Chess With Friends

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Chess With Friends
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Chess With Friends is a chess app that allows local games or online games against friends and random opponents. As part of the Zynga With Friends game series (along with Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, Hanging With Friends, and more), it's a social game that includes unmoderated chat with your opponent; there is no option do disable chat.
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What’s It About?
Chess With Friends is a chess app played with online opponents (friends or random matchups) or with someone in the same room (pass and play). As a turn-based game, it allows you to make a move at your convenience, and then will alert the other player when it’s his or her turn. Like other Zynga With Friends apps such as Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, and Hanging With Friends, players can communicate with each other during a game via text chat. The lack of tutorials means players may want to look elsewhere to learn the rules of the game.
Is It Any Good?
Although the title is CHESS WITH FRIENDS, in reality you can play with friends or strangers. The app is simple and streamlined -- find an opponent (either two players sharing a device or online multiplayer) and then start a game. The app can notify you when it's your turn, and the board is always turned so that it faces the active player. One handy feature is being able to step backward in time to see all the previous moves, allowing you to play back a game in progress. There is also a chat screen that allows players to send messages to each other.
Although there is no ranking system so you won't necessarily be matched with somebody at your own skill level, the app is great for those who want to play chess but have trouble finding opponents.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Help kids find websites, other apps, library books, or classes that offer chess instructions and strategy.
Take advantage of the mobility of this game and challenge your kid to a game.
Use the replay feature to explain strategies to your kid.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Hobbies: board games
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: strategy
- Release date: May 4, 2011
- Category: Board Games
- Publisher: Newtoy, Inc.
- Version: 4.02
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.0 or later
- Last updated: August 22, 2016
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love board games and multiplayer games
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