ThinkFun Announces Solitaire Chess Game Available Now on the App Store for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ThinkFun® Inc., a leading designer of addictively fun games that stretch and sharpen your mind, today announced that its new Solitaire Chess™ board game, a nominee for the 2011 Toy of the Year awards by the Toy Industry Association, is now available as an app on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The Solitaire Chess App expands on the innovative spin on chess introduced in the board game of the same name by offering hundreds of challenges and four levels of play, scaling from a fun and inviting gateway into the world of chess, through to thought-provokers for even the best players.

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"Solitaire Chess is a unique spin on a timeless game; it's chess distilled to its very essence," said Bill Hall, executive director, United States Chess Federation. "The benefits of playing chess are widely acknowledged - from enhancing planning skills and encouraging discipline to developing abstract reasoning and judgment - but the game can be intimidating for the uninitiated, especially so for children who can most benefit from learning these skills early. Solitaire Chess offers all the same mind-bending benefits of traditional chess, but in a fresh, fast and play anywhere format."

Challenge Your Mind, Sharpen Your Skills

Solitaire Chess is based on the rules of traditional chess, with one simple goal: capture all the pieces on the board until there is only one left. The beginner levels of the game provide a great way to bring new people into the world of chess, teaching them the basics of how the pieces move. As players graduate to higher levels, they layer on the ability to play strategically, thinking multiple moves ahead. Expert games are filled with fun, intellectual challenges that are likely to be "firsts" to even the most practiced players.

At-Home and On-The-Go Play

"Offering Solitaire Chess as both a board game and an app is a compelling way for us to deliver a full mental workout in whatever may be the preferred play mode for our broad base of consumers," said Bill Ritchie, co-founder and CEO, ThinkFun. "With every new product, we strive to push a user's thinking and inspire creative problem solving. Personally, this is my favorite type of game play."

How it Works

Played on a 4x4 chess board, the game uses 10 standard chess pieces, two each of the Knight, Rook, Pawn and Bishop, and one each of the King and Queen. Each game begins with the pieces set on the board in specific positions – challenges range from easy to expert levels. The pieces move as in regular chess, with the additional new twist that every move must result in a capture making game play exceptionally quick. When there's only one piece left, you win!

Availability

The Solitaire Chess App is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

The Solitaire Chess board game is currently available from major retailers for $19.99.

About ThinkFun

ThinkFun Inc. is the world's leader in addictively fun games that challenge your mind and inspire creative thinking. Over 25 years ago, ThinkFun was founded with a dream that we could change the world through play. We continue to expand on that dream everyday with games, brainteasers, mobile apps, online games and global education programs. Today, ThinkFun's award-winning products bring smiles to homes and schools across 60 countries and are translated into over 20 languages. To learn more about ThinkFun, go to www.thinkfun.com.

ThinkFun, the ThinkFun logo and Solitaire Chess are trademarks or registered trademarks of ThinkFun Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2011 ThinkFun, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE ThinkFun Inc.