Chess the Easy Way [Paperback]

Sam Sloan (Foreword), Reuben Fine (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2009

More chess coaches in America recommend this book for their students than any other book. Written by one of the World's Strongest Grandmasters who was top contender for the World Chess Championship, “Chess the Easy Way” takes the player from the beginning moves of chess, rapidly advancing to the Expert Level. Long out of print, there have been more requests for this book than ALL OTHER CHESS BOOKS COMBINED. Be prepared for a quick ride to the top. Some say that a better title for this book would have been “Chess the Hard Way”, because Fine quickly takes the reader from the beginning level to advanced levels of play. Reuben Fine (1914-1993) was a top contender for the World Chess Championship. He tied for first in the Strongest Chess Tournament ever played, a tournament that was supposed to decide who would play a match for the World Chess Championship. The War intervened so Fine never got to play a match for the World Championship and he wrote this book instead.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Ishi Press (February 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0923891501
• ISBN-13: 978-0923891503
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusually valuable text which urgently deserves re-printing, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chess the Easy Way (Paperback)

Fine's Chess the Easy Way is somewhat mis-named. Although the text starts from the rudiments and could be used for self-instruction by an individual who has never played the game before, the tone and point of view are no-nonsense and tell the reader immediately the book is intended for someone with much more than a casual interest in the game. I first was given this book when I was a child. It would probably be more appropriate for a serious high school player. Beginners should be warned that Fine's text takes no shortcuts. He starts at the beginning level but then educates the reader to the level of a confident club player. This presumes that the reader invests the time needed to play through all of Fine's examples. Sometimes it's hard going: Although Fine's writing is clear he does not spoon-feed the reader. Anyone willing to spend the time will be vastly rewarded. I agree with other reviews I have read in this space stating that his examples of openings and some of the illustrative games he chooses are badly out-dated. This is accurate but immaterial: The fundamental principles Fine communicates are timeless. A good re-printing of his book would of course have to change to modern chess notation and would benefit from larger diagrams. Otherwise I think the book could be re-issued unchanged. Those who especially need information about chess openings can seek it in other texts. This is a gem and deserves wider readership.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE best book for beginner to intermediate players, April 25, 2003

By 

Kerry Mcdermott (Dover, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chess the Easy Way (Paperback)

I have been coaching chess at the high school and middle school level for 13 years. The teams I have coached have between them 6 state championships and 2 runners up. Chess the Easy Way is THE book that I use as an outline for teaching my players how to play good chess. There is no book that is better! Ten essential rules are given for the opening, middle game and end game. These rules are illustrated and expanded with examples. Fine's logical treatment of all of the basic endings is superior! There are class A (1800-2000) players that could benefit from the information in the endings section. As far as strategy goes, Fine offers all of the essential plans for each kind of positional advantage. For example, "If the [opponent's] pawns are absolutely weak, head straight for the endgame." Or, "If the opponent's king is not safe, the plan will be to attack him." There are others, of course. These rules of strategy are simple enough, but to the typical player under 1400 or so they are essential guidelines and prevent the aimless wandering in hopes of finding the right course in a game. It was a revelation for me to read these ideas so many years ago and give logic and order to my games! Thank you to the late GM Fine. If you find a copy of this book and you are a beginner to an intermediate player (under 1600) buy this book and feel your confidence grow as does your understanding!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent manual for players under 1600, September 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Chess the Easy Way (Paperback)

An enterprising chess author should attempt a thorough revision of this great book (Jeremy Silman, John Nunn, Andy Soltis; are you listening?) The descriptive notation would have to go, as would the old-fashioned diagrams. The openings section would have to be completely rewritten to bring it up-to-date. Fine's text gets a little wordy at times and the layout is dense and haphazard. These quibbles aside, the lessons to be learned here are outstanding! The syllabus for my summer chess camp for kids is almost entirely based on Fine's ten rules for the opening, middle game and endgame, respectively. Memorization of these thirty sentences (or short paragraphs) and the ideas behind them will cause a quantum leap in one's chess abilities. This is out of print now, but is still occasionally available used. If you are a rated between 1000 and 1600 and want to improve, this is the book for you.