Who is Heksa?

Heksa is the copycat witch of the Ninja level, one of the toys who live in the Attic. You play chess against her on a screen. She is sure she is the smartest in the room, but she has no plan of her own. She copies your plan, move for move. That is why she always plays Black: you move first, and she follows. She teases you while she plays, so just let her talk.

Grown-up players have tried her copying trick too. Chess experts say that copying gets you a draw at best, never a win. A plan of your own is what can win.

Break the mirror

Heksa copies your moves the way a mirror copies you. Most of your moves can be copied, so play one that she cannot copy back:

• Give check, because she must save her king.
• Play a fork, where one of your pieces attacks two of hers at once.
• Make an attack she cannot copy back, and watch her plan fall apart.

There is even one trap where copying your moves makes her lose her queen.

Play on until checkmate

Heksa never gives up, and there is no clock. If you are winning, do not offer her a draw, because she says yes when she is losing. A draw is not a win, so play on until checkmate.

How you get the sticker

A Game has three helpers: a hint, an undo, and a reroll. The reroll makes Heksa take her move back and try a different one. A Battle has no helpers at all. Only a Battle counts for the sticker. So try the mirror trick in a Game first, before you start a Battle. When you checkmate her in a Battle, she gives you her mascot button. It goes on your shelf in the Attic. The button proves you beat her. Show it to your grown-up or coach. They hand you the sticker for your passport. Against Heksa, you always play White. Did Heksa win this time? That was a good game, and you can try again as often as you like.