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Winning Moves Games No Stress Chess

Mindprint Rating

Tags

Mathematics ^21st Century Skills All Ages Game

Skills

Flexible Thinking Organization Abstract Reasoning Visual Memory Spatial Perception

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • No Stress Chess provides an engaging way for beginners to jump into playing the game without worrying about memorizing rules and thinking too much about complicated strategy.
  • This approach allows for players to build their understanding of chess strategy and participate in a competitive game, even if they are playing against an experienced player.
  • Having the option to flip the board and play the standard way makes the game a good choice for the long-term.

Considerations

  • Students might need adults to read the instructions to them or just have the adult explain or review some of the rules.

Mindprint Expert Review

No Stress Chess is an excellent game to teach flexible thinking and visual skills, and offers a great way to introduce and teach the game to beginners. One side of the board provides visual cues to learn to set up the game pieces and begin playing, while the other side provides a standard chess board. The game includes cards that identify the piece that the player will move with written and visual instructions on how to move that particular piece. Players take turns drawing cards and moving the corresponding piece according to the instructions on the card. This method enables beginners to learn how each piece moves without needing to think much about strategy from the onset. Instead, the player can gradually build his or her understanding of how to best move the pieces to win the game. The game can be played at several levels before reaching the final level, which is to flip the board over to the standard board side and play the authentic game of chess without card supports. The game provides instructions for playing at each level, as well as rules and basic strategy for standard chess. While the game is a great way to teach beginners to play chess, an adult with some knowledge of the game might still want to work with a child to read the instructions and help reinforce the rules.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Adults would enjoy playing with a child
  • For electronic games, gives positive or encouraging feedback
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Does not require excessive set-up time after first time use
  • Can be fun as a single player game
  • Multi-player game which fosters collaboration or cooperation
  • Well-made for the cost
  • For electronic games, can play without sound
  • For electronic games, allows user to save work
  • For electronic games, voice/sounds are appealing and pronounces words properly
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Manufacturer 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.