Chessmaster
↘ 1.6%
🙂 7.1/10
(GameBoy Advance - PAL, Action & Adventure)
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Complete
$36.39
Loose $7.92
Manage Collection
Developed_By:
Ubisoft
Published_By:
Ubisoft
Released On:
27 Aug 2002
Also available on:
The most successful chess franchise of its time gets a full update on the handheld system. Previously released in Game Boy and Game Boy Color formats in 1990 and 1999 respectively, this 21st century iteration provides numerous enhancements, a wider range of options, and more gameplay. Chessmaster offers standard, handicap, and board setup modes, 18 computer opponents ranging from easy to expert, and ten chess sets.
UPC-A:
008888140245 (USA)
eBay Product ID:
8972 (United States)
Nintendo Media PN:
AGB-ACYE-USA (United States)
ASIN:
B0000640A6 (United States)
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Color Depth:
15-bit (32,768 colors)
Video Resolutions Supported:
240×160
Number of Players Supported:
1-2 Players
Miscellaneous Attributes:
Multi-Link Cable
Multiplayer Game Modes:
Free-for-all / One-on-one (VS)
Prices as of 09 Oct 2026
Typical $36.61–$36.84 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
Loose
Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Market activity: moderate · about 9 sales a year
Activity is a 12-month sales count. Dashed segments rest on two sales a year or fewer.
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
Controls
A Button
validate a selection, go to next page, pick up the piece under the cursor hand
B Button
cancel selection, return to previous page, return the piece held
L Button
scrolls backward 10 famous games
START
from the Chessmaster logo screen, jumps to the main menu
SELECT
goes to the Settings Menu
arrows
move the cursor hand over the chessboard
R Button
takes back the last move of each player successively
How to Play
Starting the Game
Insert the Game Pak into the Game Boy Advance system and turn on the power. In the main menu page, select Standard Game, Handicap Game, or Setup Board Game with the Control Pad (up and down arrows). Confirm the selection by pressing the A Button.
Game Modes
•
Standard Game: A chess game beginning with the standard position.
•
Handicap Game: A chess game where the player may remove any piece before the game starts.
•
Setup Board Game: A chess game where the player may set the pieces before the game starts.
How to Move Pieces
To move a piece, follow these steps:
1. Move the hand cursor over the piece with the Control Pad.
2. Press the A Button to pick up the piece.
3. Drop it on the desired square with the A Button.
4. Press the B Button while holding the piece to return it to its initial position.
In-Game Actions
The following actions are available only during the game:
•
Hint: Chessmaster suggests a move for the player.
•
Force Move: Forces the player's opponent to move.
•
Take Back: Player may take one or more moves back (L Button).
•
Replay: Replays the moves taken back one by one (R Button).
•
Change Sides: The player can change his color and will play from the lower side of the screen.
•
Rotate Board: The player can rotate the board, keeping his color.
•
Save a Game: The player may save the game at any moment.
•
Load a Game: The player may load a previously saved game.
•
New Game: Quits the current game and returns to the main menu page.
Action Availability
According to the current "Who Plays" setting, some actions may not be available:
•
Player vs. A.I.: All actions are available.
•
A.I. vs. A.I.: The "Hint" action is not available.
•
Player vs. Player: The "Hint", "Force Move", and "Change Sides" actions are not available.
Handicap Game
The pieces are set on the board in the standard position. The player may remove any pieces to create an advantage for one of the sides (white or black).
To adjust the board:
•
Move the hand cursor over a piece and press the A Button to remove it.
•
Move the hand cursor over a piece and press the A Button to place it back.
•
Press START to validate the current situation and start the game.
Setup Board Game
This mode allows the recreation of various chess problems. Initially, only the kings are on the board. A right-side panel displays all white and black piece categories (queens, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns).
To set up the board:
•
Move the hand cursor over the desired piece type and pick it up with the A Button.
•
While holding the piece, move the hand cursor and drop the piece where desired with the A Button.
•
Press the B Button while holding a piece to return it to the piece pool.
•
Press START to validate the situation and start the game.
Note: The position must make sense with respect to the rules of chess. For example, if only kings are left on the board, pressing START will result in a draw.
Opponents
There are 18 different A.I. opponent personalities playing in different styles, including Lucy, Hayden, Alicia, JON, Rick, and Board Champion. By default, the opponent is set as Chessmaster.
All chess sets have a “Board Champion.” If the player chooses to play against the “Board Champion,” they face a surprise board champion according to the currently selected set. The opponent can be set before starting a game or changed at any time during a game.
Response Time
Adjust response time settings using the Left/Right arrows on the Control Pad:
•
Seconds per move: Time per move for the A.I. personality.
•
Minutes per game: The player who fails to move in the given time loses the game.
•
Infinite Time: No time restriction for any of the players.
Who Plays
The available options are:
•
Player vs. A.I.: The default setting.
•
Player vs. Player: 2 players may play the game on the same console.
•
A.I. vs. A.I.: One personality against another personality.
Teaching Mode
To activate or deactivate options, use the Control Pad Left/Right arrows to choose "ON/OFF" for the selected option, then press the A Button to validate.
•
Legal Moves: Displays the legal moves of the piece currently picked up with a small black square frame.
•
Threatened Pieces: Visualizes the player's threatened pieces with a small red square frame when picking up a piece.
Chess Set Look
Ten different chess sets are available, including the pieces and the chessboard. Available styles include:
•
Classic Set
•
Newspaper Set
•
Wood Set
•
Kids Clay Set
•
Napoleon Set
•
Circus Set
Save Settings
The "Save Settings" Button allows the player to save current preferences. Once saved, they load automatically upon restarting the console. Only the last saved settings are loaded.
The following settings are saved:
•
The last selected opponent.
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