The Complete Chess Course

For the money, this is probably one of the better picks I have made. The language and terminology is quite usable in this large volume. The diagrams are very helpful. I can truely say that this work helped my game. Having played this wonderful game for over 52 years now, I am still what I consider a rank beginner. Having played this game competitively for a number of years, I learned first hand just how far I had to go and how far I had come (which apparently is not very far). For me, this was a good book. I found it quite helpful to stay centered. By the looks of some of the other reviewers here, I see we have some "real" experts who apparently gleaned little from this work. I feel great for them and certainly hope after another fifty or so years I will be able to reach their heights. In the meantime, I will enjoy this great game, have fun doing it, and still return to this work, if for nothing else, then a brush-up or tune-up. Sometimes the simplist things are overlooked. This work reminds you of those things. Recommend you add this one to your collection. For those beginners...you will find, after playing competitively, that there are many, many egos which sort of run amok in the world of chess, which can, if you let them, sort of ruin a very nice time. Ignore them and play on! Don Blankenshp The Ozarks

I stumbled across this book as a child when I ambled down the wrong aisle at the library - thus began a lifelong attachment to chess! I was astounded that so much could be written about a mere game. Reinfeld does several things which are guaranteed to get the beginner involved right off the mark: 1) No hero worship - The names of the masters who play the example games and positions are almost entirely omitted. Thus the beginning student is presented, not with unapproachable paragons of skill, rather, cold hard chess as it happens at the board. 2) Games chosen from the "golden" age - The games in the book are mostly from the 19th century, and highlight the basic themes beginners should understand in stark clarity. Many of the games are by Steinitz. You won't see the fantastically deep strategies of Alekhine, which are incomprehensible to a beginner. The book concludes with the great Pillsbury-Tarrasch game from Hastings 1895. 3) Explicit instructions on basic checkmates - Surprising how hard to find this simple material can be. 4) General tone of great enthusiasm for the game - Yes, the double exclamation points and so on are a little "homerish" now and then, but infectious for the beginning player. 5) Just enough about openings to allow the beginner to master the main lines - It would be foolish to overwhelm the beginning player with page after page of detailed opening theory. I'm convinced that only advanced players should study the openings it great detail. 6) A "break it down" approach - There may be 8 or 10 "bad moves" instead of 9 - nevertheless Reinfeld gives the beginner a "hook" to focus on and I entirely approve of this approach. In my case it made an instant and drastic improvement of my game. This part of the book might well have been titled "The Discoveries of Paul Morphy". I could go on but I'll just say, this is a wonderful book for beginners and I wholeheartedly endorse it! -drl

This is an excellent book if, like me, you are seeking a single book to study AND you only aspire to be a casual chessplayer. If, on the other hand, you are looking to become a competitive tournament player, this book probably isn't for you.I'll take the word of some other reviewers that the analysis and openings are out of date. However, in my casual circle of play, it doesn't matter. Most of us can't tell a Giuoco Piano from a Steinway Piano, and most of us don't care. We play for fun, not competition. (I'm not slamming competitive players, merely recognizing that different people play for different reasons.)This book helped me to become a better casual player. I can now make sense out of my games, and have a better ability to plan my game. It's made chess a lot more fun, even when I lose (a not-uncommon outcome.) The analysis isn't deep, but it's understandable and to the point. It's also relevant to the level of chess at which I play.

An outstanding book for beginners as well as advanced chess players. The book takes the player from beginner to the advanced stages of chess with outstanding advice on openings,middlegame and endings, all illustrated by master games. There are chapters on how to play the white and black pieces and a host of clear diagrams and easily understood explanations. All of this in a big book of over 600 pages. This book is a classic, without question. Although Reinfeld is criticized for making his books simple I dont find this to be a fault, but a virtue. This book is an excellent example of clear and easy to understand writing. Practice not knowledge makes the master. A GREAT book!

Reinfeld is (was) one of the most user-friendly authors of introductory chess books. Reinfeld loved the game, explained it in simple and clear terms and made a reader believe he could play better chess too. This is a book for novices and lower-rated players looking for concepts and simple themes. For me this book has nostalgia value only (I'm rated 2150 USCF now) but I'd recommend this book for people who are casual players not looking for serious annotations with riqorous analysis, but do want something instructional that won't be over their heads. As a kid, reading Reinfeld WAS FUN!!