Battle Chess PC Game Review
Battle Chess for PC DOS is the game that asked the very serious question, “What if pawns could beat each other to death with maces?” Released in 1988 by Interplay, Battle Chess took the classic strategy of traditional chess and added a heavy dose of animation, personality, and medieval carnage. It’s part game, part spectacle, and for many players, it was the first time chess felt… well, cool.
The core gameplay is straightforward – this is standard chess, with all the familiar rules intact. No gimmicks, no new mechanics, just good old-fashioned king-hunting. But the magic happens when you make a capture. Instead of one piece simply replacing another, you’re treated to an animated showdown between the two combatants. Bishops swing morning stars, queens throw lightning bolts, and knights perform dramatic finishing moves. It’s like Monty Python and the Holy Grail collided with a chessboard.
Each of the 35 possible capturing combinations features a unique animated sequence, and this was groundbreaking at the time. Watching your rook morph into a stone golem to clobber a knight was endlessly entertaining. Sure, after a while you’d seen every animation and might want to skip them for faster play, but the first few games were less about strategy and more about seeing what kind of medieval chaos would unfold next. Who knows? This may have even inspired the famous Wizard’s Chess sequence from the end of the first Harry Potter movie.
Visually, Battle Chess was impressive for its time. The 2.5D isometric view, pixel art characters, and fluid animations pushed the limits of late-80s PCs. Sound effects and MIDI music added to the drama, with bone-crunching impacts and triumphant fanfares that gave each capture some theatrical flair. On machines with a sound card, the experience felt downright cinematic.
Despite all the pizzazz, the game still functions as a competent chess engine. You can play against the computer at varying difficulty levels or go head-to-head with a friend. The AI won’t dethrone grandmasters, but it offers a solid challenge for casual players. And while the animated battles are the main attraction, they never overshadow the fundamental strategy of the game.
There are a few drawbacks. The animations, while fun, can slow down gameplay, especially for players who prefer a faster pace. The interface is also a bit clunky by modern standards, and mouse support wasn’t universal across early DOS versions. But considering the era, these are minor issues in an otherwise charming package.
Ultimately, Battle Chess is a shining example of how to inject fun and creativity into a centuries-old game. It doesn’t reinvent the rules of chess, but it absolutely reinvents the vibe. Whether you’re a veteran chess player or someone who just enjoys watching a knight impale a pawn with a touch of drama, Battle Chess is a classic worth revisiting. Just try not to cheer too loudly when your queen turns a bishop into a pile of bones.
PC DOS and Windows Game Cheats
Capture Queen:
Type distractionpiece during game play to have one of your bishops move around the screen before landing on the board, removing the opposing Queen. Note: This code may only be enabled once per game and only works in some versions.
Change settings:
Start the game with the cdchess /help command line to list several command line parameters that can be used to change your sound card and COM port settings.