Starting Out in Chess

by Byron Jacobs

International Master Byron Jacobs provides a thorough grounding of the game. This is part of a brand new series for newcomers to chess and those looking to improve their game. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1857442261
• ISBN13: 9781857442267
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Gloucester Publishers Plc
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 7.4" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

The first steps up the ladder towards chess mastery?

You know how to set up the starting position on the chess board and how the pieces move. Then, what should you do, how should you think, what should you look out for in your opponents game? This little book starts at the beginning. It starts, perhaps for the sake of completeness, with the chess board itself and the moving patterns of the pieces. Sure, you know all that already. But do you know the relative value of your pieces? Ok, the queen is your most formidable asset and the pawn the least, but what about the knight, bishop and rook? This book teaches you how to evaluate them. It also shows you those, to the novice, devious little tricks like the pin, the fork and the skewer. Believe me, once you have understood those tricks and applied them in your own game, you start seeing vast improvements. If you, like me, play among novices and amateurs you will after a very short time start winning games!Most of what is said in this book is probably second nature to the experienced chess player. What you get is a short and good introduction to the "nuts and bolts" of chess. The interested novice chess player would probably be able to figure out most of what is said here on his own, or pick it up from fellow players. However, spending an afternoon reading this book, and perhaps a couple of afternoons solving the exercises, may very well be the best investment in terms of progress for spent time and effort, the novice chess player will ever make.

Excellent Starter Book

Jacobs once again comes through with a winner. The beginning player is taught the basics in easy steps. Once the basics are taught, Jacobs provides simple openings to guide the player. I wish I had a book like this growing up. I knew nothing about opening systems and the reasoning behind them, except what little I had figured out on my own, until 8 years ago. The beginner/novice will quickly overtake friends and family alike following the advice of this book. Kudos!

An excellent chess reference book.

An excellent 'Everyman Chess' guide to chess provide tips for beginners and is recommended school library pick as well as public and home chess library reference collections, Byron Jacobs' Starting Out In Chess provides a grounding in the fundamental principles of the game, providing novice players with tips on how to brush up on basics and learn chess.