"Chess Fate Cards" - great fun!
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The game of chess is a highly competitive sport in which the chess player has to accept defeat as something individual and learn to cope with the negative emotions associated with it. When chess is introduced in schools there can be a danger of giving the competitive aspect an over-emphasised role, rather than one that is on the fun side. Because of this, some children may be discouraged from continuing to play, fearing the 'confrontation to the death' that every game creates. In addition, pupils tend to lose interest because of slower development or because they often fail with the more experienced person who teaches them the game. In chess, a lucky strike is not involved in the game, at most it happens with mathematical regularity.
By using cards, we introduce a randomness factor into the chess game, thereby achieving several goals:
1. we reduce the competitive element and promote chess as something enjoyable.
2. we allow the student to beat others at a higher level by chance.
3. we introduce an element that enriches the game by offering new challenges and situations that will require creativity and the ability to improvise.
It is important to remember that playing chess with "Cards of Fate" cannot completely replace traditional chess. It is advisable to dose the use of the cards according to the pedagogical objectives we are pursuing. The cards can be used in the classroom, with the help of the teacher or directly by two players without supervision, although in the latter case it is recommended that both players already have some experience in using them or have read and know the rules thoroughly to avoid disputes over their interpretation.
The cards are suitable for players of all ages, although it is the youngest chess players who will benefit more from using them. The recommended age to use the basic level cards is 6 years old, meanwhile, while the advanced cards are 10 years old.
We usually use one deck per game, but we can also use one deck for two games by dividing it into one or two parts. The teacher can create his or her own deck, combining the cards as he or she sees fit. The deck contains rules, but these can be modified by the teacher or by mutual agreement between the players. Several alternative ways of playing are listed at the end of the list of rules.
NOTE: The cards are in English
Idea and concept: GM Miguel Illescas
Production: Carlos J. Penín
Drawings: David Revilla,
Printing: CartaMundi.
Copyright: EDAMI (Chess Education and Technology S.L.).