Several years ago, I received a No Stress Chess set for my birthday. I had placed it on my Amazon wish list after I saw it at Barnes and Noble once. It has gotten much use with the kids and the game is definitely an enjoyable way to teach the basic of chess.
“No Stress Chess” is designed around a deck of cards that describe the moves of each of the chess pieces. Each player takes turns flipping through the cards, one by one. At each card, the card tells the player the moves that each piece can make as the player moves across the board. To play by the rules, the players allow the cards to move through the entire game. This not only helps the players learn to play, but also introduces strategy as well.
The game’s premise is a very simple concept but it provides a great way to repeat and reinforce the basic moves of chess. The game provides instruction on where to place the games pieces on the board to start the game and the direction of travel. There are also different variations of play in the instruction manual. I will also add that the pieces themselves are also very nice. The makers could have used cheaper material but the pieces are heavy and stable.
We have used this game extensively to teach my oldest girls to play chess and will use the same technique to teach the other two as well. For that, I fully endorse this pick of the week!