Customer Reviews

Complete Chess Player

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My Bible. I studied this book several times very thoroughly. I, at one time, had memorized every single one of the illustrative games in the back of the book.

I had already been through this book several times. I was stuck in a rut, so I decided to go through this book again.(My library was very small at that time.) This process took about 4 months. Every time there was diagram, I set up the position on the chess board. (I often used 3 chess sets and one pocket set.) I did not move on from one section until I felt I understood EVERYTHING the Author had to say about that subject in that particular section. The result? I went 4-1 in the Open Section of a tournament and went from 1400 to 1700 in ONE TOURNAMENT! (In the 70's.)

I have taught chess in several Public Schools and also in private schools here in Pensacola. I have always used this book as my textbook, and have designed an entire curriculum around this one book.

I also like Reinfeld's approach to writing. Some Master's seem to write to impress other chess authors and other Chess Masters. Reinfeld is writing for the average Joe. You will readily understand and absorb what he writes.

Is your rating below 2000? Do you want to improve? Then DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, you will NEVER buy a better chess book than this one!

The answer to that question depends on what kind of book you're looking for. Reinfeld clearly states in his preface that the book is intended to help you become a competent casual player. Because I play chess for fun, I consider it an overlooked classic. All the components of chess are treated in a logical, comprehensible, and concise manner. The book includes plenty of diagrams and examples, and the openings are covered in enough detail for casual players to understand without endless hours of study. The book enabled me to raise my level of play from chaotic to coherent.

If you're looking for a book to help you become a competent tournament player, you'll probably consider this book an obsolete relic (3 stars.) While its basic lessons on tactics and endgames are as valid now as ever, the fact is that it was published in 1953. It has no sample games after 1950, and the opening theory is both 50 years old and (by design) shallow. It's also written in the descriptive notation that most serious players no longer use. None of that matters if you play for fun, but it's critically important if you want to be competitive in tournaments.

This book met my needs perfectly. What are your needs?

This was the first chess book that I bought about 15 years ago. It was a great way to become addicted to chess... That's why I am giving it four stars instead of three.

However, the book tends to be dogmatic in its openings theory chapters and also to dismiss lines that are actualy pretty solid. After reading the book one ends up with the impression that having the bishop pair is almost a ticket to a win. Nonsense, each position has to be addressed individually. The endings chapter is good for beginners but non-challenging. Middle game plans are analyzed from a tactical point of view in most cases neglecting value to strategic considerations.

This book is good as an approximation to chess but, as a word of advice, do read more advanced tomes and practice. I have seen that testing ideas on the board is a way to see if you are progressing or not.

This is the only chess book I have ever seen that is like a very
interesting and well-written college freshman textbook. Reinfeld
long ago taught a famous chess course at New York University so
I guess that is where he developed it. It covers all the basics
of chess very well and would be good for advanced players as a
reference for what is most important in chess openings such as
the Muzio Gambit, Noah's Ark Trap, etc. There are a handful of
books as useful for the serious novice as this one, but they predate modern Russian/Yugoslav chess too much. Reinfeld is pushing the Steinitz philosopy but he discusses most modern openings stressing their emphasis on strategy.

A fun, instructional (and inexpensive) read for newcomers. Introduces novices to basic strategic concepts and elementary tactics, and lays the foundation for further learning. Persuades inexperienced players that they too, with a little knowledge, can master the game. Excellent for casual players, this book will enable one to read more analytical "serious" works. I read Reinfeld in elementary school and learned to love chess. What a bargain!

Fred Reinfeld was a prolific writer in the field of chess. Among the books he has written are such titles as 'The Complete Chess Course' and 'How Not to Play Chess'. As Reinfeld states in his introduction, chess is in fact an easy game to learn, and an easy game to play for enjoyment, but like many things in life, there are hiearchies of ability that require practice, refinement, and knowledge. Baseball is a simple game to learn, but one cannot expect to walk out onto a major league diamond after reading a few books on the subject and then purchasing a bat at the local sporting goods store (true, there are those very few who can, but for the rest of us, practice is what is required).

Reinfeld has written this book with the beginner in mind. Unlike many books that assume a good familiarity with the board, the pieces, and some basic kinds of strategy, this book by Reinfeld starts from scratch. The first chapter looks in detail at the elements of the game - the pieces, the board, simple rules of movement, other rules of engagement, and how to read chess notation in books.

Reinfeld goes through simple diagrams and strategies for what to do near the end of a game, dealing with few pieces on the board, and gradually increases the complexity of his discussion as the chapters progress. He shows the elements of offensive and defensive tactics, and devotes a good amount of time opening play (single pawn king, single pawn queen, double pawn king, double pawn queen moves each get their own chapter, along with eccentric movements for openers, and some general strategies involved with each).

Finally, Reinfeld has a chapter on illustrative games that employ many of the ideas he addresses earlier in the book. Much like a textbook for chess, it draws its subject up point by point, and then introduces the full play of the games to the reader. These games include many of the famous games of the first half of the twentieth century.

This is a great book with which to start learning this game.

I recieved this book as a gift from an Army buddy around 1989. I have not opened it since then but I do remember the great pleasure I derived from reading it. It teaches you the basics and gets you started off on the right foot. Many books can do that for you but this one weaves the lessons throughout many interesting stories. You will learn how to play chess along with a little history. This is not a "study manual" but rather a great book to curl up with and treasure. I have over a hundred chess books (sickness) and this is one of my favorite.

If you click on my name you will get my personal information and see a recommended study list. I put together this list of books and software with only one thing in mind...to improve your game without wasting your money. If you want to get better at chess this list will give you the most bang for your buck.

This book relies mostly on specific examples of game situations that seem frankly unlikely to occur very often. The book falls short when it comes to teaching principles and general information that can be used over and over in many situations. When I was a beginner, I learned a lot more from Fred Reinfeld's book "How To Be A Winner at Chess."

This is a great book for a beginner who is motivated to learn. The book starts out with basic concepts such as the rules of the game, chess notation (it would be better if it used algebraic) ect.

It quickly progresses into tactical themes which will enhance the beginner's pleasure tremendously.

Once the beginner has worked his/her way through tactics the book moves into openings. Instead of listing pages and pages of notation, the author gives key strategic ideas to opening theory which will help guide one's thoughts on the board. His emphasis isn't on memorization which makes it easier and more fun.

Endings are also studied in brief but what he includes is well worth focusing on. He provides the framework in which to handle a wide variety of endings.

Some things are a bit dated in his book. Opening theory has changed some and descriptive notation is out of fashion. However, a beginner wouldn't even notice these things. This man really enjoyed the game and his joy rubs off on the reader.

Chess like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.

This is a great book for any interested chess player. It is more easily read then other chess books, it is written for the average person learning chess. tons of examples and moves, and reasons for moves. It is best if you have a chess set so you can setup an example and track the changes on the board, with the book's moves.