USD ($)
EUR (€)
We don’t have to wait until 20 July 2025 to celebrate because in the US of A, 12 October 2024 is National Chess Day! The epitome of head-to-head, abstract strategic competition, chess has a purity matched only by other ancient games like Go. Played since the 5th century and originating in India, chess is an open information game with nowhere to hide! And whilst theme in chess is absent, there are umpteen cool settings. And not only that, but clever folks in our hobby have grasped the mechanics and mixed them into some great modern board games.
So we at Zatu are channelling our inner Grand Masters and making some great recommendations for National Chess Day!
HIVE: Favouritefoe
Whilst there may be no archetypal checkerboard and no taking, HIVE is most definitely giving out a strong chess vibe! With a Queen to protect and your opponent’s to capture, players will be using each of their 10 other pieces to their best advantage. And, like chess, each piece moves in a specific way. For example, spiders have to move three spaces, whilst grasshoppers can jump. But placement is not free. Your tiles must only touch tiles of your own colour, and new tiles must be placed adjacent to an existing tile in the game space. You can move existing pieces instead of introducing a new species, but you can never divide the hive into separate pieces. HIVE is a brilliant two player abstract strategy game with touchy-tactile tiles. It also comes in a number of different variants, so you need never be too far from a bolshy beetle or active ant!
WATERMELON CHESS: Favouritefoe
Watermelon is not my usual gaming snack (the risk of seed spray is far too real!), but that’s okay. Because here, the traditional game of Xi Gua Qi has been reskinned as an actual watermelon! Another 2 player abstract strategy game, your focus will be surrounding and capturing your opponent’s pieces. Whilst your tokens don’t have fancy shapes or particular movements, you’ll be choosing and moving one on your turn. You can move to any adjoining point (dot) on the board, and when your opponent’s token has nowhere to go, its yours. The game ends when one player has gained 4 opposing player’s tokens. Bright, bold, and easy to learn, WATERMELON CHESS will bring the summer to your table whatever the season!
CAIRN: ABBIE B
Have you ever played chess and thought, you know what, this is great, but what if chess had an impish woodland type faery vibe… and the playing pieces had funky headgear?
Cairn is a game for two players where each player is manoeuvring their tribe of shamans across a magical plain. It’s a race to be the first to build three monoliths. One player represents the shamans of the sea village, and the other the forest village. The moves each player can make are determined by 3 double-sided tiles. Which side is face up will determine what moves are available to you. Every time you have used a move, you flip the tile to reveal an alternative movement. So it’s not only about what moves you want to make, but about what moves you want to prevent your opponent from using too.
To build a monoliths you’ll need to either reach your opponent’s side of the board or banish one of their shaman to place a megalith in their place. The megaliths themselves also have special abilities that activate when landed on, so the more that are built, then more planning ahead you need to do. Much like with the movement mechanic, not only do you want to try and activate a monolith, but you might want to stop the shamans using them too.Cairn is like if chess had a younger bohemian, at one with nature brother. It really scratches that thinky itch in your brain, but in a whole different way. Not only will you need forward planning, you’ll need sideways and backwards planning too! With its unusual shaman figures and moves there’s plenty going on.
ONITAMA: Favouritefoe
With a familiar look and pieces which move in specific ways, ONITAMA has a chessy feel. Granted it is open information and pure abstract strategy. But the board is smaller (5x5), and the set up will always be different. And, instead of prescribed patterns, the cards you draft will determine how your pieces can move. Your opponent will be able to see what options you have, and your played card will be replaced by one which your opponent played on a previous turn. Whilst you may think this advance information will help, you may be sorely mistaken! This game plays in a small space but takes a big think! When one player has taken their opponent’s primary pawn or moves into their starting space, the match is over. And I say match rather than game because you will be desperate to go again before the sun goes down on the competition!
SANTORINI: Favouritefoe
Although SANTORINI is an abstract strategy game a la chess, it brings a cool setting that isn’t often found in chess inspired games. Each player has two builders active on a shared 5 x 5 grid, and this is a race to get to the top. Of a third storey building that is! Each turn you move a builder, and they can move either up or down to the level of the building they settle on. But you don’t get to build once there. Oh no. You must add a building piece to an adjacent square. And if it happens to be the third storey, you can choose to leave it open or top it off and prevent anyone using it to win The game ends when a player’s builder stands atop a three storey construction, or a player cannot move. With the addition of God powers which give each player an asymmetrical ability, each game will play out differently depending on the strategy and tactics you can deploy.
HARRY POTTER WIZARD CHESS SET: Favouritefoe
I don’t know whether magic is in play, but Harry and his pals get everywhere! Board games, card games, upgrades, and merch…….the Potter effect knows no end. And chess is the latest to get the Hogwarts treatment! But for any chess fan who loves the franchise, this has got to be a must have. Beautifully constructed and based on the characters in book 1, you’ll feel less of a Muggle playing your next game with this set!
We hope these suggestions inspire you to sharpen your strategy and kick off a game with your very own killer Queen’s Gambit!
