How to be a Winner at Chess [Paperback]

Fred Reinfeld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1996

Read This Book And Learn How To Enjoy One Of The Most Fascinating Games In The World

How, to Be a Winner at Chess is the result of twenty years' experience and study: and it is something unique in chess books -- an amusing, easily read, and even more easily understood book for the vast majority of "in-between" players, those who have been checkmated too many times or who have been bogged down in the innumerable rules of various experts.

Fred Reinfeld gives you twelve basic, simple rules for winning play. All the types of checkmates, the relative importance of the chess pieces, and simple, effective strategies are discussed succinctly. And there are three important chapters on the three strongest moves -- the check, the capturing threat, and the pawn promotion. Reinfeld always emphasizes practice over theory; he gives you the rules and demonstrates exactly how you should use them.

For those who don't know the rules or who might have forgotten them, there is a chapter with all the basic rules and moves, and a brief resume of the system of chess notation.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Read This Book And Learn How To Enjoy One Of The Most Fascinating Games In The World

How, to Be a Winner at Chess is the result of twenty years' experience and study: and it is something unique in chess books -- an amusing, easily read, and even more easily understood book for the vast majority of "in-between" players, those who have been checkmated too many times or who have been bogged down in the innumerable rules of various experts.

Fred Reinfeld gives you twelve basic, simple rules for winning play. All the types of checkmates, the relative importance of the chess pieces, and simple, effective strategies are discussed succinctly. And there are three important chapters on the three strongest moves -- the check, the capturing threat, and the pawn promotion. Reinfeld always emphasizes practice over theory; he gives you the rules and demonstrates exactly how you should use them.

For those who don't know the rules or who might have forgotten them, there is a chapter with all the basic rules and moves, and a brief resume of the system of chess notation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044991206X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449912065
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #872,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great lessons for new comers, January 5, 2000

By 

James (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to be a Winner at Chess (Paperback)

I purchased this book in hopes of introducing my family to the great game of chess. (A teacher I am not.) This book does a wonderful job of explaining the basic strategies involved in playing a winning game. From checks, mate, attacking threats, forks, opening moves, mid-game and end-game play, Reinfeld explains the game in language that anyone can comprehend.

In my particular instance, use of this book has allowed me to create additional interest in chess with former non-players in my family. (An interest I found nearly impossible to cultivate myself.)

So, if you are a beginner, or a player who struggles in passing along knowledge effectively, this is a book for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bought it 20 years ago..., December 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to be a Winner at Chess (Paperback)

I bought this book over 20 years ago when I was 13 or so. Reinfeld's techniques improved my game immensely, and whenever I get serious and dust off the chess board, this is the book to which I turn. The author dedicated the book to his wife, who wanted "a chess book she could read". It is indeed easy to read, yet what you learn is powerful chess stuff. Now my brother-in-law is asking for a chess book, and I am buying him this one for Christmas. Maybe I shouldn't get it for him after all, if I end up playing him!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth its weight in goal for a beginner or advanced beginner, January 17, 2007

By 

Patrick D. Goonan "see profile for URL" (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Be a Winner at Chess. (Hardcover)

I own approximately 20 chess books and have been playing since I'm about 7 years old. I'm not a championship player, but I'm above average partly due to the principles I learned from this book over 30 years ago. I have rated it a 5, however, if I could I would have rated it a 6!

What is so wonderful about this book is its readability. It teaches principles of play that can be applied in many situations and it also does it with humor. How many chess books have you seen that actually use humor? I think the dedication that Fred Reinfeld wrote for his wife says it all "FOR MY WIFE... who asked me for a chess book she could read."

The book begins with the most important aspect of the game i.e. checkmating and how to avoid it. It also covers when to resign and the relative values of the pieces. It looks at the stengths of each piece and talk about how to get the most out of your pieces including the pawns.

The book stays on course from here and looks at the three strongest moves keeping the focus on check and checkmate in chapter 4 which is what the game is about. Specifically, it discusses forking check, discovered check and double check. These are important tactics that should be covered first from both an offensive and defensive point of view. In a similar fashion it dedicated a chapter each on the next two strongest moves capturing threats and pawn promotion. Each of these chapters is very clear and well explained with lots of diagrams.

In the next section, the book goes on to discuss PRINCIPLES of opening play and gives five general rules for an opening. In the next section, it discusses the middle game and the two principles of giving your pieces mobility and making them cooperate.

The last three chapters of the book cover the endgame, pinning and how to use sacrifices to win. The appendix includes a chess refresher witht the basic rules of chess. In short, this 190 page book gives new players a game plan, tactics, easy to follow principles and a good overall felt sense of what the game is about. If you buy this book, it will truly teach you "How to be a Winner at Chess."

If you are an intermediate player, I still think this book is worth reading to reinforce principles and to help you to teach young people how to play. If you are advanced intermediate or better, you may want to purchase something else. However, this is a classic book and you can get a used copy for under $1.00 many times. If it's not useful to you, you can give it a way or use it to start a fire. Either way, you'll get your money's worth.