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Learn To Play Chess!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 18
Date: January 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I really like this computer game because it uses parts-to-whole instruction - it introduces each chess piece separately with an interesting strategy game that teaches how it moves.

Kids have to master the strategy games for each piece before they are given a chance to play with a full board.

But more important than MY impressions are those of my kids - 6 and 8, boy and girl, - who just LOVE this game and cheer each other on. I am thrilled to have them captivated by a "thinking" game. They have generalized their interest in chess to a real board too - they do not just play the game on the computer.

Another note - while I personally enjoy the graphics, they are not sophisticated or realistic, but more like illustrations in a children's book.

Definitely worth the money.

great match for my 6-year-old son

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

product is well designed.
my 4 and 6 year-old boys both love it, although it's really better for ages 5,6,7, and up.
they play silly, fun games (involving smashing toilets or sumo wrestling, for example) that cleverly teach them basic chess moves and their consequences. i think they can also play 'real' chess games, but my kids haven't tried out that part yet.
i like the fact that it has quality music, graphics, and intelligent games without violence or characters with bad attitudes.

Great way to learn chess.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This program has a slightly forced story line, but that doesn't get in the way of a wonderful multimedia learning experience. You don't need to know anything about the game to start, but you will be able to play as a competent beginner by the end. A good chess program is built-in for kids to play, even after they've completed all of the lessons. The mini-games (that teach principles of movement and tactics) are creative and fun. My daughters keep playing them, even after they learned how to play the proper game. I bought this for my 8 year old daughter, but the mini-games are fun enough that her 4 year old sister likes to play them! The later lessons are good continuing and repeating tactics practice. Between the fun mini-games and later practices, this CD can has high replay even after completing all the sections.

Works as it should on OS/X (not a bogus Windows port).

Highly recommended.

Learning is fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is well designed, bright, colorful and attractive. It captured and continues to captivate its 7-year old user - he loves the game-like challenges and learns and hones the fundamentals of chess along the way, on his terms. The fairy-tale characters are likable and credible and guide the student nicely through the mazes of the fairy tale story and the real game of chess. They use proper and correct English. Most speak American, one speaks a highly cultured but pleasant and unstilted form of British. As students acquire skills the program rewards them with access to new games and with periodic promotions; and as they accomplish specific tasks they are sometimes celebrated for them - complete with music and flowers. Kids just love challenges and positive feedback - and this program excels at both.

wrong version sent

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

i was sent the wrong version (windows instead of mac) - but the box did say it was mac version. when i phoned customer service i was expecting the run-around. instead, i got a lady named "jen" (foreign accent) that was extremely helpful and polite!! she promptly requested another be sent, and that amazon check inside to make sure that it's the correct version prior to shipping, and sent a return address label to my e-mail address so i would not have to pay for return shipping. i was rather on the fuming side prior to speaking to "jen" - so thankful that i received her on my customer service call!!

Great!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

My sons (ages 9 and 5) have loved this! Some times they ask me to help, but mostly they have played on their own. Works on my Mac just fine!

Instant enthusiast

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I purchased Fritz and Chesster for my 7 year old son, hoping that he would get a break from Pokemon. Within a week, he was a chess fan! And one morning, my 5 years old daughter who was watching my son practicing with sumo wrestlers the whole time, invited me for a chess match. She had all pieces set up correctly, and she proceeded to teach me how each piece moves! Very accessible training tool.

Wastes a lot of time teaching piece strategy.....

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 26, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The idea behind the game seems to be to introduce the student to a bunch of fun video games that teach how individual pieces move, and that after playing them for a good amount of time, the student will know chess. So while it makes it more fun, it also involves much more time to teach the game.

The program makes the student master the strategy for each and every piece individually before actually playing chess or introducing them to the game. It doesn't seems to be teaching the whole game, and I think it is wasting too much time on individual instruction before allowing them to have a holistic view of the game. My kids now know how each individual piece moves, but they don't know what the goal in chess is (how to win), and because they haven't mastered piece strategy, they aren't allowed out of the training room.

I had an employer do this to me once. They taught me all the individual programs I used in the job before showing me how it all came together. On the last day or two of the 2 week training, they introduced the main program that controlled the others and they actually let us observe people doing the work. It was the worst training I ever had.

runs great on new macbook w/ OS 10.5

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It's a great game. The kids are learning. And they love it! We've got all sorts of cousins and friends kids and everybody loves this games! I think chess is great for helping kids see things a few steps ahead. So for a kid who may have trouble with planning or thinking sequentially I think chess could potentially really help. First you have to teach them to move the pieces around and accept the rules and this game is great for that. It definitely teaches strategy in a way kids can remember. It gives them words to describe strategies and act them out (on the board and in the yard!)

I specifically got this with an autistic kid in mind and it has been GREAT for him but everybody loves it! I highly recommend the board game "No Stress Chess" as well. These two go great together. As I'm telling the kids, the great thing about chess is that it is played and respected throughout the world so you will never want for a partner.

Oh yes, and it runs great with no problems on the pentium Macbook with OS 10.5. We will be buying the sequel very soon.

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