# Star Wars Chess

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{{about|a chess video game with a Star Wars theme|the Star Wars chess-like game sometimes described as the "chess of Star Wars"|dejarik}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2018}}
{{Short description|1993 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Star Wars Chess
| image = Star_Wars_Chess_DOS_Cover_art.jpg
| developer = [The Software Toolworks](/source/The_Software_Toolworks)
| publisher = [Mindscape](/source/Mindscape_(company))
| released = '''1993:''' MS-DOS<br>'''November 1994:''' Windows
| platforms = [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS), [Windows 3.x](/source/Windows_3.x), [Sega CD](/source/Sega_CD)
| genre = [Chess](/source/Computer_chess)
| modes = [Single-player](/source/Single-player), [multiplayer](/source/Multiplayer_video_game)
}}

'''''Star Wars Chess''''' is a 1993 [chess video game](/source/chess_video_game) developed by [The Software Toolworks](/source/The_Software_Toolworks), based on the ''[Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars)'' film franchise and published by [Mindscape](/source/Mindscape_(company)) for [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS), [Sega CD](/source/Sega_CD), and [Windows 3.x](/source/Windows_3.x). A [3DO](/source/3DO) version was planned but never released.<ref name="DHGFv2i7">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_07#page/n146/mode/1up|title=The Game Fan 32Bit System Shoot Out - Who Will Lead Us Into The Next Generation?|magazine=[GameFan](/source/GameFan)|volume=2|issue=7|publisher=Shinno Media|date=June 1994 |access-date=April 14, 2021|pages=146–147}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
The game uses characters from the films in lieu of normal chess pieces, and a short animated battle takes place when a piece is taken, much like in the similar game ''[Battle Chess](/source/Battle_Chess)'' (which itself was inspired by the [holographic chess game](/source/Dejarik) shown in [''Star Wars''](/source/Star_Wars_(film)). All 72 animated capture sequences were produced and directed by Kevin Coffey, assisted by a team of animators, who recollected on his personal website: “ as in real life, sometimes the good guys won and sometimes they lost. It was all in good fun, however.”<ref>[https://cartoonlandanimation.com/animation/producer--director-of-anima/star-wars-chess.html CartoonlandAnimation.com © Kevin Coffey 2025]</ref>

==Reception==
''[Computer Gaming World](/source/Computer_Gaming_World)'' concluded that ''[T2 Chess Wars](/source/List_of_Terminator_video_games)'' and ''Star Wars Chess'' "are examples of marketing at its best (or worst, depending on your point of view)".<ref name="kee199403">{{Cite magazine |last=Kee |first=Jay |date=March 1994 |title=Darth Vader vs. The Terminator |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=116 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=90–94}}</ref>

''[Mega](/source/Mega_(video_game_magazine))'' Magazine giving ''Star Wars Chess'' a 60 percent rating stating "The chances are that if you take your chess at all seriously, you wouldn't really enjoy this."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/3/35/Mega_UK_23.pdf|title=Star Wars Chess|publisher=[Future Publishing](/source/Future_Publishing)|date=August 1994|pages=69|issue=23}}</ref>

In 1996, ''Computer Gaming World'' declared ''Star Wars Chess'' the 49th-worst computer game ever released stating: "Proof that there really is no intelligent life (or AI) even in a galaxy far, far away".<ref name="cgw150">{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=November 1996|title=150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_148|magazine=[Computer Gaming World](/source/Computer_Gaming_World)|issue=148|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_148/page/n218 63]–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98}}</ref>

''[GamePro](/source/GamePro)'' magazine however praised the game's action scenes, sound, detailed animation and stating "Chess purists and ''Star Wars'' purists alike will enjoy this one.  Most impressive!"<ref>{{Cite book|last=Larry|first=Scary|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_064_November_1994/page/n119/mode/2up|title=Star Wars Chess Review|date=November 1994|pages=110|issue=64}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{MobyGames|id=/software-toolworks-star-wars-chess|name=Star Wars Chess}}

{{Star Wars games}}

Category:1993 video games
Category:Cancelled 3DO Interactive Multiplayer games
Category:Chess software
Category:DOS games
Category:Mindscape games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Sega CD games
Category:Star Wars video games
Category:The Software Toolworks games
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Windows games

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Star Wars Chess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Chess) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Chess?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.