Vilac My First Chess Set

Colourful chess for the little ones with wooden animal figures. They easily capture the attention of children, making it easier for them to grasp the principle of the game. The figures are stored in a fabric bag. The package contains 32 pieces. Illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius.

Main features:

• wooden game board and figures
• colourful game stimulates children's senses
• design by Ingelou P. Arrhenius

Game instructions

Game contents:

• game board
• 16 black and 16 white chess pieces
• cotton bag

Two players, "black" and "white", have 15 other pieces besides their king: a queen, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks and 8 pawns.

Starting position:

At the beginning of the game, the pieces are arranged as in picture no. 1, which can be found in the original instructions in the package.

The king always stands on square E, the queen on square D. The white player starts, then the players take turns one move at a time. A player can never give up their turn. No move may move a piece to a square already occupied by another piece of the same colour. The pieces always move to empty spaces, the only exception being when taking an opponent's piece. In this case, the player places their piece on the square where the opponent's piece was captured. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.

Capturing an opponent's piece involves removing that piece from the square and placing the capturing piece on the same square.

The aim of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king.

Check occurs when you attack the opponent's king with a move, meaning you move a piece so that it could potentially capture the king on the next move; this is called check. If such a situation arises, the opponent is obliged to play in such a way as to avert this threat. For example, move the king to a square that is not attacked, or place another piece in front of the king to deflect the attack, or capture the attacking piece.

If there is no move that complies with the rules, it means checkmate, i.e. the end of the game and the victory of the player who delivered checkmate. According to the rules, the king piece cannot be captured; therefore, in checkmate, it is laid flat on the board.

How the individual pieces move:

The game is interesting because each piece moves differently.

King

It can move one square in all directions, but not, of course, to squares that are threatened by the opponent's pieces. Two kings can never be on adjacent squares. The aim of the game is to check the opponent's king. The King can never be taken. If a player attacks their opponent's King, they must warn them by saying "check."

Queen

It is the most powerful piece because it can move in all directions, any number of squares. However, it must not jump over another piece.

Knight

The Knight does not move in a straight line, like the other pieces, but from one square to another, in the shape of the letter L. It can jump over its own and its opponent's pieces. When moving, it first moves two squares forward, backward, left or right, and then one square to the left, right, up or down, so as to copy the letter L with its movement. But never diagonally. See the picture in the instructions.

Bishop

It moves and takes pieces diagonally. It can move as many squares as it wants, but only in one direction per move. It must not jump over pieces. The movement along diagonals implies that no move can change the colour of the square on which the bishop stands.

Rook

It moves horizontally and vertically at any distance. From its square, it can move to one that is either in the same row or the same column. However, it must not jump over any piece that would stand in the way.

Pawn

It moves one square forward, except for the first move, when it can, if it wants to, move two squares forward. The pawn only moves vertically, except for taking the opponent's pieces, then it moves diagonally, like a bishop. Always one square at a time, though. Once a pawn reaches the 8th square – the opponent's base – it must 'transform' into another piece, according to the player's decision, and into a piece that has been taken by the opponent. The Queen is the best choice if she has already been taken.

Swedish artist Ingela Peterson Arrhenius was born in 1967. Art and design have always had a place in her life, and before her career as an illustrator began, Ingela worked as an art director in Stockholm. She then studied advertising and graphic design at an art school also in Stockholm. In 1992, she started working as a freelance illustrator and worked internationally across advertising, design, publishing... In the past, she has created print patterns for fabrics, wallpapers, stationery, and has also worked on packaging, product design, home accessories and toys. Her posters and designer toys can be found all over the world. She has a passion for retro style, which is clearly visible in her works and also in her enthusiasm for typography and colours. She now lives in Stockholm with her husband and 2 sons.

Sizing info

Vilac is proud to work closely with ADEME, a French government organisation involved in a wide range of activities leading to environmental protection. The history of this agency dates back to the 1970s, to the time of the oil crisis. It actively collaborates with politicians, public organisations, the private sector and citizens. It is behind recommendations, proposals for technical, methodological and financial procedures, studies and awareness campaigns. Thanks to its many years of operation, ADEME is recognised as a credible third party providing guarantees of efforts towards a sustainable future. By purchasing a product from a manufacturer cooperating with this agency, the customer can express their will to preserve the environment through strictly assessed procedures and key innovations throughout the process of its creation.

For over 100 years, VILAC has been fulfilling children's dreams. The French brand VILAC, as the flagship of the French industry for the production of wooden toys, is located deep in the heart of the Jura Mountains, surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests. Since 1911, VILAC has been producing wooden toys hand in hand with traditional manufacturing, modern trends, adaptable economics and an emphasis on ecology. The toys are made from wood sourced from sustainably managed forests, respecting biodiversity and with a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly technologies. VILAC prefers short routes for wood delivery. It uses local wood and ensures that a new tree is planted for every tree felled. Because today we can no longer ignore the challenges of environmental problems, VILAC is committed to defending our planet. After all, a river consists of many small drops. Therefore, VILAC continues its environmentally friendly activities.

VILAC also follows in the footsteps of the old turning factories that once made the region famous: craftsmen lovingly turned, smoothed, sanded, lacquered and decorated wood in their workshop in the Jura mountains. Beech, hornbeam, alder or boxwood from the surrounding French forests are used; this wood guarantees the specificity and quality of production. There are so many stories about these craftsmen who love their craft and have managed to pass it on. In fact, not much has changed in the last 110 years, and that's quite reassuring. The gestures are almost the same, the noise of the machines, the sounds of carving and painting wood create the same melody. Above all, the workshop still smells of beech wood chips, which evoke old memories. If the company does not have the know-how for some toys in France, it manufactures them abroad, where it applies the same quality requirements. In production, it eliminates the use of all plastic parts except when necessary for the safety of children. And this also applies to product packaging. VILAC applies high quality and safety requirements to the production of toys both in France and in other foreign countries.

VILAC collaborates in the production of toys with talented illustrators, artists and designers who create wooden toys with original designs and often decorative elements that add a touch of authenticity and naturalness not only to the children's room. These artists adapt their visual world to traditional wooden toys: pop culture with Keith Haring, poetry with Michelle Carlsund, retro with Ingela P. Arrhenius, Suzy Ultman's eye for detail and others. Each generation can find something to marvel at in their creations. VILAC is constantly developing and establishing new collaborations, the most important of which is the collaboration with the Musée d'Orsay and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN), the Élysée Palace – the seat of the Presidents of the French Republic. It also collaborates with the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art from the Czech Republic. VILAC wooden toys are unique, timeless, always on-trend, and can enchant all generations. VILAC helps shape children's imaginations with its joyful illustrations and designs, and by reinterpreting classic toys that never get old. In 2011, VILAC was awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label: a unique government recognition of excellence 'in the French style' for its Made in France product line. VILAC has been connecting children with toys they love and cherish for 100 years. And why do children love them so much? That remains the secret of VILAC.'



Manufacturer's address and contact:

VILAC S.A.S.

MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE CEDEX

39261

France

info@vilac.com