The combined sales of the
Chessmaster series had reached 1 million copies by September 1996. The series surpassed 5 million units in sales by 2002, making it the highest-selling computer chess series ever at the time. In 1989,
Computer Gaming World found
Chessmaster 2100s features "the clear winners" over
Sargon 4, in 1992 reported that
Chessmaster 3000 had added "a lot" to its predecessors, with new tutorial features and a variety of computer opponents making the game "a truly impressive sequel", and in 1994 approved of
Chessmaster 4000 Turbos new AI "personalities" based on historical chess players.
4000 Turbo received a perfect 10 out of 10 score from
Electronic Entertainment. In Japan,
Famitsu magazine scored the 1991 Super Famicom version of the game a 23 out of 40, and the 1994 Game Boy version a 21 out of 40. Critical reaction to the
Chessmaster series has been mostly positive.
GameSpot commented that "
Chessmaster has remained the consummate standard in console chess games since the '80s."
IGN said that "the series itself remains the best way to play and learn about chess on the PC."
Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition scored positive reviews, with
PC Gamer saying: "this one-stop shop for an entire chess-playing and learning family should last until you're all grandmasters."
Chessmaster 10th Edition holds an 84% rating on review aggregator site
GameRankings. IGN gave
Chessmaster 10th Edition a score of 8.4/10, calling it "the best chess game in town." The
mobile phone version of
Chessmaster received a score of 9/10 from IGN, who called it "an absolutely superlative product that will be enjoyed for week after week by fans of the mental contest." IGN criticized the Nintendo DS version of
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning for its lack of multiplayer, but gave it an overall positive review, with a score of 7.8/10. IGN criticized the "boring" presentation of the PlayStation Portable version of
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning, but added that "there's no doubt that the information is valuable and can teach you the finer points of the game." Although the
Chessmaster engine is generally not as strong as the engines of other commercially available chess programs such as
Fritz, critics have praised the
Chessmaster series for its comprehensive tutorials aimed at players of amateur and moderate skill levels. In its review of
Chessmaster 9000, IGN said that "the series has always distinguished itself with first-rate chess teaching tools", and welcomed the game's "appeal towards inexperienced and mid-level players. With all manner of tutorials, detailed analysis and exercises, the game helps ease newbies into the experience." GameSpot's review of
Chessmaster 10th Edition commented positively on the game's "huge bundle of features aimed at everyone from the neophyte who's looking to learn the basics to the advanced wood pusher who may need practice for tournament play." In 1994,
PC Gamer UK named
Chessmaster 4000 Turbo the 20th best computer game of all time, calling it the best of the series so far and accessible to all skill levels. The editors wrote, "A chess game? In the Top 50? Well, why not?" In June 1994
Chessmaster 4000 was a finalist for
Computer Gaming Worlds Strategy Game of the Year award, losing to
Master of Orion The editors wrote that "Software Toolworks still has the capacity and the will to improve their best-selling chess engine". In 1997
Chessmaster 5000 was a finalist for
Computer Gaming Worlds Classic/Puzzle Game of the Year award, losing to
Baku Baku Animal. ==See also==