Checkmate!: My First Chess Book (Everyman Chess) [Hardcover]

Garry Kasparov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | Series: Everyman Chess

In Checkmate! readers are invited to learn chess with Garry Kasparov, the World number one and the most famous figure in chess history, as their teacher. In this book chess players can discover all the various pieces and how they move, how to attack and how to defend, how to capture, and, crucially, how to give check and deliver checkmate.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Learn to play the great game of chess with none other than Garry Kasparov, the World number one and the most famous figure in chess history, as your teacher. Discover all the various pieces - the king, the queen, the knights, the bishops and the pawns. Find out how the pieces move, the values of the chessmen, how to attack and how to defend, how to capture, how to employ special moves such as castling, how to write the moves down and, crucially, how to give check and deliver checkmate. Learn the numerous tricks and traps that you can set your unwary opponents and, just as importantly, how to avoid falling into them yourself. Make a journey through this book and, with the help of the world's best player, you will be ready for your first chess battle, be it against your mom or dad, your friends, your computer, on the Internet or in a competition.

An ideal chess guide for beginners
Covers all the crucial rules and aims
Introduces all aspects of the game
Written by a legend of the chess world

About the Author

Garry Kasparov is generally regarded as the greatest chess player ever. He was the thirteenth World Champion, holding the title between 1985 and 2000. His tournament record is second to none, featuring numerous wins in the world's major events, often by substantial margins. Over the last few years he has taken first prize in ten consecutive major international events.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 98 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857443586
• ISBN-13: 978-1857443585
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Chess

More About the Author

Garry Kasparov grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan (USSR) and became the youngest ever world chess champion in 1985 at the age of 22. He held that title until 2000. He retired from professional chess in March 2005 to found the United Civil Front in Russia, and has dedicated himself to establishing free and fair elections in his homeland. A longtime contributing editor at The Wall Street Journal, Kasparov travels around the world to address corporations and business audiences on strategy and leadership, and he appears frequently in the international media to talk about both chess and politics. When not traveling he divides his time between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally found the starter book, October 5, 2006

By 

Harry (NE PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Checkmate!: My First Chess Book (Everyman Chess) (Hardcover)

I have been researching for months to find a good 'starter' book to begin a chess club. I have searched online and made many stops at book stores and even asked many questions. Some of the books out there are excellent, but the cost was a little more than I wanted to spend as I am starting the club for homeschoolers and wanted to do it more as a ministry than a money-making enterprise.
To me, a great technician doesn't always translate to a great teacher. No doubt Kasparov was the former, but after reading this book he is definitely the latter as well. I believe it is an excellent book for beginners and even intermediates will find clear and colorful information here. It is also fun to read (a great quality especially for young people). The contents are:
1) the basics
2) the pieces and their moves
3) notation
4) winning and drawing
5) more about the pieces
6) tactical play
7) checkmate
8) opening play
9) endgame play
10) solutions to puzzles
11) glossary

For my needs it clearly achieves a 5 star rating. It is an inexpensive way to start a club or even to teach children. Not only that, but I will be teaching my wife tonight using this very book.
Thanks Gary!

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent way to learn the basics of chess, November 28, 2005

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Checkmate!: My First Chess Book (Everyman Chess) (Hardcover)

In my first week of the fourth grade, the teacher announced that everyone in the class was going to learn how to play chess. She believed that it was the best game to be incorporated into an educational scheme and she was right. We all learned and certain times each week were set aside for games of chess. It was a very popular time, as playing any game was preferable to doing other things like spelling and writing practice.
I am in complete agreement with this philosophy, firmly believing that everyone should learn to play chess. This book is an excellent way to start, which is what you would expect, given that Kasparov is considered the best chess player ever. He starts with a description of the pieces, how they can move and their power rankings. From this, he sets up the game and explains the basic goal of the game as well as the algebraic notation used to represent the movement of the pieces. Kasparov uses a series of situations to illustrate problems, such as how to force a (stale)mate from a specific orientation. Solutions to these problems are given at the end and many of them are nontrivial. You are really required to think hard before finding the answer to some of them.
Basic strategies such as classical openings, defenses, the pin, a skewer and back rank mating options are covered. The illustrations are very high quality and it could have been used as the textbook for my fourth grade class, where I first learned how to play. Adult beginners will also find it an excellent way to learn.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exemplary, January 8, 2010

By 

P. Chappell "Chapster" (Lyman, Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Checkmate!: My First Chess Book (Everyman Chess) (Hardcover)

For a beginning player, the graphics are well done. Geared to a younger audience, the rules are explained so as to enhance retention. The examples in the back are well known to experienced players, but help the novice to more easily get up to speed.

Normally, someone of Kasparov's calibre is too far removed from the beginning level to explain things easily. This isn't the case here. I put this in our middle school library to help budding players get started. I've recommended it to others and will do so again for aspiring chess players.