Touch Chess

by Excalibur

Product Features

• Age Range: 12 - 14 Years 8 - 11 Years
• Board Game and More Type: Classic Games Strategy Games
• Classic Game Type: Chess

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.5 x 2.5 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005LLSD
• Item model number: 404
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,938 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

Product Description

Innovation Eliminates the Bother of Buttons! This stylus-touch chess and checker computer is as portable and as easy-to-use as the most popular PDAs! Just use the pull-out stylus to choose a piece and tap the square you want to move it to! Play against the computer or use it as an on-the-go travel set to compete against a partner or to study games from books and newspapers. Includes carrying pouch, teaching modes and rating functions, along with lots more features of full table-top models! And now we offer a new version, which lets you play both chess & checkers! Features include: 73 power levels, Rates your play, Hint key for coaching, Help mode shows all legal moves for beginners--16 of the greatest games ever played!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

98 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poor screen., October 28, 2002

By 

Brian, Boston (Brookline, MA USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Touch Chess (Toy)

I am always using my wife's PDA to play chess on. There is no more relaxing way to play chess against a machine than to kick back on the couch. So to get her PDA back, she got me TouchChess for my birthday. Very thoughtful, but unfortunately the screen was very hard to make out. I really wanted to keep this gift, but I just couldn't distinguish the pieces. I thought I would get used to it, but it was too frustrating. Anyone that plays chess regularly knows that you have to be able to see the board at a glance, not struggle to tell your bishops from your pawns, etc. I tried all different lighting situations too. I would very much warn you not to try this game until they improve the screen.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good little pocket chess companion, January 24, 2002

By 

Nate I. (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Touch Chess (Toy)

This little chess computer is exactly what it says it is, and it's exactly what I wanted. I'm not a super strong chess player (around 1400UCF) so obviously even not-so-strong chess computers/software provide all the challenge I need to keep me entertained. If I were to assign a maximum strength rating, I'd say (with my limited qualification to do so) it could perform probably no better than 1600UCF. It has 72 levels of play, so it has a fairly wide range of strength for beginning to intermediate players. So if you're looking for something to make you a better chess player, you may be better served by some good chess software or a more expensive tabletop chess computer. But if you're looking for someone to play a good game of chess anywhere you go, this is exactly it.

The interface is pretty solid. It uses a Palm Pilot-like stylus for it's user interface. Being able to simply touch the piece I want to move and it's destination is extremely easy. I don't generally have a problem seeing the display indoors. Direct sunlight can affect it a bit, but the LCD knob on the top allows me to adjust the strength of the display. The LCD menu system is perfectly reasonable, but not totally intuitive, so reading the manual is necessary. You can undo moves, set up your own positions on the board, and it even has a simple rating system it uses to try and rate your play.

This is the smallest chess computer on the market, and what made it most attractive to me was it's price. ...you really can't beat the value. So for its reasonable price, it can fit in my pocket, its ease of use, and it provides me a good chess challenge, I recommend this product.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars one Major problem, April 30, 2004

By A Customer

= Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Touch Chess (Toy)

There is a lot to like about this handheld chess game. But, do not waste your money unless you plan on using it only in well lit places. The LCD is almost impossible to read (so much do that I've had to look for a different handheld chess unit). In this day and age, I don't think its asking too much to expect a better display. My recommendation is to wait for a better product. But its your decision.