Well, the 3D board looks pretty, anyway.
With its classy presentation, Chess Classics is eager to please––it even includes the game Backgammon Classics as a bonus. Unfortunately, it also includes an awkward, gimmicky interface.
Chess Classics lacks online matches, but you can play the computer at skill levels from Monkey to Master (no, really), or play a friend by passing your device. Either way, the 3D board is too small, and its pieces are difficult to distinguish from one another. You can rotate the board or zoom to get a better look, but who wants to do either? The 2D mode is an improvement, but its pieces are slightly blurry. And unlike the 3D board, the overhead view animates moves too quickly, making them difficult to follow. You can't even listen to your own music while you play.
A puzzle mode tasks you with accomplishing particular maneuvers--checkmate white in two moves, for instance--with limited pieces; it's a nice way to flex your chess muscles. You can also review dozens of historical matches accompanied by background information and brief stratigical comments. But those matches aren't collected on a single screen, forcing you to swipe though page after page to find a particular match while battling the screens' finicky swipe detection.
Offering too many things we didn't want and too few we did, Chess Classics is no classic in our book.
Displays legal moves and hints. Interesting, if flawed, commentary and puzzle features.
No online mode. Design issues make controls and view difficult. Can't listen to your own music while you play.
