“COOL: SAN FRANCISCO & SHAKESPEARE”

Looking for chess games to play? It seems everyone is! Today, an estimated 605 million people around the world know how to play chess. From that number, 285 million play it online and 7.5 million are registered players, representing 160 countries worldwide.

Origin of Chess
Just how did chess become so widespread? Where do its roots come from? While this question remains one of debate, the most widely-accepted theory is that it was first played in India (Chaturanga) in the 7th century, then was introduced into the Persian Empire. When Persia was conquered by Arabia in the mid-7th century, the game evolved into Shatranj – popular among both Arabs and Europeans.

From this version, also known as Medieval Chess, modern-day chess was born in c. 1475. In the few hundred years prior to this advent, the original rules of Shatranj began to be modified to allow more movement about the board and thereby, require more involved strategy. Once adopted by Italy, the new rules quickly spread throughout Western Europe, and as they say, the rest is history, with more than 600 million people today knowledgeable of the game.

Chess Variants
In addition to chess though, there are hundreds of chess variants. Of these variants, some are more well-known than others, but all are related, and once you familiarize yourself with a few, learning the others comes relatively easily. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more recognizable chess games to play when you’re ready to dive into an imposing world of defense, attacks and moves.

Orthodox Chess
Traditional Chess or Orthodox Chess is played by two players on a square checkered board of 8 rows and 8 columns, comprised of 64 alternating “black” and “white” squares. The proper position of the board is to have a black square in the lower-left corner. Players alternate moves, one at a time. The player of the white pieces, opens the game.

Each player starts with 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king. Each type of piece is limited by specific movement. For instance, the queen can move any number of squares in any direction, while the pawn can only move forward; and after the first move, only one square at a time. Moving about the board, a player can take an opponent’s piece by moving into that square, essentially replacing the piece with one’s own.

The object is to try and capture the king of the opposing player. This can be achieved by actually taking the king or creating a situation in which the king cannot move without being taken on the next move. This “checkmate” ends the game, although games can also end with a stalemate or draw. For notation, each square corresponds to a combined letter and number, like a grid. Row: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Column: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h.

Xiangqi
Also known as Chinese Chess, Xiangqi is highly popular in Asian countries, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam. A variant of chess that is believed to have derived from Chanturanga, the game’s “playing field” is imagined as two palaces on opposite sides of a river. The object is the same as traditional chess: To capture (or stalemate) the king.

The board is comprised of 10 horizontal lines and nine vertical lines. A void called a “river” dissects the board. On one side, the “black” palace and its army exist. On the other, the “red.” In total, there are 64 squares, but unlike chess, the game is played on line intersections called “points” rather than the squares. Each palace consists of four squares, with an intersecting cross connecting its four corner “points.”

Each player starts with 16 pieces: 5 pawns, 2 cannons, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 elephants, 2 Mandarins, and 1 king, which are distributed across the board. As with chess, each piece is limited by specific movement and from this limitation enters strategy. To begin the game, “red” moves first and the game continues until a “checkmate” occurs. A player cannot check an opponent more than three times in a row using the same piece and same board positions. The game is a draw when it’s clear that neither side can checkmate or stalemate the opposing king.

Shogi
A chess variant that arose in the 12th century, the present-day form of Shogi is believed to have been played in Japan for the past 500 years. Translated, the game’s name means “general’s game,” which is in keeping with the militaristic aspect of all chess games.

The board is played on a square checkered board of 81 pieces, 9 x 9. The vertical rows are called “files” and the horizontal, “ranks.” All pieces are the same color, but the side that makes the game’s first move is designated “black,” while the opponent is “white.” Direction determines ownership – pieces pointing away from a player is his/hers.

Each player begins with 20 pieces: 9 pawns, 2 lances, 2 knights, 2 silver generals, 2 gold generals, 1 bishop, 1 rook, and 1 king. Each piece is limited by specific movement. In Shogi, a piece can become more powerful by being “promoted,” which results when the piece makes a complete move within the “promotion zone” (the designated last three ranks of a side). Promoted pieces are flipped to indicate the change in rank/power. Throughout a game, pieces are also captured and “dropped,” which means that a captured piece can re-enter the game as the captor’s own.

As with traditional chess, the object is to capture or checkmate the opposing player’s king. Once this occurs, the game ends.

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Though not as well-known as other board games such as Risk or Monopoly, the German import Settlers of Catan is beloved by those who do know it. Given its combination of chance and strategy, the fact that no one truly “loses,” and that it configures differently each time it’s played, it is little wonder why Settlers remains popular among its fans. For those who are looking for a cool “new” game to get involved with, this one is perfect for anyone who enjoys stratagem and the nostalgia of board games.

Designed by Klaus Teuber, the original German game was published in 1995 under the name Die Siedler von Catan. It was an instant success, winning that year’s prestigious Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) award. The following year, it made its way to the United States and was promptly dubbed the U.S. Game of the Year. Since then, Settlers has been translated into more than 25 different languages, spanning the globe and gaining new fans each day.

So, how do you play? The object of the game is to build up the newly-discovered island of Catan. To start, the board (or island) must be created. To do so, shuffle the land and sea tiles (hexes) and then arrange them randomly, with the sea tiles surrounding the land mass. Next, take the numbered tokens (2-12) and place them on the land tiles, with the exception of the desert hex.

Note: the closer a number is to “7,” the more likely it will be rewarded resources when the dice are rolled.

Next, the players (3-4 is best) establish two settlements each. The game then begins. As said, the object is to build up Catan. From the initial two settlements, players collect resources to create cities, roads, soldiers, and more settlements. Each time you “build” something, you gain points. For instance, a new settlement is worth one point; a new city, two. The first player to reach 10 victory points is declared the winner.

As for how resources are distributed, this involves the dice. Ea2ch turn, a pair of dice is thrown to determine a number. Whatever total is generated, that correlates to where on the board the resources go (based on the token). Thus, though it is “your” turn, it really is everyone’s. On each roll of the dice, all players are involved. The dice are the one random element that cannot be controlled.

Note: if a “7” is thrown, then the “robber” token is moved and resources can be denied on that turn and for players with too many stored resources, half will be taken away.

Strategy is key to Settlers as you want to try and develop your part of the island, while possibly denying other players from essential resources. A strategic road built to block access for example, is one way to gain an advantage on fellow players. Trading is also a big part in balancing power and can be done among players or “off the island.” Trading is also the main means by which players interact with one another and seems to truly mirror the cooperative spirit needed for success.

Suitable for ages 10 years and up, Settlers of Catan is a wonderful family game and given that it’s a new island each time, familiar replays are few and far between. Also, with every player having an equal opportunity to “win,” it keeps play interesting throughout the game’s length. What’s more, there’s no combat element. Settlers of Catan is a civil game, one that relies on strategy, cooperation, and compromise.

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