Xbox One Critic Reviews

Pure Chess: Grandmaster Edition is the definitive chess-playing experience. It’s a must for any fan of the classic game; the choice of beautifully rendered locations and board types even makes this a preferable option over a real board. It’s a shame that the online multiplayer isn’t a little busier as playing against a real opponent is always more enjoyable than an AI counterpart, but the option to play locally is a nice touch.

Despite some camera and AI problems, Pure Chess can satisfy both experts and chess newbies thanks to a deep tutorial, great graphics and an async online multiplayer mode.

Pure Chess: Grandmaster Edition is a great game which teaches you how to play chess and gradually builds up the difficulty in its single-player modes. It’s a lot of fun on your own and it’s even better with a friend. I just wish the creators had incorporated some new ideas rather than giving the same generic chess game we’ve come to expect from others. The gorgeous visuals and technical perfection make up for this because mobile titles lack such finesse. However, I still desperately want that human element in there and maybe some of my suggestions might make it into their next chess-related project.

Less experienced players can still enjoy Pure Chess and will find loads here to challenge them and advance their game, but I think it’s a shame that there really isn’t anything outside of chess in itself that really adds interest.