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The Opera Game as a Family

Three short lessons on one famous short chess game, played in 1858, to replay with a child: get your pieces out quickly, open lines, and finish what you start.

For grown-ups, from what GambitTales teaches children at Spark & Anvil.

  1. Lesson 1Get your pieces out
  2. Lesson 2Open the lines
  3. Lesson 3Finish what you start
At the table · two to four people, 7 or older

Replay it with roles

You'll need: a chess set (or the board on this site) and the moves of the Opera Game.

  1. One person reads the moves aloud; one moves the white pieces; one moves the black pieces.
  2. Stop at move 9 and count who has more pieces out.
  3. Stop at move 10 and guess why White gave up a knight before reading on.
  4. Play the last two moves slowly, then swap roles and replay it once more.

Open Replay it with roles: run it, or print the seat sheets →

Print the guidebook (all lessons + the table activity) →