Photo-A-Day 2.0 #00490

We received a copy of Story Time Chess for free to play with and review. Opinions are our own.

When I was a kid we used to have a home in New Hampshire. My Dad and his friend built the place and we would go there for a couple of weeks each Summer. We’d also go in the Winter. There was no TV there and you pretty much could explore the backyard, read and play games. My dad taught me how to play chess during those trips to the cabin. It is something that I have always carried with me. How to play chess is something that I think all kids should be taught.

I’ve taught Andy how to play chess in the past. He loves the game. He does not like losing to me over and over but he keeps trying. We had a board that tried to teach kids about all the pieces but it was sort of high-brow and stuffy. I couldn’t even get through it.

However, Story Time Chess is different it is geared toward the younger player and explains the movements of the pieces in such clear language. The explanation of the movements of the pieces are explained in a story. We meet the two kings, two queens, their pawns, rooks, knights and bishops. As we meet each character we are presented with mini games to help kids get used to the movements of the pieces/characters. There are 3 or so mini games for each piece. There are also two ways in which to use Story Time Chess. You can use the Story Time Cheese side of the board and play the Story Time Chesse version of the game. Playing the Story Time Version also gets kids used to the movements of the pieces. The object of this game is not to capture the king piece but rather to get five gems or five pieces of pizza before your opponent.

Each player takes a Story Time Chess card before their move. The cards have certain objectives to them that instruct the player on what they need to do to earn a gem or piece of pizza. You could pull a card that says that you need to move both of your knights two times. Once you have completed that you earn a gem or piece of pizza. Some cards instruct the player to get a gem or piece of pizza automatically and the reset the board. Constantly resetting the board and performing tasks does not make it possible to capture the king. It does, however, teach players all about the movements of the pieces in a fun way that will stick with them.

You can then flip the board over and play a true game of chess. Andy and I have played several times since we opened the box. We continue to play together and I help him see where he can safely move and how to assess the movements of all the pieces when determining his next move. This is one game that he asks me to play more often than any other even though he has never beaten me. That day will come, however. That day will come.

We will use this game to teach the cousins how to play when we can finally come together safely.

Right now Story Time Chess is on sale for $49.99 through their website. I have additional information about the game below.

Story Time Chess ($49.99 at https://storytimechess.com/storytime-chess-the-game/) was first discovered by retailers at NYC’s Toy Fair last month. This month, it has been flying off the online shelves because it works! Preschoolers ages 3 and up, with their homeschooling siblings, are learning along with mom and dad the many ins and outs of this timeless strategic game. With whimsy names like Bea and Bop, The Bishops, Clip and Clop, and The Knights, the iconic black and white game pieces come alive with backstories that are fun, silly and naturally memorable. Here’s a fun video that explains the game and how it works: https://www.facebook.com/StoryTimeChess/videos/465299157235137/

There are so many benefits to learning the game, no matter your age or ability. K-12 students will benefit the most with strengthening academic performance, improving retained test scores, enhancing arithmetic skills, sharpening critical thinking and boosting EQ – emotional intelligence. Parents who don’t play chess themselves will be relieved that if they can read a story to a child, they can teach them chess (and learn the game themselves)!

Story Time Chess is based on a chess teaching method that has been utilized and perfected over the last 12 years through a New York City-based company called Chess At Three, which has successfully taught over 80,000 children in the last decade how to play chess through stories. The brand-new game compresses 12 years of knowledge from teaching young kids how to play chess and the result is a beautifully designed game that can teach any person from age 3-103 how to play chess through fun engaging stories and exercises.

As the website, storytimechess.com, outlines, “children have an astounding ability to retain stories down to the last detail. Telling a child an abstract rule may only confuse them because they have nothing to connect with. Instead of telling children what something is, Story Time Chess is perfect for showing the rules of the chess – through stories.”