Mephisto Chess

In 1996, IBM's Deep Blue super-computer took on the then-reigning world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. In a duel that saw the 1.4-tonne computing behemoth push the Russian all the way to the sixth match, it eventually lost to its human opponent just four matches to two.

A year later, however, the two squared up again for the much-publicised rematch. With Deep Blue significantly upgraded by its masters, it was victorious this second time around – but only just, winning 3.5 matches to 2.5. Still, it was enough to make it the first computer to beat a reigning world champion under competition conditions.

Now, it's unlikely most of us have the natural talent to become a chess grandmaster or world champion, in the same way your humble mobile would only ever have the computational ability to compete with Deep Blue in its most fantastical dreams.

But then Living Mobile has a far more traditional way for man to be pitted against machine, on a much smaller, less history-defining scale. Hence, Mephisto Chess, a game based on the Mephisto range of chess computers from Saitek.

Initial impressions are exactly what you'd expect from a 2D top-down viewed chess game. There's not much you can really do to make the graphics anything other than adequately detailed, after all.

The visuals here do what they need to – they're modest yet clear and functional, with some nice shading on the pieces and board, which comes in a selection of finishes (classic, marble or metal) and fills the screen.

As with just about any chess program every created, you can choose to set the game up as computer vs computer, human vs computer, or human vs human through pass-and-play. Meanwhile, control couldn't be more straightforward: select the chess piece you want to move, then direct your cursor onto the square you want it to move to.

There are nine skill levels settings to the game, ranging form ego-boostingly easy to brain-melting hard. It's fine to play at the default setting of '3' if you're a novice to moderate chess player, but if you consider your powers to be of a higher level, then it's probably best to start at 4 or 5.

For beginners, there's also a 'best move' feature that, as the name suggests, highlights what the game considers to be the next logical move for you to make.

Although there are no sound effects, the game does feature three background tunes, which are competent and perfectly suited, if unexciting. Then again, you're hardly going to get a banging techno soundtrack on a chess game.

Mephisto Chess is a competent chess package for the mobile that doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It's chess, and if you like playing chess then you'll enjoy this. It's a great way for novice players to brush up on their game, for instance, and should prove a decent challenge for anyone not looking to take Deep Blue.