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Xing Chess (PC)

Xing Chess

Countless institutions thrive and fade in history but chess remains a mainstay of modern society. With its origins in North India, the modern game of chess was first shaped in the 15th century, competitive matches took place just a century later and since then millions of people, young and old, and even computers, have guided their 16 brave pieces across the chequered battlefield in search of glory and the elusive checkmate. Xing Chess is the latest incarnation of this enduring game, available as a download from Xing Interactive.

For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the game, chess sees each player armed with eight pawns, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, a queen and a king. Taking place across a black and white chequered board 8x8 squares, the object of the game is to advance, outthink your opponent, repelling any of their attacks and leading successful ones of your own before trapping your opponent’s king in the lucrative checkmate – a situation where the king or his army cannot make a move to prevent him being taken from the board. It may sound like a short-term recipe for entertainment but chess continues to fascinate millions of players, the unpredictability of each game, the fierce test of your tactical prowess, there is always something to come back for.
Xing Chess

Xing Chess boasts three difficult settings – easy, medium and hard. Xing Chess is simply a program that allows you to play, rather than teaches you the game.  Therefore, for beginners, it is recommended that they have a basic knowledge of the game i.e. how the pieces move, but if you have that then you can dive straight into Xing Chess and enjoy the game without wading through lengthy instructions. The easy setting pitches you against an opponent that makes their moves very quickly and requires little if any thinking time. If you advance to the hard setting the games are much slower with your opponent making you sweat as they contemplate their next move. Alternatively, why not opt for the two player mode and compete against friends and family?

Aside from the difficulty settings you can make amendments to the resolution or opt to have your pieces casting their shadows and reflections onto the board. Another feature is the option of history arrows that trace each player’s latest move in case you missed the latest display of your opponent’s sneaky attempts to outwit you.
Xing Chess

For chess fans, there is little wrong with Xing Chess. Though the options provide plenty of effect to the overall display of the board and the pieces, a couple more choices for the non-traditionalists amongst us such as different designs of chess pieces or alternate colours for both the pieces and the board may have added some more fun to the overall package.

Xing Chess is an accessible and easy to grasp game with the added advantage of being an experience that should appeal for as long as its board game equivalent. Available to download for €9.99 (around £9.00) this offers excellent value for chess lovers who will be able to indulge in their pursuit of checkmate wherever there is a PC to hand, meaning you can play at home or on the move and better yet, you’ll not have to set the board up ever again!

**Review by David Brown**

Final score: 80%
RRP: €9.99


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