Board Games Books

For beginning Go players there is a dearth of material on what exactly it takes to increase one's skill. It is all very well to talk about 'whole board' play, but it takes considerable experience to lift one's eyes above the dust of battle long enough to see that there is action all over the board and that everything is related. It only slowly dawns on the player that more points may be made by playing elsewhere than can be gained by flogging a local group to death.

Even after one knows that this is true, even after one has studied some basic opening strategies, it is often difficult to for a player to understand how he or she can arrive at the middle game already badly behind. The 'Power Builder' series is intended to remedy this situation by studying overall opening strategy and then following through to other aspects of the complex game of Go. In each case, Wang Runan goes that little bit deeper that is intended to drive a player past the intermediate skill level.

This is the first volume released of three volumes, a translation of the first 13 lessons of a set of 34. I find it remarkable that they were originally based on a Chinese television program presented by Wang RuNan. It says something for the overall popularity of Go in the Orient that a course as advanced as this would appear as popular media. Here in the U.S. it would be hard to find a program on Chess, let alone a less popular game like Go.

James Dee has done an excellent job of translating the classroom style of the program into a text with a similar feel. I find the discussion exceptionally clear, even though the subject matter is not always straightforward. It is enjoyable, enlightening reading that, applied carefully, will work positive changes in your playing style. This is a book I expect to read many times, and I hope that the following volumes appear in short order.

Five years ago, this book taught me to play Go. I have read its 92 pages many times since. Is it a great Go book? For what it is, yes. Consider it the manual that should come with a Go board. It tells you how to play, and gives just enough insite to think, "hey, there's more to this whole Go thing than meets the eye.

I will cherish my copy always.

With parents reading aloud, kids can act out the story of Pete and Penny by placing Colorforms pieces on the book's colorful pages. Children get to play, express themselves creatively, and learn to enjoy reading.

This is one of the most educational and fun products I have ever purchased for my children. They are learning more Spanish than I ever thought possible and they are having a great time playing with their friends. We bought it as a family game to learn Spanish and we are delighted with the enthusiasm our children have shown in learning a new language

This was a really fun book/game. It consist of several games you can play by spinning the wheel on the book. The book reminded me of a "fortune telling" type game for kids. The answer possibilities were very funny! I played this with my daughter and we had a great time spending time together and laughing! One of the spins said my daughter was going to be the first woman president but her car was going to be a garbage truck! She loves to play with her friends and they always have a good laugh! Great book to get the girls reading and fun at the same time!

Patrick Wolff has provided a personal an comprehensive view of the World Championship match between Kasparov and Vishy Anand. His position as one of Vishy Anand's seconds allows him to provide inside information on the interesting event of a championship chess match.

Wolff provides a background of the match, including how it was planned, including political and financial issues which arose before the match. He gives a biography of each player including an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses (as many as a World Champion and challenger would have) as players, illustrating these with an annotated game by each.

One of the most interesting parts for me was his description of Anand's preparation for the match. From the selection of his team of master players to help him to the sessions of training, study, and analysis the team did, it was a very in depth look at how world-class players prepare for such an event. Wolff talked not only about the science of chess, but the psychology behind playing in a chess match against the champ and how this affected selection of openings and variations.

Then we move onto the match itself. After a brief but good introduction to the game--which included how Anand was feeling or what the general match strategy was, Wolff presents some of the most detailed analysis I have seen. Sometimes, the variations and analysis for a single move will cover a page or more. In a couple games, Wolff does not give much analysis, noting that some of the analysis is not "public domain" yet as they have not been played in a game and it was privileged information from Anand's preparation for the match. Nonetheless, the amount and depth of analysis is incredible. That being said, some of this is not for the beginning player. As an intermediate player, I still find much of it over my head. However, Wolff provides enough "text" (actually, he provides plenty) to keep me informed at the level I can understand until my own knowledge of the game increases and I can fully appreciate his detailed analysis.

Some people may be put off by this much analysis, but it helped me to appreciate the depth of understanding these two players possess. And for strong players (stronger than myself), I can imagine that this depth would be inspiring in their own efforts to understand chess.

For experienced and advanced players, enjoy and learn from the analysis! I would not recommend this as an instructional book for beginners, but it was not meant to be such. Instead, this is a very detailed and comprehensive look at this World Championship match.

This game is a wonderful! I have known the ten commandments all of my life and I love the way they are put in contemporary situations.

The second collection of board games you can play right in the book from the editors of Klutz has some re-runs (Roundabouts and Nine Men's Morris can be found in Klutz's "Book of Classic Board Games" and oh look, here's Checkers again, too, and Hoppers...) but all is forgiven now I've played Corsaro and Scatter. Why didn't anyone TELL me Corsaro was so much fun?!

The book includes whimsically illustrated boards, Klutz-clear playing instructions, and colorful pieces for:

Hoppers and *Mini Hoppers
Game of Y
*The Royal Game of Ur
*Surround (a sort of mini "Go")
*Corsaro
Solitaire
Pentominoes for one or two
Nine Men's Morris and Three Men's Morris
*Scatter
Tigers & Goats
Roundabouts
Fanorona
*China Moon
Checkers (with variations)
Push Penny Bounce

This is a nice selection of really fun games, good choices for kids to play with kids or with adults, simple to learn but with levels of mastery I expect will be entertaining for quite some time.

*Games marked with an asterisk are especially fun and/or squeal-worthy, at least at our house

Excellent!

I'm teaching my 6-year-old about the middle ages this year and I am so looking forward to using this kit. It is a great little kit. The book has lots of pictures and information about everything in the kit and how knights lived and became knights and everything. I am so impressed with it. It has a catapult for her to build, a signet ring with different letters to put on it and make a seal from some clay (included). There's a proclamation from her as a king making someone a knight that she has to colour and seal with her ring and clay. There are stickers to put on a diagram of a knight. There's a little cardboard castle with people, a draw bridge, and a portcullis that you can lay seige to with the catapult you built. There is a game of nine man's morris (a game they played in medieval times). There's a map of places they went to in the crusades. I am very impressed and can't wait to use this with my daughter. Very well done and good quality. I will get another one of these when I teach my son about middle ages as well.

"Let's Find Treasure" is a book that should be good fun for any fan of Bear and his friends in the Big Blue House.

It's a rainy day, but everyone's been having fun indoors. The kids have finsihed their activities, though, and aren't sure what to do next. Bear suggests a treasure hunt. He provides them with a map that takes them to the attic and beyond.

With 16 flaps to lift, this book will prove interesting and entertaining. This is a board-book and fairly easy-to-read. The characters appear as they do in the TV series.