Review: Rampart Chess

Different board games make the transition from table top to computer/handheld with varying levels of success. Chess, partially because of its structured nature and partially because it is a classic geek game, handles the transition extremely well.

The sheer number of chess programs that are available for Windows Mobile devices is staggering. Rampart Chess ($12.95 from the WMExperts Store) is one entry into the field that is built by Rampart Games.

When I’m looking for a computerized Chess game, there are some standard features that I’m looking for as well as some others that would be nice to have. Some of the things that I’m thinking of are a way to save the notation from your game or being able to play across a network connection. What sort of functionality does Rampart Chess offer? Click through for the full read.

Game Play

When starting a new game with Rampart Chess (this review is based on version 2.6), you are given several basic options such as your level of play (1-10, 1 being the easiest), color of choice, playing style and the type of opponent (Human or Computer). These are all fairly standard settings for a game.

Once your game is started, pieces are moved by tapping on their current location, and then tapping on the square where you wish to move the piece. Drag and drop is not supported. As each move occurs, the notation for that move is displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen.

When Rampart Chess is exited, the current game state is saved. There are no options for resigning or saving your game (if you wanted to start a new game, but still retain the present game there is no option for this); if you are finished with a game you simply start a new game.

Extra Functionality

Rampart Chess includes an option to edit the current board, meaning you have the ability to move pieces around outside the bounds of the game rules. Other options include the ability to choose between the style of the pieces as well as customizing colors within the predefined styles.

Conclusion

I was fairly disappointed, not with the functionality that was included, but by the features that were conspicuously absent. In my mind, the ability to save a game and come back to it later should be core functionality. The same goes for being able to save or export the notation for the game (this could have easily been combined in one function). Some other niceties that I would have liked to see are the ability to play against an opponent across a network connection or some ladder or puzzle options.

Rampart Chess stops short of being a fully featured chess program. It does however allow you to play a game of chess against a human or computer opponent. The $12.95 price tag is not extravagant, and the features provided are worth paying for. If you’re looking for a casual game of chess once in a while, Rampart Chess is worth a look.

What's your favorite chess app?