Customer Reviews

Chess in a Nutshell

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

 

 

This book was the first book I ever read on Chess and it hooked me on the game. Although other books have more detail or are more comprehensive, this book gives the basic concepts of the game. It is quite readable. It is suitable for introducing a novice to basic strategies before they are committed to learning serious Chess. I still use concepts I learned from this book 30 years ago to teach kids chess today.

This was the first book about chess I ever bought. By studying it, I taught myself how to play chess when I was still a child. It contains a complete list of the rules, and explains them so that anyone who reads English can understand them.

If you just want to learn how to play Chess, and don't have anyone to teach you, this is the only book you need.

4 stars for a beginner, not so many if you are more advanced. However, I read this when I was in college as I became more interested in chess and it served a useful purpose for me.

First, it simply notes the "basic rules of chess," such as the pieces and the board, rules of moving, captures, and so on. For a starter book, this serves well. Chapter 2 is how one records chess moves. I used to chart some chess matches, since it might get later at night and we would complete the game the next day; having a record of moved was most helpful!. The third chapter focuses on "winning methods," basic checkmates, relative value of pieces, etc.

For me, Chapter 4 was critical--openings. Pawn to King 4 (or, as noted, P-K4) was my norm, whether Black or White. Other rules here: develop pieces quickly; don't waste time; avoid self-limiting moves; don't neglect safety of the King (page 75). One way of accomplishing these goals is to understand basic openings. Some that I used when I was White--Evans Gambit, Giuoco Piano, and Ruy Lopez. When Black? I often used the safe and cautious Caro-Kann (as Reinfeld says, "safe, stodgy, and respectable. Play it against formidable opponents."). Sometimes, I would use the Sicilian. Very occasionally, the Nimzoindian. . . .

There are also chapters on middle game play and the endgame.

All in all, this was a fine resource for me as I first started trying my hand at chess. . . .

This is a concise, well organized chess book for beginners. I only knew how the pieces moved before. This covers the relative value of the pieces, openings, mid game and end game plays. It's not an exercise book though. Plays are illustrated and briefly described, and there aren't chess problems. It's up to the reader to memorize them on his own if he desires. When uncluttered with teaching instruction, it's more readable for the casual player and works well as a reference afterward. If you're just curious about chess strategy, reading this straight through gives a feel for the play of the moves (really, it's that readable).

One possible downside is that it uses the older descriptive notation, not the more common algebraic. Many beginners (including me) find descriptive notation easier, actually. Either way, the playing tactics are the same.