5 comments about Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess.

1. Many of the reviews here argue whether this book is just for beginners or for intermediate players as well. I believe this book is for anyone who wants to checkmate or defend checkmate! And after all, this is the main goal in chess. As a casual player for many years, I was able to work through this book rapidly in under 4 hours. When I first began reading the book I was under the impression that it was just too simplistic to learn anything from. As reading progresses the themes discussed are interwoven and you are trained to mix the simple ideas in to 3-4 move mating combinations (or to defend against them). The beauty of this approach is that by the time you finish the book the patterns become second nature and you no longer have to "think", but rather you just "do". This is pattern recognition, a large part of what chess is about. I believe you cannot go wrong reading this book. For the beginner it is absolutely essential reading. For the intermediate player, I believe he will gain some pattern recognition skills if nothing else. And if for some reason, he works his way through the entire book and learned not one thing, then it can be considered at the very least, a good chess exercise and a valuable benchmark.



2. This book is ideal for children who want to learn chess. The pictures are excellent. My 8 year old grandchild is independently using the book.



3. So many 1-star reviews - wouldn't have expected it. I ran across this book as a 9 year old in 1977, and it changed the way I played chess. I finally beat my dad, and never looked back, taking a school Chess title in Jr. High.
   
   This is not the end-all book for chess, but I remember it as a transformational moment in my life.



4. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in learning how to play chess or anyone who already knows the game. I've checked out various Chess tudor books but Bobby Fisher's simple guides/explanations makes this a book that stands out in my opinion. It hasn't made me a Grand Master yet-but it has definitely pushed me closer to understanding the game much more.



5. Among Chess books, there are many that provide in depth analysis that will elevate players at any level. Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is not that book as it is specifically geared only to the beginning level player.
   
   If you are brand new to chess and would like to learn the basics from one of the greatest players of all time, this book is for you. However, for those thinking this will provide a glimpse into the intriguing mind of Bobby Fischer, you will be sorely disappointed as this book goes no further than simple multi-move mating attacks with no content regarding strategy, tactics, or positional play.
   
   I rate this book poorly because the title is vague and misleading. Anyone in the chess world would expect a lesson from Bobby Fischer to be captivating in the least. This book would better be served by the name "Someone Other than Bobby Fischer Explains Very Basic Chess for Beginners".

5 comments about How to Reassess Your Chess: The Complete Chess-Mastery Course(Exp. 3rd Edition).

1. By "solid" I mean recreational players who rate around 1400. I've been playing chess all my life, off and on, and am a solid player but never studied the game beyond a few chess openings. Silman's book really helped me get to the next level -- now I'm around 1550 -- and I credit this book with having helped me think "out of the box" of rules I learned as a kid. Doubled pawns aren't always bad; whether a knight or a bishop is better depends on the kind of mobility you need. Most of all, it's helped me think more strategically about the game.
   
   The book's not perfect. Silman has an ego a mile high and it shows. But it's an entertaining read because he is certainly colorful. A word of warning: like most chess books, you have to be prepared to sit down with a board and play through the annotated games. You can't get nearly as much out of it by just reading the text.



2. First and foremost, this author knows what he's talking about. As a somewhat advanced-beginner of an adult, I struggle to find books on my level that aren't kid-centric writing but aren't grandmaster thesis either. This book is somewhere inbetween. I get frustrated with chess books that calculate out wrong possiblities for you--for me it's the equivalent of having an off-topic sentence in a paragraph, and it can be very distracting when you have to concentrate just to see the CORRECT position in your mind's eye. Silman does this on a couple of occasions, which again is really only proving how well grounded his thinking is, but it can be overwhelming to someone like me.
   
   I found many of these same concepts were covered in Seirawan's "Winning Chess Strategies" book, but were a little more straightforward for someone on my level. I still highly recommend this book for a serious student, but I would not recommend it right away for the casual player. Stick to tactics books & exercises.



3. I have been away from chess for quite some time (10 years) and I found this book to be perfect for someone of my level. I think it would be helpful for many players of various levels, perhaps not the first time player or the expert, but those in between. His example games illustrate his points nicely, and he covers many basic concepts and elements of chess strategy and tactics. I have only read part of it, but I would still recommend it to those who want to improve their game. While it doesn't cover some very basic things (like for example, certain checkmates like queen and king v. king, or king and rook v. king), it does a good job of tackling issues like space, weak squares, superior minor pieces, imbalances, knight v. bishop, etc. Silman's main point, an excellent one at that, is that his rules are guidelines, they don't always apply in every situation. You must play what the board wants you to play, in his words! I think this approach will definitely be beneficial for many players.



4. This book is held in very high regard with several high rated players I know. It has quite a few good points to it and I still plan on using it quite a bit. But there is quite a bot of crappy annotations as pointed out by other reviews. Particularly in Silman's games. Some of them are more or less just for him to gloat about wins I think.
   
   This is about strategy and it is not for beginners. In fact I felt it was above my level for quite a while. It's right about the time for me to reread this and despite its flaws I like the book.



5. I have been playing chess for nearly twenty years. Like most players, I had developed many bad habits because I had learnt to play without proper guidance and tuition. What Jeremy Silman does in this excellent book is to go back to the foundations of chess and to help the reader re-build in a way that will promote solid comprehension and long lasting development.
   
   This is a guide to the middle game, though it does cover some essential endings, mainly pawns and rooks. But the bulk of the book is about understanding how to work out a good plan for the middle game. This is an area that many players struggle with. Any one who plays a lot of chess will know the problem, a player runs out of opening moves and then flounders as they move in to the murky middle game. It is essential at this point to have a method for understanding the position and developing an appropriate plan. That is what this book helps the reader to do.
   
   I have used this book on and off for the last five years and have just won my first tournament. This book has been one of the single biggest factors in improving my chess. Most importantly, I have found myself returning to this book again and again, finding new ideas everytime.
   
   As for the style of writing, Jeremy Silman is first class. The majority of chess books I have read are pretty dull. Silman writes with a tremendous sense of fun and energy. He also covers all of the important middle game concepts, including tactical combinations, minor piece play, space, intiative, weak squares, weak pawns and sacrifices. Most of these areas I thought I already understood, but Silman helped me to deepen my understanding and bring the ideas together in a very practical way.
   
   I have read a few negative reviews about this book. One reviewer complained there was not enough endgame material. It is NOT an endgame guide, as Silman points out in the introduction. It is a book that focusses on the middle game, with a few other extras included because some times it is necessary to understand the middle game according to the other stages of the game.
   
   One reviewer also commented that deep computer analysis has shown errors in many of the examples in this book. I personally have not found any errors, though haven't run the examples through the computer because they demonstrate principles only - the principles are still valid even if the examples are not perfect. I do use computer analysis for studying my own games as well as studying grand master games. I can state unequivably that most grand master games have errors that can be shown by deep computer analysis. The best human player can't see all the sub-variations twenty moves deep like a computer can. This book does not promise to teach you to play perfect chess nor does it try to transform you in to a chess computer - such claims would obviously be false.
   
   What it does provide is a very, very good guide to help you to improve your chess. It is very thorough and a great joy to read. Most players would benefit from the themes it explores. Though I would especially recommend it for low to medium strength players, especially those who have found themselves in a rut and need a new perspective.

No comments about Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess, Part 2: Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-1985.

5 comments about Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition.

1. I recently worked through my copy of this book. I must say it was very enjoyable to play through the games and read Chernev's explanations of the moves and the reasons behind them. I think Chernev did a superb job, and this book is a great game collection for anyone interested in chess. Newer players will certainly learn a lot.



2. This book is must reading for any novice! I will never again see a chess board in the same way! Many people, books and films state that principles of martial arts or samurai philosophy apply to everyday life, so much so that they constitute a guiding philosophy. In Japan and China people apply principles from war and strategy books such as The Art of War and The Five Rings to the world of business, and to great effect. Now, many films have also tried to do this with chess, but usually fall short. They usually end up making some blah statement, such as, "We are all pawns," etc. This book contains many fascinating quotes and principles handed down from the masters. As I read them one thing that struck me was that many of these principles apply equally to real life. For instance, Chernev's main lessen in this book is that the right move is determined by the requirements of you position. You assess the situation at hand, you have a goal, and there are only certain actions that will bring that goal about. Thus, the action you take is determined by what circumstance required.



3. Why "unfortunately"? Because Chernev put a lot of hard work into this book. He DOES explain every move--even if he has to go back to obscure 1820s books to say something new about 1. d4 when we see it for the 10th time. What's more, he does this without, for the most part, repeating the old libels about the "crazy" Steinitz or the "sadistic" Alekhine, etc., used by some authors to make reading about chess "exciting" without real work. Also, Chernev's love of the subtle move and the brilliant combination come through in the book, making us all remember why we like chess in the first place.
   
   Unfortunately, the book's analysis is simply bad. It is hard to blame Chernev for trying to simplify what is going on in complex positions--the book is, after all, aimed at beginners--but his simplification completely distorts the situation. Of the 30+ games in the book, almost *all*, apart from five or six, are symetrical open games (1. d4 d5 or 1. e4 e5) many of them using obscure openings few play nowadays (Colle system, King's gambit). Some of this is due to fashion. But a lot of it has to do with something Chernev constantly ignores or mistates, but is of cardinal importance--the *plans* of the two sides.
   
   Putting things very crudely, The King Indian's Defense and other asymmetrical openings allow black to concentrate on other plans--"building a solid position" for example--instead of that of immediate control of the center and rapid development. Why? Because, as Botvinnik noted, with such "asymmterical" plans white's first-move advantage is less prnounced. Conversely, the King's gambit is now unpopular since the main plan for white--attack on the black monarch--had been shown to lead to no more than a draw against accurate play.
   
   Not much of this gets into Chernev's book. For him, the only opening plans are "develop your pieces" and "control the center". For example, he says that the reason people play 1. ... Nf6 in reply to 1. d4 is "to not allow white to dominate the center with 2. e4". Similarly, he condemns 1. ... e6 is "less agressive" (in controlling central space) than 1. ... e5 in reply to 1. e4, but at least it "opens lines to two pieces", does not allow White to play the King's gambit, and is useful against "over-agressive players".
   
   Talk about oversimplification! Chernev's analysis is, I suppose, helpful to absolute beginners, showing them what is wrong with 1. h4 intending 2. Rh3, or with 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 intending 2. Qxe5+ (which, after the "thematic" 1. ... g6, leads to 3. QxR, 4. QxN, 5. Qx anything she can get her hands on), though they too are left wondering why anybody ever plays "inferior" moves such as 1. c4 or 1. ... Nf6. For all others, Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move" is so superior in every respect comparing the two would be pitiful. It's like, to quote Edward Winter, comparing a Rolce-Royce with a rattle-trap.



4. My 9 y.o. niece recently developed an interest in chess, and she was quick to learn the figurine notation--from Chess Informant, no less. But she had the unfortunate problem of being in an after school program for chess that was neither kid-friendly or (by the description) not doing a very good job either. Since I live a bit far I needed something educational, and after reading some reviews & visiting some bookstores to flip through, I eventually chose what I used from back in 1970s (I was a Fischer Boom kid then), and so I went back to what taught me the basics of play. There's a lot of others out there now but I went with what I knew, eventually I went on to get a Master rating in correspondence chess.
   
   This is a good book to explain why--that's the key concept--certain moves are played, and the themes, strategies & principles behind those moves. It's important to learn the Fischer observation: to get squares, you got to give squares. The ideas of attack & defense, and taking control of squares, ranks, files & diagonals, and learning to tell, at least at a rudimentary level, which are considered more important than others in selected situations. My niece still has to learn what 'fianchetto' means, and she's not ready for hypermodernism vs. classical theory or systematic study of openings or even examining game collections of the greats (something I strongly advocate for players beyond this stage); she has to crawl before she walks. That's what I want from a book that's more a primer. Later there are excellent tomes on short exercises & pattern recognition for identifying situations for tactical play, and to set up traps, and to avoid stepping in one. But those require some ability to 'think logically' ahead of the move; this explains why & now, and the basis for 'ahead'. It's concrete learning for the concrete player.
   
   In looking at other reviews I note that in some that 'theory is out of date'. So should I subject my niece to the shifting sands of the Sicilian Najdorf? The mind-boggling complications from the QGD: Semi-Slav ('let's look at some Alexei Shirov games'). How about the French Defence-Winawer variation with 7. Qg4? Or Alekhine's Defense where likelihood of dropping a piece are astronomical? In a word, no. The classic defenses like the Ruy Lopez or Giocco Piano are fine--one less likely to lose quickly in playing these, either by dropping material or getting pushed off the board. Or the Queen's gambit--the variations have since multiplied but the basic concepts on playing it in the early stages are still valid. Also, a beginner can play the Colle System without learning a lot of theory--it can be set up & played against just about every major defence. I could do without the King's Gambit, I can only think of Boris Spassky, the 11th World Champion, who would roll that out on occasion, and essentially retired from active chess since the 1980s.
   
   Other comments are about 'wrong analysis & errors'. True enough, but I like prose that identifies the purpose & some opinions about alternatives(if one wants a good collection of games of top level grandmaster play that easy to read & clear on concepts, read anything by the great Estonian GM Paul Keres). Also, GM Bent Larsen's retort "Long Analysis, wrong analysis," even as short as some are. What I don't like in "Logical Chess" are the occasional vague phrases like 'doesn't look appealing' without giving a concrete reason why. But that's common to any annotations.
   
   Short games: does anyone know what the attention span of a pre-teen is? I taught elementary school chess for a short time. I like short games--clear concepts, fast finish; it's a little early for endgames--scholastic chess games don't last too long.
   
   One has to learn the rules & principles of chess strategy before becoming an iconoclast. And for that I recommend to the intermediate-advanced player John Watson's "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy."



5. I started playing chess less than a year ago and I bought couple of chess books. But none of them taught me this much!! This book is amazing, the way of explaining each game and its variations are incredible. I bought this book three months ago and I finished reading it yesterday. I learned that each move on the chess board has a meaning, and also how to play these moves more strategically. This book tells how to open the games and how to think more logically, the result is that the person who reads this book will see the chess board more clearly and make more brilliant moves. In the 33 games of this book I loved the queen pawn opening, especially the Colle system and I practiced this system with other players and I quickly demolished the king side of the opponent. Selected games are very nice games especially those games from Capablanca and Tarrasch. The diagrams are of high quality and the language is very nice to read!
   May be one or two minor point I would like to mention.
   Sicilian opening is one of the most popular opening nowadays, only one game explained in this book. I think she should have added little more opening traps in every opening. May be the author did not want to confuse the readers too much with variations!! But these are very minor things. Overall, this is a must for beginners, highly recommended. I give five stars!

5 comments about Chess For Dummies.

1. There is a good deal of useful chess information in this book, but the presentation of the material is unsystematic. A good editor should have organized the material better. The book has a slapdash style that will probably confuse the absolute beginner ("the dummy") more than is necessary. A better book for a beginner, in my opinion, is Yasser Seirawan's _Play Winning Chess_ which introduces most of that material covered here, but in a systematic way that builds a more solid foundation for further development in chess.



2. The way this book is set up it does not teach in a good order. It has a lot of things that make no sense when you are given information suddenly that has noting to do with what was covered in the last segment and it is not instructional. Look at getting "Learn Chess" by Alexander as a much better book.



3. I read through this book after having read the numerous negative reviews on this page. I'm a c.1400 player looking for something on chess that would help my nieces and nephews. I thought the book was excellent: clear, easy to understand, well-written, and interesting.
   
   NEGATIVES: only real negative was two chess diagrams that contained errors. Some reviewers had difficulties with the organization, but I thought it was a quite well-organized intro.
   
   POSITIVES: #1. The many diagrams make it possible for even beginners to understand about 90% of the book without pulling out a chess set. One should use a chess set, of course, but I think few readers will, and they will scarcely ever need to: virtually every sequence of moves is illustrated by a diagram for each move. The diagrams are often enhanced with Xs showing threatened checks or captures that beginners might not easily see. This extensive use of diagrams helps make even very difficult points easy for beginners.
   
   #2. The book is very comprehensive, and yet concise. The author is skilled at covering a lot of ground in a very short space, and yet making it all look natural and easy: for example, it's not every beginner's book that covers the Lucena position in rook endings, and makes it look easy. Fred Reinfeld was one of the best at writing chess books for beginners, but Eades (at least in this book) is every bit as good; and in many ways better.
   
   #3. The book has a vivid, yet conversational writing style that keeps the reader interested in the text. Introductions can be a dreadfully dreary thing to either write or read, but this book does a very good job at holding the reader's attention.
   
   I give it five stars in part to counterbalance some negative reviews elsewhere here that I regard as excessive. But I think the content is well worth five stars: the only thing I would dock a star for is the poor proofreading on two diagrams (embarrassing in a second edition!). The editors should show higher standards of professionalism for their third edition, but this is not enough to reduce it to a four star book.



4. This was a gift for someone else, they liked it a lot (a 14 year-old that is trying to learn chess well enough to beat his mother). You do need your chess board out while reading it to visualize the moves, not something easily done in a car!



5. "Chess for Dummies" provides a very good introduction to the game of chess. If you've never played chess, or haven't played since childhood, you will get a quick refresher in the first few chapters of the book. Subsequent chapters provide a good foundation in strategy and tactics. There is also a smattering of chess lore and history throughout the book. For myself, this is about all I need to be able to enjoy an occasional game with friends.

5 comments about Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games.

1. I think this book is more suitable to beginners up to Class C players. The book is indeed huge in size and contains many problems. The level of the problems is however limited to Mate in three........just not good enough.



2. Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games
   Good information, easy to understand.
   I recommend this item for beginners and old timers.



3. This is not my favorite chess encyclopedia, but it contains lots of good material and, especially considering its price, is worth having.
   
   I think the most useful part of this book is "600 Miniature Games." After having seen this book for years, I finally bought it for this section alone. Each of the games contains miniatures decided by decisive attacks on the King's Field (f7/f2, g7/g2, h7/h2, f6/f3, g6/g3, h6/h3), whether the king is castled or not. You can basically follow these without a chess set and sometimes I like to open this book and "do" some of these in my head as an attacking refresher. I have some of Convekta's software (CT Art, etc) but those compendia have more varied problems and with this section of L. Polgar's book, I can focus in on kingside attacking practice.
   
   Recommended.



4. This book is a must have for anyone who is even remotely interested in the game. It starts off with simple checkmating patterns that even the newest player can understand, and then progressively increases in difficulty. But no worries! Even if you are wanting to learn how to play the game, this book teaches you that too! From setting up the board to winning the game, this book is quickly becoming a staple of everyone's chess library.



5. Well, there aren't actually billions of puzzles here, but there might as well be.
   
   Without a doubt, this is a very good book if you're a normal person who's never studied chess or has only begun playing. The basic checkmate patterns are reviewed over and over and over again - and eventually, I absolutely guarantee, your work in this book will lead to victories.
   
   Now if you are really just beginning, I think the book to start with is Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess followed immediately by Chess Fundamentals (Algebraic).
   
   Then I would have recommended Simple Checkmates, and there is still nothing at all wrong with that book. It is definitely easier to carry! But this book by Polgar is very nearly just as good, with the benefit of having kajillions of puzzles.
   
   Beyond that point, you just need to study tactics forever, and ever. I can never stop recommending The Art of Checkmate to anyone above 1200 and under, say, 1500 (which I have again fallen under), but it is probably good for even better players as well.

2 comments about 100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player.

1. I have the spanish version of this book. This is one of the most didactic and best written book I have (and I have 2 hundreds of them). The endings are showed in a clear way. If you will buy this book, you will be not dissapinted.
   best regards,
   FS



2. This book covers the most essential--and frequently seen--basic endgames that a chessplayer should know for tournmanet play. Also known as "basic positions", "theoretical endings", or "exact endings", these positions have at most only 1 or 2 pawns on either side (or both). A list of these positions can also be found in the book GM-RAM by Rashid Ziyatdinov, although there is no comment or instruction on how to play them. Which is why the present book fills a much needed void.
   
   Essentially the author covers the most common scenarios for each type of endgame with these basic positions. His explanations and comments are clear, informative, and extremely useful. I do wish he had included a few more examples in some of the categories, but apparently they were deemed not common enough to be included. For example, in the group rook v. minor piece, he only covers the pawnless versions, and rook & pawn v. bishop. Most books also include rook & pawn v. bishop & pawn. Still, the book is definitely worth buying.
   
   For those readers like myself you wish to supplement his coverage, I recommend some of the books listed in his excellent, annotated bibliography. This book will definitely aid the average chessplayer in securing that much desired win instead settling for a draw!

5 comments about Zuke 'Em-The Colle Zukertort Revolutionized: A chess opening system for everyone, now bullet-proofed with new ideas.

1. b3-Colle was the opening system of choice for the unofficial world champion Akiba Rubinstein. The opening is easy to reproduce over the board - just play d4, e3, Bd3, Nf3, Nbd2, b3, Bb2, 0-0, a3, Ne5 ... that is 10 moves - against any setup by black. A simple 10-move sequence that is good enough for world championship is rare! Needless to say, Black has many good responses, and White needs to have a World Champion's understanding of all resulting positions to play the middlegame.
   
   Enter Zuke 'Em. David Rudel breaks down the b3-Colle opening into 68 easily digestible variations over a hundred pages and then proceeds to explain the ideas behind them, so that memorization is minimized. This forms only half the book. In the remaining half, he shows you when NOT to play the b3-Colle but transpose into some other opening, HOW to do so and HOW to follow-through.
   
   Ultimately, he includes a training section in the book to aid you in recalling tactics, strategies, critical moments in opening and move orders.
   
   Note to beginners: A lot of beginners are generally afraid of playing 1 d4. However, with Zuke 'Em, a beginner can get through the opening without losing a pawn, and emerge into a fairly understandable middle game position, where a lot of tactics lurk. Classical Bishop Sacrifice, two bishops sacrfice, Attacking with two knights and a Queen, Attacking with only major pieces - all these theme occur regularly in b3-Colle middlegame - very frequently. David Rudel uses a conversational tone in the book and explains the ideas so that even a kid can understand the material. This should be your FIRST OPENING BOOK!
   
   Note: The book adds a lot to a Killer chess opening repertoire by Aaron Summerscale, but, refers you to it for 150 attack and Barry attack and Dutch Stonewall. So, for a complete repertoire, you will need to buy Summerscale's book.
   
   Experience: I read chapters 1-5, part of 11 and part of 12 in one sitting. These cover the main b3-colle lines. The books is unputtable - so, you need to have a CHESS BOARD nearby and gallons of coffee before you start reading it for the first time.
   
   Aftermath: I have now had the book for over a month. I have reread the chapters 4 and 5 (the main chapters on b3-Colle) at least 5 times over. I look up other lines as and when they arise in my games. There were certain anti-Colle lines givein Summerscale's book that I was uncomfortable playing, but Zuke 'Em addressed ALL of them. Now, I am confident that I will always have a complete repertoire preparation at hand.



2. Zuke'em - The Colle Zukertort Revolutionized......
   
   Finally, That book is on my hands and what a surprise...
   
   It is like having the Author in front of you talking to you about the opening with so much love that I never see before on any of the other books of my collection (and is quite big).
   
   What imprested me the most is the very detailed explanation of practical ideas that the author spend a lot of time to teach you of what each piece role is on that opening.
   
   I don't care if he is not "titled" since these days with Computers and databases everyone can write a book, but definitely that guy put a lot of work to get that book out to press.
   
   from Author Bio "David Rudel is a published Mathematician that won Texas state Championships in both math and physics, taught at Dartmouth, and was on the highest ranking team among all undergraduate institutions in the 1997 Pytnam competition"....
   
   So, I guess that author is a smart guy and he deserve people to take him more seriously and not bashing him because he decide to write a book of chess without having a title but instead give it a try and they will not be disappointed.
   
   Overall, the humor, attitude and feeling of that book is like having a conversation with someone that loves that opening so much that decide to reveal all his secrets in your expense.
   
   I do own the book of Lane and Summerscale and that book here definitely takes the cake on my view. Definitely different from any other book that you read and is worth every penny that I spend to get it.
   
   Well done David!



3. David has done a good job on teaching this opening for those of us under 2000 level. He handles the missing link for the black bishop when it jumps out early to f5 or g4 as well. His writing style is clear and the presentation on page is easy to follow that makes this book enjoyable to learn from. More chess books should be written in this fashion. Nice job on Zuking the Anti-Colle and making the explanation of the Colle-Zukertort easy for a beginner to grasp as well. Five stars all around.



4. I enjoyed David Rudel's book. I have followed the Colle over the years and I was thankful to David for clarifying some difficult lines that White has to face--the Anti-Gruenfeld comes to mind.
   I found Mr. Ajoni's condemnation a bit 'over the top". Mr. Rudel claims
   equality or better for White and Mr. Ajoni the opposite based on computer analysis. When I make a claim I ALWAYS back it up. Will Mr. Ajoni share some of his analysis in an open debate for public consumption?? Steve Sisson



5. As an inexperienced chess player, I found this highly elucidating gem instructive and empowering. Particularly helpful to me was the author's unassuming, and therefore not condescending, "Zukertort for Dummies" approach of Chapter 3 in his thorough explanation of the players and their roles in the big picture. From there, it was an easy fit, like a comfortable pair of well-worn gloves.
   
   There is a casualness in the writing by David Rudel that made the reading of it relaxing and unintimidating, as many chess books can be quite otherwise, if not downright tedious. His style is also a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stodgy and rarefied air in world of chess, that often can seem humorless, as well. Indeed, Mr. Rudel's deft, subtle humor drew me in in ways no other chess book has before.
   
   This book has the potential of drawing in countless numbers to the game, especially those who need a little boost in developing their confidence and skill level. Had this book been available to me years ago, I might have not had to wait so long to become a better chess player. This book is truly a labor love, written by a passionate and caring author.
   
   Well done, Mr. Rudel. Long may you Zuke 'Em.

5 comments about Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 2.

1. This is the book I've been waiting for. The usual approach to chess openings is to memorize piles and piles of endless variations, and hope to outbook your opponent. But we all realize how futile and unsatifsying that really is. Finally we have a book here that truly explains the ideas behind the moves. It also explains why certain moves are not played. It connects different openings to each other, so that you know what to do when your opponent inevitably veers away from theory. And furthermore, it helps you to handle tricky move-orders, which were always confusing to me before. With this book and his Strategy books, I think I'm starting to understand chess.



2. Well, I followed my own advice and got this book, even though I haven't
   played 1.d4 in about 20 years. I wasn't disappointed. Just as in
   Volume 1, this book is full of good practical knowledge and deep
   insights, tying the 1.d4 openings to fundamental principles, and to
   important concrete ideas. Through the theme of "cross-pollination,"
   we can see the give and take between different opening systems. As
   always with Watson, it is also beautifully written and a pleasure to
   read. This book helps me to prepare lessons for my students, and who
   knows, maybe I'll dust off that Queen's Gambit sometime.



3. First, I must confess that I have only read the chapters on the Queen's Gambit Declined and the King's Indian Defense.
   
   Queen's Gambit Declined chapter
   He gives detailed descriptions of the major themes of both the classical and exchange variations. I especially liked his discussion of the Tartakower Defense. I found his discussion of move orders to be quite interesting, subtle and useful.
   
   I should mention that the section, "Declining the Gambit; Other Second Moves", provides important information about the Marshall Defense, Baltic Defense, Albin Counter Gambit and Tchigorin Defense. In my view, the entire Queen's Gambit chapter is a "must read" for anyone who plays this opening or for all players who really wants to deepen their chess knowledge.
   
   King's Indian Defense chapter
   
   I have played the Strongpoint Variation (page 208) for many years but was not aware of many of the themes in this line. Watson's clearly describes various strategies that Black has used against 8.Be3, 8.Re1, and 8.d5. Again, a "must read" in my opinion.
   
   To conclude, as always, Watson has a wonderful knack for describing specific strategies of openings and their variations while also providing interesting example games that illustrate these strategies.



4. Very thorough book. I have yet to finish it, but studying the techiniques takes time. If your a chess enthusiast and want to expand your knowledge of chess openings then I would recommend this book.



5. This volume covers the QP openings.
   
   Like Volume 1 it explains the concepts concerning pawn structure and piece placement, rather than give variations to memorize.
   
   If you want to understand WHAT to do in an opening, rather than HOW to do it, these are the books for you.

5 comments about Chess Tactics for Champions: A step-by-step guide to using tactics and combinations the Polgar way (Chess).

1. This book is perfect, with lots of excercises and lots of important tactics discussed and overviewed. An exceptional piece of work!!!



2. Susan Polgar's book intrigued me from the start as it focused rather like her father's book on prolems and working to figure out what your first move. The only drawback is that it is heavily influenced towards the White pieces. Overall, though, Polgar's book really helps you develop an idea of playing 'for the future and not just for the now' (i.e. you need to play smarter and not just better).
   
   The idea is also to develop the ideas about looking 2-3-4 moves ahead and that will benefit all players enormously!



3. This book has a perfect combination of variety and quantity. Problems are broken down by type. Each type is introduced and explained step by step, then 50 or 100 practice problems of that type are provided for drill. The solutions are at the back of each section. There are separate sections for Mates in 1, 2, 3, and even 4 moves, as well as pins, discoveries, double attacks, etc... I have her father's massive collection of mate problems. This book is less overwhelming and will be approachable to a wider audience.



4. This is another excellent book by Susan Polgar. Her first book is similar to this one, but with the major difference being the difficulty of the chess puzzles. The first book was elementary compared to this one. This book really tested my skills and eyes for the correct move. It basically deals with developing the art of seeing the tactic or creating the winning move with little instruction. The chess puzzles help the speed player. This book is great practice in using the art of tactics. It has helped my play by supporting wins over a high 1400, 1500, 1600 this week. An excellent book for the intermediate player.



5. This is an incredible chess book!!! You want to improve your chess?? Read this book and solve the puzzles, but solve them seriously! Dont look for the answer at the end of the chapter, some of them are not easy, but keep practicing, every day solve some puzzles, you will not notice your improvement while you are reading but after some chapters if you play against your friends again, you will see it and they too!! In less than two months practicing you will see results!!
   
   This book start from easy problems, you will solve them easily, next chapter you will think "Oh c'mon give something better than this!!", but after a few chapters you will be playing much better and solving puzzles that never before you could solve... in just seconds!!.
   
   I play against my computer and also online in yahoo chess, my rating usually is around 1400 to 1500, and never more than that. This night I just beat a 1600 guy!. He couldnt see what I could!! Even I offer him a queen sacrifice!! (unfortunally he didnt take it because it was mate, but he lost a knight instead!:)
   
   Amazing book!! Thanks Susan!! I will buy all the Polgar family books!!!
   Here are some of them:
   A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way (Chess) and
   Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games
   
   Some Advices from just a (still) regular player:
   1. When you find a puzzle that you cant solve after 15/20 minutes thinking, just leave it and go to the next one, dont look for the answer!. Later, next day or next week try again and you will find the right move for sure!
   2. May be I shouldnt say this, but just in case... dont be tricky with yourself! Make the moves in your mind, do NOT touch the pieces until you find the moves just thinking. If you dont do this, the excercise will be useless for you and a waste of time because you will not improve your game doing this.