ChessKid's Newest Feature: Puzzle Duel!
Building off of the massive success of Chess.com's "Puzzle Rush" feature, ChessKid.com recently released "Puzzle Duel" in beta.
The exciting feature, which is only available on ChessKid.com, allows kids to race each other in a real-time puzzle race. You can think of it as the "live" or "fast" chess server for puzzles!
ChessKids can access the Puzzle Duel feature directly from their home page (the feature is only available on the website at the moment; it will come to iOS and Android devices later). Once in the puzzle war room, a ChessKid only has to click the orange "Play" button and then wait for a match!
Once the match begins, users have to simply solve puzzles accurately and quickly to win the duel. Here's some additional information on the matches:
- Both ChessKids will receive the same puzzles in the same order.
- You can request a direct matchup with any clubmates or friends by clicking the "friend" icon at top right of Puzzle Duel screen (adult users can only match with other adults or children they supervise).
- Most puzzles will be one-move tactics, like checkmates, free pieces, forks, and pins. In the case of both ChessKids having a high puzzle rating, then two-move puzzles will be introduced.
- A correct answer fills the ChessKid's power meter +2 while an incorrect answer reduces the power meter by -1. A ChessKid getting to +10 wins the match by "explosion."
- If neither player explodes the power meter, whoever is ahead at the end of two minutes wins the duel.
Free ChessKid users can have a few Puzzle Duels per day while ChessKid gold members can duel as many times as they want. Here's what it looks like in person, when FunMasterMike faces off against GM Marc Arnold:
Check out the world’s first International @ChessKidcom Puzzle Duel Championship between FunMasterMike and GM Marc Arnold at the 2019 NY State Scholastic Championships.
— Mike Klein (@ChessMike) March 12, 2019
Real chess players don’t need chairs.
Coming for you next @DanielRensch ! pic.twitter.com/LI0VKPdHYm
Puzzle Duel will also be one-third of a team's score in the inaugural ChessKid Games, coming June 1.
Head on over the ChessKid to try out Puzzle Duel today!
Company Contact and News Accreditation:
- Email: Mike@chess.com
- Phone: 1 (800) 318-2827
- Address: PO Box 60400 Palo Alto, CA 94306
Mike Klein began playing chess at the age of four in Charlotte, NC. In 1986, he lost to Josh Waitzkin at the National Championship featured in the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer." A year later, Mike became the youngest member of the very first All-America Chess Team, and was on the team a total of eight times. In 1988, he won the K-3 National Championship, and eventually became North Carolina's youngest-ever master. In 1996, he won clear first for under-2250 players in the top section of the World Open. Mike has taught chess full-time for a dozen years in New York City and Charlotte, with his students and teams winning many national championships. He now works at Chess.com as a Senior Journalist and at ChessKid.com as the Chief Chess Officer. In 2012, 2015, and 2018, he was awarded Chess Journalist of the Year by the Chess Journalists of America. He has also previously won other awards from the CJA such as Best Tournament Report, and also several writing awards for mainstream newspapers. His chess writing and personal travels have now brought him to more than 85 countries.
