Shuuro - Capece Review
ADOLIVIO CAPECE COMMENTS ON SHUURO
‘The box’s high quality materials and graphics immediately communicate a feel of a game of medium-high level. The colourful pieces challenge the stereotypical black and white of the game of chess. The size of the board confers more freedom to the game.
Game play assumes foreknowledge, at least basic, of the game of chess. This is however clearly explained at the beginning of the rules, where one is referred to the full rules of chess presented on the next two pages.
The rules are quite complex, so that an adult needs to read them to children that intend to play the game. The rules also describe several variants, which, perhaps, make them even harder to understand, as they create a variant to a variant.
Game play is more cheerful than chess and reminds one of classic battle games more than chess. It could well be a ‘lighter’ way of introducing children and adults alike to the game of chess proper.
The game does not need a high level of skill in chess to e enjoyed, and therefore allows the less experienced to play on a more even field with more skilled chess players. The concept of ‘battle’ rather than ‘game’ can motivate more people towards playing the game.
As the number of pieces is not predetermined as in chess, the players can, over a number of games, choose more challenging combinations and therefore end with end-games similar to those found in chess. The most fundamental innovative factor is the randomness caused by the use of dice in the positioning of the obstacles and the order of deployment.’
Adolivio Capece, chess Master and editor-in-chief of ‘L’Italia Scacchistica’ magazine