This last year my kids and I got really into chess. We even went to a few chess tournaments in the Portland and Vancouver area and the kids won some medals and trophies. It was fun to see the babysitters' reaction when my 6 year old would beat them at chess. I think the words "shock and awe" are appropriate. Kind of what I looked like when the kids locked me in this cellar!
In the story, Billy creates a game called Spanish Prisoner Chess. As far as I know, this is an original chess game that no one else has created (although I wouldn't doubt that in the long history of chess, someone has come up with something similar). The game is very similar to normal chess, the exception being that each player secretly puts a sticker under one of their own pieces. This sticker signifies that piece as the secret king. The way you win the game is to take the other person's secret king. All of the pieces move the same as before. If a knight is your secret king, it still moves 2 spaces one direction and then 1 space in the other. The kids and I have played this version quite a bit, and really enjoyed it. It levels the playing field between more experienced and novice players, and changes the tactics since you have to figure out which piece you want to get. If you try it out, let me know what you think.
I tried to challenge the kids to a game of Spanish Prisoner chess with the wager that if I won I would be set free. My astute children decided against it. They are single minded in their objective to turn me into a full time children's author.
P.S. I think there is a rat down here.
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