Board Games

Strategy classics against the computer or a friend

Board games have been sharpening minds for centuries. Test your openings in Chess, force multi-jumps in Checkers, build a line of four in Connect Four, flip the board in Reversi, hunt hidden ships in Sea Battle or claim squares in Dots & Boxes. Each game has several difficulty levels, and most also offer a two-player mode on one screen.

Getting more from every match

• Control the centre. In chess, Connect Four and Reversi the middle of the board gives you the most options.
• Think about your opponent's reply. Before each move, ask what the best answer to it would be.
• Raise the level slowly. Beat the computer twice in a row before moving to the next difficulty.

New to chess? Read our blog guide on the famous Opera Game to learn seven lessons you can use right away.

Arab favourites and world classics

Play the café checkers of the Arab world in Dama (Turkish Draughts), with orthogonal moves and flying kings, and race your marbles home with playing cards in Jakaroo, the Gulf's favourite majlis game. Match tiles in Dominoes, sow seeds in Mancala, make five in a row in Gomoku, build mills in Nine Men's Morris and hop across the star in Star Checkers. Every game can be played against the computer or with a friend, and none of them uses dice.