Comprehensive Chess Course, Vol. 2: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons [Paperback]

Roman Pelts (Author), Lev Alburt (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Chess Information and Research Center; 4th Revised & enlarged edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889323012
• ISBN-13: 978-1889323015
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

224 of 243 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacks Organization and much more, January 25, 2005

By 

J. Ronald - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comprehensive Chess Course, Vol. 2: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons (Paperback)

This book looks very impressive when you see it in bookstore - it is big. But I learned my lesson as big doesn't mean it is great. When I got into the material I suddenly discovered that there was an extreme lack of organization. Daa, the book didn't explain what the objective of the game was at the very beginning. It seemed like a person from another country wrote this book with a lack of command of the English Language, then flip flopped around. Well, in looking at this book further and looking at some of the other reviews, I suddenly realized that this book was written as if it was for teachers who didn't know much about chess to introduce them to a classroom. Now this may not sound too bad. However, the problem with is is that it takes things so slowly and out of the order that an experienced chess teacher would use that you have the MOST POORLY WRITTEN BEGINNER'S BOOK ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. How do I know this? Well, I made an issue of going out and getting several other books that were popular (yes, you might argue 'not every other one' but at least I got what is considered best by popularity to compare). So I got 'Starting Chess', 'Chess For Juniors', 'Chess For Dummies' and 'Idiots Guide to Chess'. Here is what I found - CHESS FOR JUNIORS was the most simple and most easy book of them all to understand though it may not have had as many pages a child of say eight could read it and fully understand it. I ranked this as best. I personally recommend this book as best for even an adult. Now adults would probably benefit most by either getting 'Chess For Juniors' or 'Idiots Guide to Chess'. The Idiots Guide is well organized and though not as easy to understand as 'Chess For Juniors' it does a good job. The 'Chess for Dummy's' book is not very well organized or written, but better for an adult than the Comprehensive Chess Courese. As a second best book for Children, but not so easy for Children themselves to Learn from (a parent should help) I suggest 'Starting Chess'. I spent some good time looking over these books and hope this review will be helpful for someone looking for a beginning book.

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alburt's popular CCC series has seven volumes but.., July 5, 2004

By 

Bill King (Reno, Nv., United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Comprehensive Chess Course, Vol. 2: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons (Paperback)

...Amazon's current online presentation makes individual volumes hard to locate, even though indeed they are all listed and sold here. It doesn't help that the book titles do not necessarily contain the series volume number. Nor the fact that volumes I and II are listed by Amazon as merely different editions of the same book, and so are given identical online customer reviews :]! But of course these two are entirely different.

So, as a search aid I list the entire seven below.

Actually learning chess from books all from one series will economise on money and time spent. For instance over at the archives of the book review section of www.chesscafe.com, Taylor Kingston's review of number 7 (_Just the Facts_) says, "You should note that you will not find the basic mates in the book. No K+Q versus K, etc. You have to go to the first volume in the Comprehensive Chess Series for that."

A couple other quotes from Kingston: "At any rate, Just the Facts! is splendid in its simplicity and instructional value." and "For bringing clear and simple endgame instruction to the masses, however, Just the Facts! is terrific."

l Comprehensive Chess Course Volume I: Learn Chess in 12 Lessons by Lev Alburt & Roman Pelts

2 Comprehensive Chess Course Volume II: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons by Lev Alburt & Roman Pelts

3 Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player by Sam Palatnik & Lev Alburt

4 The King in Jeopardy by Lev Alburt & Sam Palatnik

5 Chess Strategy for the Tournament Player by Lev Alburt

6 Chess Training Pocket Book: 300 Most Important Positions and Ideas by Lev Alburt

7 Just the Facts!: Winning Endgame Knowledge by Lev Alburt, Nikolai Krogius, Nikolay Krogius

Amazon's book description of 7 says, "Just the Facts! is the seventh and final volume of the best-selling Comprehensive Chess Course,...". So, apparently Lev has now completed this very popular series!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lev Alburt's materials work! TRUST ME! I KNOW!, December 7, 2005

By 

blicksflicks "GrandGizmo" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comprehensive Chess Course, Vol. 2: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons (Paperback)

I bought the first and second volumes of Lev Alburt's chess course. The first one, I ended up teaching my little brother, and he learned how to play chess up to the intermediate level. Oddly, I had learned most of volume I throughout playing 20 years of chess. At 34, I managed to buy volume II, and it took me a little over a month to complete the volume II. It taught me endgame knowledge I was not incorporating into my play. Something extremely important! It also taught me what I need to know to get to my desired 1800 strength. I now play with great insight into the endgame and know that opening is minor to the class player. I discover tactics work better. GM Alburt also autographed my first copy, as I remember. :) Plainly put, I do not see how anyone anywhere cannot reach at least a 1500 USCF playing strength if they truly live and study Alburt's two volumes of the Comprehensive Chess Course. And, if someone truly mastered all the materials in volumes I and II - incorporating them all into their play (including all the ideas in the 100 annotated games) - there would be no surprise if they reached an 1800 A-Class strength. I have noticed a difference in my chess already by 100 points, and I was rated in the 1400s. Now, my chess has climbed into the 1500s, and continues to grow! It would be in the 1600s if I played all my games at my full strength. Thank you Lev Alburt for such an outstanding set of books! I just recently purchased Tactics for the Tournament player - the third book which takes you beyond A&B class player. 1800 here I come! Bucky Adams