Chess Sets Online: The Long History Of Chess

In the novel Through The Looking Glass, the author, Lewis Carroll, depicts much of his heroine's adventures taking place in a dream world based on chess set pieces. This story, published in 1871, reflects the interest in the game of chess that has existed for hundreds of years. This has led not only to many people being motivated to buy chess sets but also a fascination with the game, it's strategies and traditions.

Some research indicates a version of chess may have existed in China in the second century AD but the first records of the game exist in India where the game was played prior to the sixth century. From here, the game seemed to have spread to Persia and then across the Muslim world before reaching Europe. The game was originally known as 'chaturanga' in India and the chess set pieces were divided into four military divisions: cavalry, elephantry, chariotry and infantry. These four divisions became the knight, rook, bishop and pawn in the modern game.

Chess was mentioned in a Persian poem written in the seventh century and in several subsequent poems and essays soon after. Known as Shatrang, the game had mystical connotations in India and Persia at this time.

It is sobering to understand just how global the game of chess really is: it has individual names in most languages, including Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Latin, Catalan, Italian, French, Dutch, Mongol and Arabic. It was carried across the known world into Spain by the Moors and spread into the corners of Europe by the year 1000 and Buddhist pilgrims and Silk Road traders spread the game to the Far East.

Interestingly, the chess set pieces were often individually prized as gifts and ornaments in their own right. The modern trend to buy a carved chess set as a present and room feature as well as part of a game to play seems to continue this tradition.

It seems likely the game of chess reached Britain with the Norman conquest of 1066 and, as in the rest of Europe, chess became a game associated with culture and nobility but as time moved on the intensity sometimes created by playing chess could create violence. This was a problem that seemed to worry the Church and in 1061 Saint Peter Damian even criticized the Bishop of Florence for playing chess. Perhaps inevitably the game became the focus of prize money and gambling during medieval times and as a result Louis IX of France banned gambling in 1254. Nonetheless the French people ignored him and continued to wager money on chess games.

It was at the start of the sixteenth century that chess began to assume its modern form. Prior to that time, the rules varied and the chess set pieces could move in ways that would surprise us now. A Russian version gave the queen the ability to move like a knight.

Chess was played in the London coffee houses during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, indeed around 1840, as Britain formed its vast empire, London became the focus of the growth of the game. The first organized chess tournament seems to have taken place in London in 1851 and the winner was a German professor of Mathematics, Adolf Andersson. By 1990 there were more than one thousand international tournaments.

Russian chess players tend to dominate the game but that is not surprising when you consider chess is the national sport of that country, where it is more popular than football.

Whole books have been written about the history of the game of chess and indeed about the individual pieces and the stories and variations of the game are many and fascinating. Whenever you buy a chess set and pick up one of the chess set pieces, it is very easy to feel a connection to all those people throughout history who have done the same thing.

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   Chess Basics and Strategy to Dominate the Home Game - Beat Your Friends at Chess 1   5 Tips on How to Improve Your Chess Skills   

A New Lease on Dice: Dungeons and Dragons Getting A Remake.

Before Skyrim, before Oblivion, before Morrowind, before World of Warcraft, before Final Fantasy, before Everquest, before the Final Fantasy games that actually took place in fantasy settings, before Dragon Warrior before role-playing games had taken place electronically there was Dungeons & Dragons. One of the greatest games for kids, past generations of children would get together over graham crackers and punch and sit at a table with a pair of dice and a dungeon master who at times may have been a little too arbitrary. Many consider these meetings--which would sometimes go for 8 hours straight-to be the grandfather of the role-playing genre. But with the new generation of role-playing gamers, there simply is no patience, appreciation or understanding for this old and outdated game.

In the process of designing a 5th edition of the game, Wizards of the Coast-a Hasbro subsidiary that owns the game-has issued a call to all the faithful for some feedback on how D&D can finally level up while maintaining the mysticism and magic as it did during its creation in 1974. Wizards explain the Dungeons and Dragons games for kids is a "unique entertainment experience because it's crafted by the players at the table, and every gaming session is different," says Liz Schuh, director of licensing and publishing for Dungeons & Dragons, "We want to take that idea of the players crafting that experience to the next level and say: "Help us craft the rules. Help us craft how this game is played."

Dungeons & Dragons evolved from a cult sensation of nerds and Apple II users to a niche subculture, with rumors that it was among a series of Games for Kids that attracted children to black magic and even suicide rituals. It's been said throughout the decades that 20 million have rolled the dice and wandered the dungeons with an estimated $1 billion spent on D&D products. But over time, the game drowned itself with so many different editions and ways to play based on a multitude of skill levels that only lead to heavy confusion. So the challenge for making one of the greatest kids for games relevant to today's generation exists within finding a balance between simplifying the game for newcomers while rewarding the experience for the masters who put their time into the craft. "We're really lucky that we have such passionate fans," Ms. Schuh said, "and we anticipate they'll roll up their sleeves and help us in this effort."

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   5 Tips on How to Improve Your Chess Skills   Chess Basics and Strategy to Dominate the Home Game - Beat Your Friends at Chess 1   Santiago De Cuba Board Game Review   

Chess Teacher - The Game

Chess Teacher is a family game developed by Excalibur, Inc. based in Miami, FL for those eager to learn the exciting game of chess. The game is similar to any chess board but comes with a simple breakdown to teach the young and old chess novices how to play. Beginners can easily learn to play chess with the Chess Teacher Set.

Chess Teacher comes with the below elements and has an easy-to-follow format. Included in the game is an 8x8 square folding board of black and white tiles. The Staunton-style plastic playing pieces involve 16 black chess pieces (8 main pieces and 8 pawns) and 16 white chess pieces similarly. All the elements come packaged in a convenient tin which is perfect for storage or travel.

What is unique about Chess Teacher is that in addition to the pieces are instructional diagrams which attach to the piece itself. These indicate appropriate piece movement such as which direction they can maneuver and how many spaces.

A user guide is also included which provides detailed chess rules and tips for beginners. The guide begins with the basic outline of each piece and how they are to be placed and moved across the board. Next, an outline of chess rules from setting up play to movements of the pieces. The guide details many special moves which are important in learning how to play chess effectively. These moves include; capturing a piece, castling, capturing en passant, promotion and check. Endgame is briefly addressed as well and players can learn about checkmate, resignation and a draw. The user guide concludes with a few tips on chess to assist you in playing well from the beginning.

This game can be found in plenty of retail outlets such as toy stores, Wal-Mart, Target as well as online on Amazon or other purchasing outlets.

While there is plenty of information online to learn the complex game of chess; this game is very effective especially if you are interested in teaching children the game. Having the basic rules and movements conveniently at your disposal is a great way to learn without frustration. Most people learn by picking up the pieces one at a time and evaluating their scope. The diagrams included will make this a fun and simple experience. Having the additional instructions is very useful as it can sometimes take awhile to memorize how each piece moves. Chess is a highly strategic game and having Chess Teacher will allow a beginner to learn quickly how to play.

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   Tips and Tricks for Playing a Washers Game   

The History Of Backgammon Sets

The earliest backgammon sets known to exist were found in archaeological digs in the Middle East. The oldest was discovered in an ancient city located in modern day Iran. Researchers believe the game board to date to around 3000 BC. This makes it one of the oldest board games known to exist.

This specific board was similar in many respects to a contemporary backgammon game. Two dice and approximately 60 checkers were included. However, the exact rules used by the ancient players are not known. The degree of similarity with the modern game is uncertain.

Other artifacts and documents reveal that the game was played throughout the region. Most notably, several boards discovered in the city of Ur also date to the same era. There is also evidence to suggest the game was known in ancient India and Egypt as well.

During the time of the Roman Empire, games similar to backgammon were played in Rome. The exact rules have been lost to history. Numerous boards exist. These also were accompanied with counters and dice. The Roman variant appears to have used three dice rather than two. Most of the surviving boards include 24 points.

The closest ancestors to the modern game can be found in medieval Europe. In France, the "Games of Tables" began in the 11th Century. It quickly became popular with gamblers and travelers.

While today board games are uncontroversial, there was some intense opposition to them during certain historical periods. Within 250 years of their origin in France, the Games of Tables were banned by the King, Louis IX. Similarly, the Church of England outlawed all boards games during the rule of Queen Elizabeth. In those times and places, backgammon sets would have been illegal contraband.

Today, most backgammon boards are two-sided. Many are designed the two halves of a box. This allows for the easy storage of the dice and the checkers while the game is not being played.

Both sides of the board contain 12 points. Each point is a long triangle of one of two colors. The colors correspond to the checkers. Each player selects a different color at the start of the game.

Throughout history, backgammon has been played in many periods, nations and settings. People of all classes, from kings to wandering gamblers, have participated in the game or its ancestors. The games has even been played on the ocean; a board, along with counters and dice, was discovered in sunken hull of a Dutch ship from the 1600s.

Many variants and offshoots of the game have developed over the course of its long history. These include both primarily geographical versions and more strategic differences. One of the more modern innovations to the gameplay was the addition of the doubling cube.

While a doubling cube superficially resembles a die, it is in fact a marker to be placed on the board. The addition of this piece changes the game significantly. Most modern players prefer to play with one, as it makes the game move more quickly and deepens the available tactics.

The doubling cube originated in New York City in the 1920s. While the exact story of its invention remains unknown, the cube first appeared in gaming clubs. Its addition brought an ancient game more in line with modern expectations.

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   Chess Basics and Strategy to Dominate the Home Game - Beat Your Friends at Chess 1   Washer Toss - Playing a Simple Yet Fun Game   Interesting Facts About the Letter V   

Stone Age, Board Game Review

First off, let's talk about the basic rules of the game. Stone Age is a worker placement game. Each player starts out with 5 people which can be placed in various places on the board in order to gather food, resources, make tools, construct buildings, advance in the food chain, produce more people or advance the civilization. Workers are placed in yellow "rings" and each place has 1 to 7 rings available for worker placement.

Each round of the game comprises of 3 phases:

Players place their workers on the board. The starting player places one or more workers on a place then the next player, in clockwise order, places some workers and so on until all players have placed all of their people on the board. The number of rings on the board indicate how many workers can be placed in a particular location. Each player is permitted to place workers only once per turn in a specific place. Players use the actions of their placed workers. Players can choose the order in which each action is taken. Players feed their people. All workers must be fed with 1 food originating either from standard food production (according to placement in the food track) or stocked food. Food can be stocked by hunting in the Hunting Grounds.

The possible places for worker placement are:

The hunting grounds. Here people hunt for food. This is the only place where no rings are shown and players may put as many workers as they like but remember, only once per turn! Players roll as many dice as the amount of workers placed, during the second phase, and get food equal to the result of the dice divided by 2 and rounded down. Forest, Clay Pit, Quarry and River. Here people work for wood, clay, stone and gold accordingly. A total of 7 workers can be placed here. Players, during the second phase, roll as many dice as the amount of workers placed and receive an amount of the relevant resources equal to the result of the dice divided by 3,4,5 or 6 rounded down accordingly. The Hut. Only a single player can place workers here. 2 people (man+woman) are placed here in order to produce an extra worker during the second phase. The Field. Only one worker can be placed here. During the second phase, the player who placed a worker here will advance in the food track 1 space, increasing his food production. Tool maker. Only one worker can be placed here. He grants the player with an extra tool, used to reinforce the result of dice when gathering resources. Players can use tools in dice rolling to improve the dice result by adding the value of one or more tools to the result, thus making up for a bad roll. Each tool can be used once per round. Buildings. Players place a single worker on any building. During the second phase they will pay some resources to construct the building and will be given instantaneously some victory points. Civilization cards. Players place a single worker on any card. During the second phase they will pay the amount of resources shown on the top of the location and will be given the card along with an instant bonus (There is one exception of a card granting 2 resources that can be claimed instantly or later in the game. Each civilization card gives a bonus that will give victory points at the end of the game. Cards may reward the player for the amount of workers, tools, buildings, food production or similar cards he has.

Now let's see how the game scores in each of our review scoring categories, which are:

Components - Are the game components carefully designed? Are they beautiful and do they add to the value and feel of the game?

Gameplay - Is the gameplay interesting enough? Does it have enough depth?

Learning Curve - Is the game easy to learn or do you have to look up the rules each time you play it?

Theme - Does the game give a sense of immersion? Can you imagine being in the world it depicts?

Fun - Does the game make you laugh or at least have a good time while playing? Is it enjoyable enough?

Components:

The gameboard is just awesome! It's very colorful and impressive. All places where you can assign your workers are depicted with beautiful detail and appear connected to one another, forming an amazing little world. The individual player boards is the place to put your food, tools, buildings, tokens and resources. It also provides useful information about how civilization cards are used to gain victory points and what are the various multipliers for the resources. After a while you will remember these by heart but for the first couple of games it can come up handy. Resource blocks depict well each resource and the leather dice cup ensures that the dice are rolled without much noise. 8/10

Gameplay:

Gameplay is the most essential part in a game. No matter how beautiful a game looks, if it hasn't enough depth to keep you wanting for more, you will easily be bored. After playing a few games of Stone Age I realized that Stone Age is not an easy game to master. Each and every game will be a different one and players have to constantly think and adjust their gameplay and strategy according to the particular circumstances. More than often you will have to face crucial questions: Should I try to get that civ card that will give me more points or maybe should I aim to sabotage an opponent who is building up in structures? Should I make another tool or go for the field before the place is taken? One of the most intriguing aspects is the limitation of rings per location as well as the uniqueness of locations e.g the hut, toolmaker and fields. Only one player can occupy these places which makes the decision of proper worker placement pretty challenging. The most important part of the game is the first phase and players should pay attention not only to their own progress but to their opponents as well. Don't forget civilization cards when acquired are placed face down, so you must try to remember what your opponents strategy is. Dice rolling will be done extensively in the game but strangely it won't affect a lot the path to victory (partially because using the tools you make, dice results can be improved). Close attention has been paid to the variations of the game for 2-3 players, introducing new challenges and requiring a bit different strategy. For example in a 2-player game, only 2 of the 3 places: Hut, Field, Tool Maker are available, plus only one player can occupy the resource locations. Considering the fact that most games lose some of their fun factor when played with less than 4 players, this is a point where Stone Age shines. Overall I think that, although simple in implementation, the game is very challenging and can become quite addictive as the road to victory is never straightforward. 9/10

Learning Curve:

The game rules may seem a bit confusing at first but after playing 2-3 games, all becomes perfectly clear and rules are very easy to remember. Individual player boards help towards that, by containing information about resource multipliers/point values and the way civilization cards work. 7/10

Theme:

Although the game board and components are beautifully designed and depict the theme of the Stone Age quite successfully, the mechanics of the game don't have enough depths to let you actually feel like being a caveman. Maybe if the people tokens were designed with more inspiration.... 6/10

Fun:

Stone Age isn't a game that will make you burst in laughs in any case. There is no player interaction in any way, which some may think as a downside that affects the fun factor However, if you like strategy games, Stone Age can be very engaging and keep you nice company for a lot of hours as you struggle to find the key to success. A key that will be somewhat twisted in every game you play. 7/10

Pros:

Each game is different A lot of strategy involved Special rules for 2-3 player game which can be even more challenging

Cons:

No player interaction

Overall score: 7.4

Find out more about Stone Age at:

http://www.boardgamemaniac.com/Games/By-Genre/Strategy-Games/Stone-Age-l34.html

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   Interesting Facts About the Letter V   Tips and Tricks for Playing a Washers Game   

Put Cuponk On Your Wish List

We all have our wish lists, whether it is for the holiday season, a birthday, or just because. The fact is we are all human and we all desire nice things and fun things. One thing that should not be missed is putting Cuponk on your wish list so that you can have years of fun and entertainment.

Fun For Everyone!

For adults, they can start playing with their kids, spending quality time together, something necessary for close family ties. Adults can also enjoy Cuponk with their own friends, turning a dinner party into something memorable. It is a hot game that is made for everyone, regardless of age or gender.

Contents

It comes with a special cup with a backboard funnel, special balls and trick cards. There are different styles of cups to choose from, just to make it even more personal an experience. The players must pick a trick card when it is their turn and then perform the trick successfully. The trick always involves getting the ball into the cup, which will light up and make some crazy sounds afterward.

Affordable

It is also a great form of entertainment that is inexpensive. In fact, it is just a matter of the initial investment, which is also a very affordable investment which retails around $20 to $30. That means that there can be endless nights and afternoons of fun with the game they can get everyone involved.

The Rules Of The Game

The rules of the game allow for everything in the home to be allowable. That means that you can bank the ball off the wall, use the stairs, the ceiling, or what have you. It is all legal. What makes this game even more special than most others is the fact that all ages can play at once. So, a family with different age groups can enjoy a few games together, without any real concern for damages, as the balls are quite light. It's kind of like beer pong rules, but without the beer.

Fun For A Long Time

In a time with economic instability, where consumers have felt the squeeze and have chosen to stay at home to save a few dollars, it is a great way to do that without being bored. Playing games with friends or family members is a good way to laugh and pass the time pleasantly, as opposed to just sitting in front of a television wasting precious time.

A Family Event

Life is filled with special moments, and those are the times that are spent with others, laughing, socializing, and so on. These are the things that people will remember forever. No one will remember watching television, but everyone will remember those memorable moments playing fun games and spending good quality time with the people they love.

Scrabble's X Factor   Scrabble Tip - Learn High-Scoring Words   Bohnanza Board Game Review   Tips and Tricks for Playing a Washers Game