Énigmat. No solo ajedrez

First of all, let’s have fun with chess!

Énigmat is a proposal for playing alone, one against one, or in a group, making it an ideal solution for any setting: home use, extracurricular activity, or chess as part of the school curriculum. Its commercialization in Spain is starting now, so if you work in the educational field, you will surely hear about Énigmat soon… if you haven’t already!

But let’s take it step by step.

WHERE DOES THE IDEA COME FROM?

Serge Bouillot, its creator, is a French chess player who started in the world of the 64 squares at a very young age. At the age of 18, he began playing federated tournaments, and at 30 he turned his passion for chess toward the educational world. He soon began bringing chess to schools in his city and also devoted his efforts to the young players of his club. From his experience and observation of his students, the idea of creating Énigmat was born.

GAME MECHANICS

The game consists of 24 chessboards, each divided into 4 parts of 4x4 squares. The goal is to put together the 4 parts of each board so that they form a checkmate position against the black king.

Three game variants are proposed:

For one player, who must find the solution, preferably with the help of a tutor or teacher. This help is recommended because, when playing alone, the student tends to assume they have found the correct solution in situations where this is not actually the case.

For two players. The players alternate between the roles of attacker and defender. First, the attacker chooses a chessboard and has one minute to find the checkmate solution. When the attacker gives an answer, the defender has a short time to think and reject it.

If the solution is correct, the attacker earns 2 points and moves on to a new board. Otherwise, the defender earns 1 point and the roles are switched until the board is solved correctly.

The winner is the player who reaches a set number of points, according to the objective chosen in each case.

In a group. Up to 4 players can participate. On each turn, everyone tries to solve the same board. The game continues with the following boards until they are all used. The winner is the player who accumulates the most points for correct answers.

As additional information, a standard game can last between 30 and 45 minutes, and the game is recommended for students aged 7 and over who already know how the pieces move.

VALUES WE CAN WORK ON

With Énigmat, we are looking at a new proposal within chess gamification, using play as the starting point. We will not have to move a single piece, but we will still be practising chess concepts at different levels in order to reach checkmate.

Piece coordination, strategy in the search for solutions, space control, mental agility and speed, the concept of check/checkmate and illegal positions, etc. Énigmat is also a perfect tool for strengthening self-esteem, since in solo play the “opponent” is the student themself, who will have the teacher’s help to solve the positions. In the one-against-one and group modes, we can also work on time management, sportsmanship, and acceptance of the result.

At EscaciMat, we fully recommend this game for its high educational value.

HOW TO BUY IT AT THE BEST PRICE

Buy it here:  buy Énigmat

Remember that we ship to almost anywhere in the world!

And if you sign up for the shop newsletter, you can buy it with a 5% discount: REGISTER.