Solitaire Chess Brain Fitness Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

With as many brain injuries as I've sustained, I'm always looking for different ways to improve my brain function. Fortunately, I love puzzles. Chess has never, ever appealed to me. My dad was on the chess club in high school, so of course he tried to teach me how to play when I was little. I've made the attempt to learn it a few times throughout my life but for whatever reason, I seem to have had some kind of mental block against wanting to remember how the different pieces move. Well, no more! About a month ago, I received Solitaire Chess from ThinkFun to review. I'm happy to report I finally know how all of the pieces move, even if I can't name them all :P

Here's a brief description of this game:
Strategic Skill Building Game
ThinkFun® Brain Fitness games help keep your mind young and sharp – all through play. Whether you grew up playing chess or can’t tell the difference between a knight and a rook, Solitaire Chess is for you!
• Ages 8 to adult

Includes:
• 80 Challenges
• 10 Chess Pieces
• Instructions & Solutions

(Image and game description provided by ThinkFun.)

Even though this is Solitaire Chess, my boyfriend and I have been having a lot of fun playing it together. Basically I play it, if I get stuck he comes over and tries to figure it out. Or we just take turns. We also played it together, so it kind of became a game to see who could find the solution first. We both find this game a lot of fun!

They recommend you play this game at least 15 minutes a day to improve brain function. I did this for the first few weeks and I definitely noticed a difference just in the first day I started playing. I could feel myself learning the game, understanding it better and learning to think more logically. I haven't gotten through all of the cards yet, as I keep getting stuck on the most advanced level. Fortunately this does come with a solution sheet which I've had to use a few times, but what I do is just look at the first move and then I can usually figure out the rest. So I'm still testing myself and not feeling like I'm 100% cheating :D

Mike had an excellent question: What happens when you finish all of the challenge boards? Knowing myself, I'm sure I could just start from the beginning again and work through them because I don't think I'll remember all of the solutions immediately. I think it would be great if ThinkFun made additional boards you could buy separately.

Aside from possible replay value issues, I feel this is a wonderful product and it really is a ton of fun. ThinkFun makes a ton of different games which look to be a lot of fun and great for the brain. You can purchase their products on their Web site, but they're also available on Amazon. On Amazon, Solitaire Chess is only $14.99 which I feel is a very acceptable price for this game. I will consider purchasing other games from ThinkFun in the future.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.