Wizard's Chess
Wizard's Chess is played with pieces and a board similar to Muggle Chess, except that the pieces are animated and they literally destroy or capture each other if they land on an opponent's square. The players simply order the pieces to move using algebraic chess notation, and the pieces attack each other in cases where an opposing player's piece would be taken, usually by knocking the captured piece out and dragging it off the board. Ron has a set left to him by his grandfather and Harry first plays with pieces borrowed from Seamus Finnigan. It is said that the pieces kept shouting him advice because they did not trust him. Harry later gets a set of his own in one of his wizard crackers during his first Christmas at Hogwarts. During the climactic chapters of Philosopher's Stone Harry, Ron and Hermione become human chess pieces in a life-sized game of Wizard's Chess. Ron responds to the first move by using the Scandinavian Defense to verify that the chess pieces are enchanted and will smash each other. Later in the game, Ron sacrifices himself leading to Harry successfully checkmating the opposing King. In the movies, the chesspieces are depicted using replicas of Lewis Chessmen.
Recently, the company Deagostini released a magazine series called Harry Potter Chess, which is based on the life-sized game near the end of the film version of Philosopher's Stone. The chess pieces that come with it are based on the life-sized pieces in the film. Arco Toys and others also have a Wizard's Chess Set.
Recently, the company Deagostini released a magazine series called Harry Potter Chess, which is based on the life-sized game near the end of the film version of Philosopher's Stone. The chess pieces that come with it are based on the life-sized pieces in the film. Arco Toys and others also have a Wizard's Chess Set.
Exploding Snap
Exploding Snap is a wizarding card game in which the cards spontaneously explode during games. The game is popular with Hogwarts students. In Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron are held back from investigating why spiders were fleeing Hogwarts because Fred and George delayed them with this game. Ron later singed his eyebrows while building a card house with Exploding Snap cards. In Order of the Phoenix, Lee Jordan is punished by Dolores Umbridge for saying that she cannot tell them off for playing this game, as one of her Educational Decrees states that teachers can only talk to students about the subjects they are paid to teach.
Gobstones
Gobstones is one of the many magical games played by young wizards in the books, along with Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap. Gobstones is similar to the Muggle games of marbles and pétanque, except that in Gobstones, the balls spit, or gob, a foul smelling liquid in the face of the opposing player when they lose a point. Hogwarts students are seen playing Gobstones throughout the books, and there is even a Gobstones Club at the school. It is also noted in the Harry Potter series that Eileen Prince (Snape's mother) was captain of Hogwart's Gobstone Club, as a student, at age 15.
Self-Shuffling Playing Cards
In Chamber of Secrets, a pack of Self-Shuffling Cards is mentioned as one of the various objects littering the floor of Ron's room in the Burrow.