My three complaints are:

1. how come there is no AC adapter included? that's not very smart.

2. inserting or replacing batteries is much more complicated than it should be

3. the plastic finish of the board and pieces looks rather cheap. it's a shame the manufacturer didn't try to make a really good looking product.

36 of 38 found the following review helpful:

Poor product  Nov 20, 2006
By Ernest Gundel
First I'll list the few things I like about this product:

I like that it's a tournament sized board with a feel that will be familiar to chess tournament players. I like that it is auto-sensory (senses the movement of pieces without pressing down on a square). I like that one of the playing levels tries to match the human players play rate (if a human plays quickly at first, then slows down in mid-game, the computer will do the same).

Everything else is negative. The quality of workmanship is quite poor. The vinyl play surface is merely glued on, and starts to peel quickly. The computer plays a weaker game of chess than the comparably priced units from Saitek and Novag, and lacks several features that are common in high end chess machines. And the method of communication with the player (LCD notation only) makes rapid chess very difficult.

The approx $200 price tag seems attractive compared to the other available auto-sensory boards (novag citrine at $350, Saitek Exclusive at over $500), but those machines are much nicer and stronger (though all play pitifully compared to modern PCs).

60 of 67 found the following review helpful:

Not So GRAND(master)  Dec 28, 2001
By Jacob Jackson
~*~

This ... chess computer ... looks and feels like an actual tournament set. However, this Grandmaster ISN'T ALL THAT GRAND.

FIRST, the computer sometimes doesn't recognize checkmates between humans and lists them only as "check".

SECOND, the computer ALWAYS shows your human opponent which one of his pieces you are threatening by flashing the word "threat" for 8 seconds on his small LCD screen.

THIRD, you can't play against the computer without it telling you which one of your pieces IT is threatening.

FOURTH, there are no LED lights (those little red lights) to show you where the computer wants you to move its piece. You have to read your LCD, find the "from" square on the board, then the "to" square, then move the piece.

LAST, although the GM is recommended for all players, it is too difficult for beginners, even on the easiest level.

Even though a tournament-like chess computer may sound great, you're better off saving your money for a chess computer that REALLY IS GRAND.

Thank you for reading my review.

Jake

~*~

26 of 28 found the following review helpful:

It's all true.  Apr 07, 2008
By Joshua P. Putnam "Josh Putnam"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R14YEBTQOIC63C Everything you've heard about the Grandmaster is true. The good, and the bad. But the Grandmaster sets itself apart from other computers in two ways: It's strength and it's size. If you're looking for a chess computer, this is the Rolls Royce! :-D

17 of 19 found the following review helpful:

Grandmaster Tournament Size  Oct 18, 2003

This is the best electronic chess game you can buy for the money (I paid $100). It has big good looking pieces, great looking board, it is tounament size, not a tiny little cheap looking toy. It has great teaching modes. It moves fast even at the harder levels so you can play alot of games (I had a board that took hours to make a move). You dont have to push on the board at all, just move your piece and it automatically senses the piece. And it is really hard, belive me, this machine is going to punish you unless you are some sort of master yourself.

See all 23 customer reviews on Amazon.com