Entertainment
Is This Bubble Pop Game Really ‘Chess’?
Ever since Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” took our binge-watching nation by storm, chess sets have proliferated on Amazon. You can find sets made of wood, sets made of plastic, sets made of brass. One thing I was surprised to find, apparently, was “chess” made of the uber trendy fidget bubble pop. Take a look:
This comes up when you search “chess” on Amazon. As you know if you have a child, are on TikTok, or read the Wall Street Journal, this rainbow-colored “Pop It” toy that mimics the satisfying feeling of popping bubble wrap, is one of the few enduring fads from the pandemic. In combining it with chess, someone no doubt thought they could capitalize on two of the world’s quarantine-era time killers. But, um, take another look at the photo. Then tell me if you can figure out how one might use it to play chess.
Stumped? Me too. Although the listing calls it an “Extra Large Bubble Sensory Rainbow Chess Board,” it does not look like any chess board I’ve ever seen. The inclusion of dice in particular threw me for a loop. The whole shape of the product seems to be more reminiscent of backgammon than chess, although even that is an imperfect comparison.
I spent way too much time examining this listing, trying to figure out what was going on here. Then, toward the bottom, I espied the following “rules” explainer:
The player happily rolls the dice to decide who starts first, which can be a large number or a decimal number. Player A rolls the dice first, then player B presses the same number of bubbles, and the player who presses the last bubble loses the round. The winner presses the big bubble in the middle to start a new round. The player who wins 3 rounds first will be the final winner. Way B The player rolls the dice to decide who starts first, which can be a large number or a decimal number. Players take turns to press any number (1 to 6) of the bubbles they want in a row, and the player who presses the last bubble loses the round The winner presses the big bubble in the middle to start a new round. The player who wins 3 rounds first will be the final winner. Way C You can make your own rules to fight others.
I wonder if when the Chinese watched “The Queen’s Gambit” last fall if something got lost in translation, because that bears absolutely zero resemblance to the game Beth Harmon dominated. You can tell the product is Chinese not only from the incomprehensible instructions (what does it mean that the player who starts first can “be a large number of a decimal number”) but also from the lenticular brackets in the bullet points:
- 【Stress relieve】Using high-quality silicone material, this foam sensory toy is a great gift for people with autism, and stress, helping them relieve stress. By squeezing our silicone bubble board, you can get spiritual comfort and emotional release.
- 【Easy to operating】Just Press the mouse bubbles and they will make a slight popping sound; When all the bubbles on the front are squeezed, you can turn it over and get a brand new silicone bubble board.! Can be reused and cleaned endlessly.
- 【Entertainment and intelligent】These Puzzle toys are great for everyone age 5 to 85. press the bubbles in turn. The player who presses the last bubble will be punished by the game; It is simple to play. It is an educational toy for children and a practical decompression toy for adults.
The game might be “entertainment and intelligent” (huh?), but I feel dumber just for reading that fetid word salad.
The lack of coherent messaging can help us solve our case. This product is not chess at all, nor anything even resembling chess. If there is one thing I learned from reading everything in the product description, it is not to take any of the words at face value, for there is no guarantee the copywriter has any clue what they mean.
This is simply the popular bubble waffle product with dice. If that sounds like fun to you, then by all means get one of your own. Just please do not call it chess.