Chess

For the object, see Chess table.

Merge

This article or section is being considered for merging with Chess table. Reason: Really no point of it's own devoted article, when this information is brief and useful there

Early versions of chess were played as far back as the Middle Ages.

Chess has been an activity in the Sims franchise from The Sims, through The Sims 2 and into The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. It also makes an appearance in The Sims Medieval.

It's one of the easiest ways for Sims to increase their logic skill. It also provides fun, and since two Sims can play, it can fulfill social needs as well. Children can play, and in The Sims 2, The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, will gain logic skill by playing. In The Sims 2: FreeTime, playing chess builds enthusiasm for the games hobby.

Two Sims playing chess will play a game. If allowed to run its course, it will end when one of them wins. In The Sims 2, mean Sims may attempt to cheat by distracting the other player. If caught, the other player's relationship with the mean Sim will drop. In The Sims 2, chess is popular among knowledge Sims. Chess tables are also available at most parks in The Sims 2, The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. In The Sims: Hot Date, some Downtown lots have chess tables.

In The Sims 3, a Sim can play a game of chess with the Grim Reaper to save another Sim's life.

In The Sims 3, the chess skill is a hidden skill. Practicing chess on a chess table will give chess skill as will playing chess on a computer. Chess skill is gained about 15% faster than logic skill when using the chess table, therefore the maximum chess skill level of 10 is obtained when about 8.5 logic skill has been gained from the chess table, if the chess table is the only logic gaining object that the Sim has used. It takes about 100 hours to obtain level 10 chess skill.

In The Sims 3, to attain grand master in the logic skill challenges, the Sim needs to reach Rank 5 in the chess circuit. To do this, the Sim needs to beat 15 chess opponents. It is always 15 whether the Sim has a chess skill of 2 or 10 at the beginning. Playing against opponents increases chess skill. Rank 1 in the chess circuit is attained after beating 2 chess opponents, rank 2 after beating a further 2 chess opponents, rank 3 after beating a further 4 chess opponents, rank 4 after beating a further 4 chess opponents, and rank 5 (the highest rank) after beating a further 3 chess opponents. Sometimes, the Sim will be defeated once or twice by the opponent before eventually beating them.

In The Sims 4, Sims can ponder moves at a chessboard in order to quickly gain the focused emotion. Sims may also gain the focused emotion during a chess game, especially with higher logic skill, and are more likely to win a chess game while focused. Some aspirations require playing games of chess. Sims seem a lot more likely to cheat at chess in The Sims 4 than in The Sims 2, as most Sims will seemingly cheat. For unknown reasons, the ability to play chess on the computer is absent from this sequel.

Ranked chess

The Sims 3 has an option for Sims to invite other Sims to the lot they're currently on (including public lots) for ranked chess matches with their telephones (Call Sim… → Invite Over Next Ranked Chess Opponent). Once the Sim has arrived, and if there's a chess table on the lot, the chess table can be clicked on to challenge to a match.

Winning sufficiently many matches will count towards the Grand Master Logic challenge, whose challenge completion takes approximately 20 wins.

Matches must be played to completion (which takes around 1h15min) to be counted in the rankings, with forfeited matches being treated as never having begun. Opponent Sims may occasionally forfeit in this way if they're e.g. hungry, need to go to the toilet, or want to ask for the opponent's autograph.

Invited opponents will have the same qualms with calling in the middle of the night (unless they're a vampire) or during their work hours as with the regular "Invite Over" interactions. Opponents will reject invitations if the lot has a Safeguard Electronic Gate on it.

Gallery

The two types of chess table available in The Sims.

The two types of chess table available in The Sims 2.

A Sim going to practice chess in The Sims 3.

A Sim practicing chess alone.

Notes

• In The Sims 2, a minor graphical glitch may occur after a Sim stops playing. If the Sim stops at the wrong moment, his or her left arm may become stuck in a half-raised position. This does not affect gameplay, it just looks strange. It can be corrected by having the Sim play again, waiting until the left arm is lowered, then having the Sim stop playing.
• In The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, if Sims lose, they may knock the pieces off the table. Note that the pieces do not have actual models while on the ground, and just disappear from the table.
• The Sims 3: Showtime includes statues shaped like large chess pieces for pawn, bishop, knight, and rook, but oddly enough not for king or queen.
• In The Sims 2, when one or two Sims are playing chess, the chess game is played out dynamically, and the pieces move or attack accordingly, while in The Sims 3 when a Sim makes their move, the pieces are all different.