Puzzle over these sudoku challenges that range in difficulty

Ireland is awash with would-be kings, power-hungry pretenders, and self-professed rulers. The provinces are in disarray, and the common folk are paying the price. The land needs a leader. In Brian Boru, players will strive to unite Ireland under their domain, securing control through might, cunning, and matrimony. Join forces to fend off Viking invaders, build monasteries to extend your influence, and gather support in towns and villages throughout the land. To become High King of all Ireland, you will need to navigate a web of shifting alliances, outmanoeuvre your enemies, and grab history by the reins. Includes rules in English and German. Number of players: 3-5 Ages: 14+ Play time: 60-90 minutes Components: Board, 46 cards, 139 tokens, 125 wooden discs

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals! Anyone who enjoys nature, animals, and history will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by James Kuether and his popular coffee-table book, The Amazing World of Dinosaurs, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features professional illustrations of 52 of the best known and most important prehistoric animals. Each card depicts a full-color illustration of a dinosaur or non-dinosaur, as well as the meaning of its name and the period of time in which it lived. So you can begin to learn about, Ankylosaurus, the Mammoth, Tyrannosaurus, and nearly 50 other prehistoric creatures. Card Features 52 dinosaurs and non-dinosaurs Beautiful illustrations on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about dinosaurs. Get The Amazing World of Dinosaurs Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

This history of role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons explains their evolution and gives complete definitions and descriptions for related game products. Arriving on the scene in 1973, such games caught on rapidly and spawned a thriving industry. These games are regularly played improvisations, with rules that allow for consistent resolution of action, in which heroic characters created by the players battle enemies or solve mysteries. Featuring essays by eighteen top industry designers, Heroic Worlds explains the evolution of role-playing games and their influence on other forms of entertainment. The art and jargon of game design, play, and collection are defined in detail.

FLAMES OF FREEDOM is an American Gothic horror tabletop role-playing game, Powered by ZWEIHAENDER RPG. It is the dawn of the American Revolutionary War of 1776. A tangled web of conspiracy spans North America. It does not matter what your creed, color, culture, faith or gender is-all stand together in the war for survival. Every Rebel patriot holds Thomas Paine's Common Sense aloft as they take up arms against the British Empire. The city of Boston is occupied by the Red Coats, surrounded by Rebel militias. But as the revolution has begun, something far more mysterious stirs. Agents of the occult entreat both the Continental Army and British Empire. Freemasons conspire in the City of Brotherly Love. Maryland is in the throes of a witch hunt by the Knights Templar. Amid the chaos, other grim fairy tales have emerged. Ghouls have been tunneling beneath Boston. There are sightings of witches in the Great Dismal Swamp. Indigenous sachem speak of devils who walk among the living. The Leeds Devil haunts the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. And worse still, a shadowy collective called "The Mandoag" seeks to consume all, Loyalists and Rebels alike. In this game, most people have either chosen to deny the supernatural or rationalize it away. A rare few accept it for what it is to act. You are among those heroes and destined for greatness... or death. This alternative history game includes most of what you need to play: a player's handbook, a game master's guide, a bestiary, and an introductory adventure set in Boston. All that's left are a few friends, pencils, and a handful of dice.

Mission control, we are go for launch! NASA's most iconic mission patch imagery is on display in this out-of-this-world matching game, perfect for honing memory and introducing players to some of humanity's notable journeys into outer space. Marvel at historic patches that commemorate the very first Mars rovers, the Apollo 11 mission, the first mission to the International Space Station, and more . . . just remember where you last spotted each mission memento to win! Interstellar explorers will want to launch into this game again and again!

In "American Grandmaster," " "Joel Benjamin takes the reader on a journey through chess adventures spanning more than thirty years. Tracing through his own career, from being a prodigy in the 'Fischer boom' era thorough to an experienced Grandmaster with many titles, Benjamin is in a unique position to highlight the major changes that have occurred both in US and international chess throughout the last four decades.

While many nations flocked to the side of the Allies, others joined forces with Germany as part of the Axis. This volume is the definitive guide to the armies of Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland. Refight the Winter War against the Soviets, hold back the British in North Africa, or help shore up the German offensives on the Eastern Front with this latest supplement for 'Bolt Action.'

"That is part of what I like in chess: it is psychological warfare at the board." Magnus Carlsen during an interview with the BBC, March 2013 In chess, more than in any other game, battles are won and lost in the mind. US National Master William Stewart is convinced that a positive attitude is crucial if you want to develop and achieve success as a chess player, and in this book he focuses on the vital subject of chess psychology. All the key areas of chess are covered here. Stewart highlights the principles of successful opening play and outlines an easy-to-learn starting repertoire. He also examines positional play, defensive resilience, typical mistakes and how to avoid them, tournament strategy, clock management, how to study chess and much more besides. This book is packed with tips and practical advice for beginners and intermediate players, and anyone wishing to improve their mental approach to chess. *An essential guide to chess psychology *Covers opening, middlegame and endgame play *Ideal for beginners and intermediate players

This book provides Bolt Action players with all of the information they need to field the military forces of the Soviet Union. From the bitter urban warfare of Stalingrad, through the Winter War against Finland and the final drive to Berlin, the detailed army lists provided in this supplement allow players to construct Soviet armies for any theatre and any year of the war.

In The Queer Games Avant-Garde, Bonnie Ruberg presents twenty interviews with twenty-two queer video game developers whose radical, experimental, vibrant, and deeply queer work is driving a momentous shift in the medium of video games. Speaking with insight and candor about their creative practices as well as their politics and passions, these influential and innovative game makers tell stories about their lives and inspirations, the challenges they face, and the ways they understand their places within the wider terrain of video game culture. Their insights go beyond typical conversations about LGBTQ representation in video games or how to improve "diversity" in digital media. Instead, they explore queer game-making practices, the politics of queer independent video games, how queerness can be expressed as an aesthetic practice, the influence of feminist art on their work, and the future of queer video games and technology. These engaging conversations offer a portrait of an influential community that is subverting and redefining the medium of video games by placing queerness front and center. Interviewees: Ryan Rose Aceae, Avery Alder, Jimmy Andrews, Santo Aveiro-Ojeda, Aevee Bee, Tonia B******, Mattie Brice, Nicky Case, Naomi Clark, Mo Cohen, Heather Flowers, Nina Freeman, Jerome Hagen, Kat Jones, Jess Marcotte, Andi McClure, Llaura McGee, Seanna Musgrave, Liz Ryerson, Elizabeth Sampat, Loren Schmidt, Sarah Schoemann, Dietrich Squinkifer, Kara Stone, Emilia Yang, Robert Yang

The Sicilian Defence is the most popular reply to 1 e4. With 1...c5 Black comes out fighting, immediately challenging any sense of a "natural white advantage". Sicilian Defence players are often very well prepared theoretically and the tremendous dynamism of the Sicilian can often disturb their opponents. In this book, German FIDE master Jonas Hacker provides a complete repertoire for White when facing the Sicilian. The recommended systems are based on solid strategic considerations. The backbone of the repertoire is the line 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 f3!? This is a perfect line to throw Najdorf and Dragon players off their stride. White will (usually) follow up with c2-c4 and establish a useful space advantage. Many of the other recommended lines are also based around the space-gaining c2-c4 advance providing cohesion across the whole repertoire. In Opening Repertoire: Beating the Sicilian, Jonas Hacker guides the reader through the complexities of the Sicilian and carves out a repertoire for White. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for White against the Sicilian. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method

With this latest supplement for Bolt Action, players now have all the information they need to field the varied military forces of the United States of America. Entering the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States immediately went to war on several fronts. In Europe and Africa, the Americans battled against the Germans and Italians, while in the Pacific the soldiers of the Army and Marines faced the forces of Imperial Japan. This book allows players to choose from dozens of different troop types including Sherman tanks, Marine raiders, and paratroopers, and build a US force to fight in any theatre of the war.

Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, opening play and gambits, classical play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and who have undeniably influenced those who have followed. In The Giants of Power Play, Neil McDonald selects five players who have excelled in the field of 'power play' - the art of putting opponents under constant pressure. The methods of doing so are numerous, including gaining rapid development in return for material to build up an initiative, preparing powerful opening ideas in advance, or even developing completely new opening systems. McDonald examines the contributions made by each player, their differences in approach and style, and from Morphy to Topalov, how they followed in each other's footsteps. A study of this book will help you to enhance your skills in one of the most crucial elements of the game. *An entertaining and instructive guide to power play *Learn from the greats of the game *Discover how famous chess minds work

This big volume will first retrace the history of the game of chess with the greatest 16 players who have been officially recognized as champions of the world, looking at their lives and the contributions they gave to the game. The following section will describe the most iconic matches - either because of their intensity or because of the rivalry between the two players as well as the political rivalry between countries, as the famous match between Russian Spassky and American Fischer during the Cold War. The final chapter will look at the modern-day chess scene and the rise of artificial intelligence in chess games.

Molly Bloom reveals how she built one of the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world--an insider's story of excess and danger, glamour and greed.

In the late 2000s, Molly Bloom, a twentysomething petite brunette from Loveland Colorado, ran the highest stakes, most exclusive poker game Hollywood had ever seen--she was its mistress, its lion tamer, its agent, and its oxygen. Everyone wanted in, few were invited to play.

Hundreds of millions of dollars were won and lost at her table. Molly's game became the game for those in the know--celebrities, business moguls, and millionaires. Molly staged her games in palatial suites with beautiful views and exquisite amenities. She flew privately, dined at exclusive restaurants, hobnobbed with the heads of Hollywood studios, was courted by handsome leading men, and was privy to the world's most delicious gossip, until it all came crashing down around her.

Molly's Game is a behind the scenes look at Molly's game, the life she created, the life she lost, and what she learned in the process.

The Grunfeld Defence is is a combative reply to 1 d4 which has been favoured by many world champions including those two legends of the game, Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. It is an opening in the hypermodern style, in that Black generally allows White to build a strong centre early on in the expectation of being able to undermine it in the middlegame play. Opening Repetoire: The Grunfeld Defence book cuts through the dense theory that surrounds this opening and establishes a straightforward repertoire is based around consistent strategies and concepts. It has all the information necessary to enable the reader to begin playing the Grunfeld with confidence. There are also "Grunfeld-type" suggestions to counter White systems based on the English and Reti openings. In Opening Repertoire: The Grunfeld Defence, Nigel Davies guides the reader through the complexities of the Grunfeld and carves out a repertoire for Black. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for Black against 1 d4. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

This supplement for Frostgrave provides players with new tools to build, animate, field, and face constructs in their games. In the glory days of Ancient Felstad, artisans competed to produce the most beautiful, the most functional, and the most enduring constructs. These living works of art could be seen everywhere in the city, fulfilling many of the day-to-day tasks that kept the magical metropolis running. They provided transportation and security, worked on construction and cleaning, exterminated vermin, butchered animals, and tended furnaces. Then came the cataclysm. The ice and snow not only buried and destroyed most of the constructs active in the city, but nearly wiped out the knowledge of their creation. Certainly, the constructs animated by the explorers of the Frozen City are crude in both form and function compared to what once existed. This supplement for Frostgrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City provides a study of constructs, offering expanded rules for their creation, modification, and even re-animation. It examines enchanters' workshops, detailing new magic items and base modifications that aid in the animation process, and also includes a bestiary full of new constructs. Of course, much of the knowledge that was once lost still exists in the frozen ruins, so the book also features several scenarios set in the once-great factories where the art of construct creation reached its pinnacle.

Ten years after their award-winning Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand (August 2009, ISBN 978 1897106 51 8), Seagram & Bird tackle the hardest part of the game: defence. Using the same step-by-step approach, they guide the reader through the minefield of signalling, making a defensive plan and, above all, counting - points, tricks and distribution.

Do you need to be a genius to be good at chess? What does it take to become a Grandmaster? Can computer programmes beat human intuition in gameplay? The Psychology of Chess is an insightful overview of the roles of intelligence, expertise, and human intuition in playing this complex and ancient game. The book explores the idea of 'practice makes perfect', alongside accounts of why men perform better than women in international rankings, and why chess has become synonymous with extreme intelligence as well as madness. When artificial intelligence researchers are increasingly studying chess to develop machine learning, The Psychology of Chess shows us how much it has already taught us about the human mind.

This book contains a dramatic and revealing translation of this ancient classic into English. The Chinese original is set side-by-side with the translation. Two things set this translation apart from all previous ones. First, archeological findings are used to uncover the meaning of passages obscured for thousands of years. Second, it preserves the flavor of the orignal in a poetic rendition. An introductory part of this book provides the historical and philosophical background to the I Ching. The story is told of the ancient Chinese civilization, pointing out events and figures mentioned in the I Ching. The undisguised face of the I Ching will appeal to the modern reader, who will read it in his or her own individual way, as poetry, as discoverer of self, or as soothsayer. It is in the grand tradition of the I Ching for different people to see different things. To Confucius, who was born in 550 B.C., it was a source of ethics.; To Leibnitz, the eighteenth-century inventor of calculus, it was the essence of binary mathematics.; To Jung Freud's rival in psychology, it was an explorer of the unconscious.; To some Wall Streeters, it predicts the stock market.; As a companion to this book, a computer software, Huang's I Ching offers computerized consultations of the I Ching. In the court of Zhou, they used to do this by counting stalks of the yarrow reed. Results of the court would indicate what passages to read. In later ages, yarrow-counting was replaced by coin-tossing, as a ritual closer to people's lifestyle. And now, the I Ching is ready for the future.

Richard Reti is one of the most fascinating characters in the history of chess. Reti developed theories that were regarded as little less than revolutionary in his era. He asserted that, contrary to classical principles, the centre need not be occupied by pawns. This must have seemed like heresy to the classically-minded grandmasters of his day. This new approach was dubbed "Hypermodern" and led to the development of the Reti Opening (1 Nf3). Reti's theories have been proved sound and have stood the test of time. Reti scored many fine wins against the great players of his day. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to improve your chess skills and knowledge.