Customer Reviews

Winning Chess Traps for Juniors: Tactics in the Opening

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a chess teacher (and tournament player) who has been teaching grades 3 through 8 in local schools "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" has been a lot awaited book.

When given a short period of about 20 to 25 minutes for instruction a chess teacher needs to maximize the use of time with the most efficient way to teach a variety of important ideas to the students. With this book I can cover the most important tactics along with teaching opening concepts at the same time - kill two birds with one stone! The students like being shown how a tactic is reached before it is executed! So, here we go with these 64 mini-lessons (each often containing many tactics and traps on the side - clearly pointed out) that the students enjoy.

This book has a nice lay-out making it easy to read. The language is clear (I certainly feel than an upper level elementary school student could easily understand the reading level). The games being are in order of openings with the main theme shown in the title (also covered in the table of contents). Therefore, a teacher (or student) can select games based on type of opening or type of trap/tactic and find them quickly. The 196 pages contain a lot of extremely useful information. There is a nice variety of openings (1. e4, 1.d4 and others) without an over emphasis on any one type.

The level of this book is ideal for children or adults who are just past having grasped the basic rules and maybe know some very basic strategy, right on up to the average tournament player. Because of the material being covered and the way it is presented this book is for beginning players rated from 500 up to intermediate players rated 1600.

I have seen most of the other books on chess traps. None of them provide the detail and quality of analysis found in this book (and most others are not up to date). I also have found going through a short game containing a tactic to be a far superior way of providing instruction as opposed to using a book that only has the tactic, but not how it was set up.

I am looking at this book from a "chess teacher's" point of view and highly recommend it for anyone running a chess class or for students of all ages who want to simultaneously improve their knowledge of tactics and openings.

An important note: This is the large print edition of the same book, by the same title - "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors". The Large print edition is ideal for very young readers (who like a large workbook size format) or for anyone who prefers the ease of reading large print.

"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" is the best book ever written on opening chess traps. After having purchased and read several other books on opening traps finally I found a book that provides an explanation of what is going on from the beginning of the trap until it ends. It is much like a book of well analyzed short games with important tactical themes.

"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" is not a book on how to "trick" your opponent by using cheap tricks. This is a book that provides solid analysis of both common and less common openings along with the typical tactical mistakes that occur in these openings. In other words, you will improve both tactics and opening knowledge at the same time. What stands out about "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" that rewards it with a five star rating?

1. Openings are arranged in order making it easy to find the openings you are interested in. However, I might suggest just going through it from cover to cover.
2. There really aren't just 64 traps. This is not a "one trap per page" book (which I have found in three other trap books). There are often numerous traps branching off the main trap being covered making this book contain effectively hundreds of traps.
3. There isn't just a focus on the "springing of the trap". There is detailed analysis from the start of the opening, pointing out why other moves may be stronger or weaker along the way.
4. This book has so many diagrams (with the coordinates around the boards for the beginner) a strong player doesn't even need a board.
5. There are a good variety of openings covered along with all of the most important tactical themes. It is made clear that the author doesn't repeat the exact same traps covered his previous books (unlike some authors who reorganize the same material from previously written books to create more books). Actually, some of the same "themes/patterns" are covered again, reinforcing the material covered in the author's previous - but presented in totally different positions (e.g. Legal's mate, Noah's Arc Trap and the Classic Bishop Sacrifice).
6. There are problems within the traps for the reader to solve - "what's the best move?'. This makes the book challenging and more fun, while forcing you to think. This helps point out for chess teachers wanting to use the book, where they should challenge students along the way.
7. The writing style is clear and easily understood.
8. The book refers the reader when covering the opening and some tactical patterns to specific locations in the author's other books where more detail can be found.

Who is this book for? Actually all ages of players (ages 8 up to and including adults) who are beyond havening learned the basic rules and intermediate players. It would make a great text book for a chess teacher to use in their classroom to allow efficient teaching by covering openings and tactics at the same time.

I just got this book (in the new LARGE PRINT edition that is exactly the same book, except it is super-sized and is like a big workbook) and have not been able to put it down! Instead of just being given a position and trying to find the solution like lots of tactics books, in this book you get to see everything that happened before the tactics happen. This book also tells the ideas behind the moves and you are learning about the openings that have the tactics. You are asked to "find the best move" and there are plenty of diagrams to make it easy to follow along. You can use a sheet of paper to cover up the next moves so you do not accidentally see the answer. This is a fun book and I think it is one of the best ways to learn tactics and improve your understanding of the ideas behind the openings.

I have finally found a book on opening traps that gives an explanation of the ideas behind the moves from the very beginning of the game (covering ideas behind the openings) to the end of the tactical trap. No cheap tricks! Good, solid analysis is given for both common and less common openings (very well rounded when it comes to having a variety of different openings).

You will learn the important tactics found in the opening such as, Legal's Mate, analysis of Philidor's Legecy, Noah's Arc Trap, Classic Bishop Sacrifice, Poisoned Pawn, Double Rook Sacrifice, with all of the usual forks, pins, skewers, and much, much more. Seeing the moves leading up to the tactics makes this a more effective way to learn traps and tactics than a book that has just diagrams with problems to work on. Within the sixty four short games there are actually hundreds of traps covered. The reasons why a weak move is weak and what should have been played in its place is explained. You have detailed analysis!

This is a book for any age. It is good for a beginner who has perhaps read an introductory book and now wants to learn tactics and openings. I also would recommend it for intermediate players or for chess teachers to use as material with students. Throughout the book the reader is asked to find the best move at critical points (makes it a fun challenge).

The traps are organized by type of opening with a good table of contents allowing you to quickly find different tactics you might be looking for or to focus on a specific opening. Where a lot of detail is covered in one of the author's other books the reader is told which other book and where it can be found. Most traps average 2-3 pages. This is a solid book with lots of material that is made clear and easy to understand. There are nearly 400 diagrams making so that an intermediate player can usually follow without a board.

I give this book my highest recommendation!

Double duty is the best way to put it! Yes, as already pointed out by others, Learn great tactics while improving openings. The CFJ series, which I own (going through new revised editions) is simply put, in my humble opinion as a highly rated tournament player, the best series to take anyone from not knowing the difference between a Pawn and a Pond and an expert rated player (maybe master!).

What you get here is just not a trap per page, like the other trap books I see, but a very comprensive analysis, if necessary starting with the beginning move of the trap, right on through to its finish. This is also done, without repeating the exact material that this author covered in other books, but adding and reinforcing pervious material. I have seen many, many authors just redo and reword earlier books to toss something out new. This series, adds on constructively, without repeating.

Do you need previous books in this series to get this one? Certainly not! The traps extensively cover a variety of openings and are organized (with a nice table of contents) by opening. Sure it would be great to have the author's other books to be part of a great system, but this book is easily a "stand alone book" for anyone with a rating of 600 to 2000. It is written so that a person who is just beyond having learned the basic openings principles right on up to expert level will greatly benefit. No, I have not been paid to write this great review, I own hundred of chess books, numerous opening trap books, and this new book is far superior to any opening traps book I have seen.

Although I did the editing and proofreading of this book, I feel compelled as a chess instructor and strong player to recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about the traps that lurk for the unwary in the opening phase of the game of chess.
Unlike other books of traps, this one explains what is going on in the opening and tells you what should be played instead of showing only what shouldn't.
The traps are arranged by opening to make them easy to find. Also, the traps within a particular variation are given along with the main trap, instead of being given as separate traps. So, you really get many more traps to both avoid and spring on unsuspecting opponents than the 64 listed in the chapters.
I feel that any player who buys this book is going to think it was well worth the expense. I wish I had been able to find a book like this when I was a young player.

Being a novice chess player I value a book that gives good instruction and beneficial information into the complexities of the opening game and yet is easy to read and understand. Robert M. Snyder's book " Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" does just that and so much more.

I have finally found a book that gives clearly explained examples of the many opening systems it covers. Each lesson is prefaced with a stated goal, whether it is to show how to effectively develop your pieces for a Kingside attack or Black's blunder on the tenth move that ends in checkmate. The author walks you through each move incorporating suggested variations, threats, candidate moves-quite literally a plethora of wonderful insights to help you improve your game. In short, Mr. Snyder is a gifted teacher who knows how to get his point across in a concise and succinct manner that is conducive to nurturing a joy for learning. [...]

As an adult who has played in tournaments and am always in search of material to teach others (in particular children). I got a copy of this book, thinking when I ordered it, "oh, just another typical traps book that has skimpy analysis and puts the entire trap on a page". By golly! I was in for a major shock!!! Most individual traps are over several pages, with good clear analysis of the ideas behind the moves and where needed alternative lines to back up the commentary.

I discovered this book was not just for kids, it was written at a level for adults. Not for the absolute beginner, this book is ideally written for anyone who has completed learning the material in a beginners book, and wants to move onward. Furthermore, it is an excellent book for a more advanced player (I would say anyone rated as low as 600 or 700 right on up to someone rated 1600 or 1700). These traps will teach you the tactics you are going to come across when you are playing from both prospectives (as the trapper and trappie - learn them to make you happy!). As I noted and agree when having read some of the other reviews - you will learn the ideas behind the openings and tactics simultaneously (effective learning).

This is not your typical trap book. You are not being taught to set up cheap tricky traps, but are learning what you will find in a great variety of openings.

In General about Trap Books: Books on chess traps should be an excellent way to learn tactics and openings at the same time. This is because you see all of the moves leading up to the actual tactic being employed (unlike books that give a diagram and the tactic starts from there). You can learn important ideas in specific openings also knowing how to avoid traps as well as well as executing them.
"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors": Has 64 short games with often numerous traps within a single game (unlike numerous other trap books that will create separate traps and use up space for nothing). They are arranged by type of opening (openings can be looked up quickly in the table of contents). The analysis is very accurate (I have computer checked the analysis and wow! Perfect in every respect, unlike some of the other traps and tactic books I have seen that contain faulty analysis). There are a nice variety of openings containing your most common type of traps and tactics. There is an analysis of moves leading up to the trap (unlike numerous trap books I have seen that have most if not all of the analysis when the trap is reached) and where the player went wrong along with the improvement is pointed out. This book fits in well as part of a series by the author with material being consistant (however, you don't need the author's other books to get full use of this book as this does just find as a stand-alone book).
Who this book is for: Written is easy to understand language, it is at about a fourth or fifth grade reading level. If you are an adult, don't let the easy language snub this book - it is perfect for adults! Once you know the very basics of chess (know how the pieces move, and have just been introduced to the ideas behind the openings) this book becomes very useful. However, it contains analysis that an advanced beginner or intermediate player will very extremely useful.

In General about Trap Books: Books on chess traps should be an excellent way to learn tactics and openings at the same time. This is because you see all of the moves leading up to the actual tactic being employed (unlike books that give a diagram and the tactic starts from there). You can learn important ideas in specific openings also knowing how to avoid traps as well as well as executing them.
"Winning Chess Traps for Juniors": Has 64 short games with often numerous traps within a single game (unlike numerous other trap books that will create separate traps and use up space for nothing). They are arranged by type of opening (openings can be looked up quickly in the table of contents). The analysis is very accurate (I have computer checked the analysis and wow! Perfect in every respect, unlike some of the other traps and tactic books I have seen that contain faulty analysis). There are a nice variety of openings containing your most common type of traps and tactics. There is an analysis of moves leading up to the trap (unlike numerous trap books I have seen that have most if not all of the analysis when the trap is reached) and where the player went wrong along with the improvement is pointed out. This book fits in well as part of a series by the author with material being consistant (however, you don't need the author's other books to get full use of this book as this does just find as a stand-alone book).
Who this book is for: Written is easy to understand language, it is at about a fourth or fifth grade reading level. If you are an adult, don't let the easy language snub this book - it is perfect for adults! Once you know the very basics of chess (know how the pieces move, and have just been introduced to the ideas behind the openings) this book becomes very useful. However, it contains analysis that an advanced beginner or intermediate player will very extremely useful.