The Queen's Gambit - The Queen of Chess - Review

In this period, the chess world is experiencing a second youth, and much is due to the enormous success of the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. Inspired by this, we present The Queen's Gambit - The Queen of Chess, a strategic game published by Asmodee Italia that will make you feel the thrill of playing Beth Harmon in predicting the moves of your opponents. The game offers a "revisited version" of the game of chess by inserting some interesting elements. The setting of the TV series is a good hook for the public even though it is not decisive in the dynamics of the game which proposes in its regulation an "abstract" simply set in the world of the Netflix series.



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The Queen's Gambit - The Queen of Chess - Components

Anya Taylor-Joy's gaze is simply magnetic, and is wisely captured on the front of the game box, which is definitely captivating. Inside you will find:

1 game board 4 gambits 4 decks of 12 cards each 4 preparation cards 4 consultation cards 36 chess tokens 1 if rulebook (jQuery ("# ​​crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh2_1"). Is (": visible" )) {//console.log("(ACTIVATION TEST] adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh2_1 slot id: th_culturapop_d_mh2 "); }


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Preparation and Gambling

Place the board in the center of the table. Select 1 of the Setup cards and place the Round Chess tokens on the game board, as shown on the Setup card. The color of each piece (white or black) is not important. The number on each token indicates how many points that token is worth. Each player selects a “Gambit” and the respective colored deck of 12 cards. There are 4 starting points on the Setup card, and each player will select one of these points and place their Gambit on the corresponding space. The oldest player first selects where to place their Gambit. Continuing counterclockwise, each player will do the same. The player who places his Gambit last will be the first to move.


Generic photos Your Gambit is a special piece that moves like a bishop, rook, queen or knight, depending on which card you play. Like in a real chess game, if your Gambit ends its move on any other chess piece, it eats it. Replace the eaten piece with your Gambit and take that piece: you will need it to calculate your final score. You may never skip another piece and you may never end the move on another player's Gambit or skip it, except for the normal knight move. Each player shuffles their deck and draws 5 cards. Use these cards to plan the first three moves of your Gambit. All players play 3 cards face down in front of them. The card on the left will be the first move of your Gambit. Once this is done, draw 1 card to complete your 3-card hand. When all players are ready, resolve the first player's turn. The game continues clockwise around the table.

Course and end of the game

On your turn, reveal the far left card in front of you. Then move your Gambit according to the card you revealed. If you end your turn on a space with a Chess token, you eat that token. When planning your moves, remember to consider your opponents' potential moves by trying to eat the most important pieces before them. After your move, select 1 card from your hand and place it face down to the right of the other 2 cards in front of you. This way you will always have the next 3 moves of your Gambit already planned. To end your turn, draw to return to having 3 cards in your hand. If your draw deck is depleted, shuffle your discard pile to make a new deck.


Generic photos The game ends immediately when the last Chess token is eaten. Then, the players add up their points. Whoever got the highest score is the winner. In the rare case of a tie, the player who played last wins.



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Game suitable for ..

The game is suitable for both the novice , who manages to approach the world of chess in a soft and gradual way, both for the expert player, who finds freshness and fun in this simplified version of the complex chess universe.



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Final considerations

The products taken from successful TV series are often a treacherous and full of pitfalls terrain, where authors tend to rest on their laurels, living (and selling) on ​​reflected light. Fortunately this is not the case with The Queen's Gambit - The Queen of Chess, which surprises positively by offering a fast and recreational game, embellished with the bewitching charm of Beth Harmon. The aspects related to tactics, or to the preparation of short-term actions, are convincing, minus those related to strategy, or to the definition of a long-term plan, given the essential element of risk.