By Jonathan Whitcomb, author of Beat That Kid in Chess
Let’s begin with my own book and who it is not for. In spite of its title, Beat That Kid in Chess is not intended solely for children. In fact, the reading level can make it difficult for an average younger child to read. It’s best for beginners from about age eleven through teenagers and adults.
My chess book is also not for those who want to learn the rules of the game, neither is it for those who have played many games and have already learned to win about half the time against beginners. Beat That Kid in Chess is for the raw beginner who already knows how to move the pieces but who wants to learn how to defeat other raw beginners.
Beat That Kid in Chess
This paperback book has ten chapters:
- Checkmate
- Power Grabbing
- Defending the Fort
- Tactics in Battle
- Remember the Order
- The End Game
- The Middle Game
- The Opening
- Simple Exercises
- Advanced Exercises
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CHESS — 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games
This huge paperback book, by Laszlo Polgar, may not be the most efficient tool for an average chess player to learn to win more games, but it appears to be very thorough in what it does. A dedicated study of these many chess puzzles can make it possible for you to dazzle some opponents with tactical finesses.
The weakness in this chess book probably resembles that of many other publications that concentrate on problem solving alone: It teaches you how to make a combination when the position offers you that choice, but it does not teach you how to arrive at that winning position. This big book is not for beginners and probably not best for many intermediate players, but what it does do—that it can do in a big way. If you already have some skill in sometimes arriving at a superior position, training with this book may prepare you to blast through your opponents’ defenses, at least some of the time.
Of necessity, the images of the chess positions are small. I have taken some of my favorites and printed them on larger sheets of paper for my personal study (no copyright issues here, for I did not take the images directly from the book, just the chess positions).
Chess – 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games
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Winning Chess Endings
This book by Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, like the one by Polgar, is not the best chess book for a raw beginner. Yet this publication can be a great stand-alone resource for many players. It teaches you how, in the end game, you can win when you have an advantage and draw when you have a disadvantage.
It’s highly recommended in many Amazon reader reviews:
- 70% five-stars
- 20% four-stars
- 10% three-stars
On August 24, 2016, it appears that thirty readers have given their reviews of this chess book, with none of them rating it with less than three stars. If you already have some proficiency in the royal game, you cannot go far wrong with this publication.
Take the highest praises in perspective, however. Only four of the twenty-two five-star reviews were from readers with a verified purchase. On the other hand, none of the three three-star reviews were by verified purchasers. To be brief, if this book had any significant flaw (making it worthy of less than three stars), then at least one reader would probably have made it known on the Amazon page.
My own experience with this chess book has been very positive and I highly recommend it for intermediate-level players of the royal game. In fact, many higher-rated competitors would do well to get their own copy and study it.
Winning Chess Endings, by Yasser Seirawan
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I’m a chess tutor in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah and the author of the book Beat That Kid in Chess. Let’s compare face-to-face private chess lessons with learning from one or more books on the royal game.
Looking at chess publications including the following:
- The Art of Chess Combination
- How to Beat Your Dad at Chess
- Beat That Kid in Chess
- Fundamental Chess Openings
For a teenager or adult who knows the rules of chess but little else, the choice may be easy: the new book Beat That Kid in Chess or the old one Chess for Dummies. If the book purchase is for a gift, the first title is obviously much better, unless you want to insult the one you’re giving the book to.
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