Beginning Chess: Over 300 Elementary Problems for Players New to the Game

by Bruce Pandolfini

Book Overview

Make the first move with National Master Bruce Pandolfini--America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit--in this accessible guide for beginning chess players​.

Pandolfini has taught the game of chess to hundreds of players of all ages and levels and this is his prized collection of lessons for newcomers.

What makes this book different from others of its kind is its simplicity...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671795015
• ISBN13: 9780671795016
• Release Date: August 1993
• Publisher: Fireside
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

For the license

I bought this book for copyright reasons. A friend gave me an electronic copy of this book for ChessBase, so wanted to make sure I owned a copy before using it. I have never actually cracked the book open, but I've worked through most of the problems and it is fantastic! I'm really new to chess and it's really helped me see patterns and improve my speed. I won a game just the other day simply because I saw a checkmate that my opponent missed.

Very very helpful

For someone who already has a good handle on the basic rules, this book moves on and teaches some basic moves and tactics. I found it quite helpful and would recommend it if Chess is not the most importnat thing in your life.

Great Problem-Solving Experience

The 300 problems in this book give practice in the major chess tactics: fork, skewer, pin, discovery, mate in 1, etc. For each problem, there is one move which is clearly the best move for white, and the learner's task is to find it, the faster the better. The fact that the winning tactics are randomly arranged helps the learner not to get into a response set where for example a mate is expected from every position. The low difficulty level of the problems makes this book a pleasure -- you come to a quick solution and move on. But while doing so, you're improving your ability to find winning moves quickly, the sorts of winning moves that are missed over and over in games by players who are not just novices. Getting very fast at fairly elementary problems is a crucial learning technique, advocated by the "precision teaching" practitioners for good reason: this technique produces very positive competence outcomes. Those who are put off by the word "Beginning" in the title should try finding the winning moves in these exercises in an average of ten seconds or less. If you can do this, you're way beyond the rank of beginner. I tend to agree with Pandolfini's classification for the ones who can do this: "You've been giving private lessons." I think this book is useful not just for chess competitors, but also as an aid for youth who are learning problem-solving and thinking skills in general. Without having to become chess experts first, such learners can get lots of practice in planning ahead and experiencing the gratification of finding the winning move. They can take advantage of the problem-solving and spatial relations practice chess offers, through quick, instructive, and non-frustrating exercises. This deceptively simple book is great teaching, fun to use, and a mind-stretcher. It ranks at the top of all the chess books I have seen.

The Best I've Purchased So Far!

Ignore any review that puts this book down. It's a must have! I've read many books on chess and this book was the one that resulted in my playing better chess immediately! Even before I finished half the book, I began seeing better opportunities in my games. This book will be a literal 'eye opener' because you won't believe the things you're missing in your games! Bruce Pandolfini really does a masterful job in training your eye to see things you would otherwise overlook. And you don't even need a chess board in front of you! This book is a must have for anyone whether they've just started learning the game, or have been playing for years as I have. Time flies while working through this book because it is challenging and most of all FUN! It would be a great travel companion! I recommend this book highly along with BOBBY FISCHER TEACHES CHESS. Both are easy to understand and follow, and perfect whether you're a beginner or not. It will be money well spent! YOUR GAME WILL IMPROVE!

excellent for all skill levels

Bruce Pandolfini has written one of the best chess tactics books I have ever bought. The book contains basic tactical themes such as pin, removing the guard, discovery and so on. There are eleven such themes plus mating attacks. The solutions to the problems are given in back. What makes this book unique is the authors excellent teaching style. He gives advice on mastering these tactics by telling the reader to try to solve them a little quicker each time he does them. This trains your "chess vision" to a high level. At the end of the book he gives some tips on how to improve your tactics, which is some of the best advice I have ever read about chess. The value in this book is its simplicity. The illustrations show no more than ten pieces on the board, making it easier to understand the tactical themes being demonstrated. Although the book is written for beginners,it can be used by all skill levels. The author writes in this book that the great grandmaster Mikhail Tal used to look through beginners books looking for ideas. He did this probably because beginner books boil down chess to basic ideas that show up even in the most advanced chess. Also even the knowledge in beginners books can constantly be perfected, which can make for a very powerful player. This is a tactics book that should be turned to again and again.