Chess for Beginners: A Picture Guide

by Al Horowitz

In this book, I. A. Horowitz, Chess Editor of the New York Times and former U.S. Open Champion, applies some of the ideas and convictions acquired from thirty-five years of playing, teaching and analyzing the royal game. He emphasizes the tactical aspects of the how to recognize the big chance and hit hard when it occurs. He also stresses the ideas and methods in opening play, rather than the routine memorizing of variations that takes the joy out of chess for so many beginners.When you have completed this book, you will be able to play chess with pleasure and some ability.

Genres: Chess, Games, Reference, How To, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published August 8, 2015

Reviews

[Michelle M Victora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was about as good as it could be for a chess book. It went over general strategies (keep your pieces toward the center of the board, keep the line of your bishops open), and it had a lot of examples from games that demonstrated these strategies (or defied them, too). But as a "beginner" (or maybe I'm intermediate? ask my chess app), I still can't hold a chess game entirely in my head by reading the moves in a book. So ultimately I think this book would have been much better as an app that had visuals to go along with everything, because I just lost of content since I couldn't picture all the games it was talking about. Even though it would have a new picture every 10 moves. I just couldn't keep up.

[Midnight Verse Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks. It answered a lot of my questions

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An admired, solid, unimposing entrance to chess. Covers classic theory in enough detail for the student to become a competent and proficent club player, with the use of additional modern tools. Written in (1950)-- could be followed by study of the later great games of Fischer, Larsen, Spassky, Karpov, Botvinnik; hyper modern styles etc., which of course had not yet occurred at the time of writing. Yes, it took me thirty years to study all the details, sequelae, and crevices of this time honored text, gotten at a thrift for a dollar in paperback. Thanks

[Leena]

I didn't like the old-school chess notation he uses, so I actually only skimmed the later parts of this book, where it's used extensively. I'm sure his advice is right-on, but, I think I'd like to try something a little more modern.

[Bonnie Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still as much a beginner as when I started this little book. At least now I understand which directions each character can move. See you I don’t even know what to call the pieces as a whole. Also, I don’t have a chess set so it makes it hard to use this book as it’s meant to be used. I’m sure it is very useful to a different kind of mind.

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was exactly what I wanted--it presented the elements of chess, gave some intro to the chess world and it allowed me to actually challenge people who have been beating me in chess for years.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good place to start. However, notation is not the current style.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful

[Karl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huh?

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm learning how to play chess. This was originally published in the fifties, but chess is far older, right, so it shouldn't matter. This was a bare bones beginner's guide with simple explanations, photos of boards and drawings of moves, and enthusiasm for the game. Also teaches the notation for gaming.

My favorite bit is when he suggests playing someone through the mail--each move should take about a week, he writes.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book when I went through my phase of wanting to learn chess. It taught me a play where I defeated my mom in three moves. I suggest it to any of you beginning chess fans out there. It is well written and interesting and still teaches you a lot of awesome things about chess and how to play it.

[Rustam]

With my new found knowledge I will destroy my chess arch-nemeses.

[Nicholas Ghezzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite helpful.