How has a game brought together Americans and defined separate ethnic communities? This book tells the first history of mahjong and its meaning in American culture. Click-click-click. The sound of mahjong tiles connects American expatriates in Shanghai, Jazz Age white Americans, urban Chinese Americans in the 1930s, incarcerated Japanese Americans in wartime, Jewish American suburban mothers, and Air Force officers' wives in the postwar era. Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture illustrates how the spaces between tiles and the moments between games have fostered distinct social cultures in the United States. This mass-produced game crossed the Pacific, creating waves of popularity over the twentieth century. Annelise Heinz narrates the history of this game to show how it has created a variety of meanings, among them American modernity, Chinese American heritage, and Jewish American women's culture. As it traveled from China to the United States and caught on with Hollywood starlets, high society, middle-class housewives, and immigrants alike, mahjong became a quintessentially American game. Heinz also reveals the ways in which women leveraged a game to gain access to respectable leisure. The result was the forging of friendships within ethnic groups that lasted decades and the creation of organizations that raised funds for the war effort and philanthropy. No other game has signified both belonging and standing apart in American culture. Drawing on photographs, advertising, popular media, and dozens of oral histories, Heinz's rich and colorful account offers the first history of the wildly popular game of mahjong.

Smolen makes getting siblings, cousins, or neighborhood children of different ages together an easy task, providing a collection of outdoor and indoor games and arts and crafts projects adapted to satisfy the interests and skills of children of various ages simultaneously.

From America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit comes the best chess drill book for beginners of all ages. From ever-popular chess instructor Bruce Pandolfini comes this entertaining, interactive, and effective book for teaching young chess players and other newcomers to the game. Filled with hundreds of questions and answers, fill-in-the-blanks, and true-or-false posers, Square One combines traditional chess drills with diverting games and problems to stimulate the analytical skills of beginners of all ages. Besides covering the basics-the board, moves, rules, and notation-Square One goes on to include information on attacks, checkmate, draws, and special rules, giving the beginner a broad overview of the game. With more than 200 instructional diagrams, and answers to all questions and problems, it is a complete workbook for chess players starting at square one.

Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess, such as strategy, attack, defence, opening play, endgames, off-board preparation and mental attitude. In each book the author studies a number of great players who have excelled in such aspects of the game, greatly influenced their peers and inspired all of us. In Great Chess Romantics, Craig Pritchett selects five players, whose artistic spirit expresses a personal commitment to the discovery and revelation of great new truths and beauty on the chessboard. Anderssen defined romanticism's inherently dramatic and correct combinational core. Chigorin championed this essence in splendid opposition to an emerging new classical consensus. Reti revealed the extraordinary power of new flank openings. Larsen confounded the overly sober, scientific Soviet school at innumerable turns. In the computer age, Morozevich constantly discovers new depths to chess, while simply oozing exquisite strokes in his best games.

First published in 1942, the late B.H. Wood's classic Easy Guide to Chess has been successfully used by thousands of chess players around the world. Topics covered include: the men, their moves, starting the game, the importance of pawns, how to record the moves, standard openings, and much more. This introductory book has been substantially revised for the first algebraic edition, which will bring the game to a new generation of young players.

The Roman Empire rules the civilised world with an iron fist, seemingly all-powerful and limitless. And yet, the power of Rome is secured not by its mighty legions, but by small bands of warriors and agents fighting a secret war. Tasked by the Emperor to explore ancient temples, forgotten labyrinths and beast-haunted caverns, they seek out artefacts hidden by the gods themselves, hunt creatures of myth and face enemies that would use dark magic against the empire. Broken Legions is a set of fantasy skirmish rules for a war unknown to history, fought in the shadows of the Roman Empire. Various factions recruit small warbands to fight in tight, scenario-driven battles that could secure the mystical power to defend - or crush - Rome. A points system allows factions to easily build a warband, and mercenaries and free agents may also be hired to bolster a force. Heroes and leaders may possess a range of skills, traits and magical abilities, but a henchman's blade can be just as sharp, and a campaign can see even the lowliest henchman become a hero of renown.

From America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit comes a collection of 200 brand-new openings, drills, and skills for players of all levels. The opening is one of the most important parts of the chess game. Weaken your pawns by mistake, and they're taken. Attack wildly and haphazardly, and your pieces are picked off. Misuse your queen, and it's trapped. Carelessly neglect development, and you're mated. You've scarcely begun, and the game is over. But with this handy guide, you can avoid these perils and pitfalls. Including over 200 traps and 200 zaps, More Chess Openings presents everyday errors in openings and their immediate refutations. With detailed instruction and his usual precise explanation, Pandolfini teaches the defenses necessary to ward off the toughest opponents, including: *Sicilian Defense *Caro-Kann Defense *Modern Defense *Alekhine Defense *French Defense *Pirc Defense *Center Counter Defense

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Wildflowers in the Northeastern United States! Anyone who enjoys nature, plants, and gardening will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Jaret C. Daniels and the popular Wildflower Identification Guides, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features professional photographs of 54 of the most notable wildflower species in the Northeastern states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as Washington, DC. Each card depicts full-color photographs of such wildflowers as the Columbine, Common Blue Violet, Painted Trillium, and more--so you can begin to learn what 54 different species look like. Card Features 54 of the most notable wildflower species Beautiful photograph on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about wildflowers. Get Wildflowers of the Northeast Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

Unlike chess or backgammon, tabletop wargames have no single, accepted set of rules. Most wargamers at some point have had a go at writing their own rules and virtually all have modified commercially available sets to better suit their idea of the ideal game or to adapt favourite rules to a different historical period or setting. But many who try soon find that writing a coherent set of rules is harder than they thought, while tweaking one part of an existing set can often have unforeseen consequences for the game as a whole. Now, at last, help is at hand. Veteran gamer and rules writer John Lambshead has teamed up with the legendary Rick Priestley, creator of Games Workshop's phenomenally successful Warhammer system, to create this essential guide for any would-be wargame designer or tinkerer. Rick and John give excellent advice on deciding what you want from a wargame and balancing 'realism' (be it in a historical or a fantasy/sci-fi context) with playability.They discuss the relative merits of various mechanisms (cards, dice, tables) then discuss how to select and combine these to handle the various essential game elements of turn sequences, combat resolution, morale etc to create a rewarding and playable game that suits your tastes and requirements

Attacking your opponents king is not just a shortcut to victory, its also one of the most enjoyable and gratifying experiences in chess. If you want to win more games you should become a better attacker. Studying typical attacking motifs and ideas easily brings dividends while you are having a good time. Michael Prusikin presents the prerequisites and the rules for a King attack in a lucid and attractive manner. In 15 thematic chapters he teaches you how to assess the nature of the position, identify the appropriate offensive patterns, find the preliminary moves and conduct your attack in a clear and effective way. Battering rams, obstructive sacrifices, pawn storms, striking at the castled position, sacrificing a knight on f5, Prusikin demonstrates the most important patterns of attack with lots of clear and well-chosen examples. Next, Prusikin tests your newly acquired insights and your attacking intuition with exercises covering all the themes and motifs. You will find that studying ATTACKING STRATEGIES FOR CLUB PLAYERS is both entertaining and rewarding.

teNeues NYC Stationery is proud to share our newest offering, classic Playing Cards with our signature style curated from museum art and illustrations from our favourite artists around the world printed on embossed, premium blue-core card stock in a gift box with flip-top magnetic closure. Cactus Party by the French artist who goes by Hello Marine is bold and fun with geometric shapes with on trend bold blue, aqua and neon yellow details. An update to the eighties party aesthetic we all love. Our little portable box is giftable and great for travel, fits in any bag and the magnetic closure keeps the cards together between games. Standard deck of 54 playing cards including 2x joker cards Full-colour, richly -printed artwork on embossed, blue-core card stock Giftable flip-top box with magnetic closure Box measures: 69 x 95 x 25 mm Hello Marine is a French illustrator and printmaker living in the UK. She was raised in Paris and the southwest of France. Hello Marine's style is bold, colourful, and joyful. Her illustrations appeal to adults and children alike.

With this new supplement for Frostgrave, players can lead their warbands into the vast network of catacombs, sewers, and dungeons that run underneath the Frozen City. It was in these dark confines that the ancient wizards known as Beastcrafters experimented on living creatures, creating strange hybrids and deadly monsters, many of which still roam the forgotten passageways. Along with a host of new scenarios, treasures, soldiers, and creatures, the book also contains rules for the traps and secret passages that are often found in the dungeons. With wonderful and rare magical treasures to be discovered, will players risk taking their warbands down into the Breeding Pits?

Eternal Night of Lockwood is an adventure book, filled with intrigue, mystery, and horror, Powered by Zweihander RPG. RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT Five days ago, a starless and moonless night fell over the Lockwood forest and pioneer town of Ertol. The sawmills have gone quiet, and the lumberjacks have begun to revolt. The Eternal Night has come, and all of Ertol is in the grips of panic and fear. But where there's darkness, there's opportunity. As citizens of Ertol, you'll find yourselves drawn into a pitch-black web of urban conspiracy and rural horror, spanning the gloom of the six boroughs and into the ancient Lockwood. Will you rise to the occasion as a light in the darkness, or will you succumb to the Eternal Night? This ZWEIHAENDER RPG book is a campaign-length adventure, taking characters from Basic to Advanced Tier. Its adventure can also be broken up into ten individual quests to suit your gaming group's needs. Intended to be used by both players and gamemasters, this book provides a host of new character options, expanded bestiary, and customizable adventure difficulty settings to accommodate higher Tier adventures.

My Bleeping Family Mad Libs features 21 original stories celebrating the crazy drama that all families experience, including your own Readers will love to fill in the blanks of stories about Thanksgiving dinner gone wrong, dramatic step-parents, and sibling rivalry At only $4.99, it makes a funny and affordable gift for all the crazies in your life.

The perfect and necessary addition to any personal chess library from America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit. In this comprehensive, accessible reference, National Master Bruce Pandolfini covers every aspect of the game, from chessboard and pieces to history and strategy, and addresses virtually any possible question or situation that may arise. From algebra notation to zugzwang, Pandolfini has created the chess bible for players of all levels. And in addition to answers to over 500 questions, he has included his terrific short chess course plus tournament tips and endgame maxims. You'll learn the difference between a mating attack and a mating net, the best way to gain control of the center in the opening, why the Russians are so successful at chess, what happened to Bobby Fischer, and more! For an edge up on the competition, look no further than Pandolfini's Chess Complete.

Chess on the Net reviews the hottest chess sites and offers advice on where to play on the web and how to use the web to improve your practical play. Whether it's playing against humans, playing against computers, learning from Grandmasters or simply finding out the latest chess results and gossip, chess on the internet has become a massive business over the past few years. In this revolutionary book, distinguished chess webmaster Mark Crowther explains to the reader how to get the maximum out of the web. Crowther casts his expert eye over the every-increasing number of chess sites available to the surfer. (6 X 9, 128 pages, computer screen reproductions, illustrations, charts)

A Guide to Chess Improvement features the very best of Dan Heisman's multi-award winning chess column Novice Nook, which has run for the past ten years at the popular website ChessCafe.com. This book is full of valuable instruction, insight and practical advice on a wide range of key subjects: general improvement, thought processes, planning and strategy, tactics, endgame play, technique, time management and much more besides. Heisman has thoroughly revised, expanded and updated his work to produce an easy-to-navigate guide. He has also included brand new and exclusive columns. Any player from beginner to expert who is serious about improving their chess should read this book! *An essential guide to chess improvement *Covers in depth all the key areas of chess *Written by a distinguished chess instructor

What is the best way to improve your opening knowledge? Memorizing variations? Not really. In the first volume of Dariusz' trilogy, the author helps you to understand the instructive patterns that arise from the immensely popular Nimzo-Indian Defense. Packed with plenty new ideas, his methods consider the different ways White has at his disposal. His unique approach shows Black has nothing to fear, on the contrary! Thinkers is convinced you will enjoy the read!

Runner-up in the beginner/novice category of the American Bridge Teachers Association 2020 Book of the Year Awards. Bridge is a hugely popular pastime enjoyed by millions, and yet whole books have been written about single aspects of the game, and learning the seemingly complex rules and language can be a daunting idea. So this is the essential guide to beginning your journey and getting in on the fun, covering everything you need to know to get started and progress, from bridge basics, language and no-trump declarer play to analysing hands and working with trump suits. Defence play is then covered before going into bidding essentials and further bidding techniques and conventions. Keeping score and advice on taking things further rounds off this invaluable guide for the beginner. Clear explanations and examples make learning easy, and fresh writing from seasoned expert Mark Horton keeps things interesting, while a glossary of terms is a handy at-a-glance reminder of the meaning of key words and phrases. Suitable for standard playing methods used worldwide.

Many people aspire to create their own games but don't know where to start. Make Amazing Games 3rd Edition introduces the game creation process to the aspiring game developer with no experience or programming ability. Taking the reader step-by-step through the various stages of developing a game and using the popular ""drag and drop"" game creation software (a free feature limited version which is available from Steam), readers can build their very own games. Using the tutorials, the reader will complete four fully playable games including platform, bat & ball, mouse-clicker, and side-scrolling shoot-'em up, games. Other chapters cover more complex game features such as porting the game onto the Web, distribution, and publishing. This must-have book is the essential resource for anyone interested in learning game creation from beginning to end. Includes companion files with 4-color figures, game demos, graphic libraries, and source code. FEATURES: Includes a discussion of the different types of games, necessary game resources, importing graphics, and some basic programming concepts. Features detailed information on downloading, installing, and using the free Fusion software. Create four games from scratch with Fusion: a platform game, side-scroller shooter, a bat-and-ball game, and a mouse-clicker game. Covers backing up your game, debugging, marketing, distribution, and more. Includes companion files with 4-color figures, game demos, graphic libraries, and source code.

This book is partly designed as an autobiographical experience focusing on the processes that arise in the life of a chess player that have be translated into everyday life. In part, the book incorporates psychological theories that generally explain these processes, but overall it can be seen as a guide on how to use any activity to learn skills that will enrich your life. There are several activities in life which can be seen in the same way if we know where and how to exploit the opportunities. The truth is that all aspirations are interconnected when we keep an eye on the thematic links. I believe that this book will give you a new insight into how any ability can be transferred from a particular activity to the universal wisdom of life. It will awaken your networking skills and teach you how to turn life activities into lifelong skills that will improve your well-being. The course of the book follows the typical process of playing chess, starting with training, followed by the tournament situation, the course of the game, the time after the game and the tournament. Since I am not a poet, I have often borrowed some quotations from famous, imaginative and clever people from all over the world. I believe that these valuable thoughts have enriched the book. One thing I ask you to do while reading this book is to open your mind and enjoy the inner journey. So let us go and try to become aware of the processes behind our life activities. Let us find out what and why we do what we do in our daily lives.

Many of today's hottest selling games--both non-electronic and electronic--focus on such elements as shooting up as many bad guys as one can (Duke Nuk'em), beating the toughest level (Mortal Kombat), collecting all the cards (Pokemon), and scoring the most points (Tetris). Fantasy role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons, Rolemaster, GURPS), while they may involve some of those aforementioned elements, rarely focus on them. Instead, playing a fantasy role-playing game is much like acting out a scene from a play, movie or book, only without a predefined script. Players take on such roles as wise wizards, noble knights, roguish sellswords, crafty hobbits, greedy dwarves, and anything else one can imagine and the referee allows. The players don't exactly compete; instead, they interact with each other and with the fantasy setting. The game is played orally with no game board, and although the referee usually has a storyline planned for a game, much of the action is impromptu. Performance is a major part of role-playing, and role-playing games as a performing art is the subject of this book, which attempts to introduce an appreciation for the performance aesthetics of such games. The author provides the framework for a critical model useful in understanding the art--especially in terms of aesthetics--of role-playing games. The book also serves as a contribution to the beginnings of a body of criticism, theory, and aesthetics analysis of a mostly unrecognized and newly developing art form. There are four parts: the cultural structure, the extent to which the game relates to outside cultural elements; the formal structure, or the rules of the game; the social structure, which encompasses the degree and quality of social interaction among players; and the aesthetic structure, concerned with the emergence of role-playing as an art form.