘Legal Moves’ is the option to display a new hint on every turn. It should be noted that this feature is also available in the lite version and again is helpful for the less advanced players and seems to be quite intelligent.

Overall Chess Pro is a wise choice for players of any ability looking for a iPhone/iPod Touch chess game. 99Games have done a great job with adding only the best and most useful features, whilst still keeping the interface clean and intuitive.