Board games such as chess and GO, go back many hundreds of
years. In the 1960s, board games reached a high level of
popularity, with classics such as Monopoly becoming best
sellers. Nowadays, computers have taken over as the major
pastime, yet board games still have much to offer which
cannot easily be replicated by computer games.
Some board games, such as checkers (draughts), chess and GO,
are games which depend on thoughtful tactics for their
success. Others are based on `chance,' using dice or
spinners. Some challenge the memory and others test
knowledge.
Whatever the type, all board games are characterized by the
fact that they all have a pre-set layout and clearly defined
rules. This itself helps a child learn to dscipline himself,
learn how to interpret rules, be fair and follow
instructions.
Most board games are competitive and involve several
players. Thus, a child learns to work interactively with
others and accept failure with a good spirit.
Intellectual games, such as chess and GO, develop the
ability to see the consequences of an action, to plan ahead
and, thereby, to develop the imagination and use it as an
intellectual resource.
The social interactivity of several players hunched around a
board, each seeing the board from his own point of view yet
needing to also relate to it from the point of view of the
other players, is something which cannot be replicated by a
computer.
