Please note these programs have been taken from various sources. The copyright information is displayed on screen or included within the source code where appropriate. We do not guarantee that all these games work on all browsers. They are provided "as is" for the convenience of chessKIDS academy visitors and are neither the responsibility nor the property of chessKIDS academy. If you have any problems with them please contact the authors of the games, not us.
We have five chess playing programs available on this site.
Three Java programs which play a pretty good game and two much weaker Javascript programs both of which have a few bugs in them. Thanks to Chris Lear, who has provided invaluable help in debugging these programs.
The three which are suited to more serious play are:
a) JESTER. The full version of JESTER, with more options is available on the Ludochess site - you might prefer to play it there, but you can also play it - and find advice on how to make the most of it - HERE.
b) LITTLE CHESS PARTNER. The latest version enables the webmaster to set up starting positions so we'll be making more use of it as the course develops. You can play it HERE and find out more about it (and also play it) HERE.
c) JAVA CHESS programmed by Andreas Heuner. You can visit his website and play an English Language version of his program
HERE.
For kids who want to play a game against one of the programs the best place to start is HERE for beginners or HERE
for more experienced players.
We also host a CHESS VISION TRAINER which tests your skills at imagining the chessboard in your head.
But we also have some other games for you to play.
Chess is a difficult game which requires a combination of many different skills to play well.
Two essential skills you need are a high degree of eye-brain co-ordination combined with rapid reactions.
You can develop these skills by playing TETRIS. If you reach the highest level you're
doing really well.
You also need to develop your concentration and short-term memory. Have a go at our CONCENTRATION GAME to test out and develop
these skill. I usually do it in just over a minute. If you can do beat 1 minute 30 seconds you're doing well.
If you take less than a minute your memory and concentration are exceptional.Warning - give yourself a break between
games - otherwise you'll get very confused.
You can improve your powers of logic and deduction by playing our really cool BATTLESHIP game. The computer doesn't
play very well so you should be able to win. Start the game by pressing "deploy" then "finish". You have 20 rounds of 3 shots
so choose three squares then press fire. You have three spies which you can use to seek out enemy ships.
We advise children to master simpler two-player strategy/tactics games before getting too far into chess. The simplest of
all is TIC-TAC-TOE (Noughts and Crosses). You can win by making a DOUBLE THREAT (and you often will, the computer
plays badly) - a concept that is really important in chess. You also learn to look ahead and predict your opponent's moves.
IN our DOTS game you have to connect dots and create boxes. Again, you learn to look ahead,
and, most importantly, to CALCULATE and to look at EVERY POSSIBLE MOVE before you decide what to do:
vital skills when it comes to playing chess. This program plays pretty well but it's not unbeatable.
Our latest addition is a SUDOKU game for kids which will test their powers of logic and deduction.
Kids who find this hard will probably also find it hard to grasp more advanced thinking concepts in chess.
Finally, the classic games of CHECKERS (DRAUGHTS). Similar to chess, but with simpler rules.
Beware, though. In checkers you capture by jumping over an enemy piece: in chess you capture by landing on the square of an enemy piece.
Children who are used to playing checkers can get confused when they start to play chess. This program will always capture if it can
but will not insist that you stick to the rule yourself. It also alternates between both colors starting.
plays first. The program plays a reasonable game, but you can beat it with good play.
These other games may at some point in the future be moved to another site devoted to teaching thinking skills to children.
