Very good app for little ones to learn chess – Dinosaur Chess: Learn to Play! Review

Now, I am definitely pushing the limits of the app here, my son is just over 3 years old. He loves dinosaurs so I figured why not try this? He now knows all the pieces, how they move, the idea of pieces taking each other and that the goal is to checkmate the king. He absolutely loves the whole collecting dinosaurs part, though he obviously needs dads help in beating even the simple levels. Interestingly, my wife is also learning to play chess using the app. The learning certainly goes well beyond just how to move the pieces and into basic opening strategy, for instance. This was great to see. I did have to knock off a point for a few reasons, mostly related to the actual chess play and algorithms. There is no way to adjust the difficulty of the computer. The difficulty is adjusted by withholding pieces, which is great as far as it goes, but once you get an even battle against the computer it's all the same. And the same is a weird mix of overlooking obvious moves one or two steps ahead and yet never making immediate blunders. Gearing a chess app for little learners seems like it would require a slightly more deft touch. Additionally, once an older child gets a basic understanding, this app has no future, as any competent chess player will trounce it with no effort. Finally, for a training app, I would love to see some options that would help visualize pieces that aren't guarded, space that your opponent is covering, those kinds of things. All in all, though a great app and I hope they can address a few of my concerns in future updates.
Review by Patimen on Dinosaur Chess: Learn to Play!.