Skillmatics' Chess Kickoff (item SKILL1720CCK), the box our link goes toPhoto: Skillmatics
What's in the box: a 10.2-inch board, 8 pieces and the manualPhoto: Skillmatics
Move one piece a turn; get your king to the far side, or capture theirsPhoto: Skillmatics
How each of the four pieces moves and capturesPhoto: Skillmatics

Two-player game

Chess Kickoff

Beginner chess for young children, with just four pieces each

2players · best with 2
5–15 minplaying time
4+recommended age
Learning curve
Easy2 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Pure skill, no luck
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Children of about 4 to 7 who are curious about chess but not ready for 32 pieces

Think twice if Your child already knows how all the chess pieces move; a full set (see our Chess page) will last far longer

How we rate it

Learning curve. Four kinds of piece, each with its own move, and two ways to win: a child of 4 or 5 needs a few games beside an adult to learn them. That puts it a step above Connect 4 and well below full chess, which is a 3 on our scale.

Luck & skill. No dice, no cards and nothing hidden: the player who thinks ahead wins.

Interaction. Every move answers your opponent's: you chase, capture and block each other's pieces all game.

Set-up. Place your four pieces each as the manual shows and decide who moves first.

Reading. Nothing to read; the pieces are known by shape and colour.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Is Chess Kickoff right for you?

Great if

  • Children of about 4 to 7 who are curious about chess but not ready for 32 pieces
  • A parent or grandparent teaching a child how the pieces move, a few at a time
  • Short games after school, since a game ends as soon as someone reaches the far side or takes a king
  • A small gift from an Indian company for a young child

Skip it if

  • Your child already knows how all the chess pieces move; a full set (see our Chess page) will last far longer
  • You want a set the whole family can grow into; with no queen, no knight and no checkmate, it isn't chess
  • You need a game for more than two players

How Chess Kickoff plays

Chess Kickoff is chess cut down to its first lessons. Each player gets four pieces, a king, a rook, a bishop and a pawn, in red or teal, and the two sides start facing each other on a small square board. There is no queen and no knight, so a child has four moves to learn instead of six.

  • Time to teach: about 10 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Nothing to read during play: the pieces are known by their shapes and colours. The rules can be explained in any language; Skillmatics' how-to-play pictures are in English.
Move one piece a turn; get your king to the far side, or capture theirs · Photo: Skillmatics

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Move

    On your turn, move one of your four pieces: king, rook, bishop or pawn.

  2. 2
    Capture

    Take an opponent's piece when you can, and keep your own king out of danger.

  3. 3
    Win

    Move your king to your opponent's home line, or capture their king, to win.

Read the official rulesChess Kickoff: how to play (Skillmatics India product page) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Chess Kickoff goes

Players take turns moving one piece. The king steps one square in any direction, the bishop moves any distance diagonally and the rook any distance in a straight line, just as in chess. The pawn is different: it steps one square forward or sideways, never backwards (two squares on its first move), and captures one square diagonally.

There are two ways to win: move your king to your opponent's home line, the side of the board they started from, or capture their king. So a child has to think about attack and defence at once: push forward, but keep your own king safe. Games are short, which suits young children.

How it differs from chess: real chess has 16 pieces each, six kinds of piece and a board of 64 squares, and you win by checkmate, trapping the king so it cannot escape; the king is never actually taken. Chess Kickoff keeps four pieces each, lets you capture the king outright and adds the race to the far side. It teaches moving, capturing and protecting a king, but not the queen, the knight, castling or check. When your child is winning easily, it is time for a full chess set; our Chess page covers the whole game.

For parents: in the first games, keep the moves guide open and talk through each move aloud. A child who is losing heart can aim for the home line first, which is easier to see than a trap around the king.

What's in the box

What's in the box: a 10.2-inch board, 8 pieces and the manual · Photo: Skillmatics
  • 1Chess board
    10.2 x 10.2 inches (about 26 cm square)
  • 8Chess pieces
    4 red and 4 blue: a king, a rook, a bishop and a pawn for each player
  • 1Instruction manual

Contents are from Skillmatics India's product page and its contents picture (SKU SKILL1720CCK, barcode 8904279518902); the listing we link gives the same three items. Skillmatics' picture captions call the second colour teal, while the listing calls it blue. Chess Kickoff comes in one edition.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon.in
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Chess Kickoff is a Skillmatics India product, made and sold here, so there is no import to look for. Our Amazon.in link goes to Skillmatics' own box.

Before you choose

  • The listing title and the box should both name Skillmatics and Chess Kickoff; the box front carries the 'Skillmatics Classics' label, ages 4-99 and 2 players.
  • Check the contents: one 10.2-inch board, 8 pieces (4 red and 4 blue: a king, a rook, a bishop and a pawn each) and an instruction manual.
  • The box carries barcode 8904279518902.
  • Other 'beginner chess' or 'mini chess' sets for children are different products with their own rules.

What reviewers and players say

Chess Kickoff is new (Skillmatics listed it in 2026), and we found no independent reviews, videos or forum threads about it yet. The customer reviews on Skillmatics' own site are all five-star but short: people call it fun for children and families, well made, easy to learn and a good gift. None says how well it prepares a child for full chess, which is the real question for most parents.

What people love

  • Easy for young children to pick up, with only four pieces each
  • Short, fun games that suit a family games night
  • Well made and easy to pack away
  • A good small gift for a young child

Common complaints

  • No complaints were visible in the reviews on Skillmatics' site, but those reviews are hosted by the maker and very brief
  • It leaves out the queen, the knight and checkmate, so a child still has a lot to learn before full chess
  • Strictly for two players
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Age4+5+7+7+
RulesEasyEasyMediumEasy
Indian editionAvailableAvailableAvailableAvailable
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Questions people ask about Chess Kickoff

What is the difference between Chess Kickoff and chess?

Chess Kickoff gives each player only four pieces, a king, a rook, a bishop and a pawn, on a small board, with no queen or knight. You win by moving your king to your opponent's home line or capturing their king, instead of by checkmate, so games are much shorter. It is a stepping stone to chess, not a replacement for it.

What age is Chess Kickoff for?

Skillmatics says 4 and up, and the box reads 4-99; the listing we link gives 4 to 7. It suits children of roughly 4 to 7 who are starting out. Older children who already know the chess moves will be happier with a full set.

Will Chess Kickoff teach my child real chess?

It teaches the first ideas: taking turns, how the king, rook, bishop and pawn move, capturing, and keeping your king safe. It leaves out the queen, the knight, castling and checkmate, so plan to move on to a full chess set when your child starts winning easily.

Is Chess Kickoff made in India?

Skillmatics, whose parent company Grasper Global is based in Mumbai, gives India as the country of origin on its own product page. It is sold under the company's Classics label.

Game facts

Publisher
Skillmatics (Grasper Global Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, India), sold under its 'Classics' label
In India
Skillmatics, an Indian company (parent company Grasper Global, Mumbai), which makes and sells the game in India
First published
2026
Players
2
Barcode
8904279518902
Language
No reading – Nothing to read during play: the pieces are known by their shapes and colours. The rules can be explained in any language; Skillmatics' how-to-play pictures are in English.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.