No excuse for an underpowered offering on this platform.
My beginning gripe has got to be the complete lack of ANY recorded chess matches. There isn't a single classic match to be reviewed. This is unacceptable considering that the GBA version had roughly 100 or so matches that could be studied. This is a huge selling point for most chess fans and I have no idea why this wouldn't be offered in a UMD format considering the storage space available.
The tutorials included are basic at best. If you have any concept of how chess is played you won't be getting much use out of the included tutorials. The tutorials consist of how pieces move and an introduction to some chess terminology. Nothing that even an intermediate chess player wouldn't already know.
There is no online play to speak of. None. You have the option to play an Ad-Hoc game with someone locally who also happens to have a copy of the game, but you won't be playing with a second player any other way. No two-player board game should EVER be released without the option of online play.
Last but certainly not least is the entire presentation of this game. I was very curious to know why I couldn't find screen shots of the PSP version of this game anywhere. The reason for the lack of screen shots is apparently because the graphics are exactly the same as the Nintendo DS offering. There is no option for a 3D board, there are limited 2D chess sets to choose from, and the stock animations during the tutorials are jerky and monotonous.
While this game rides on the "Chessmaster" name and does present a decent chess engine you're really better off purchasing Online Chess Kingdoms for a more satisfying game of chess both aesthetically and competitively. I would definitely recommend a pass on this one. Ubisoft shouldn't be rewarded for releasing a sub-par PSP chess offering, especially one that they're charging premium price for.