The game of chess is practically synonymous with the word “board game” and who among us hasn’t played a game of checkers in their time? And how about Backgammon or Mahjong?
How many of these ancient games have you played? Discover our range of beautiful modern and classic interpretations of these ever-popular games.
Chess
What is it? Chess has been played for more than 500 years in its current form and is one of the most enduring and popular board games in the world. Chess involves the strategic maneuvering of pieces across a checkered board with the aim of capturing the King. The pieces in a chess game are, in order of descending importance, the King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook (or Castle) and Pawn.
How do you play? Each playing piece has its own capabilities, meaning it can move in certain directions and by certain numbers of squares for each move. The object of the game is to reach a checkmate situation, where your opponent’s King can’t avoid being captured. It’s a game that’s fairly easy to learn (with a bit of patience) but incredibly difficult to master.
A brief history of Chess: Chess as we know it first evolved around the year 1500, although it had existed in various forms since around the year 500 CE. From the late 1700s through to the 1880s, the most prevalent chess playing style was “Romantic chess”, or fast, tactical play rather than the strategy-focused long-term games that would follow. Subsequent eras have included the Scientific era, Hypermodern era and New Dynamism era. One of the most important moments in modern chess history was the defeat of the then world champion Garry Kasparov by IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in 1997.
At Frontline Hobbies, we stock an incredible range of chess sets from unique Onyx and Fosil Chess Sets to traditional sets like these Renaissance Metal Chess Pieces from prized Italian maker Dal Rossi to sleek, minimalist pieces like the Dal Rossi Dark Cherry and Box Wood set.
Checkers
What is it? Checkers, or draughts as it’s also called, is a two person strategy board game, often described as a simplified version of chess, although checkers is a far older game with evidence of versions of the game existing as far back as 3000 BCE.
How do you play? The object of the game is to capture your opponent’s pieces by “jumping” over them in a diagonal line. Once a piece reaches the far end of the board it becomes a King and gains additional moves. The game is over when one player loses all their pieces, or ends in a draw if a player can’t make any moves.
Backgammon
What is it? Backgammon is one of the world’s oldest known board games with a traceable history that goes back to almost 5000 years.
How do you play? The aim of the game is to move all 15 of your pieces off the board by moving them between the 24 triangles on the playing surface. The game requires a combination of strategy and luck with the roll of two dice determining the outcome of each turn. Much like Deep Blue, the chess-playing computer, computers have been developed which can defeat the best human players at backgammon.
Mahjong
What is it? Mahjong is a relative newcomer to the traditional game world, first developed in China during the 1800s.
How do you play? This tile-based game involves four players attempting to put together legal hands, or sets. The game is won when someone gets the last tile they need, either by yelling ‘mahjong’ and stealing the tile from someone who has discarded it or by picking up the final tile needed from the deck.
FAQs about our traditional games
Do you offer free delivery on traditional games?
We offer free delivery on all traditional games orders over $150 (to metro areas only). If your order doesn’t qualify for free shipping, it will be charged at a flat rate of $9.95 for shipping to metro areas in Australia. We also offer free click and collect in store for local orders.
Can I pay for my games using AfterPay or zipPay?
Yes! You can pay for your traditional games using ZipPay or AfterPay both in-store and online. We also accept lay-bys with a 20% deposit, valid for two months.
What if the game I’m looking for is out of stock?
You may notice a red “Out of Stock” label on the game you’re looking for. If you’d like us to source an out of stock item for you, simply get in touch and our team will contact our suppliers on your behalf and provide you with an estimated time of arrival.
Traditional Games with Frontline Hobbies
At Frontline Hobbies, we’re constantly updating our range to bring you the latest traditional games, family games, card games and heaps more! Start earning points on your orders by registering as a Frontline Hobbies member today.
Shop online today or visit us in-store — AfterPay and ZipPay available with free shipping (to metro areas only) on orders over $150
