A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way [Paperback]

Susan Polgar (Author), Paul Truong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2005 | Series: Chess

Learn to Win at Chess from World Champion Susan Polgar

Susan Polgar, 4-time World Chess Champion, became a living legend by following the methods taught by her father, Laszlo Polgar, the famous Hungarian chess coach. In A World Champion's Guide to Chess, Susan reveals these masterful tactics and techniques to players of all ages. With coauthor Paul Truong, an 11-time National Champion, she begins with the basics of understanding how the pieces move and leads the reader through checkmate and defense, pawn promotion, and opening and endgame patterns. Accompanying the lessons are personal glimpses into Susan's famous career, including her story of becoming the first female Grandmaster, the highest title in chess.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Learn to Win at Chess from World Champion Susan Polgar

Susan Polgar, 4-time World Chess Champion, became a living legend by following the methods taught by her father, Laszlo Polgar, the famous Hungarian chess coach. In A World Champion's Guide to Chess, Susan reveals these masterful tactics and techniques to players of all ages. With coauthor Paul Truong, an 11-time National Champion, she begins with the basics of understanding how the pieces move and leads the reader through checkmate and defense, pawn promotion, and opening and endgame patterns. Accompanying the lessons are personal glimpses into Susan's famous career, including her story of becoming the first female Grandmaster, the highest title in chess.

About the Author

Susan Polgar is the current World Champion in Women's Chess and the top ranked woman chess player in the United States. As the number-one woman chess player in the world at age 15, Susan bridged the gender gap in chess by becoming the first woman to win the US Open Blitz Championship in 2003 and the first woman to ever earn the title of Grandmaster.

Paul Truong is an 11-time National Champion and is the captain and business manager of the 2004 U.S. Women's Olympiad Team.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games (March 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812936531
• ISBN-13: 978-0812936537
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good if you know some basics - Not a starters book, October 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way (Paperback)

The problem is clear, the good points are clear! If you are just learning how to play (maybe don't know how the pieces move, or do, but don't understand much else) then you will find this book move along too quickly. Have an understanding of the basics, want an additional primer, then you will want some tips on how to play winning chess. Catchy title, but this book is a big general with some useful information for a just past the beginning stage player. If you are an absolute beginner this isn't the book (consder "Learn Chess", by Alexander and Beach for an adult beginner, "Chess: a complete guide for the Beginner" for an under age 16 beginner). What the title doesn't make clear is it's intended audience - a well advanced beginner!

83 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book is more at an adult's level of learning, July 15, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way (Paperback)

This book is good. But it was hard for me and my sister to read and learn from ourselves. This is because it is written at a lot more than for someone in 3rd or 5th grade. This is not a bad thing, but the book makes it seem at first as if it is easy, and then it is mixed in how hard it is.

Just some advicing. If you are not at least in high school then get an easyer book to learn how to play chess.

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Second Book as it isn't really a smiple book to learn from scratch, September 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way (Paperback)

If you have already finished reading a good introductory beginners book (I like: Learn Chess: A complete Course for example for an adult or teenage reader) and are ready to move on, then Polgar's "A World Champions Guilde to Chess: Step-by-step..." makes for a good book. It gives you some interesting techniques to make you a better player and understand important ideas that will help you play better.

I therefore recommend this book for and adult or teenage level reader that is just past learning the very basics.