Play Battle Chess (NES) Online

Gameplay screenshot of Battle Chess for NES

Overview and Gameplay

Fantasy armies replace traditional chess pieces in this NES conversion of Interplay’s computer game. Players follow standard chess rules, aiming for checkmate while using castling, en passant, and pawn promotion. Captures trigger predetermined animated battles between the pieces rather than playable combat.

The main 3D display emphasizes character movement and battle scenes, while the faster 2D mode uses conventional chess symbols. Six computer difficulty settings range from Novice through Level 5, with higher levels taking more time to calculate moves.

Controls And Mechanics

Move the board cursor, select a piece, and confirm its destination.
Display a selected piece’s legal moves or cancel a selection.
Use Suggest Move for assistance and Take Back to reverse up to three turns.
Replay the latest 3D battle or arrange custom positions with Set Up Board.
Play against the computer, watch a computer-versus-computer match, or take alternating turns in two-player versus play.

Version Notes

The NES edition was released only in the United States. Its six difficulty settings and redrawn console presentation differ from several computer versions. The 2D mode is useful for avoiding the slower animated movement and capture sequences.