Chess for Beginners: Everything you need to know to take your game to the next level

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review and I found it fascinating, even as a reader with no experience of chess, either as a player or observer. I loved the history of the game and the references to early, famous players and games. The information was given succinctly with no ‘padding’. There were a few language issues that caused slight confusion – an editor could easily solve these minor issues. On the whole the book was informative and entertaining. The information on the actual chess pieces, moves, openings and strategies would be invaluable to anyone learning or playing chess. I don’t think the book could stand alone – the reader would need to practise with an opponent or even, initially against a computer. I do understand the limitations of trying to improve your game playing against a computer program – as the author says, ‘There are some parts of a game of chess that a computer simply is not able to replicate, with the psychological aspects of chess being among the main ones.’ Altogether an excellent reference book and manual. I do have one reservation however. Reading this text, one would believe chess is exclusively played by men; There are currently 37 female players who hold the title of Grandmaster and 121 living women who hold the International Master title. I am sure women bring their own psychology, perspective and experiences to the game. A mention of a few would have been good and, perhaps would have encouraged more young women to take it up.

The first few chapters of "Chess for Beginners" are great for anyone who's never sat down at a chess board. But this excellent and thorough text also includes great info concerning strategies, visualization techniques, and ways to avoid common mistakes written in language that will help even an experienced chess player up their game. If you're a player who's gotten away from the game a bit (as I was), this is a great refresher as well. The second book, which focuses on openings, is an excellent bonus.

This book does a good job of explaining the basic strategies of chess, and while you won't be a Grand Master after reading it, you will definitely be able to beat other beginners and hold your own against intermediate players. The inclusion of most common opening moves and their counters makes this book well worth the price.

Knowing how to do something and having the patience or the skill to teach it to true beginners are two separate things. This author actually does both quite well. An accomplished lifelong player, it's clear that he loves the game and wants others to enjoy it as well.

I haven't played chess in ages, so I barely remember how to play the game. I like this book because it makes you feel like you're sitting across from a tutor who's walking you through each step and showing you how to plan moves.

I like informative books that aren't too lengthy. This books provides just enough information for me to improve my game. Even though I am not new to this game, I got a lot of useful information out of this book to help me improve.

This book is very well organized, easy to understand, and makes learning chess fun. I highly recommend for anyone who has never played chess or anyone wanting to brush up on the basics. Great contribution to the game!

This is a great teaching tool and guide that is very accessible to beginners. In addition to the rules, it provides a history of the game and gives examples of opening strategies. Everything you need is here.

Excellent book. Clear, concise and to the point. From history to rules and opening strategies, the book avoids more abstruse discussion that confuses the beginner and sticks to an exposition of solid foundational ideas..

My nine-year-old daughter and I have each wanted to learn how to play chess for some time now and finally decided to learn the game. This book is an excellent introduction to chess! Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review and I found it fascinating, even as a reader with no experience of chess, either as a player or observer. I loved the history of the game and the references to early, famous players and games. The information was given succinctly with no ‘padding’. There were a few language issues that caused slight confusion – an editor could easily solve these minor issues. On the whole the book was informative and entertaining. The information on the actual chess pieces, moves, openings and strategies would be invaluable to anyone learning or playing chess. I don’t think the book could stand alone – the reader would need to practise with an opponent or even, initially against a computer. I do understand the limitations of trying to improve your game playing against a computer program – as the author says, ‘There are some parts of a game of chess that a computer simply is not able to replicate, with the psychological aspects of chess being among the main ones.’ Altogether an excellent reference book and manual. I do have one reservation however. Reading this text, one would believe chess is exclusively played by men; There are currently 37 female players who hold the title of Grandmaster and 121 living women who hold the International Master title. I am sure women bring their own psychology, perspective and experiences to the game. A mention of a few would have been good and, perhaps would have encouraged more young women to take it up.

The first few chapters of "Chess for Beginners" are great for anyone who's never sat down at a chess board. But this excellent and thorough text also includes great info concerning strategies, visualization techniques, and ways to avoid common mistakes written in language that will help even an experienced chess player up their game. If you're a player who's gotten away from the game a bit (as I was), this is a great refresher as well. The second book, which focuses on openings, is an excellent bonus.

This book does a good job of explaining the basic strategies of chess, and while you won't be a Grand Master after reading it, you will definitely be able to beat other beginners and hold your own against intermediate players. The inclusion of most common opening moves and their counters makes this book well worth the price.

Knowing how to do something and having the patience or the skill to teach it to true beginners are two separate things. This author actually does both quite well. An accomplished lifelong player, it's clear that he loves the game and wants others to enjoy it as well.

I haven't played chess in ages, so I barely remember how to play the game. I like this book because it makes you feel like you're sitting across from a tutor who's walking you through each step and showing you how to plan moves.

I like informative books that aren't too lengthy. This books provides just enough information for me to improve my game. Even though I am not new to this game, I got a lot of useful information out of this book to help me improve.

This book is very well organized, easy to understand, and makes learning chess fun. I highly recommend for anyone who has never played chess or anyone wanting to brush up on the basics. Great contribution to the game!

This is a great teaching tool and guide that is very accessible to beginners. In addition to the rules, it provides a history of the game and gives examples of opening strategies. Everything you need is here.

Excellent book. Clear, concise and to the point. From history to rules and opening strategies, the book avoids more abstruse discussion that confuses the beginner and sticks to an exposition of solid foundational ideas..

My nine-year-old daughter and I have each wanted to learn how to play chess for some time now and finally decided to learn the game. This book is an excellent introduction to chess! Highly recommended!

A solid comprehensive 2-in-1 guide. While comprehensive, I would have appreciated more photos, especially for us visual learners. It's a lot of blocky text, so it can be tough to visualize.

This is a good book for people that are looking to learn how to play chess. The book covers some basic strategies and is worthy of a read if you're interested in learning the game.

Essential for anyone who is starting in chess. The first book is a concise and detailed introduction to the game and the second is a guide to opening moves. Highly recommended.

My chess playing skills were very rusty so I ordered this book hoping it would help...and it sure did! There are actually two books included, one is an introduction to the game and the other describes openings. What I like most is how clearly and simply the author describes everything. There are also diagrams to accompany the text. This is a wonderful resource, so informative and interesting to read. Highly recommended!