The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess

Good overall introduction to chess

Want to learn how to play chess or know just enought to get you into trouble!? Well, then it is time you learn how to play a decent game of chess! 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess' is one of two books I would recommend for the beginner ('Chess for Everyone' being the other). It has a lot of material, is for the adult level reader (though older teens shouldn't have a problem with it) and has a reasonably well organized progression.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Well organized and covers a lot of stuff

This book beats CHESS FOR DUMMIES hands down and is on par with CHESS FOR EVERYONE when it comes to chess books for the beginner. You will find everything you need to know when it comes to the rules and strategy to get you started. What I would like to see is follow-up books in the 'Idiots' guide to take you to the next step.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

A Truly Excellent Introduction to the Game

Some people are complaining that this book doesn't address every possible facet of the game, but really how much can one reasonably expect to be covered in a one volume introduction to something as complex and multifaceted as the game of chess? Obviously an 11 volume set, if you can afford to buy such a thing and have the time to read it, is better, but what about those of us who work for a living and can't spend 24-7 doing nothing but reading and studying about chess?

If someone is a flat out beginner who has never played the game before, an 11 volume introduction isn't going to work, all it is going to do is intimidate the hell out of him and prevent him from learning.

This book introduces the basic and fundamental rules of chess, introduces some of the fundamental strategies and tactics, and includes literally dozens of excellent exercises in difficulty ranging from very easy to very difficult.

I am inclined to think that some of the complaints about this book stems from the fact that it is simply too accessible for the beginning and intermediate players. There is a popular myth that in order to play chess well one has to be 'really, really smart', I think that maybe some people resent books that make the game too accessible because it shatters the myth that you have to be 'super smart' to play chess, better to direct people to an 11 volume set that will intimidate the hell out of them, the better to maintain the fiction that only the intellectual elite can learn to play this game well.

I can tell you from my own experience that this book IS indeed a great help in improving your game. I first learned how to play chess in the 3rd grade, in the last 25 years I have played chess against both human and computer opponents and my game never seemed to improve, I was losing against 10 year old's and was being checkmated within 10 moves against computer programs set on the lowest difficulty setting, I was making poor decisions that led me to lose my queen in the first 5 moves of the game, I was an awful player. I thought it was hopeless that I could never improve my game and that I just wasn't 'smart enough' to be good at chess.

But since I read this book, and started solving the exercises, the quality of my play has improved exponentially. After losing more than 30 consecutive games on 'Chessmaster' for my Nintendo DS, on the lowest difficulty setting, I finally started winning. Now, I tend to win more often than I lose. My record for my last 5 games is 3-1-1, the one draw game came when I was against a lone king and accidentally stalemated rather than checkmated him, so that 3-1-1 is really just one bad move away from a 4-0-1.

If this book can help a pinhead like me improve his game, it can help anybody, I still have a long way to go, but I am getting better literally every day, and this book was an immense help.

Strange Title, but good introduction to chess for adult level readers

Overall, I consider 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess' to be a good first book for an mature reader. Certainly not a book for the under age 14 crowd. It contains all the information you need to learn how to play chess. Sometimes the material could have been made a little more clear and/or placed in a different order. There is some filler material that seems unecessary, and maybe a little confusing. But, there is lots of material!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read this book

Patrick explains all key aspects of the game well enough for beginners and insightful enough for more advanced players. If you think you know chess... then you should still read this book. It covers the mandatory and important topics clearly and somehow manages to infuse them all with a very strong and simple strategic tone. You are doing things for a reason. The entire message is clear and uncluttered and also infused with GM wisdom that is beneficial to all players. Read this book!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Chess

I am a purchasing agent for a library. It's my job to help pick out the new books we buy. When we considered chess books we sought advice from local players who were familiar with chess literature. Explaining that most of our readers were probably beginning or novice chess players, we especially asked about Beginner's books. We were STRONGLY advised not to buy this book or the similar book, Chess For Dummies. Instead, we looked at books by Bruce Pandolfini, Yasser Seirawan, and Lev Alburt, among others. We decided the best choices were Lev Albert's Comprehensive Chess Course (7 volumns), Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Series (6 volumns)and all of Bruce Pandolfini's books (11 in all). We have had numerous comments about our chess library. Many patrons have told us how glad they are we selected as we did. Some mentioned how bad they think The Complete Idiots Guide To Chess is. Take some advice from a chess playing librarian! Don't but The Complete Idiot's Guide To Chess! It's wasted money!

Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Chess

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Chess is, simply put, awful. Beginners books fall into general catagories; those for children; those for causual players; those for serious players. This one is bad anywhere you put it.This book skimps on the basics so it has room to tell you about all kinds of 'neat-o' things about chess. Beginners don't need to worry about all those cool extas. Until they've learned to play and studied some novice level books (many available here on Barnes and Noble.com.)they aren't ready for all those 'neat-o' things. And all of that information is available in other chess books which handle it much better. I sometimes teach chess to children and adult players from complete beginners up to USCF Class A players. When I get one that's been using this book (or it's equally bad cousin, Chess For Dummies; another awful book!)I have to complelely reoriente that player. Literally, I have to make them 'unlearn' some things this book teaches. I also have to explain to them why they can't use the more advanced parts of the book. But the really disturbing thing I find is that people who have used this book have the idea that it's 'cool' to be an idiot and learn to play chess. Idiots and dummies can't learn to play chess. It takes a fairly intelligent person to learn how and to excell at the game you have to be well above average. Further, this book is right in line with the trend toward the dummying down of America. Stay away from this loser! If you really want to learn to play chess try any of these. The beginner books by Bruce Pandolfini (very popular with children but adults can use these, too); Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Series Volume I (popular with everyone); Lev Albert's Comprehensive Chess Course Volumns I-II (both popular with all and probably the best choice as it draws heavily on the old Soviet System of teaching chess). However there are other titles available and they do a good job but simply aren't as good as the above mentioned. The Complete Idiot's Guide To Chess ought to be allowed to go out of print and die a peaceful death. It's an ill concieved book.

Idiot Title For An Idiot Book On Chess.

This book, along with Chess For Dummies, is among the worst chess books for beginners ever written. You will learn to play chess using this book but you WILL NOT have some of the more important fundamental chess concepts explained to you. The most striking omission of this book is it's failure to discuss the chess board itself. If you don't get this part then your progress in chess will always be limited. A sound working knowledge of the chess board is essential for a full understanding of the game. The second problem with this book is that it fails to fully explain the relative values of the pieces. A Knight is worth 3 pawns. So is a Bishop. That means a Knight and a Bishop are equal. Right? Wrong! The Bishop is worth 3.5 pawns. How much is the King worth. 'Priceless! If you lose it the game is over!' This is true but the King does have a numeric value. It's worth 2.5 pawns as a fighting piece. This little gem of chess knowledge can make all the differece in the endgame and sometimes the middlegame. Finally, the book sets up a low self esteem situation in the reader's mind. Some excellent alternatives are available, all right here on Barnes&Noble.com. If you want to get a fairly sound foundation fast try Bruce Pandolfini's Square One, then move along with his other books. You'll probably manage to become a USCF Class C player which is the norm for players who play serious chess. Much better is Yasser Seirawan's Learn To Play Winning Chess, which is volumn 1 in a six volumn set. If you complete the series you'll probably become a USCF Class B player and a few will make it to Class A. This is above the norm. But if you start your chess education with volumn 1 and 2 of Lev Albert's Comprehensive Chess Course and then the other five volumns in the series, you'll have the most solid foundation you can get. If you study very hard and go well beyond volumn 7 of Albert's series, you might become a Master Class player. This last series is the one I recommend. If you have the time, the best way is to study Albert, Seirawan, and Pandolfini, all at once. By doing so you won't become a 'Chess Idiot!' Avoid this book! I would give it zero stars if that were possible!

Great Beginner's Book!!! *****

I used to think that I was a good chess player. However, when I started playing online, my world flipped upside down, and I was being beat by people all over the country as if I were just beginning. So I decided I really needed some help, and I picked this book up. It was until after I picked up the book that I realized that I was a 'complete idiot'. As soon as I cracked the cover, it was easy to get into. The chapters are very nicely ordered, starting from the basics then moving on to more advance techniques. It is very easy to read and understand; there is a huge number of diagrams that show move-by-move what has been done and what you should do. I really enjoy the exercises that Mr. Wolff has put in the back of every chapter (20-40 at least with answers in the back) to get you to use what he had discussed. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting out, or someone who just needs to get his game together. Simply, It is a MUST OWN!

Amazing!!

This book is a fine introduction to the game of chess for a beginner. This book not only gives the reader a clear idea about the game but also teaches him different tactics which improves the skill level. In brief, if you are a beginner this book will definitely help you learn the game in a very easy way.

Not Good At All.

This book will get you started but it leaves out many things a beginner should know. There are too many other good beginner books on Barnes and Noble.com than this one. And don't go chasing Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, either. That one isn't so good either. What books like this one leave out are board dynamics that should be learned when you're learning how to move and capture with the pieces. It also leaves out (as does Fischer's book)how to think correctly. Entire books are written on how to think correctly when studying and playing chess. If you miss board dynamics and correct chess thinking as a beginner then you're probably doomed to the ranks of the U.S.C.F Class C player and below. Look around on Barnes and Noble.com. You'll find a winde range of beginner books that give it all to you. I didn't learn from a book but since this is a review of a beginner's book I'll list some in my favorites. Chess is like math. It builds on what you've learned. If you miss something basic it'll hinder your chess learning.

This book is better than others. IT is about the same as the DUmmy book by James Eade.

This book is wonderful. You don't need a chess board to know what he's teaching you. One of the things I like about the book that it has excercises at the end of each chapter so you could get better! And he gives the answers to the excercises. One thing that improved my uscf rating is the chess program Chessmaster 6000. If you go to the tutor with Bruce Pandofini, he will teach you stuff, (things I don't know about the opening, middlegame and endgame. Chess for Idiots might have improved my rating, but it is not junk, like most chess books are.

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