Who is Gardar?

Gardar is the grumpy goblin of the Lotus level and one of the toys in the Attic. You play chess against him on a screen. Gardar cannot stand cheering, and when someone wins and smiles, he makes a sour face. So he plays by his own rule: a draw counts as a win for him. To make it fair, you always get White and the first move. He does not need to win, because he only needs to stop you from winning. Then nobody cheers, and that is how he likes it best. He keeps his feather pen ready to write down a draw. Beat him anyway, and you have crushed him.

Game or Battle?

You can play Gardar two ways:

• A Game has three helpers: a hint, an undo, and a reroll. The reroll makes Gardar take his move back and try another.
• A Battle has no helpers at all.
• Only a Battle counts for the sticker.

Practice against his trades in a Game first, and then play a Battle.

Keep the board full

He says yes to every trade until the board is almost empty. When only a few pieces are left, he defends well, so keep your pieces on the board:

• When he offers a trade, say no and move your piece to a safe square.
• Trade only when it wins you something: a pawn, a piece, or checkmate.
• Attack his king before the board is empty.

Watch out for stalemate

When he is ahead, he never checkmates you, because he stalemates you instead. In stalemate, the player who has to move is not in check but has no move to make. Then the game is a draw. And when you are ahead, take care not to stalemate him by mistake. Look carefully before every move, and always leave him a move he can make until you can checkmate him. Never offer him a draw, and never say yes to his.

How you get the sticker

When you beat Gardar in a Battle, he gives you his mascot button. It sits in his slot on your shelf in the Attic. The button proves you beat him. Show it to your grown-up or coach. They hand you the sticker for your passport. A draw this time? Good game. Play him again as often as you like, and when you win, cheer out loud.