How to Be a Winner at Chess

by Fred Reinfeld

Book Overview

The Essence of Good Chess The incomparable Fred Reinfeld is back in print! This new 21st-century edition is presented in modern algebraic notation in a double-column format, with more diagrams and a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 044991206X
• ISBN13: 9780449912065
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Worth its weight in goal for a beginner or advanced beginner

I own approximately 20 chess books and have been playing since I'm about 7 years old. I'm not a championship player, but I'm above average partly due to the principles I learned from this book over 30 years ago. I have rated it a 5, however, if I could I would have rated it a 6! What is so wonderful about this book is its readability. It teaches principles of play that can be applied in many situations and it also does it with humor. How many chess books have you seen that actually use humor? I think the dedication that Fred Reinfeld wrote for his wife says it all "FOR MY WIFE... who asked me for a chess book she could read." The book begins with the most important aspect of the game i.e. checkmating and how to avoid it. It also covers when to resign and the relative values of the pieces. It looks at the stengths of each piece and talk about how to get the most out of your pieces including the pawns. The book stays on course from here and looks at the three strongest moves keeping the focus on check and checkmate in chapter 4 which is what the game is about. Specifically, it discusses forking check, discovered check and double check. These are important tactics that should be covered first from both an offensive and defensive point of view. In a similar fashion it dedicated a chapter each on the next two strongest moves capturing threats and pawn promotion. Each of these chapters is very clear and well explained with lots of diagrams. In the next section, the book goes on to discuss PRINCIPLES of opening play and gives five general rules for an opening. In the next section, it discusses the middle game and the two principles of giving your pieces mobility and making them cooperate. The last three chapters of the book cover the endgame, pinning and how to use sacrifices to win. The appendix includes a chess refresher witht the basic rules of chess. In short, this 190 page book gives new players a game plan, tactics, easy to follow principles and a good overall felt sense of what the game is about. If you buy this book, it will truly teach you "How to be a Winner at Chess." If you are an intermediate player, I still think this book is worth reading to reinforce principles and to help you to teach young people how to play. If you are advanced intermediate or better, you may want to purchase something else. However, this is a classic book and you can get a used copy for under $1.00 many times. If it's not useful to you, you can give it a way or use it to start a fire. Either way, you'll get your money's worth.

Bought it 20 years ago...

I bought this book over 20 years ago when I was 13 or so. Reinfeld's techniques improved my game immensely, and whenever I get serious and dust off the chess board, this is the book to which I turn. The author dedicated the book to his wife, who wanted "a chess book she could read". It is indeed easy to read, yet what you learn is powerful chess stuff. Now my brother-in-law is asking for a chess book, and I am buying him this one for Christmas. Maybe I shouldn't get it for him after all, if I end up playing him!

Great lessons for new comers

I purchased this book in hopes of introducing my family to the great game of chess. (A teacher I am not.) This book does a wonderful job of explaining the basic strategies involved in playing a winning game. From checks, mate, attacking threats, forks, opening moves, mid-game and end-game play, Reinfeld explains the game in language that anyone can comprehend.In my particular instance, use of this book has allowed me to create additional interest in chess with former non-players in my family. (An interest I found nearly impossible to cultivate myself.)So, if you are a beginner, or a player who struggles in passing along knowledge effectively, this is a book for you.

Great way to start chess

I think this is one of the best chess books for beginners.It's got complete rules and basic principles to follow in all parts of the game,as well as elementary tactics.The funny illustrations are an added bonus.