Battle Chess

Battle Chess is probably the most famous adaptation of chess on the computer and was one of Interplay's first forays into releasing software under their own label although their distribution came from Activision.

I learnt how to play chess with this game. Only highlighted positions on the board are those in which the pieces can move, so it can soon be understood as to what the different pieces can and can't do. But it didn't teach me how to be a good chess player!

A hidden menu, appearing when the mouse is at the top of the screen and the button held, contains options such as who plays and from which side of the board. Play can be between two humans, two computers, player versus computer or player versus another player via modem. You can also choose between 3D and 2D viewing modes. The game can even provide you with advice on your next move.

Because you're unlikely to see each of the different combinations of the chess pieces assassinating each other in a single game, you'll play this again and again just to make sure you've seen all of the excellent animations.