1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate (Chess lovers' library) [Paperback]

Fred Reinfeld (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wilshire Book Co (June 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879801107
• ISBN-13: 978-0879801106
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Chess

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I collect books on checkmates, tactics and traps, August 18, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate (Chess lovers' library) (Paperback)

I have started a collection of books on checkmates, tactics and traps. These are some of the very important things to study. When it comes to checkmate books "1001 Brilliant ways to checkmate" has one very strong point. It has LOTS of checkmate problems containing almost every important type of checkmate idea there is.
There are some weak points. It has poor binding as after a short period the pages begin to come apart in hunks! Be prepared for this. There are some problems which have better moves, so there are some mistakes. Better organized checkmate books are "Art of the Checkmate", "How to Beat your Dad at chess" and as books to learn some neat checkmates in the openings, "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" and "Winning Chess Traps". The pages haven't fallen apart in any of these books that I own. Maybe the publisher will realize this and do a better job on their next printing to fix the binding problem. When done, add one star!!

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Checkmate to your heart's content!, August 2, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate (Chess lovers' library) (Paperback)

After reading a basic book on checkmate patterns like "The Art of Checkmate" or "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess" you will want to get a workbook with lots of problems to work on to sharpen your skills. Checkmating is one of the important patterns along with learning general tactics where I recommeend the companion book, "1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations" and for opening traps and opening tactics, "Chess Traps for Juniors". With all of these books you will have a balanced approach to learning all about tactics!

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important and indispensable, April 11, 2003

By 

Diego Acosta (Norman, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate (Chess lovers' library) (Paperback)

Pattern recognition is a very important skill in chess both for attack and defense. This book drills in this very matter testing your ability to recognize a pattern and to calculate the variations leading to checkmate.

I solved each and every puzzle in this book and I can honestly say that the skills gathered were put to the test almost inmediately: I was engineering simple checkmates and executing them over the board after reading the book.

Objectively speaking the problems range of difficulty varies a lot. Some of the problems are as simple as calculating a mate in one while others require you to find a ten moves solution. Is this good? Sure it is! A plain diagram with the words "white (or black) to move" not telling you how long is your path to victory is in my opinion the best way to train tactics. [In fact, I would say that Reinfeld should not even divide the material in themes like queen sacrifice, attack to the uncastled king, etc.]

A single pass over Reinfeld's problems is just not enough and the book demands a second or even third "reading." Why? Because it will save time and suffering in actual games...

In any case I wholeheartedly recommend this book