No comments about Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual: Practical Training for the Ambitious Chessplayer.

5 comments about Forcing Chess Moves: The Key to Better Calculation.

1. This is an interim review as I'm less than half way through the book but really loving it. The aim of the book is to overcome human bias in ruling out outrageous 'computer' moves that might lead to an instant win or gain of material. I suppose I am as guilty as the next person of playing automatic recaptures and rejecting sacrificial continuations that appear to peter out. However in my case, the main reason is that I am a lazy analyser.
   The reason I like this book so much is the clarity and helpfulness of the analysis. Each of the over 600 positions in the book is shown with a white or black square next to it indicating who is to move. Hertan then gives the main line of the solution. He also explains why plausible options don't work and gives all the reasonable alternative lines. And he does this all in a very concise way.
   The way I am using the book is as to improve my analysis skills. I study each diagram with the solution that follows it covered up. Then I compare my analysis with Hertan's to see what important lines I missed, or where I gave up on a line too soon.
   This is definitely not a beginner's book on tactics. It assumes you know basic tactics likes pins, forks and back rank mate combinations. As a puzzle book, the positions are more difficult than Reinfeld's 1001 books but not too much harder. The real differentiator for me is the quality of the explanations.



2. I used to think I was pretty good at tactics and calculating variations..until I got this book. I've come to see that I have a biased "play it safe" mode that keeps me from seeing the dynamic potential in alot of positions. And I am terrible at calculating with precision. As the author says, close enough is not good enough...you must strive for precision. This book is helping me in each of those areas. The examples are HARD. Usually when you get a book on tactics the first few chapters are a breeze. Not so here. These are advanced, difficult problems, that have FORCED me to go where I haven't gone before: 1) looking for and analyzing moves I wouldn't even have considered before 2) calculating with precision. It's like having a personal chess coach in alot of ways. I also like that there are typically a number of examples of one theme (ie. corridor mate..back rank..etc) grouped together to help you in pattern matching for your own games.
   
   Overall a terrific book! Whenever you find a book that helps identify and remedy a serious area of chess weakness it is well worth the money!



3. I've got plenty of tactics books, even tactical programs like ct-art (which is awesome btw). But there is something magical about this book! The tactics are so rich and vibrant and truely do change the way you look at positions. You'll find after going through about 50 of these puzzles (out of 650 I think) that you are yourself looking at the board differently. Also this book is thick for a modern day chess book less than 20 bucks, I was shocked to get this book in my hands and discover how the publishing company didnt "cheap out" on the size or text like they were going out of business... Buy this book, you wont regret it...



4. I'm a big fan of studying tactics to improve at chess, and I have a large collection of books on the subject. This is a very well written book on tactics, and is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Good layout, large diagrams, and the fonts and printing are excellant. This challenging book contains 650 fresh and very exciting tactical positions divided into examples and exercises. My only possible critism is that it could use even more exercises, but I keep a note card in the book to cover the answers to the examples and I use them as exercises also. This may not be the best for a beginners first book on tactics, but it is outstanding for intermediate players looking to improve. It is defintely on my deserted island must have list.



5. Charles Hertan and New In Chess publishers are missing a great opportunity to convert this book to training software. A case can be made that Hertan's book is more pedagogically focussed than CT - Art 3.0, which dominates that field.
   
   Relative to most other tactics books, this one actually advocates a straightforward thinking method involving forcing moves and, to a better degree than many similar efforts, does not focus on mating combinations almost to the complete exclusion of tactical opportunities for material gain, which are likely more commonplace in practice. "Stock" tactical motifs are covered in the first two chapters. I dare say that 98% of chess tactic books merely provide the information in those two chapters with varying degrees of examples. In this 400-page effort, Hertan moves well beyond that to more broadly consider and categorize forcing moves generally, many of which do not easily fit into traditional typologies.
   
   I'm not necessarily convinced that Hertan's advocated postition of always addressing oneself first to hard calculation of forcing lines, rather than relying initially on more judgmental assessments to identify candidate moves, would survive a cost (in time) benefit analysis in many situations. Accordingly, I am in turn not necessarily convinced of his assertion that "A deep study of forcing moves is probably the single most important task toward achieving chess mastery." Some positions present a bewildering array of forcing moves and, in Hertan's explanations, this fact can sometimes be conveniently ignored, with solutions presented as if the winning move was necessarily the most forcing, which is not really the case. In these cases finding the winning move likley is the product of some process other than raw calculation of a large number of equally forcing moves. Likewise, the separate concept of "computer eyes" is gimmicky and unnecessary to his thesis -- the term is used in connection with the unremarkable concept that identifying the most forcing moves may include moves that are counterintuitive to humans, and that the human bias against considering such moves is not a tendency shared by chess engines. (While I really have no clue, I gather that chess computers in fact do not consider forcing moves first, and thus the computer allusion has no particular relevance to Hertan's thesis.)
   
   This is not to say that Hertan's unique perspective, argument regarding thinking methods, and wealth of fresh examples from practical play, is not appreciated, or that adding increased consideration to forcing sequences will not contribute something of real practical value to those who need to sharpen their alertness to tactics. Hertan suggests at the end of the book that he wished it could be one's first book on tactics. Very few of Hertan's readers are likely to be blank slates, but I suspect that the greater value of his book will be to add new and useful dimensions to the play of those of us whose tactical approach runs somewhat in a rut.
   
   Not insignificantly, the layout and production values of this book are above average. Returning to my initial point, the only way to materially improve the presentation would be to convert the book to training software.

2 comments about Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess, Part 2: Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-1985 (Modern Chess).

1. The book covers the duels Kasparov had with Karpov starting from the pre-matches era, and then the First abandoned match and finally the Second match which crowned the youngest Champion in history. The book is a part of the ongoing series which promises to cover all the battles between Kasparov and Karpov.
   
   The previous chess books in English namely Kasparov v/s Karpov by Mark Taimanov and Yuri Averbakh and The New World Champion by Kasparov exclusively covered the match that crowned Kasparov in detail while chess lovers were left waiting, with baited breath, for some informed analysis of the abandoned match. The wait is now over after two decades and all the First Match games are covered in detail.
   
   Both rivals were engaged in bitter contests on board as well as off board. Kasparov in his The Unlimited Challenge and Karpov in Karpov on Karpov had their difference of opinions about their rivalry. In the Foreword there is a nice episode about Karpov wanting to visit the imprisoned Kasparov to show solidarity. Kasparov says that this one gesture outweighs all past negative factors. A case of Foe turned Friend.



2. This book is amazing.
   
   I enjoyed Kasparov's "Great Predessors" series, but didn't read any of them cover-to-cover. I found his "Revolutions in the 70s" to be interesting but not very useful and definitely not entertaining. But this book is a classic that I'll be re-reading in the coming years.
   This is the book many of us have been waiting for Kasparov to write for years and years. No one else could have done it like this.
   
   Kasparov gives all the details about his games against Karpov up to -and including- the famous first two World Championship matches. He discusses not only the moves and the ideas, but what was going on behind the scenes. It is a fascinating read and I found it more entertaining than anything Kasparov has written previously.
   
   Warning: Kasparov is famous for his variation-heavy style of annotation that can make you dizzy. He will overwhelm readers with the depth and complexity of his ideas. But if you work through as much as you can (with the help of your computer, of course) you will learn a lot about chess, and about how the greatest player of our time approached the game. This is a collection of the highest level of chess, described by the highest-caliber of player.
   
   But there's more! The book is more than just game annotations; it also has the drama and humanity of the matches included. It is obviously the best match book written by a participant since Tal's amazing "Tal-Botvinnik 1960".
   
   If you want a fascinating chronicle of the what is probably the greatest chess rivalry of all-time, written by probably the greatest player of all-time, then order it. This is titanic chess brought down from Mt.Olympus for us mortals to ponder and enjoy.

5 comments about How to Beat Your Dad at Chess (Gambit Chess).

1. This book isnt really about how to beat your dad at chess, because your dad could be bobby fischer or not even know how to play chess (just wanted to clear that up for u guys)
   
   This book has 50 mates and its about pattern recognition, that means pretty much just pounding it into your head so u can remember to use it when you have the chance. its a really good book, i would get it.



2. Before reading this book, I played chess like a scared chipmunk, obsessing about little details like whether pushing this pawn would weaken my position by a picounit. This book helped me see that the way to win games at the amateur level is to attack, to be aggressive, to go after the enemy king like he is your nemesis, to crank open his position like a sardine can and commit regicide.
   
   The book's title is somewhat misleading in that the book is very narrow in scope (a full book on how to beat dad would have to include discussion of openings, endgames, and more general chess strategy and tactics). Rather, it contains fifty practical checkmating patterns that frequently come up in real games. If the basic mating patterns (e.g., how to mate with a King and Queen versus a lone King) are the alphabet of checkmate, this book is the grammer of checkmate. The patterns consist of beautiful 3-5 move combinations that you will have opportunities to apply in many of your games.
   
   If you are looking for a beginner chess book, get the Idiot's Guide to Chess. That is the best place to start from square one. Then learn some very basic tactics (e.g., Pandolfini's Beginning Chess). Then get and read this book. Over and over. With these patterns ingrained in your mind, you will spot them in the far distance during games, aim for them, and go in for the kill. Sure, sometimes you will crash and burn, but that will only make you more prepared for the next game.
   
   Thanks to Chandler for writing this book. It has made chess fun for me again.



3. I'm a weak player, but curious, so I set up both Chessmaster and Chess Genius with the layout shown for Damiano's Mate, the 8th Deadly Checkmate, but the first example from the introduction.
   
   Neither engine cooperated with Chandler's script by taking 7.Kg1, because both recognized another option: While 7.Qh5 didn't change the outcome of the game, it extended it by nearly 60 moves!
   
   It seems unlikely that this board position is (as Chandler describes) the same one where Grandmaster John Nunn recognized the winning combination in two seconds, because the white queen on e2 changes everything!
   
   That doesn't mean the book is worthless, of course, but it does shake my faith in the author somewhat. If I were a GM, I would recognize the typo and move on; as a novice who is probably the target of this book, I find the gap between explanation and reality most confusing. Has this error been corrected in a revised edition?



4. This book really improved my beginning chess. First, Chandler gives a great overview of why pattern recognition is important. Then he proceeds to show certain board set-ups to demonstrate various checkmating techniques. Don't be fooled by the title, this is a great book for all beginning chessplayers; more experienced players may already have seen this material, though probably not nearly so elegantly presented! When I began playing correspondence chess with some of my (equally matched) friends, this book did more for me than almost any other (some tactics books were also very helpful, and should be part of your learning experience). In fact, my recommendation would be to tell your friends about this book, but keep it secret from your chess enemies!



5. Because my kids would like nothing more than to beat their dad at chess, I got this book for my 7 and 4 year old sons. The book does a great job explaining different types of mating patterns, but the explanations are too brief and too abstract for my kids. I learned a lot reading the book, but I'm not sure my kids did. The title makes it seem as if the book is for young children. It is really for intermediate to advanced players. For them, this is a great book. For little ones, I would not recommend it.

5 comments about Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master.

1. I bought this book for a specific purpose: to learn more about drawing Rook vs Rook + pawn endings. I've been working through Convekta's Chess Endgame Training and have found that many exercises end in a position declared a draw but that would still leave me nervous as the weaker side. One strong player told me that every Russian schoolboy know those drawn positions. Oh, to be a Russian schoolboy.
   
   IM Silman's book does indeed address these positions in some detail. Initially, I was not able to find the information, having relied on a quick scan and a look in the index, which has no entry for 'draw'. I sent IM Silman's an email asking why such important information had been omitted. I was surprised to receive a warm and helpful email in reply that explained that, in the spriit of the book itself, infromation about R vs R + P endings was introduced in stages throughout the book. He also mentioned Emms book on rook endings which contains the same material but compacted into one place over 13 pages.
   
   I prefer IM Silman's treatment because ultimately the collected pieces form a more thorough whole.
   
   Overall, the book is a treasure. I don't know of another work that is so accessible, yet complete. Previously I had to make due with the interesting but error-ridden Endgame Course by Pandolfini. One thing I do like about Pandolfini's book is the catchy names he applies to endgame techniques and positions. IM Silman also uses that mneumonic technique but to a lesser extent.
   
   I had also previously relied on Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual. That is a superb reference book but not friendly to someone learning the ropes. For example, Dvoretsky has a page on corresponding squares. It became clear that I was not comprehending the nuances of what he was saying. I tried and tried. In the end I bought Müller and Lamprecht's Secrets of Pawn Endings which covered the same concept but over the course of a dozen pages. Then I got it. I think.
   
   IM Silman's book, on the other hand, is designed so that there are no unresolved mysteries at each stage. Its a nice concept and well done.
   
   The only thing that keeps me from giving the book a full five stars is the single-column format. The book is beautifully laid out and with generous diagrams but I remain convinced the a two column layout is superior.



2. Silman is a master at understanding the mentality of someone that doesn't already know what he's about to teach them. His ever pragmatic and often humorous approach is much appreciated in an endgame book, as most books on that phase of the game tend to be on the dry side.
   
   My only quibble is that he seems to back off of complexity in the later "courses" in favor of more abstract advice. My gut feeling is that at the higher levels it is even more important to know specific techniques and concepts, like knight and pawn vs knight, queen and pawn vs queen, basic techniques for queen vs rook, rook and pawn vs knight/bishop and pawn(s), and so on. Also, the section on the "five greatest endgame players of all time" seemed a little perfunctory somehow, perhaps because most of the games he selected there occur in so many other anthologies.
   
   Overall, though, a wonderful and much needed addition to chess literature.



3. Jeremy Silman is certainly one of the world's best chess writers. His "Reassess Your Chess," pretty much universally acknowledged as a great chess book, has helped countless people enjoy chess to a greater extent (myself included). His "Complete Book of Chess Strategy" covers the basics in a clear, concise way. His "Reassess Your Chess Workbook" is a valuable learning tool for any chess player. And the list goes on.
   
   But here, Silman chose a different topic from his other books. His "Endgame Course" concentrates entirely on the endgame, a mysterious, and quite beautiful realm of a chess game that too few players really know much about. Seeing that many consider the endgame to be boring and unimportant, Silman sought to create a book that not only taught the player many endgame secrets, but showed the reader the beauty and fascination of an endgame, that instilled a love of the endgame in the reader. He has succeeded admirably.
   
   The book is divided into chapters, one for each rating group. Thus, you can concentrate on which material would be appropriate for your rating level (or your estimated rating level.) For the least experienced beginners, Silman presents such simple topics as overkill mates, etc. As we move up the rating ladder, we find such topics as Opposition, Rook Endings, the Lucena and Philidor positions, and eventually, a fun chapter on endgame tactics. The book is ending by a fascinating chapter on the five greatest endgame players of all time. I don't know how he does it, but Silman managed to make each topic fun and interesting to learn, all by using wit and humor. Even the descriptions contained in the back of the book detailing recommended endgame books are fun-to-read. Who knew chess-reading could be so much fun?
   
   With fun, yet with great depth, Silman explored a part of chess that I previously would have nothing to do with. Now, I'm and endgame expert and I had a great time becoming one, thanks to this great book. Recommended for ANY chess player. We all need to know the secrets of the endgame, and there is no better way to accomplish this than by using this book.



4. This one is an excellent book. It has all what you need to know. I haven't completed the book, but I know my strength (1500-1600) and I read what I need know at this level. As soon as improve my theory part then I can read the next parts. Onething is sure, this book will give a very strong foundation on endgames!!! Thats all I wanted for the moment..
   Thanks silman for this wonderul book



5. I'm a 1900+ USCF Player. I've had this book for awhile and have finally decided to review it. To begin with, I'll say that I feel this book tries to "dumb-down" too many things, and that turned me off initially. I don't love super-complex stuff either--I have DVORETSKY'S ENDGAME MANUAL but it's a bit too "heavy" for my liking.
   
   SILMAN'S COMPLETE ENDGAME COURSE is a GOOD book. Why it's so huge I don't know, considering that for its size it doesn't cover that much...but that's a different issue.
   
   Silman comes up with seemingly a good idea of separating endgame knowledge into rating level. I basically agree with his choice of material in Part One (Unrated-999), Part Two (1000-1199), and Part Three (1200-1399). He presents this material very well, and I could recommend those parts to my students without reservation.
   
   In the future parts I tend to disagree with the author's choice of what chapter certain topics are located in, but Silman anticipates this in his Preface. Taking the book as a whole, I believe that the most important stuff IS covered, somewhere. My advice for, say, a 1600 player, would be to go through everyhing (with the possible exception of the "Master" chapter) in order to ensure that 1600 player gets what they should get out of the book.
   
   A big problem I have with this book is that once the author reaches Class C and Class B there should be, in my opinion, more examples with "many pawns." I just don't think Silman provides enough "complex" examples. He does the basics extremely well, but I wouldn't dare tell anyone 1800-2200 "this book is all you need for the endgame." Maybe it's true, but I doubt it.
   
   This has made me want to do a Listmania! of endgame materials to study, but a couple of the materials I'd recommend are not on Amazon!
   
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Recommendations for those beyond Part Three of Silman's book:
   
   THEORY AND PRACTICE OF CHESS ENDINGS by Convekta
   -This CD is the best-kept secret EVER on endgame learning. Everybody needs to have this. Grandmasters would do well to review parts of it. The material was created by GM Alexander Panchenko who ran a chess school in the Soviet Union in the '80s that produced over 30 GMs/WGMs. I have never learned so much about the endgame (in two weeks!) as I did with this CD. The CD teaches you how to play EVERY kind of endgame imaginable. All of the PLANS are explained. Not only that, it contains 50+ brilliant examples of "Multi-piece Endings." It's a travesty more chessplayers don't know about this work.
   
   A CHESS LIBRARY FOR PRACTICAL PLAYERS: THE ENDGAME by GM Marat Makarov
   -Another work not on Amazon, sadly. You'll have to get it from Chess-Stars (the little-known Bulgarian publishing company that produces the highest quality of chess books for SERIOUS players). Makarov doesn't cover the basic mates, but everything after that, and quite a number of advanced topics! The material is presented briefly, but the emphasis is on PRACTICAL positions/techniques/setting problems for the opponent. A motivated 1200 player could begin working with this book, and the examples are so well-chosen a 2300 could benefit.
   
   ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS by GM James Howell
   -Check out my review on Amazon.
   
   ENDGAME STRATEGY by IM Mikhail Shereshevsky
   -I will review this on Amazon shortly.
   
   ENDGAME VIRTUOSO by GM Vasily Smyslov
   -Check out my review on Amazon.
   
   CHESS SCHOOL 4: THE MANUAL OF CHESS ENDINGS by GM Sarhan Guliev
   -I will review this on Amazon shortly.

4 comments about Against the Giants: A Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Huge pack (D&D Miniatures Product).

1. I haven't reviewed anything in awhile, so I decided to review this product because it has a few things worth mentioning. First of all Against the Giants is a great product for the price alone. Come on, a huge pack for under $20. You can't beat that. I also loved several of the huge miniatures like the Elder White Dragon and the Flame Titan. I have to admit, though, that I believe the Elder White Dragon is far better than the Red Dragon that is the key piece in this set. What is up with that? Another thing is that the miniatures team seems to be having some issues and I feared that the quality of this set would suffer from those issues. It didn't, but I bought it with skeptisism nonetheless. Either way, Against the Giants can be worth your money as long as you get a few pieces that you really want.



2. Let's first start out with the good about the set, which outnumbers the bad. First of all, a lot of the new minis are very good looking, especially the ones that make use of the clear plastic. Noteworthy minis include the Angel of Vengeance, the Blazing Skeleton, Doresain, the Ghoul King, the Death Titan, the Fire Titan, and others. Another good aspect of the set is that it adds epic play back into the game. The product is moderately priced, being fair in my opinion, if you buy it here or somewhere else for less than its retail price. The cards keep their fairly good layout and sharp appearance with the new epic cards being a mustard color rather than a maroon one. Its an odd choice in colors but it works. There are a lot of neat ideas in this set, many of which I hope get carried into other sets.
   
   Now on to the bad. The first bad thing is the large amount of repeats this set has. While they are slightly different, there are repeats from other sets like the Boneclaw Impaler, the Elder Red Dragon, the Xorn Ravager, a third Owlbear incarnation, another Roper, and many others. Another thing is the fact that there are no dragonborn in this set that are not rares, making players who are seeking a dragonborn mini to have to get lucky, buy many packs, or spend $$ on singles. Lastly, the paint job on a lot of the minis are terrible (Storm Giant Thunderer is abhorrent). Plastic is still lower quality than some older sets.
   
   If I could I would have given this product a 3.5, but I can't so I am giving it a 4. The product is generally solid overall, but many of the aspects of former sets that made them truly good falls short here.



3. First of all, sorry for my poor english, I'm from Brazil
   Second: I don't play Miniatures Game, I just use the miniatures for my RPG sessions... and the players love it...
   This set of miniatures is very nice... but I was expecting more from the "huge" ones... I bought 4 boosters and got 2 carrion crawlers, 1 huge worg and 1 blackroot treant... and almost never I will use them in my games...
   The smaller are so beautiful and useful in RPG sessions that it compensate in all aspects the problem with the "huge" miniatures...
   I reccomend this set just for the large, medium and small miniatures... don't expect too much for the big ones...



4. Well it has been a while since the DDM had a huge set so it gets a couple stars for that. It doesn't rate any higher because of printing error and the fact that a good portion of the set can't be used in normal 200 point warbands.

5 comments about Chess for Children.

1. I have seen countless books on chess aimed at youngsters over the years, but this is probably the nicest introduction I have ever seen, aimed at primary school children. The problem with so many books is that they are too ambitious, too wordy or just downright boring, but such criticisms in no way apply to this latest addition.
   
   The game is taught through the medium of a cartoon character, George, and his pet alligator, Kirsty, a self-proclaimed Grand Alligator of Chess. The large format pages and large diagrams are easier on the young eye, and the language is readily accessible to a young age group.
   
   The book consists of six parts. Part One covers the basics of how the pieces move, then subsequent parts take the young beginner through a succession of easy, welldefined stages, until by the end of the book you are able to play through and understand a complete game. The book is also very much inter-active, as there are tests interspersed at regular intervals throughout.
   
   As I said earlier, over-ambition is the main problem with so many beginners books, but here the authors have set out with the very limited objective of getting the child started on a very basic level. Opening theory, middlegame strategy and endgame technique have no place here. The emphasis is on learning the basics in an enjoyable manner. If you have a young child or relative who wants to learn chess, then I can thoroughly recommend this book, which in addition to everything I have already said comes at a very reasonable price.
   
   This review first appeared in the magazine En Passant.



2. This book is an excellent place to start teaching children chess. I almost gave it four stars because I don't think children under 7 or 8 will be able to tackle it themselves without an adult. It would still serve as an excellent guide for older children and teens and with an adult's help any younger child would love it. It has great outlines and pictures of how the pieces move, the rules, special rules (en passant for example) and can be referenced easily by anyone. Great job by Mr.Chandler.



3. I bought this book for my children's school library. I am the chess coach at their school and have been making efforts to increase the library's collection of chess books for children. This book is a fine addition to the collection. As I read through it I thought that my K-2 crew would probably enjoy it more than my 3-5 crew, but so be it. I think learning any activity should include reading about it, in addition to having personal instruction. This book will help those little ones to develop good learning habits and good chess habits as well.



4. I am using this book to teach my two older children (6 and 4) and my wife (who never learned) how to play chess.
   
   It is WELL done at having bite sized lessons followed by exercises. (I add some additional ones of my own.)
   
   I was concerned about the algebraic chess notation lesson with my four year old, but he did great!
   
   The best part about this book is that it isn't just a "here are the rules" book. Last night we went through the lesson on the value of pieces and talking about whether a swap is good or not. Some other really good lessons are the ones showing common checkmates, that talk about what to do when in check, and the chapter on forks, pins, and skewers.
   
   This is a great book, but understand that it is for the absolute beginner. I think it is going MUCH better using this book than if I had tried to teach the kids just by myself.



5. Great book. Uses things to interest kids. For example, the alligator story throughout the book is written on a kid level. While teaching chess, get them to read the conversation also. And the use of a "terribly tough test" is great. All questions are worth a point, so it gets them interested if they know they are scoring points. Much like the searching for Bobby Fischer movie. The points get them interested and wanting to do more and better. Also teaches them in a good progression. For instance, rooks and bishops, then queen. Makes sense since a queen is a combo of the two. Also gives great diagrams which they will see later with chess puzzles, such as the ones in chessmaster. I highly recommend. My son is 8. I can see this working for a 7 year old, but 6 and under might be hard.

5 comments about The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance.

1. "Invest in Loss" is probably the best line and best principle to take away from this book. Although it is a universal philosophical principle the author highlights it well and gives good examples of how it helped him in his training through Chess and Push Hands.
   
   I'd also add that this is probably one of the few if only principles that support the title of the book. The invest in loss ideal is something I have incorporated into my own teaching and learning and recommend others interested in moving forward adopt this same principle, but you do not need this book to tell you how to do it.
   
   I would have enjoyed more about Push Hands when the author made the leap to that section of the book. Even though there are 3 main parts, the book is essentially divided into two - chess, and push hands. Unfortunately the author missed the mark here as the push hands section spends a majority of the pages bringing up the authors chess experience and regurgitating the first half of the book rather than spending more time discussing his push hands training and experiences.
   
   This book, simply put, is nothing but the author pandering to his own ego and not at all a book about learning or how to improve your learning. I made it to page 209 out of 262 and couldn't bring myself to finish another 50 pages of the same text reborn time and time again.
   
   I recommend you pass this one up or you'll be investing in loss through your wallet!



2. Josh Waitzkin is absolutely incredible. He has done so much at such a young age. My wife (Jane) and my two children (Cranny and Keet) went to the 25th anniversary conference of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted)([...]) . Josh spoke at this conference about how he has achieved the success he has achieved in both chess and martial arts. It was clear that his intellectual abilities are exceptional and he is capable of learning to skills quite quickly. The one thing I learned more than anything is that when one learns a new skill, it is important to take a part of that skill and master it. Once the part of the skill is mastered, the rest of the skill becomes that much easier to master. Many of us when we are learning new skills try to do too much at one time. This one piece of advice has helped me immensely. It has also helped me give advice to others including my children and clients. Josh's book outlines his journey towards the mastery of his passions. It is quite an amazing read and will be an inspiration to us all. I highly recommend telling Josh's story to your children or to the children you work with.
   
   Steven E. Curtis, Ph.D.
   Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges



3. In the subtitle of "The Art of Learning," Josh Waitzkin aptly describes his book as "An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance." It is about his own life's learning processes developed during the mastery of two disciplines. One is intellectual: chess. The other is physical: the martial arts form of Tai Chi Chuan. In the writing of the book, he demonstrates that he is an expert in the process known as "mastery learning" as well as a highly accomplished storyteller and teacher. You'll notice I've emphasized the word "mastery." That is because I want to be very clear. The book is not about accelerated learning or quick tricks for memorization. It won't help you cram for an exam and get an easy "A." It is about learning how to learn. About learning at a depth that the learning becomes a part of you. About developing enduring knowledge, skills or expertise. And about using that learning to perform at high levels.
   
   If you want to know how to learn simply anything -- any subject, any skill, this is the book. It reads like a novel and teaches as if it were wired into your brain. It contains the most accessible description of the process of learning from experience I've ever seen, including the need for awareness, intention, attention, noticing details, analyzing, testing assumptions, planning new responses, testing behavior, honing, refining and practice, practice, practice. (Considering that I used to teach Psychology of Learning at the graduate level, I've seen quite a few descriptions of the learning process.)
   
   And like a good novelist would, Waitzkin doesn't just tell -- he shows. You can bet someone has the "know-how" if he also has the "show-how." Moreover, he adds something you would rarely see in a textbook on learning processes: he uses the context of real life and actual experience to show the connection between learning and emotion, how to avoid its pitfalls and how to use it to your advantage. It is a very practical and usable book.
   
   Please note, however, that although I stress how well he weaves his teachings into a story so that you learn them implicitly, he also has a great deal of quite explicit explanation. You don't have to guess what he means. The book could be used as a textbook. It is just more entertaining than a usual textbook.
   
   "The Art of Learning" belongs on the bookshelves of anyone who wants to learn well and deeply, but most certainly it belongs on the bookshelves of psychologists, educators, trainers, coaches, students and all others who study "learning how to learn," right alongside of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's various books on "flow" and George Leonard's "Mastery."



4. The author was the subject of the book/movie Searching for Booby Fisher. Not only is he a National Chess champion, he is also a martial arts champion. He has a very good read on what it takes to get to the ultimate levels of achievement in pretty well everything. I found tremendous insight in this book, and a heightened appreciation for the dedication to detail and performance needed at these levels. I really enjoyed his discussion on "chunking' information and "carved neural pathways" as tools that we all use to become better and better at everything we do. He also gives a very clear description on the stress and recovery model used in high performance training. As ever, I appreciate an easy to read book that lays it out so clearly that even a thick headed Swede like my self can make sense of it all. I appreciate the line, " You need to know what good feels like in order to achieve it again and again." We call that Knowing what the grass looks like when it is cut."



5. The Art of Learning. The title is presumptuous and not a good fit for the content of the book.
   Whatever your endeavor, if you are of a like mind, you will benefit from reading this book. Truth is, even if you don't benefit, it's a very engaging and interesting read. To the right people I always say: "You'll love it!!" I don't recommend it at all to the others. I've given away several copies, including my own and I expect to give away many more.

5 comments about Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy.

1. This is a great book. I think every chess player should get as much information as possible on chess. Thats what I think. I've been playing for a long time. But slacked off a bit. So I recently got back into it. I play every day on my computer. And lose the majority of the time. Out of about 2,3oo games I won a little over 500. So I got a little tired of that and said to myself that you shoul get a couple of books. Thats why I purchased this book. I'm still reading it but It's helping me out.



2. This is definitely a 5 star item. I agree with all the above positive comments, so I won't repeat them here. Basically you see a board position from real life games and you have to figure out the best move, which may be just a positional move, such as putting your rook behind a passed pawn, or you may have to avoid a trap or a mate three moves ahead. There are absolutely no hints on what may be the issue. I photocopy a few pages of problems, not the solutions, and carry them in my pocket to evaluate when I am somewhere where I have time to spare. The ability to have folded sheet(s) of paper in my pocket, rather than a full book, makes this an extremely practical offering.



3. First of all, I'd like to say that this is not a problem or puzzle book. As Cheng points out, if you rely on problem books, your mind channels into that mind set and you are constantly looking for mates in four or queen sacs which rarely occur. This book presents positions from amateur games (with a few master's games sprinkled in). They are typical positions which present simple tactics or strategic decisions or defensive moves, in other words you are not given anything to look for beforehand (as in your own games) so you have to think for yourself and scan the board for the best move in this particular situation. He doesn't even rate the difficulty until after you have made your choice. I had previously worked on CT-Arts problem series software and realized after finding five queen sacs leading to mate, that this wasn't real chess. Mr. Cheng's book is as close to real chess as I have seen. I was thinking he should create something on cd or dvd software based on this book or even more examples. But the book, as it is, is logically arranged. No more flipping to the back for the solution to the position. It's on the facing page and all you have to do is cover it up. Minor comments: slightly larger diagrams would help. Numbering left to right, as someone mentioned. Also, putting the color to move at the bottom of the diagram, rather than have all whites at bottom. I'm not sure if this would be a typographical issue, but there you are. I have only gone through about ten percent of problems, but have already learned a lot and have been kicking myself for stupid decisions, just as i do in real games. Congratulations to Mr. Cheng for this book, and perhaps he will expand into the software field in the future.



4. 
   The 1st word in the title is key, this book is _very_ practical.
   
   I suppose there aren't many chess books that will actually weaken your game, but I haven't come across any other that should really help an intermediate player more than this one. It's based on a novel, but seemingly obvious, concept that the answer to chess problem shouldn't be telegraphed in any way beforehand. Also, the positions shown are not simply of the white/black "to play and win" variety - you could just be trying get a draw from behind. You aren't told whether there's a mate hiding in there or simply a positional improvement. The key may be in noticing your opponent's threat, not yours. In other words, the problems represent challenges very much like those real players find themselves faced with on a regular basis.
   
   It just seems obvious that preparing with real-life problems with real-life solutions is a better use of your time than pondering over where's the mate in 3 when you know there's a mate in 3, etc.
   
   In short, a great book for intermediate-to-advanced chess players. It's a whole bunch of chess brain-teasers of the best variety. It's extremely handy when you want something very portable to keep you entertained for an indeterminate amount of time - like waiting at an airport. It's also handy if you just want to wake your brain up for a few minutes before you do something else. I'm sure I'll be sorry when I've finished this. I hope Mr. Cheng comes up with a volume 2 by then!
   
   There are a few minor points I could complain about. I think the arrangement of the illustrations s/h/b somewhat different (left/right before top/bottom) and it seems like the difficulty levels shown are occasionally a little off. A further break with tradition by showing "black to move" problems from the black side would have been welcome also. But, REALLY these are insignificant issues compared to the power of the concept and the excellent problems in this book.
   
   I'll just add that, for what it's worth, I was recently playing blitz against an A-level friend and I came up with a winning move in a complex position that stunned both of us. It was the kind of thing I would have probably missed in a long tournament game and I came up with it in seconds. I don't think I would've seen that move if I hadn't been exercising my brain with this book - and I'm not even halfway through.
   
   For a combination of originality, usefulness and just plain fun, this book definitely deserves 5 stars.



5. This is my first foray into the chess book market, so to be fair, I have to stipulate at the start that I don't have anything with which to compare this book. Nonetheless, what I find lacking about this book is any explanation into the theory of good chess play. What are objectives in 'start-game', 'middle-game', and 'end-game' sequences? What are the foundations to a great game? What makes a good player? How does one learn to look at the board? These are questions that are completely ignored by this book. Rather, it has a very brief introduction, and jumps directly into exercises. No theory is provided. No base with which to start.
   
   I felt that the author makes certain assumptions about my chess knowledge. Here, I may be showing my ignorance in not knowing, but I don't know the names of many strategies, and even found it difficult to understand the grid movements on the board.
   
   I like the exercises, and feel I have much to gain from this book. But first I want to read a book that outlines common strategies (such as, control the middle of the board, and why), goals, motives during the game, and maybe gives me some coaching on how to deal with the one's own psyche during the game (i.e. how to react if I miscalculate or lose an important piece during play). I don't know if such a book exists, but I have to keep looking
   
   I want to come back to this book when I want to practice thinking about specific chess positions. At the moment, I'm looking for a book that will boost my foundation and give me a better base in the game I love.

5 comments about The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.

1. Absolutely great book in great condition. Only thing that was unexpected, was that the paperback was definately not as complete as the hard cover book and I really wanted (and needed) everything the hard cover book had. I guess there's no way to know that until you receive the book. But the book came within a couple of days of my ordering it and everything else was great!



2. We play Scrabble almost weekly, with a friend. These dictionary's are an absolute must! In fact, this recent purchase was a replacement for the same as we had wore out the original ones. Can't play Scrabble without them!



3. This scrabble dictionary is by Merriam-Webster is very easy to read. I keep it near my computer because it's doesn't take up a great deal of room.



4. this book shows scrabble words that the regular dictionary does not..it is really a great asset to the game



5. I have gottne hooked on Scrabble on my iPOD and this book has been a great help..you also learn new words. Keeps the mind fresh too.