Sega Chess
Sega Chess — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Sega Chess on?
- Sega Chess was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.
- When did Sega Chess release?
- Sega Chess was first released on December 31, 1991.
About Sega Chess
Patience, cunning and a desire to be the best - the keys to becoming a master of chess. Sega Chess gives even the most seasoned player the game of a lifetime!
Summary via IGDB.
Sega Chess on Wikipedia
Sega Chess is a 1991 chess video game developed by Probe Software and published by Sega for the Master System.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Developer
- Probe Software
- Publisher
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Warfare
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master System | 1991 | $7 | $14 | — | 4 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $5.99 in Jan 2011, $5.36 five years ago, and $6.58 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2011 | $5.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $30 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $50 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $0.99 | $9.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $0.99 | $11.50 |
| Jan 2016 | $0.99 | $11.50 |
| Jan 2017 | $0.99 | $16.93 |
| Jan 2018 | $4.96 | $6.04 |
| Jan 2019 | $7.71 | $8.34 |
| Jan 2020 | $4.68 | $9.38 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.50 | $7.66 |
| Jan 2022 | $4.91 | $7.09 |
| Jan 2023 | $4.00 | $9.00 |
| Jan 2024 | $5.65 | $13.28 |
| Jan 2025 | $3.29 | $13.38 |
| Jan 2026 | $6.58 | $17.58 |
| Oct 2026 | $6.58 | $14.10 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| Europe / PAL | 14 November 1991 | 7069 |
- Region
- EU
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
A competent chess program with overhead and 3-D views, and one of the cheapest European carts.
Sega Chess, also known as Master Chess, was developed by Probe Software and published by Sega, released in Europe on 14 November 1991. Mean Machines Sega described an overhead mode that is clearer and a 3-D mode that looks better, with all the rules of chess applied, including en passant and castling. Options include one or two players, sampled speech, the number of joypads used and how deeply the computer thinks. It offers hints and unlimited takebacks.
Games-X said it was everything a chess buff could want on the Master System, and enjoyable at all skill levels.
How it was made
Developed by Probe Software and published by Sega. Antony Lill is credited as programmer and Hugh Riley as artist.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 77% |
| Games-X | 4/5 | |
| Sega Force | 93% | |
| Sega Power | 5/5 |
“If you're lonely and desperate for a quick... game of chess, Sega Chess is here to help you. It plays a pret¬ ty good game (on the higher difficulty settings) but it's quite slow, not very responsive and the hanging around does get on your nerves.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Sega Master System version.
Before you buy
The European cart is cheap loose, below the middle for a European-only game. The look-alike risk is low. For a complete copy, check for the manual.
Sega Chess screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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