How Not to Play Chess

by Eugène Znosko-Borovsky, Fred Reinfeld (Editor)

Beginners and even fairly advanced players agree on one thing: analyzing the strength or weakness of a position (material being equal) is the hardest part of chess to learn. It is also one of the hardest elements to teach, and there are some who claim it is unteachable. But this wonderfully lucid book, written by one of the outstanding chess expositors of the twentieth century, presents the basis of analysis in such a disarmingly simple way that even the most casual player will be able to improve his game immensely.
Sticking to a few well-chosen examples and explaining every step along the way, the author shows you how to avoid playing a hit-or-miss game, from move to move, and instead develop general plans of action based on positional analysis: weak and strong squares, the notion of controlling a square, how to seize control of open lines, weak points in the pawn structure, and other aspects of analysis.
He includes as well a number of tips (not often found in books for beginners and average players) that the reader would do well to commit to memory: such hints as “Never omit to blockade an enemy passed pawn,” and “Do not be content with attacking an existing weakness; always seek to create others.” Throughout the book he defines and illustrates typical chess mistakes, and anyone reading his book carefully will learn in a few hours what he might otherwise have spent years to attain. For this revised edition, the author added 20 problems from master games on which the reader can test his understanding of the principles found in the text.

Genres: Chess, Nonfiction, Games

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

Reviews

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book. As with all pre-computer age books, some of the analysis is a little off, but since the lessons are positional in nature, that doesn't matter and it really stands the test of time. The games and positions are very instructive and the writing is humorous and easy-going. The translation is, again, a product of it's age. Some of the wording seems slightly off, but nothing that detracts from the lessons.

I read this book by transcribing the games, positions and key elements of the text into a modern database, and people really should not think that the descriptive notation is a problem if you are really studying a book. If you are going over every move and every position and every comment, the notation is irrelevant.

I have to say that I ignored Reinfeld's problems stuck on at the end, so as far as I'm concerned, the book is 90 pages long with some silly problems added by an editor.

The book would be even more marketable if someone re-edited it, cleaned up the translation and transcribed it into algebraic - but it would not be more instructive.

Books like this and "Simple Chess" by Stean are models of concise instruction on positional chess. I can highly recommend them to any improving player.

[Detlef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Above all, first, avoid mistakes.

[Jean-Marc Depasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chess book very different from the average one we can see flourishing those days.
No tips and tricks here, but a thorough teaching on how to analyse a position and how to establish a plan from it.
Very informative!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not without it's flaws - some of the points brought up aren't really elaborated on; lines don't quite work the way they're suggested sometimes (this originally came out nearly 100 years ago; so I'll forgive some engine mishaps even if there was lines even I noticed as incorrect) - but it's a really fun little chess book; and it does what I loved about Chernev's books too - it talks about ideas!!!

Understanding the idea of a position is something that I struggle with a lot so outlining them in the way this or Logical Chess did is much more helpful for me than just concrete lines after concrete lines (even if some of that is just me needing to work on my visualisation...).

The final part just concentrates on one game and talks about the competing ideas of the two players - there's individual games an entire book could be written on and I'm so here for it. I think I'd just like even more of that.

[Adam G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this would be great in a sort of interactive mode and would have preferred the book text over the ebook format, so i could flip back and forth during the quiz section. Regardless, Dover has a fine product with engaging text and a tough quiz at the end. Well worth it fi the improving player.

[Karl Hallbjörnsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on precisely what the title says — how not to play chess. Very sound advice given, as well as entertaining and interesting games to be studied. Start and finish dates are not accurate.

[Cody Oldham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool little book. I was able to finish in three sittings. I enjoy his writing style and it was a quick easy read. Some good instruction, but a little light.

[Clintweathers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Znofsko-Borovsky was one of the first three authors that I was told to read when I started getting interested in competitive chess.

This is easily his most readable book, and one that every player should read after they have reached the competent beginner stage.

You can pick this up for a dollar at used bookstores, so read through it, write in the margins, dog ear the living bejeezus out of it.

[Scientia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collections of "do nots", great tips in there on how to avoid mistakes during a chess game and some amazing game puzzles, I had fun solving them with my friends.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this was a beginner book, but it was still too advanced for me.

[Joe Lux · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy practical reading