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No Stress Chess from Winning Moves
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Minimum Age: 7 years
Rating: 
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Our Editorial Review
Product Description With this revolutionary chess teacher, you'll be playing the world's greatest game in no time at all! Unlike any other chess teacher, No Stress Chess teaches you how to play using illustrated cards and an illustrated two-sided game board. Includes two-sided chess board, 17 charcoal pieces, 17 ivory pieces, 56 action cards, black plastic card tray and instructions. For two players.
Customer Reviews
Great Family Game Posted 23 October 2008
I highly recommend this game, especially for families. I have played with all of my children. The youngest is 4 and the oldest is 10. We have had a great time, and the children have all learned the game easily. You can use one side of the board to learn where all the pieces go, and use it with the cards. After learning, you can flip the board over and use the standard chess board. Even without the cards, the game would be worth the $13 I paid for it. With the cards, it opens up the world of chess to the entire family. The only downside is that my children argue about who gets to play me first each night.
An awesome apporach to chess! Posted 28 September 2008
Took it out of the box today shortly before dinner, the worst time of the day to introduce something new to children. My six-year-old and my almost-5-year-old dove right in and played three rounds of Level 1 against each other. Within ten minutes, both kids had learned how to move every single chess piece. Yes, I was there, explaining things when they made mistakes and pointing out opportunities to take pieces, but after two games they informed me I was no longer needed (not true, actually, but it will be true by tomorrow).
The board has two sides - I didn't realize this for the first few games, and played on the "real chess" side. The other side includes drawings to show you where to set up your pieces. With the pictures, my kids have no trouble setting up.
Games took less than 10 minutes. We haven't tried the more advanced levels, which give players a little more control over which piece they move (at the basic level, you draw a card and move the piece it tells you to move).
Both kids wanted to play again after dinner and by bedtime, my daughter told me that she really did not want to stop playing!
My track record teaching things I love to my children is not great. I do love chess, and I must say, this was truly No Stress. I'm about to buy an extra set to donate to my 5-year-old's classroom so she can play it during indoor recess.
Combines a game of chance with one of skill Posted 27 September 2008
Previous reviewers on Amazon US have generally given praise for this clever game, both an introduction to how its included pieces conventionally move and also, in a twist that even those who know how to play already may enjoy, giving this ancient game of skill a bit of chance. My post shows in more detail how this concept works on various levels according to the directions. Cards for each piece show the moves, and if you draw the card, you must move the piece. If you cannot, you lose your turn. This allows, as the clearly indicated instructions explain, a freedom not open to standard players.
This also liberates the King somewhat, to attack more often. The booklet, which also gives a concise explanation of standard chess, puts the rationale of this version thus: "You can take a chance of exposing your pieces to possible capture in the hopes your opponent won't draw a card picturing a piece he can move to capture yours." You also may draw, in six places in the 56-card deck, a "move same type of piece again," which allows you to use either the card your opponent would draw next or your own.
Level One follows these rules, after an initial non-carded set-up of one at both color's queen's file of the pawn two squares and each king's pawn one. Then, the card shuffle begins. This previous placement opens up the pieces in the back rank for action. Level Two deals a three-card hand to each player before play begins from which he can select one piece; Level Three does this with five cards. This mimics more closely the actual array of options in standard chess.
For advanced guidance into learning chess strategy, there's further variations. You can also add en passant, pawn promotion, castling, and checking to Level Three, therefore following regular chess with the unpredictable card-shuffle of "No Stress." Although by then, I imagine, there'd be enough tension akin to a conventional game! That can be done, naturally, by flipping the laminated cardboard over and pursuing a regular match. Plastic pieces can topple over very easily, a slight drawback, but they are large enough to grasp easily in a child's hand and the green-and-white layout's easy on the staring eyes. The novelty of this board game is that you can combine, for beginners or for the curious, the chance of cards with the skill of chess.
Excellent teaching toy Posted 09 August 2008
I purchased "No Stress Chess" for my sons, 9 and 7. They had enjoyed "How to Play Chess with Fritz and Chester" on the computer, so I thought it was time for some hands on playing. They were dubious at first, but played through a game. It is now one of their favorite ways to spend time. I am surprised when I overhear their game and they have understanding of the rules of chess and movements of the pieces. I can say that they have taught themselves to play the game with the help of this set. My daughters, 10, 17, and 19, have started to play and learn the game as well. Overall, a great purchase, definitely recommended.
Two boys' review: How we learned to play chess and have fun with Papa  Posted 28 June 2008
Our family has played No Stress Chess for several months now. Our 5-year old and 4-year-old dove right in initially and we played this game night after night for the first couple of weeks. We still pull the game out now about 1-2 times per week, but we don't use the cards.
The reason I gave this only 4 stars instead of 5 is that the cards don't provide more information to transition beginners from the basic moves. The game should've included more tips to extend the usefulness of the playing cards.
Still, at $14, this is a great investment in family fun. The flip side of the board can continued to be used as a standard chess board.
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