Chess Books

This book, "Nimzo-Larsen Attack" by Byron Jacobs and Jonathan Tait, is, in a nutshell, one of the most beautiful chess books I have ever seen (I don't say this lightly, as I have 450+ books). There are a handful of books that sort of "stun" me with how brilliant they are. "Pawn Power in Chess" and "The Amateur's Mind" come to mind. Although this Nimzo-Larsen book is not an instructive manual like those classics, it is equally classic and equally stunning. If you see it on the shelf at a bookstore, it just looks like another Everyman opening book. But when you pull it off the shelf, the first thing you notice is its weight. It is 193 pages long, not 144 or 160 pages like nearly all other Eveyrman books. With its double-column format and dense print, it seems like about 500 pages worth of material. But of course length does not equal quality. What distinguishes this work is the incredible depth of its research and information, and its passion. These authors wrote as if they were being paid great sums of money for this work. In a note, they will compare a line to another game. But instead of just saying, "white/black was better," they say, "the remaining moves of the game were..." and give all the remaining moves, with important annotations. This is incredibly helpful, because in the Nimzo-Larsen you will frequently arrive at an equal middlegame with perhaps a slight plus for white, and your endgame skills will decide the day. So, it is essential that the authors did this. Consequently, you have hundreds and hundreds of complete games in the notes. You absorb and learn the opening. But do not get the impression that this is a data-dump. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a labor of love, that has to be seen to be believed. The annotations are insightful and meaningful, with constant note of transpositions (also huge in the N-L), and constant verbal evaluations of moves and positions and references to other sources (the bibliography is the largest I have ever seen). These games were put under a microscope, and we get to savor the results. I flipped forward to the end of the book, thinking, it can't be this good for 200 pages! Yet the quality and depth never lags, through all 69 main annotated games and all the others in the notes. I somehow feel that I cannot do justice to this book. It is so important to the aspiring chess player. It is so packed that I will never exhaust its tresures. The Nimzo-Larsen (1. b3 or 1. Nf3, 2. b3) is a great versatile opening to study. One reason for this is that it offers innumerable opportunities for transposition, such as to the English, the Reti, and the Queen's Gambit. It thus has flexibility, which is a key to success in modern chess. But, opening aside, this is a uniquely wonderful opening work. These authors treat every game like it is their one and only chance to teach, enlighten, and to bring out all they can about the game in question. The annotations are as good a blend of text and variations as I have ever seen. Spend some time with this book, and its qualities grow larger and larger, to the point that I am practically in disbelief to how amazing it is!

Why should you play 1.b3 on your first move? Here's why.
1) It avoids theory and you will not have to keep up with the latest developments... unlike most people who have to constantly look up the new theory one the English or Reti or find out new ideas against the Sicilian.
2) You can use it positionally or with the most aggressive intention by opting for a quick f4 (positional players would play a quick c4)
3) There is absolutly no defense against this opening. Black has no opening moves to rely on. He is probably so used to playing is little "pet" defense against 1.e4 or 1.d4..that he will be bewildered when you play 1.b3 and will have know idea on earth what to play against it.
4) Since this opening is rare and odd there hasn't been any theory on it leaving you to find new and creative ideas.

"Nimzo-Larsen Attack" by Byron Jacobs and Jonathan Tait. In a clearly very thoroughly researched book the Nimzo-Larsen is explored in detail in almost 200 packed pages. There are a couple of nice features of this book which are rare in modern publications. Firstly at many points in each illustrative game, as well as sub-games and variations there are objective comments assessing the position or possible plans which definitely helps guide the student through the material. Although to be expected from CCIM Jonathan Tait, it is nevertheless pleasing to see so many correspondence games included. Often these are critical to the evaluation of particular variation featuring new ideas or more accurate assessments of known position but are often ignored by opening books which largely concentrate on over-the-board games. The authors are also objective in their statement that there is no theoretical advantage for white in this opening but clearly opening 1. b3, or 1.Nf3 followed by b3, is a sound and solid way to begin the game and one which is too easy to underestimate. I would expect to see many players attracted to playing this opening and this book should finally remove the taint associated with this opening that remained for years following Larsen's spectacular defeat by Spassky in the USSR-Rest of World 1970 Match.

This is a very complete book on the Nimzo-Larsen. The book consists of 69 games with a lot of different variations from beginning to end. Each game is very well explained in great details. When I began analysing this book I skipped the first 20 pages with the 5.f4 play. I went directly with the 5.c4. Why ? I just didn't like the position in which the 5.f4 gave me. Then I went on to learn all the other black openings against the ever strange 1.b3. The book also gives you games analysis with the 1.Nf3 ... 2.b3 ... This book is very well produced but it is not intented for beginners. PART one are games with the 1. b3, e5 openings. PART two is for games with 1. b3, d5 and 1. Nf3, d5 2. b3 openings. PART three convers all the other lines by black after White b3 or Nf3-b3. I also beleive that the Nimzo-Larsen opening should be used very carefully by White because there is a lot of traps. In quite a lot of games, White doesn't castle at all. So if you don't mind to protect your King, if you are a positional player and if you are good at improvisation in middle game this book is for you. If you absolutely want to protect your King at the most, if you are not a positional player and if you like to memorize hundreds of different openings this book is not for you. For myself I am not an attacking player, I am more of a positionnal player. So did I like this book ? Yes, an a lot, because I also like to play non-orthodox games. I recommend this book for lovers of Games analysis with a very different approch.

The book gives a very detailed description of the variations in the Nimzo-Larsen attack. This opening allows for a lot of improvitations, and therefore the variations are endless. I (as a beginner) was slightly disapointed in that the book is of an encyclopedic nature rather than a simple introduction to ...-book. This comes naturally from the nature of the opening, so simply consider this as a warning, if you are not looking for an opening encyclopedia on the Nimzo-Larsen attack.

Peter Clarke's book on Tigran Petrosian is the indispensable counterpart to his classic volume on Mikhail Tal. Tal and Petrosian could not have been more dissimilar, yet Clarke treats each subject with equal mastery. Tigran Petrosian was at first a modest amateur player who, nevertheless, believed that ultimately he had a field marshal's baton in his knapsack - and he set out to prove it. Not for him the sudden and dramatic storming of the highest chess bastions - Petrosian gradually moved up the ranks, perfecting his ultra strategic style and focussing on the elimination of loss, rather than victory at all costs. This softly-softly approach brought Petrosian the world crown and enabled him to retain it for six years, thus outperforming Smyslov, Tal, Spassky and Fischer. The games in this book, which bring us to Petrosian's successful match against Botvinnik, demonstrate an ethereal beauty of which few other champions were capable.
Peter Clarke won numerous silver medals in the British Championships, he represented England in the World Championship cycle and he played top board for England in the Chess Olympiad at Havana 1966. He is a fluent Russian reader and his notes access the very best of contemporary Soviet commentary.

I haven't been able to find any other books on Petrosian's chess, and in any case 'Petrosian's Best Games' does justice to the master player. Clarke handled his work on Mikhail Tal quite well, and despite the fact that Tal and Petrosian had vastly different styles, he manages to write on both with the same quite high quality.
The book progresses through his career in just the right, methodical way for a subject who was known for his dedicated climb to the top, and resolute retention of the world title. The anotation is excellent, and although I can see how the notation may be slightly dense for those a little unfamiliar with works on chess, I think this book easily merits 4 stars. I would have preferred a little less focus on the very early years, but otherwise the high quality publishing would have earned it a fifth star as well.

Clarke's analysis is a bit superficial, and the games are all in descriptive notation (when will they stop publishing chess books with that clunky method?) The games are exceptional; it's hard to find books on Petrosian's games, but it could be better.

If you haven't read Peter Clarke's works on Petrosian and Tal, you are missing a chess treat of the very highest order. Clarke is a phenomenally talented chess writer, whose annotations are an instructive as anything out there in the whole of chess literature. If you are into chess books, you need his major works. His Dover book, 100 Soviet miniatures, is great too.
The reason that Clarke's writing is so important is that Petrosian himself never annotated a collection of his own games. This is a great loss to the world of chess players, because to many players, Petrosian is the modern incarnation of Nimzowitsch. Petrosian worshipped Nimzowitsch, and prophylaxis was the bas is of his play. More than any other champion, Petrosian constantly sought to limit the options of his opponent. Importantly for the fan of Nimzowitsch, Petrosian played in a more modern era than Nimzo, and so he faced all the openings that Nimzo never faced (Benonis, Benkos, modern Sicilians, etc.). Nimzo lived long enough ago that we see many somewhat bizarre openings played in his games. If you wonder what Nimzo might have played like in the second half of the 20th century, the games of Petrosian are as good a place to look as any. His games need a great annotator to flesh them out. Clarke is up to the task: he is a truly great writer and annotator. Colin Crouch also is a great chess writer, and his study of Petrosian and Lasker, "How to Defend in Chess," is a masterpiece. This book by Clarke is, in my opinion, of monumental importance to chess literature.

I ordered this book shortly after deciding to begin a study of the great positional masters of chess. I decided to make Petrosian the first. In Petrosian's play one can find a wealth of positional understanding - dominating pawn structures, superior minor pieces, occupation and control of key squares, etc. Petrosian's games read like illustrative examples of how to successfully employ the elements of positional play from Aron Nimzowitsch's "My System".

Additionally, I was looking for a repertoire change. I had been a 1. e4 player for quite some time but in the open games that would often result I was ignoring the strategic demands of the position, instead focusing too much on attack to retain the initiative. I decided to switch to 1. d4 as white in order to study the closed and strategic positions which often result. Since the majority of Petrosian's games as white begin with 1. d4, his games seemed a good way to become grounded in this opening. In fact, of the sixty games, more than half have Petrosian as white opening (or transposing) with 1. d4. Outside of the 1. d4 forest one will find, among others, a handful of King's Indian Attacks, French Defenses, Caro-Kanns, and, of course, Sicilians in this collection.

Clarke's annotations are well matched to Petrosian's style of play. They are heavy on the verbal explanation of ideas as opposed to analysis of concrete variations - the ideas being more important in the closed games which often resulted from Petrosian's play. His comments are accessible, but never condescending, and on some occasions even humorous. Additionally, each chapter of five or six games is preceded by some information about Petrosian's career progression.

Some of my favorite games from this collection follow:

Game 7
Petrosian vs. I. Bondarevsky
Petrosian's superior pawn structure and piece placement force a near-zugzwang position in the middlegame.

Game 13
O. Troianescu vs. Petrosian
A double exchange sacrifice by Petrosian leads to a position of domination by Petrosian's two bishops. This is skillfully converted to an endgame advantage of a bishop and three pawns against a rook.

Game 16
Petrosian vs. A. Sokolsky
A great game showcasing Petrosian's ability to accumulate small positional advantages, eventually leading to a superior position.

Game 38
R. Fischer vs. Petrosian
This game is interesting if for nothing else than the fact that Petrosian, as black, manages to get his king all the way to b2 in order to escort his queens-side pawns up the board - all the while with white still having a queen, rook, and bishop on the board.

Game 42
Petrosian vs. W. Unzicker
Petrosian's middlegame strategy includes a king march to the queen side before the decisive breakthrough on the kingside. Interestingly enough, Petrosian had so limited his opponent's counterplay that he could only sit back and watch the realization of this plan.

Game 50
F. Olafsson vs. Petrosian
Petrosian maximizes the value of each of his pieces by a series of subtle moves before capitalizing on his positional advantages. This game is a great example of his legendary patience at the board.

One note which I think has been mentioned in other reviews: the book is written using descriptive notation. Don't let this be a deterrent though - I found that after a few hours I was almost as comfortable with descriptive as algebraic. Besides, descriptive notation somehow seems fitting for this game collection from 1946 to 1963 - before algebraic notation became popular.

I had really looked forward to working through this book and was a little disappointed when I finally finished with the last of the sixty well annotated games. So, instead of moving on to another game collection I just turned back to game one to review each again.

This is not a book that promise You the quickest way to master the Endgame, but with hard work and good discipline You will get Your REWARD ! It would be an insult for this extraordinary
Master of playing chess to sell cheap ideas. Paul Keres did understand this very well ! His book is very efficient and it's up to You to make it amusing by getting the Best out of it. Step by step You will notice Your progress.
A good result after hard work is always amuzing !

arielmar2001 - Ingemar Ariel LINDGREN

I can't understand how a 2089 player can say this book is no good. Keres was one of the strongest players in the world and as a teacher, chess annotator and author was unsurpassed. His games are among the most impressive and technically accurate. All his books are of very high quality, and this one is NO exception. This book is complete, methodical, clear and the section on rook endings in outstanding. Anyone who reads this book conscientiously will reap handsome dividends. Keres's book is NOT for the TOTAL beginner, but for someone who has a rudimentary notion of endings, i.e., a beginner who has read books like Learn Chess, Vols., I and II by Alexander, for example, which introduces the notions of the endgame. After that, this book is ideal.
Keres was a master of the endgame, and this book shows it through and through. I highly recommend it. Once mastered it will raise your rating by at least 100 points.

Even now, as a 2089 rated player, I still do not care for this encyclopedia of endgames. It definitely makes endgames seem dry, dull and incredibly difficult. Not for novices. If you can find Silman's interesting and educating "Essential Chess Endgames," try that instead. I had the misfortune, ten years ago when I learned the game, of having only this to study endgames. I've only recently gotten over my dislike of endgames. Good luck getting much practical use out of this textbook.

This book has improved my endgame knowledge and understanding. Long before there was Jeremy Silman's book (Essential Chess Endings)which is a great book in t's own right there was this great book by Keres. This book provides basic endgame positions and plenty of positions that occurred over the board as well as a few studies. Make no bones about it this book is very thorough in it's teaching of the endings and the basic ideas needed to understand and play these endings well. Don't be lazy READ IT!!! Take your time and slowly digest what Grandmaster Keres has to teach and you will be rewarded. Although I am not even of master level this was one of the first books I read on the endgame. I have a friend who I've been playing for years and I've consistently beaten him in endgames that should have been drawn and drawn plenty of games that should have been won by him. Also he hasn't been my only victim. I have drawn and won many games with players of class B to expert strength because they did not understand how to win certain types of endings. I think anyone who reads this book can only improve in this phase of the game.

As a FM who first read this book when I was pre or early teens, I couldn't disagree more with the reviewer who found this dull. Rather, this great master of attack goes through a number of pawnless endgames, pawn endgames, and those where each side has no more than one piece. There are many basic positions as well as examples from practical play. For endgames with more pieces, go to Fine's "Basic Chess Endgames" or for more advanced material try Shereshevsky's "Endgame Strategy". But for an introductory endgame book, this is pretty good.

The book by the same name by Chernev is not so practical, comprising endgame studies, which doesn't mean it's not pretty good anyway.

I read realitycheckmate's review and have to say that I completely disagree, after all, look at how many people who gave the book 5 stars? Burgess demonstrates easily that a player does not need to be a GM to write an informative, easy-to-read book that's bursting with new variations.

I've been playing the Slav when I was 1400 and now I'm 2100 and this book has been my best friend in those years (it's only been 4!).

This book provides detailed and easily-sufficient coverage (there are tonnes of alternatives to choose from) to help players as both White and Black (although I would recommend it more for the Black side) face the challenges of this tough yet rewarding opening. All lines after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 are discussed (except the Semi-Slav), which is excellent work considering how much analysis the author had to sift through (this book is definitely not a database dump). The sharpest tactical lines of the Slav like the piece sacrifice in 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6 Ne5 e6 7 f3 Bb4 8 e4 Bxe4.

Burgess is a highly versatile chess writer. I have NCO and The World's Greatest Chess Games and I have to admit that Burgess (though only a co-author) has done a great job on them as well.

I've noticed that the Slav defense is popular amongst many of the top young Russian players, which says a lot about the fighting qualities of this opening. I've been playing it for years.
As a sound, solid defense which you can still use to play for win with, you can't fault it really.
Burgess does a good job of presenting the material; useful variations and sensible commentary, with reliable and checked assessments, standard Gambit fare really.
I guess my main problem with the Slav is that it is no longer such a surprise weapon. I saw a review somewhere (Donaldson perhaps? His reviews are usully good value) that praised the new QGA repertoire book by Rizzitano. So I might test out that one just to keep opponents guessing.

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There is too much grade inflation in these Amazon review ratings of chess books, with most getting the maximum 5 stars. 3 stars means average. What does this book have to earn being rated better than other opening books?: nothing.

The moves recommended in this book are fine. But any opening book would achieve that. To be above average, an opening book must explain the ideas and effects of every pre-middlegame move. Burgess' explanations are thin and minimal. Most other opening books have at least this much explanation, though frustratingly few make the effort to give more. Only a textless Informant would have sparser explanations.

Example 1: "5...Bf5!? 6 Qb3 Nxd5 may well be an interesting alternative, but there's no need for this"

Other examples include lines being assessed a simply "pleasant" or "unpleasant" for Black: gotta love that deep middlegame forethought.

Example 2: "b23) 8...e6 9 g4 (9 Qb3 should probably be preferred, even though 9... Nxe5 10 dxe5 Nd7 11 Qxb7 Rb8 12 Qxa6 Rxb2 looks satisfactory for Black)"

Example 3 (showing this book at its rare best, explanatory text writing about 4...a6 at the beginning of a chapter, -- means text bypassed): "This little move has several ideas. Most obviously, Black prepares ...b5, which grabs some space and also forces White to act on the queenside, which often stabilizes that part of the board, or else give Black counterplay. Black also prepares to develop his queen's bishop, since after ...a6 (and possibly ...b5), White's attack on b7 (by Qb3) has less sting. -- Also, by waiting for a move, Black makes it easier for him to determine where to put his queen's bishop: if White plays e3, then ...Bg4 -- One further point is that Black's idea of ...dxc4 is now slightly more of a threat --".

Another reviewer wrote this book gave him a good post-opening position against a GM, but that he proceeded to lose due to flawed middlegame moves. A good opening book discusses the relationship between its particular opening and the middlegame themes likely to arise. This book lacks such depth of discussion, and thus seems terribly average to me.

This book's layout makes it hard/time consuming to find a specific variation. Reading through long pages of text looking for section "f22)" or "b)223" is ridiculous. Scientists and accountants would do not present their data this way, for good reason. Tables of variations are the clearest way to index and organize variations. Plus there are numerous unnumbered variations in the textual analysis - good luck referencing those. Tables and text are not in conflict, they compliment each other.
There is a clunky Index of Variations in the back of the book. But it is incomplete at merely 1 sheet in size, and its layout is a tedious eyesore. It is a poor substitute for proper tables.

Opening books do best when they focus on playing just White or Black. When I am playing as Black in a given position, I do not need 6 moves to choose from, when 2-3 are clearly better than the other 3-4 alternatives. Covering 6 just adds noise when studying to play as Black, and takes space and depth from other discussions.

This book says nothing about the endgames likely to arise from the Slav. No full games are given, so no relationships between the opening and ending are traced or discussed. Nor does this book have any organization around the stable pawn structures likely to arise in the Slav.

I been playing the Slav for a couple of years and have worked through Matthew Sadler's excellent book. I purchased this book to continue my studies. I find that it is not well laid out. Actually, if you are trying to learn to play the Slav, the introduction is the best part of the book. I have been able to pick through and study-up on the lines I try to play, but this is more of a reference book, not a text book on the Slav. If you are trying to learn the opening, buy Sadler's book. If you already know what you are doing and just want to go deeper into some variations, (notably the exchange variation and the ...a6 Slav) then you might get some use out of the book. Otherwise, your money is better spent elsewhere.

I like this book. The material is pretty up-to-date. Of course, the Slav can get kind of boring if White is unambitious; therefore, some people avoid it as Black. Nevertheless, it is as solid a defense to 1.d4 as one can imagine. It's great to play against stronger opponents, or if you don't mind the drawishness of the Exchange variation.

The author is reliable and a credit to the good name of Gambit Books.

This book is a series of positional chess exercises. I find that puzzle books are the most effective, practical way to improve playing strength.

The author has picked good problems, that will help you to improve your over the board play.

In my humble experience as a chess hobbyist I have found that three things have been the most effective for improvement. (1) Playing serious competitive games and analyzing them thoroughly with a strong player. (2) Studying master game collections using the guess-the-next-move approach. Some game collections are even designed to be used this way, e.g., those by Bosch, King, Pandolfini and Buckley. (3) Studying rich middlegame positions in depth and writing out the associated analysis without moving the pieces (NM Heisman calls this a "Stoyko" exercise), then comparing one's results with published annotations.

I sought out the present book in the hope of finding suitable chess positions for activity (3), and my expectations were more than adequately met. The book comes in two parts. The first part consists of brief chapters, formalizing the process of choosing a plan in a chess game. It does not constitute a comprehensive treatise on chess strategy, however, but rather illustrates the planning process via several of the authors' games. I didn't derive much value from this portion of the book, having had a grounding in similar ideas from other sources.

The remainder of the book presents 30 "tests" and their solutions. Each test is a critical position (usually early middlegame) from an actual master game, for which the reader must select the appropriate plan. Three plausible plans, including descriptive words and detailed variations, are supplied for the reader's consideration. Each test takes up about two pages. After the selection is made, the reader turns to the solution, which also takes up about two pages (to give you an idea of their depth). The solution will explain the correct plan, and supply the remaining moves of the game. The incorrect plans are also deconstructed, with possible bonus points awarded if the reader spotted any tactical refutation. There is generally partial credit for these suboptimal plans. At the conclusion of the book there is a conversion table from raw scores to Elo ratings (and BCF grades). The tests gradually get harder as you go along.

I found this to be a wonderful program to work through. I took the approach (recommended by the authors, actually) of trying to determine the solution first without looking at the three plans supplied by the book. Then after exhausting my capabilities I looked at the three suggested plans and tried again. I wrote out all my thoughts, and sometimes spent 2 or 3 hours on one position. The tests, taken together, span a wide range of important and typical structures, with most of the popular openings touched on (though only two tests on the Sicilian). The tests range from moderately challenging to impossible. The solutions contain just the right amount of detail, again mixing instructive prose with hard analysis. I learned a great deal from this experience, and strengthened my ability to analyze a position deeply.

It must be said that there a few analytical errors: this book was written long before computer chess engines were available to check for blunders. In the solution for Test 13, for instance, the sub-sub-variation that calls for the "Greek Gift" sacrifice is actually unsound - Black can hold on to the extra piece after a tricky queen move. But that does not invalidate the solution as a whole.

I write this review -- even though the book has been out of print for decades! -- in the hope that the authors might write a sequel, or that other chess writers might come out with something similar. I would buy such books in a snap. In the mean time, the only other books that come close to this type of thing are Chris Ward's lovely trilogy titled "It's Your Move" and Jacob Aagaard's "Excelling at Positional Chess."

This book is quite exceptional. It is not soporific like many other chess books and will have you not wanting to put it down. Will surely help your positional play and method of thinking. I had to copy the book though. Hard to find.

This is a very good book. It is an alternative to Silman's Reassess Your Chess Workbook. Many people love the Silman books. Personally, I think they make you feel as if you can play much better than you really can.

This book, through its ratings (and according to the authors you must complete all exercises before you get an accurate rating) can give you a realistic idea of your strategic skills. But the authors note that a good plan may be subverted by tactics.

In the preface the authors reveal their aim of writing a book which is both enjoyable AND instructive. They do this by keeping the reader involved, as if interacting with a chess coach. I think they do a fair job at both tasks, and that is high praise for a chess book.

I think that in the first few chapters they do a better job than Silman -- or nearly anyone else -- of explaining the elements of strategy. The main problem is that they bounce around amongst seven different games to show their points. You need a computer (or 7 chess boards) to follow along closely.

Anyway, the tests are the meat of the book. As I have not gotten far, I'll withhold my opinion and promise to finish this review later. For now, I suggest reading Silman's other book, The Amateur's Mind, then turning to this book to see what you've learned. Then I would skip How To Reassess Your Chess Workbook, though the HTRYC textbook might still be interesting eventually.

Don't leave home (for the tournament) without this book! I am a sub 1200 player and this book is the first (for me personally) to describe the "mechanics" of positional play and game strategy. By working through the exercises one gains a true appreciation of how to analyze a position from a strategic/positional perspective. The thinking process that one learns using this book carries over into actual play--where it counts the most obviously!

This book is full of common sense and down to earth explanations of the basic principles of Chess. Within the first few pages the author starts to demystify areas of the game that have always seemed complicated to me. Written in a fun and informal style with lots of examples I was amazed to find myself enjoying and reading it so quickly. I always knew what each piece on the board did but not what I should be aiming for to win, and thought that reading a chess book would be very hard going. Well this book is fun! The author has said that he wanted to write the kind of book that every good Chess player wished they could have read when they began. It covers everything from the general principles of the opening, middlegame and endgame, to discussing attacking, positional and endgame plays. There are also exercises to do which kept me challenged when I was unable to find anyone of my basic level to play with. Having tried Chess when young and then left it for twenty years - now having read this book, I am intrigued by the game and want to learn more! When I watch other people play I can see the principles in action and share the excitement and tension of the game. Anyway I have raved enough! If you have ever thought about learning Chess then buy this book and you will never look back.

A word or two of explanation before I launch into my review. I'm an 1800 player, i.e. average to strong club strength. This review is directed at other club players.

The title of this book is a misnomer. There is a great deal of wisdom in the 160 pages of this book. Though most club players will know the tenets given here in one form or another, it is still helpful to see them in one place, given clearly and illustrated with appropriate examples. I remember that Tal used to watch chess instruction programs on television designed for beginners. His argument was that one can't sufficiently overlearn the basics. This is the way I feel about this book. It is a manual of chess wisdom, as easy to read as a book of zen aphorisms and with as much depth.

Sadler improves with age. I have his earlier books on the Slav and the Semi-Slav. I recently bought his book on the Queen's Gambit and this book of Tips. These last two are filled with insights useful to a club player such as myself.

This book (Tips) has material covering building an opening repertoire, principles of endgame play, the definition and role of the initiative, dynamic versus static advantages, weak squares,building up the strength of a position, simplifying positions to capitalise on advantages and so on. The cognoscenti will immediately recognise these topics as non-trivial and not elementary at all.

You can't go far wrong with that.

Practically demonstrates basic opening, middle, and end-game strategies. I like the presentation of this book better than the older classics. A bit simpler, and broader in scope, than Seirawan's "Winning Chess Strategies".

I don't know if this is really the best book for "young players". Not bad, especially for high school age, but the lay-out and language are not suited to young beginners.

This book is ideal for improving players who have played a few dozen games and want to know a bit of strategy. Use this along with a book of fairly simple tactical puzzles, like "Simple Checkmates" and "Chess Tactics for Juniors". (Drilling tactics is more important than studying strategy or memorizing openings.)

For USCF 1200-1400 rating range, I think.

If you're at the high end of that range, the early part of the book will be a useful summary of what you already know.

The meat of the book is the incredibly lengthy annotation of (mostly) just a single game played by the author.

In one chapter he uses the game to show opening principles and goals, particularly in the author's chosen opening scheme, the "London System". This is more useful than the "opening ideas" books, which just tell a sentence or two about each opening, and much more useful than the repertoire books, which go far too deep into variations.

Later, he walks into the middle-game, showing the sort of attack on the castled king that he looks for in this system, some sound positional strategies in reasonable depth, and a particular position that harbors a clever tactic which would ordinarily be much too deep for a beginner, but which (on page 116) he breaks into digestible pieces so that by the end of the page you feel as if you understand something brilliant.

Then, he demonstrates important rook-and-pawn end-game themes by following this very game to its conclusion.

This single game justifies the price of the book. I have no idea where else you might look to find so much beginner-level exposition concentrated on just one game. An excellent precursor to Silman!

Combined with all the tips throughout, it's a very nice package.

An 'Everyman Chess' guide to chess provide tips for beginners, Matthew Sadler's Tips For Young Players tells how to spot tactics and develop chess strategies and introduces the second level in chess playing. This is a highly recommended, first rate "how to" book that chess beginners will appreciate.

I am rated 1801 USCF and I still found the book both interesting and useful. Sadler surveys many chess themes in a style that will neither bore nor frighten "younger" (and/or newcomer) players. For instance, in the middlegame chapter, he clearly explains the dynamics of developing a plan, implementing it, changing course when necessary, and so on. I think that this slender volume will be one that you can finish without dreading it as "study." Then you'll be ready for the really hard stuff. Or not, since you'll already have enough info to crush casual players - if you're into that.

I'm teaching an after-school chess class at my kid's elementary school. There are a dozen students, mostly First through Third grades, with little or no experience playing chess.

Based on reviews here and elsewhere, I was going to purchase one copy of this book for each student. But I decided to get one copy first to check it out. I'm glad I got one copy first, because this book is WAY too advanced for the children I'm teaching. They're just learning basic moves, very basic strategies, and easy checkmates.

Even the first exercises in the book show boards with many pieces, and many possible moves. The students I'm teaching need something much less complex as a starting point. One book that does that well is "One Move Checkmates" by Eric Schiller... but it obviously only deals with the end of the game.

For children who already have a strong working knowledge of chess strategies, tactics, and moves, "Winning Chess Exercises" may be appropriate. It wouldn't hurt to have this book on hand to use along with other, easier books for a new player. "Winning Chess Exercises" does have a lot of challenging, brain-building exercises. But, it's not a one-stop book of exercises for brand new players. Perhaps, I'll be able to share this book with the quick-learners in our group before as the year progresses.

I came to know about this book by reading an article by Ms Elizabeth Zoe Vicary of new york city.She teaches chess in a school with english.Elizabeth strongly recommends three books by canadian chess teacher Jeff Coakley.I have one of them purchased from USCF.The winning chess strategy for kids.I read these two books.The exercise book contans 9 exercises in each page for kids or elders to solve.For details please consult Ms Vicary's article in USCF website.I recoommend this book along with the strategy book as elementary chess course for kids.

I am always on the lookout for instructional material to use in my chess classes. This workbook fits the bill, but not for beginners. The bulk of the book is comprised of 100 "Best Move Contests", with 9 puzzles per page.The first trio of puzzles are forced mates by White, arranged according to common theme (e.g. 'back rank mate'), with the last of the 3 being the most difficult.Puzzles 4,5,and 6 are also arranged according to a common motiff,such as the "Pin",where White has a combination that wins material.The last 3 illustrate a variety of ideas, with one BEST MOVE for White.Puzzle 7 is a defensive problem where White must guard against a threat or lose the game. Puzzle 8 are general problems with miscellaneous themes: tactics, strategy, development, forcing favorable exchanges,etc. The last puzzle is an endgame.Each contest also contains a bonus question which can be challenging, informative, or just plain fun ! The excellent solutions to each contest, found in the back , are very detailed, accurate, and insightful. Cartoon characters throughout the book are humorous and appealling to youngsters. I highly recommend this workbook for aspiring chessplayers, rated USCF 1000 or higher, who are willing to work individually to improve their understanding of the Royal Game !

This chess puzzle book contains 100 pages with 9 chess puzzle each page. Each page contains 3 checkmates, 3 material win, 1 defence, 1 planning and 1 endgame problem. The solution part is very instructive. So this is high class chess puzzle book. Together with a puzzle book like "Chess Exam and training guide" (which is even more instructive) this is the best puzzle book for people rated in the middle of 1000. Thanks to Dan Heisman and his Internet site for recommending this book. My advice about books on tactical improvement depending on the rating:

900-1100 : Chess Tactics for Student
1300-1600: Winning Chess Exercises for Kids
1700-2000: The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book
2000-> : John Nunn's Chess Puzzle Book.

You will not find this book up at your local B&N bookstore.
Rather than be disappointed, I am actually glad. I feel that anyone who gets rewarded with a treasure like this ought to have looked around or taken a little effort to know of its existence before they laid their hands on it!!!


I can't stop gushing about how good Coakley's books are for players ramping up to an intermediate level and want to be absolutely sure they have no holes in their chess knowledge. (I'm about USCF 1579 at the time of writing this and I feel that the exercise positions in this book have so much to offer me.)

The delivery of exercises ( 9 per page ) and the quality of the answers at the back are very impressive. A tactics book that has non "find the mate or find the best move to win" positions is a rarity these days.

His Number 9 position on each page offers a wealth of instruction if you haven't seen those positions before. I've even started to document those in my own training notes, as positions that I should know COLD in order to be competitive at my level.

Overall, one of the finest tactics+non-tactics exercise books I've seen.

This book is intended for light entertainment, not for instruction. I cannot see how anyone could benefit from more than 20% of the lines in here, because they are from various openings and sometimes require very cooperative play from the opponent.

Basically I saw this book as a collection of more or less amusing opening traps. If I play an opening, I usually buy a specialized book on it, and those books usually include all the lines that you find in this book, and tons more.

I read this book through in half an hour, and found little reason to return to it later. But it is not badly written. If your local library has it, why not borrow it for a train trip.

He's (or she's) playing chess by the book'is very often a disdainful remark. But every chessplayer, sooner or later, wants to increase his knowledge of chess. He won't be able to do it on his own. He will need help, help from '101 Chess Opening Surprises', say. This book is very userfriendly. It has only 128 pages but the most important openings are discussed. The notation uses co-ordinates (the easiest way it seems to me) Moreover, on every page are three diagrams to illustrate the moves that are discussed. A must!

I remember back to when I first began playing chess, and the excitment that came from springing a big opening surprise on an (equally) inexperienced opponent. To me this book recaptures the experience, and boy does it deliver the promised bombshells!
Each surprise is graded for soundness and surprise value. An example at the extreme end of the Soundness scale would be surprise 16, the Spanish Bulgarian Defense. The shock move 3...a5 is assigned a Soundness ranking of 1, but can you imagine the effect on your opponent? As Burgess says, the move has never been clearly refuted.
An example of a more main-stream idea is Surprise 71 in the Queen's Gambit, 7 e4. Burgess reminds us that this old pawn sacrifice has been resurrected with some dangerous new ideas. The Soundness ranking is 4, a tribute to the quality of players adopting it with white, including Sokolov and Gelfand.
As with the other 101 titles, it is pleasant to be able to browse at random. Great book.

I really found this to be a FUN book to read. Like after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a5! OPPS! I meant to move the Pawn to "a6". Your opponent will look at you and say, ah "touch move!". Then he thinks your are a real FISH and will relax thinking he has "gotcha!". Then you play your best and play well. This isn't really sound chess, but it is fun chess, and I wouldn't really do that. But what about 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3 h5! - OPPS! I meant to put my Bishop on "h5" not the "Pawn", can I take it back? Your opponent will say "touch move!" and then falls for the trap by greed, 6 hxg4? hxg4 7 Nxe5? (he just cannot stop feeding his army!) Qh4 8 g3 and checkmate cannot be stopped. I like this book, but give it four stars intead of 5 because it might give a beginner some bad ideas to play weak moves to try to trick your opponent instead of playing sound moves. I would also therefore suggest getting a book on "sound" opening traps like "Winning Chess Traps, Tactics in the Opening". Also, "Winning Chess Traps" is old but still good. Do I recommend "101 Chess Opening Surprises" - I do if you are getting it for fun first and understand that you shouldn't really use some of the ideas in it, but get some fun reading them.

Not enough variety to make it a general opening book (Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan), nor a book specifically focused on one repertoire (The King's Indian Attack by Eric Schilling). The Openings discussed are somewhat in random order and therefore there is no real focus. Though a good book, very instructive and well written, I would not consider it a necessity for players. If you want to cram on a few popular themes then this book will fit your needs. All levels can read this book, but intermediate players (1200-1600) may utilize this book best.

This is a good book because it specializes, it's not stuffed with useless traps.

What a great idea to get beginners thinking about transposing.These traps really are the best

Finally, a book of chess traps that I find useful. I now find myself thinking about transposing, something that I have never considered before. Being able to conceal my intentions through the first few moves is such a powerful tool. Purchasing this book has definitely improved my game to where I am excited about playing my openings.

:You will see how pawn grabbing leads to a trap.
:You will see how to plan, set, and spring a trap.
:You will see how to use piecies in combination.
:You will see how to sacrifice successfully.
Plus these 33 traps have been specially selected for the usefulness of their movements. What a book.

Just the best chess traps, no question about it. Uncomplicated, simple to understand, these 33 chess traps are all old classics. You can't get any better then that.

Timman analyzes the greatest games of the late 70's and early 80's with a depth and breadth rarely seen in any chess book. These are titanic struggles -- famous games like Bronstein - Ljubojevic, Petropolis 1973; Fischer - Petrosian, 1st match game 1971; and Korchnoi - Karpov, 21st match game 1978. The latter game runs no less than thirteen pages with numerous lengthy analyses of positions that "might have been" had one or another crucial continuation been chosen. Timman has attempted to find the absolute truth of each of these games and one suspects that he has come mighty close. I think that how much one gets out of this book will be directly in proportion to one's playing strength. Definitely recommended for players of class "A" strength and above. A classic.

Definitely a book of analysis, but do not look for any "Art". If you are thinking this book will teach you "how" to analyze chess positions, think again. This is a book for strong players.

The analysis of the games selected is very deep, and some valuable observations are shared with the reader. If you study the selected games and commentary, you will undoubtedly gain some valuable information, perhaps even some insight, but you are unlikely to learn anything new about "how" analysis should be performed.

If you are a mid-range player looking for some "how to" suggestions on evaluating positions, consider instead "Better Chess for Average Players" by Tim Harding, especially the chapter on "choosing a move", or even "Secrets of Practical Chess" by John Nunn, although the latter approaches the subject more broadly and a little less concretely.

Not many words. With this book, they are unneccessary.

Maybe, "The Greatest Chess Book Ever Written?"

No, I am NOT kidding.

My first copy of this book came out probably 20 years ago. Its just as good (better) today as it was then. I think even Garry Kasparov (and any other player in the World's Top Ten); would learn something from this book if they cared to apply themselves. Its like a diamond, every time you look at it you see a new and beautiful facet to enjoy with awe and wonder. Only a handful of books will ever come close to what this book achieved.

Note of Warning: The very beginner/lower-rated player will find this book much too tough a read.

Don't agree with the other reviewers. The analysis is certainly not 'passionate'; a more apposite description would be 'dispassionate'. Nor is it long on variations and short on explanations. Rather, the other way around. For 'long on variations' see the books by Speelman or Hubner. Timman seeks to get to the heart of the position. Enough analysis is given to explain the position. The analysis of variations is judiciously mixed with verbal assessments and explanations. The people who would profit most from the book would probably be of at least expert strength. Timman doesn't belabor the obvious or give unnecessary or irrelevant lines.

The second edition is a significant improvement. Criticisms given by Nunn and Dvoretsky have been taken into account,and some of their analysis has been incorporated, with due acknowledgement.

For players not quite able to cope with Timman, another good book is Nunn and Griffiths' 'Secrets of Grandmaster Play', which is more detailed, less terse, and written in a more pedagogic spirit.

This is Jan Timman's greatest work. It contains the most thorough and passionate analysis of games not played by the author that I have ever seen. This book is due to become an all time great on the level with My Best Games of Chess by Alekhine and The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal.