Customer Reviews

Better Chess for Average Players (Dover Chess)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Correctly titled, this work will likely be of most use to players rated 1000 to perhaps 1800. However, it is so well written and includes so much valuable information, higher rated players may also benefit.

The section on "Choosing a move" was particularly valuable. It includes a very organized and thorough framework (presented in a 10 point checklist) to utilize in selecting a move. These points include tactical, positional and long-range considerations. I think the incorporation of long-range considerations in the process may be especially enlightening to up-and-coming players. The example games and commentary are truly insightful into the application of the process.

Other chapters include "Defensive Play" (includes some valuable pointers), "Difficult Positions", "Pawn Play" (although for the definite treatment of this subject, see "Pawn Power in Chess" by Hans Kmoch), "Late Middle Game" which addresses open, closed and complicated positions, and more.

Numerous position illustrations, very few typos, very clearly written, handy size, great price. An excellent reference and a super value for the rising, competitive player.

I have the original edition from the '70s. This is a very enjoyable book. Although my rating is about 2000 USCF, I still find much of the material to be enlightening and simply fun. For the price there is a LOT of nice chess packed into this book. You won't finish it in a week. And the sense of fun and humor are great.

I'd say any player from about 1200 USCF up to high expert level (maybe 2150) would find this a good book, with perhaps those around 1400-1700 getting the most benefit. And like I said, it's priced well and covers a lot of ground in an enjoyable fashion.

I may buy another copy to see what's been changed since the '70s. The extra copy will make a great gift.

I read this book twice and have no doubt that I will use it in the future. It is full of experience and suggestions that would be very beneficial for any serious chess player. I will recommend this book to any one because of the following reasons:

1. It is well organized. Different topics (small topic) are divided into units. Each unit is only a few pages long. Therefore, I only need about one hour to get the idea of each unit.
2. It is well diagrammed. You must have the experience that when you replay a game, there is only one diagram for the entire game. But in this book, a diagram is given after about 7 or 8 moves so that you can play the in-between moves in your head and check the diagram. You don't need a board for most positions. How convenient!
3. It is well written. There is no deep theory, complicated analysis, nor frequent refering to other games. The author clearly explains each position and his language is like a normal human being instead of a chess machine. Occational stories about their chess clubs enhances the readability of this book.

Need I say more?

Tim Harding is one of the world's leading experts in the field of correspondence chess, and it shows in this excellent book by his amazing skills of in-depth analysis. This is a book for intermediate players, and covers all the basics of strategy, tactics, sacrifice, development, endgame, middle game... 30 chapters with a little bit of everything. The print style, condensed algebraic with plenty of diagrams, makes it very easy to read. I was very impressed by the breadth of issues he covered in the book as well. Having plenty of diagrams was a blessing, because it meant I didn't have to bring a chessboard with me to follow along in the book, which can be very inconvenient if you like to read while traveling. I highly recommend this book, and the price makes it a steal!

This is a very good book for the average chess player who is looking to improve with a short, well rounded book. Topics covered include Attack, Defence, Planning, Positional Play, and Endings. I particularly enjoyed the sections on Planning, Positional Play, and Endings.

If you often find yourself struggling in roughly level, but quiet, positions and wondering what to do next, then you may find the antidote in here. The book contains a very good section on how to assess a position and then create a logical plan based on that assessment.

The Ending section is also very well done, and manages to cram quite a bit of essential endgame knowledge into very few words and pages. While this portion of the book is by no means exhaustive, or in itself a complete course, those who read it will have a better idea of how to approach the endgame and may even be inspired by it to tackle one of the many books dedicated to this phase of the game.

Construction is typical Dover quality, with easy to read text and diagrams, and algebraic notation.

I have a confession: I am a patzer, a fish, a knight of the grand order of Chess Dummyhood. Yes, I am that most dreaded of things: an average player. Thus, it was with trembling hands I first held this book; after all, it did say it was written for the average player (and book titles are never wrong, right??) Harding, like most British authors, has a most precise writing style that immediately and without fuss imparts the necessary knowledge and goes on its way. A sort of knowledge 'drive-by'.

Sure, it covers the same things the others in this genre of books do: the checkmates, the combinations, the planning methods and all the other things the Chess aspirant should know but what is different is hard to describe without reading this paragon of instructional books. Suffice it to say it does its job very well. 5 stars.

And maybe, one day, with much work and many grey hairs, I will be called to the Chess equivalent of Valhalla, handed my GrandMaster title certificate and beams of light from on-high will descend and <slap!> oops, sorry, daydreaming again! ;-) Good book, ... (It's DOVER!) and worth buying!

It's a bit dated (they even warn about this in the new preface). It's a bit silly/overdramatic at times. It doesn't have 500 pages of puzzles, and doesn't promise instant results. It wasn't written by a big-name grandmaster.

But it's quite useful for someone who knows how the pieces move, has probably played in a tournament or two, and just wants some simple, practical ideas on how to become a better player. I really appreciated Mr. Harding's down-to-earth advice, and anyone who's gotten past the "dropping pieces in every game" stage will find something of value here. It's impressively readable for a chess book, and I learned something useful from every chapter.

Let's face it, we all know what we need to do: study effectively, and play chess. Better Chess for Average Player will help with both.

This book is one of the greatest values in the chess library. Although this is not a book for a beginner it is a great book for the player who has read the introductory books and is already knowledgeable of the fundamentals. Any average player who is interested in improving would benefit from this book.

One feature of this book that has not been mentioned in the reviews is that it contains a great number of diagrams; more than is typical in other chess books. Although setting up the pieces on a board is always an advantage, it is not always convenient to do so. Thanks to the number of diagrams in this book it is possible to follow the examples without necessarily sitting in front of a board.

There are a lot of good books out there for people just starting with chess. A book like Tarrasch's The Game of Chess or Reinfeld's Complete Chess Player will teach them all the basics, and also various more advanced concepts. However, there are not many books available that build up organically on the knowledge you have after working with an introductory book and playing regularly.

I only play online, as I find it too time-consuming to attend meetings of the local chess club. Yet, I wanted to improve nonetheless. I bought a number of other often recommended books but found that they are easily over your head. To put things into perspective: my rating is about 1500 on FICS, not bad, but not great either.

I am more than pleased with Harding's Better Chess for Average Players. For one, he covers a lot of issues an interested player might face, such as going for an immature attack on the king. More advanced books often don't tell you why those are bad ideas. Of course, more experienced players at your local club will quickly be able to tell you why this is wrong. However, Harding demonstrates this, and many other problems, based on either positions or oftentimes complete games.

It is a joy working with this book because he is just focussing on the main ideas. Of course, there are always many more variations to consider, but he points out the most important features of a position. As an intermediate player, this book may thus just be what you need. You shouldn't expect it to turn you into a master over night either. In my case, my rating improved a bit. It's not that I now win every game I play, but I win a bit more often than I used, too. What's more important, though, is that I understand the game much better and enjoy it more.

This book is a great source for improving your play. Covers ideas by themes, like attack, defense, endgame... Tim Harding reveals ideas for selecting a move and calculation. Every improving chess player should own this gem.