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2nd out of 21 books
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Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
This book is essentially a teaching machine. The way a teaching machine works is: It asks you a question. If you give the right answer, it goes on to the next question. If you give the wrong answer, it tells you why the answer is wrong and tells you to go back and try again.
This is called "programmed learning". The real authors were experts and authorities in the...more
This is called "programmed learning". The real authors were experts and authorities in the...more
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 1st 1982
by Bantam
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Note to readers looking for a little light reading enjoyment on a sunny afternoon: "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" is not the book you're looking for. It has two woefully undeveloped main characters, with poor distinction between protagonist and antagonist. These mysterious main characters, known only as "White" and "Black", have the sole purpose of meddling constantly in the affairs of thirty-two minor characters, also lacking more than cursory description or much ...more
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Michael
rated it
Recommends it for:
Beginning and intermediate chess players
Recommended to Michael by:
Serendipity
Shelves:
chess
This book is about the one thing Bobby Fisher undeniably knew well - chess (this review will not comment on his ideas on other subjects). It is an excellent tutorial for improvement, and will work for chess players at any level, or even those who have never played. Fisher's premise is that the object of the game is to achieve checkmate, therefore the most basic thing to learn is how to do so. For me, this was an excellent shift in perception - whereas before my game focused on immediate concerns...more
In terms of books, I really love "Bobby Fischer teaches chess". It introduces several key concepts, such as pinning, back-rank attacks, interposing etc., and after each concept there are lots of puzzles. In the puzzles you have to determine how to accomplish checkmate, if it's checkmate even possible or if it can be avoided (as the defender), always by the means that has just been explained (except for the mixed-bag exercises). This really drives home the points and forces you to learn...more
The first 60 pages are as good a "How To/For Beginners" as you'll find anywhere and alone are worth the seven dollar price tag if you need a How To. After that it's almost entirely back-rank mate puzzles which is a bit disappointing, although to be fair I got several of them wrong for going to fast/not paying attention; My downfall during regular play as well.
Nothing about minor piece tactics & strategy...Knights v Bishops, advance posts and support points. (Also, this is t...more
Nothing about minor piece tactics & strategy...Knights v Bishops, advance posts and support points. (Also, this is t...more
This book would be better titled "Bobby Fischer Teaches a Very Limited Set of Mating Positions." It does a good job of teaching a person to recognize opportunities for checkmate. What it doesn't do is teach chess. There is nothing here about openings, middle-games, or principles of end-games like passed pawns, stalemates, etc.
The presentation style is good, and the book does a good job of teaching the very limited set of mating positions that it bothers to present. And ...more
The presentation style is good, and the book does a good job of teaching the very limited set of mating positions that it bothers to present. And ...more
Back when this was written, "programmed learning" was very popular. You try to figure out a problem, then go to the listed page to see how your answer fared. This is written in that way. If you already play chess fairly well, this won't help you. But if you don't know how to play, or barely know how, I strongly recommend this as your first primer. You don't need to set up a board to use it; you can just use the book. Very well done, and always my recommendation for an introduction to m...more
I'd started reading many chess books, but seldom finished them ... after a while, I was getting lost into the labyrinth of c4-s or e5-s, losing patience after some sophisticated commentary, "wise" explanation or demanding chess notation. This is only the second such chess book that I managed to read "d'al capo al fine" - and this is because of how this Genius of Chess chose to write it. Absolutely lovely, am sure, for any chess rookie.
On a side note, one can surel...more
On a side note, one can surel...more
Hoyland
added it
I don't know that I can give this book a rating. It's the only book that I've read where you read it forwards then turn it upside down and read back the other way. I suppose more than anything, this book teaches you how to 'look', but it's really basic. Seriously--I seem to recall a section on back rank mates. But when I was 10 or however old I was when I read this, that sort of drill was useful to me. Oh, it's mostly set up as exercises, which I like. I suppose it's a really, really basic Sharp...more
Two things I don't really like about the book are that it's mainly about offensive strategies (there are times where the authors show you how to escape a mate situation) and it's only really about the end game. So after reading this book I'm much better at recognizing the key elements of a mate?, but I have no idea how to start the game so that I don't get myself in a mate situation. But it's an awesome read! Some of the descriptions of the possibilities are amazing. I definitely have much more ...more
Bobby Fischer Teaches Back Rank Mates would be a more accurate title, and a title that included the other two coauthors would be more accurate still. But never mind the cover. This is a handy little course in beginner's-level tactics. The coauthors use their method of "programmed instruction," a series of bite-sized exercises, each with immediate feedback to reinforce each lesson. The scope is limited, but the method is self-paced and engaging. It has me thinking about using programmed...more
Fischer's oddness at the end of his life does not detract from the quality of this teaching work. For anyone who wants to become quickly adequate at chess, this book will work. Unlike most chess books, this text is not overly long. It teaches the basic concepts of tactics well. Any parent or grandparent who wants to play chess with his quickly advancing young should start here.
Great instructional book for the absolute beginner. Arranged in a unique programmed instruction format in which the readers is given a series of one-page lessons. You are given a chess position and asked how to move appropriately. Great fun! Since this is a book for chess newbies, it concentrates on tactics (short term). My major criticism of this book is its lack of depth. It spends way too many pages on back-rank checkmates.
A good introductory primer on chess tactics. It is basic, but at that level it works. The format is to present a chess position and ask the reader to decide how to achieve a checkmate or some other gain in a couple of moves; each problem is presented on one page with the answer on the next page, on the right-hand side of the book - once you've gone through it, you turn it over, as it continues back through the book on the other pages in the same way. The problems slowly get progressively more...more
I went through childhood books and in particular this great book, the first and only chess book I've read or owned. I've played some good players and get my ass handed to me, but am always complimented in the end and I credit this book. So, there you go... this book is fantastic cursory chess primer.
An odd but excellent text which teaches chess through a set of graduated problems, each one a lesson in checkmate patterns and ideas. Methinks it would help greatly the many players who have a problem finishing and be entertaining for the novice and rank amateur.
This was my first halfway serious chess book. He doesn't really teach chess. It's just a book of checkmates. They are good checkmates and thery are instructive. He does a good job of moving from simple to more complicated, but he doesn't really teach much.
This book is quite helpful. I have seen a development in my games but I am not sure if I am that ready to compete. I should read more books on chess to become competitive. I do recommend this book to beginners. This book will help them understand the basic tactics in chess.
Alicia
is currently reading it
Fabulous for the subway! Have been looking at/occasionally picking up this book off my bookshelf for 9 years?? Good stuff, especially if you know the bare-bones of how-to play chess, but have very little strategy.
My first real chess book. It's not so much a book as it is a program. It's a truly unique perspective on how to play chess. Considering how unique Fischer was, it's not surprising this book is just as inetresting.
It's very good for what it does. It concentrates on the endgame, and I need help getting to the endgame, so it was a bit frustrating. But then so is chess.
This terrific little book is very easy to understand and use; in no time at all, your game will drastically improve. Mine certainly did!
This is great. Very few words. Every page is a chessboard setup with one or two moves to mate. Turn the page and the answer is revealed.
He may be a chess genius, but that doesn't make him a good teacher or writer. Didn't help me much with my game.
Best chess book I have read ... I am due to read it again, but I should focus more on a text of openings...
Simple and straight forward. It has subtle learnings that not every chess player will understand.
Absolutely outstanding introductory lessons for a beginning chess foundation.
A perfect tool for a new player
A good first chess book.
this is a really addictive book of chess puzzles. on each page a board situation will be presented along with a question such as, how can white mate in one move? on the following page is the answer. the nice thing about this book is you don't need to play along with a chess board in front of you, which is the case for most instructional chess books. so you can just lie in bed and read it. hopefully, it helps my chess game, but sometimes i think it's just as fun to read chess books as it is to pl...more
not very helpful
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