Do your kids love to play games? Mine do! We were thrilled when we were given the opportunity to review Fun Family Chess from Brain Blox. Michael already knows how to play chess, but no one else in the house knows how to. This was the perfect way for us to learn how to play chess.
Brain Blox is a family-owned company that creates educational toys, games, and resources for children of all ages. Their goal is to get kids to turn off the television, unplug from the electronics, and use their creative minds to explore the world around them. They strongly believe that the happiest, healthiest kids are those that are free to be the person they were created to be! Kids should be free to express themselves, free to explore, and free to play using their imaginations.
Fun Family Chess is a fantastic game! It's an easy to understand game of chess. Doesn't that comment sound strange. Chess~ easy to understand? Years ago, chess was a popular game that many people played. It was a game 2 players played that challenged their brains. It was a thinking man's game.
"Chess is like the gymnasium for the mind."
~Blaise Pascal
Somewhere along the line, chess became a confusing game. Many people no longer felt they were able to comprehend the challenging aspects of the game. I know I've tried to learn over the years and just never seemed to be able to comprehend what I was supposed to be doing. Fun Family Chess solves the fear many people have about playing chess.
Fun Family Chess includes....
Folding wooden chess board (it stores the games pieces when folded)
32 wooden chess pieces with their own velvet storage bags (2 colors white & brown)
Full color chess book that explains the game
2 sturdy reference cards
Wooden game cube
The full color chess book is like a chess manual. It explains how to set up the game, how to play the game, and offers various tips and strategies for players. The chess book actual explains how to play two different ways, how to play Fun Family Chess or standard chess.
The Fun Family Chess way to play introduces the player to the wonderful game of chess. Players use the wooden game cube in this game. Once they roll the die, they see what move they can make. They match the color-coded symbol to their chess piece. With the help of the reference card, they make their move. It's a great way to help people learn the rules of chess. I relied heavily on the reference cards. There are a lot of rules to memorize in chess.
The Standard way to play chess is played without the die. This is the regular way to play chess. The book explains how players can win and how the pieces can make a few different moves. The detail information clearly explains to the player what they need to know. They'll learn about checkmate, en passant, pawn promotion, and castling. Most of these terms I had never heard of before.
The last section of the book is filled with tips and strategies that will help the players become better chess players.
"One doesn't have to play well,
it's enough to play better than your opponent."
~Siegbert Tarrasch
What Did We Think About Fun Family Chess?
I was very impressed with this game. The actual game pieces were made extremely well and will last a long time if families take care of it. It can easily be passed down generation after generation. I loved the fact that all the pieces could be stored in the wooden game box and everything fit back nice and neat into its original box. It locks shut and keeps everything safe and sound.
The instructions were easy to understand and I felt I could finally comprehend what I was supposed to be doing in this game. Michael liked the reference cards. He said when he was learning how to play he had to keep looking up the proper way to move in a book he had. He said the reference cards were great for helping kids memorize the ways to move faster.
He also liked the storage game box. He remembers loosing too many pawn pieces as a kid when he was little. He used to play against himself by himself. Sad, I know! He said Fun Family Chess was more fun than playing a game all by yourself.
Therese did give the game a try. She tough the Fun Family Chess way to play was easy and helped explain how to play the game. It broke down the rules and explained them in simple, easy to understand ways.
The only thing I didn't like about the game is that it didn't exist when Michael was little! It would have been a great way for him to learn to play chess. I could have learned too. Instead, he learned on a computer program, since none of use knew how to play. I would have preferred him to learn in a more hands-on way.
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Fun Family Chess from Brain Blox!
Till Next Time,
Monique
very informative blog .I have joyed your post and appreciate you for sharing ,this thanks a lot.Read more blog about chess
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