What if we could cheat in chess? If the rook could jump, the pawn could go backwards, or if the middle of the board collapsed and the pieces there would fall into the abyss? We don’t need anything else for this experience but a set of Chess and a deck of Wizard Chess cards. In each turn, we can play a spell or trap to add interesting twists to the classical game of Chess.

Once upon a time, the White King got bored of warfare. He hosted a meeting with the Black King and they decided to avoid further bloodshed by measuring themselves as strategists in a board game. The game is known today as Chess. It has been played for many-many centuries and millennia by the two kings and their countless descendants. Sometimes the white won, sometimes the black, but they could never vanquish each other once and for all time. One day, when the war council was assembled, a wizard appeared before the throne of the White King, giving special abilities to the White King’s soldiers with his immense power. The Black King did not let this unanswered, he called for a black wizard. This changed the millennia old game called Chess completely and Wizard Chess was born.

Wizard Chess requires a set of Chess and the knowledge of the base game. The is gameplay basically the same as in the classical Chess; however, the players gain a new spell or trap each turn, which enable them some cheating temporarily for an action.

• Rooks can’t jump? The enchanted wings solve this!
• The King is slow? Apply some magic dust and watch him sprint!
• A Pawn has fallen? Don’t worry, he will be back on his feet soon!
• Oh, I almost forgot: there is a hole in the middle of the board, so don’t go there for 4 more turns unless you want to fall to your demise!

Beware! This is a fun add-on to the well-known game of Chess. This game is not meant to beat its popularity and greatness! However, if you aim to add some twists to your dear old game, now you can do that!

Strengths

• an add-on to the most famous game in the world
• a creative tool for teaching Chess
• simple mechanics, simple rules

Designer’s note

I wanted to cheat in Chess. That gave the idea.

Publisher’s aspect

Low production expenses: a mere deck of cards. Most of the Hungarian schools face constant challenges in their budget (I am saying this as a tutor), so the parents pay for the learning tools in many cases. Still, almost every school has its own chess faculty and due to the modification of the Hungarian National Curriculum, more and more schools adapt Chess as a compulsory subject – especially at the departments of Mathematics. Teaching Chess, on the other hand, is quite a one-sided learning material, so both parents and teachers are thankful for any special means – especially if is such a simple and cheap tool as a card game. Chess is the most popular board game in the world. This target audience might respond well to such a new, unknown novelty.