Play Winning Chess (Everyman Chess)

I've had a copy of this book since shortly after getting into chess in high school a few years ago, and it's still my favorite by a landslide. This is a book that'll have you walking away with a very strong foundation in chess. The book starts off with the basics: the movement of the pieces, algebraic notation (i.e. how chess moves are written in text), and some of the history of the game. You'll learn the basics of various tactics and strategies as the book jumps right into explaining force (how strong pieces are, eg their value - seasoned players know this as 'material'), time (covering the pace of play, 'tempo', etc.), space (breaking down the chess board, control of positions, etc.), and pawn structure (fairly self explanatory). There are also several quiz questions along the way to practice what you're reading, and each chapter has a number of test questions to re-emphasize and practice what you've learned. The most astounding thing about this book is that, after reading and studying it, not only will you have a solid foundation in chess, you'll be able to actually analyze a chess board. When I first got *really* into chess in high school, I played well, but a lot of it was based on gut feelings. I could usually get a feeling that I was in a better/worse position than my opponent, but I couldn't ever explain *why*. After this book, you'll know enough principles to actually outright analyze a chess board, even if it's only at a basic/beginner's level, e.g.: "Well, white is down two points of material, but his opponent is pinned against the wall and running out of room as white's pieces are better developed." For an experienced player, this sounds very basic, but (in my experience) it's something a lot of beginner books tend to gloss over. Also, Seirawan has an absolutely wonderful way of writing, with a smattering of (admittedly somewhat cheesy) humor that makes the book an absolute pleasure to read, rather than the dry writing of many other chess books! Here's an example, from pages 6-7: "...If you don't own a clock but want to time your games, you can use a tape recorder to sound a beep every 10 seconds. When you hear the beep, you must make your move or suffer some dire consequence--forfeiture of the game is the usual penalty, but you can be creative: loss of all your worldly possessions, exile to a remote island where nobody plays chess, and so forth." All in all, it's a *fantastic* book that I simply cannot recommend enough! Though this book alone won't magically take you right to mastery (nor can any single book), it absolutely provides an excellent foundation to begin learning to play chess well. I had a lot of success with it, and a friend of mine I purchased it for as a gift last year had a similar experience. Definitely recommended for the aspiring chess player. P.S. There is a glaring typo in one of the first few pages. 'rank' = row and 'file' = column, which is explained correctly in the glossary, but they're listed backwards early on in the book. The book is pretty much error-free, but there is that (not insignificant) one a few pages in. D'oh!

“Play Winning Chess” is the first in a series of “Winning Chess” books co-authored by American International Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and American International Master Jeremy Silman. It is an altogether excellent book that does a wonderful job of instructing beginners on how to play chess. I usually don’t purchase books intended for beginning chess players, but since “Play Winning Chess” is the first in a progressive series of books (the others being “Winning Chess Tactics,” “Winning Chess Strategies,” “Winning Chess Combinations,” “Winning Chess Openings,” and “Winning Chess Endings”), I decided to begin with the basics. I’m glad I did. What most impresses me about this book is how very well written it is. Seirawan and Silman are both exceptionally knowledgeable writers who convey their ideas with clarity, precision, and humor. Seirawan and Silman's prose reminds me a little of the late, great chess author Fred Reinfeld’s writing, and I consider that to be high praise indeed. “Play Winning Chess” is a very well-organized book. After covering the history and basic rules of chess, the authors explain their concepts with simplicity, according to four time-tested basic principles that will lead aspiring chess players to play winning chess. The four principles are: Force, Time, Space, and Pawn Structure. Using examples from games they played, Seirawan and Silman illustrate these principles in a clear and easily understandable manner. The book contains a bounty of diagrams to help illustrate the author’s points. However, the diagrams in the Kindle versions tend to be a bit on the small side. “Play Winning Chess” is perhaps the best novice player’s chess book I’ve ever read. It belongs in every serious beginner’s library. Highly recommended.

Having read several books on things like tactics, strategy, endgames, middlegames, openings, and collections of games, I want to say that a hard thing for me has been knowing where to start and what to focus on. This book keeps it pretty straightforward and clear, and of course it means to be an introduction to later books with more detail. I've been able to read through it pretty quickly. It has nice little quizes and tests, which I find that, if I really take the time to think through, give me feedback on what I have or haven't learned. I take away from this book the Author's 4 main principles, which I won't repeat here. What I will say is that the author gives a formula for calculating space controlled, and several examples & tests so that you can check whether you are doing it correctly. I've read more than once that it's important to control space, and I've seen diagrams saying things like "white has more space on the kingside". OK fine, and sometimes that's been apparent to me. But other times not. This formula is something that I have started to use because it is objective -- I know how to calculate it. Is it a perfect measure? I don't know, but it's a place to start. In total, I found the book to be enjoyable and helpful, and I like the author's writing style.

Its what i needed.

This book approaches all you need to know, from the rules to the mindset you have to have to play winning chess

本書の価値を語るなら、この作中文がベストだろう。 「ミハエル・タリは、あらゆる指し手を超高速で計算できる天才である。 ボトヴィニクは、多少の計算と、本書で習う四大原則で戦略を立て、彼に対抗した。 １９６０年の世界チャンピオン戦において、 異なるアプローチの二人が盤上で出した結論は・・・同じであった！」 多くの入門書ライターが述べるチェスの原則「あらゆる駒取りを調べよ！」とは、まったく対照的である。 この文章は、計算が不要だと言いたいのではない。 天才的頭脳だけが、強くなる道具ではない、と言いたいのだと思う。 本書で述べられる四大原則「セイラワン・メソッド」は、既存の考えと原則を、洗練収束したものと考えられる。 まず一つ一つが、わかりやすい。読書と英語に慣れていれば、ひとつ２～３日で読んで理解できるほどである。 そして、これらから得られるものは、チェスへの「洞察力と方針想像力」であり、 付け焼刃の「このときはこうする」「あのときはああする」「これの答えはこれ」ではない。 おかげでチェスをプレイして沸いてくる「どうしよう」「わからない」が激減した。 ベースは既存の基本原理なので、別のさまざまなチェス書籍にも応用でき、理解を促進してくれる。 序文から最後まで、著者のチェスへの情熱、ユーモア、読者への配慮にあふれている。 いちど読めば、著者とチェスの虜になることだろう。 おまけに文章も平易だ。辞書機能の乏しいKIndle for PCで読んでも、何とかなるレベルであった。しかも安い。 読めば本当にチェスが強くなるし、もっと楽しくなる。

Bättre än jag trodde.

The best book for beginners. It also gives wonderful basics like the importance of force,time, space and pawn structure. "Know your basics right and work your way up" This book is really good. Am loving it.