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This game is well designed, bright, colorful and attractive. It captured and continues to captivate its 7-year old user - he loves the game-like challenges and learns and hones the fundamentals of chess along the way, on his terms. The fairy-tale characters are likable and credible and guide the student nicely through the mazes of the fairy tale story and the real game of chess. They use proper and correct English. Most speak American, one speaks a highly cultured but pleasant and unstilted form of British. As students acquire skills the program rewards them with access to new games and with periodic promotions; and as they accomplish specific tasks they are sometimes celebrated for them - complete with music and flowers. Kids just love challenges and positive feedback - and this program excels at both.
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This program has a slightly forced story line, but that doesn't get in the way of a wonderful multimedia learning experience. You don't need to know anything about the game to start, but you will be able to play as a competent beginner by the end. A good chess program is built-in for kids to play, even after they've completed all of the lessons. The mini-games (that teach principles of movement and tactics) are creative and fun. My daughters keep playing them, even after they learned how to play the proper game. I bought this for my 8 year old daughter, but the mini-games are fun enough that her 4 year old sister likes to play them! The later lessons are good continuing and repeating tactics practice. Between the fun mini-games and later practices, this CD can has high replay even after completing all the sections.
Works as it should on OS/X (not a bogus Windows port).
Highly recommended.
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product is well designed.
my 4 and 6 year-old boys both love it, although it's really better for ages 5,6,7, and up.
they play silly, fun games (involving smashing toilets or sumo wrestling, for example) that cleverly teach them basic chess moves and their consequences. i think they can also play 'real' chess games, but my kids haven't tried out that part yet.
i like the fact that it has quality music, graphics, and intelligent games without violence or characters with bad attitudes.
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I really like this computer game because it uses parts-to-whole instruction - it introduces each chess piece separately with an interesting strategy game that teaches how it moves.
Kids have to master the strategy games for each piece before they are given a chance to play with a full board.
But more important than MY impressions are those of my kids - 6 and 8, boy and girl, - who just LOVE this game and cheer each other on. I am thrilled to have them captivated by a "thinking" game. They have generalized their interest in chess to a real board too - they do not just play the game on the computer.
Another note - while I personally enjoy the graphics, they are not sophisticated or realistic, but more like illustrations in a children's book.
Definitely worth the money.
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