Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess: Basic to Advanced Strategies with America's Foremost Chess Instructor

A rather unusual book in that a good part of it consists of answers to the kind of common-sense questions that a chess player of moderate skill would really like to put to an expert. Too many books on chess offer views that, however brilliant, leave the reader wondering exactly how to make use of the advice offered. I have read other books by Pandolfini and I regard him as one of the best chess experts.

When I picked up this book used on a whim, I didn't realize just how valuable it would turn out to be. As the other reviewers have noted, it is definitely for beginners. However, for this particular beginner, it has been illuminating in ways that other "introductory" chess books have not. The frequent use of diagrams makes it ideal for reading when you don't have a board handy - or if you have small children who would make a chess board a liability rather than an asset. In particular, I like the way Pandolfini truly explains things that are merely stated in other books. For example, I have seen the statement in other books that king's pawn openings tend to lead to open games, whereas queen pawn openings lead to closed games. This book, on the other hand, actually explains why this is the case. Admittedly, the dialogue is sometimes contrived, and the humor is rather corny. But then, Pandolfini does not pretend to be Dave Barry; he is here to teach chess - and he does that very well.

This was a very good book for me (a beginner). The student-teacher dialogue made the information flow in a fun and easy to follow format, explaining a lot of the 'whys' for each move, but not in a mind-numbing way. I love this kind of learning format and hope more books are out there like it. I think it is very good for any beginner learning the game, from the bare basics to beyond that. Well done!

This book is easily the best chess instruction book that I have ever seen for beginners and novices. It uses the socratic method of a student/teacher question and answer dialogue that is not only easy to understand, it is the method of learning that is engrained in all of us. Pandolfini assumes that the reader has no history with the game. Thus, the book discusses everything from the history of the game to setting up the board, to basic rules of the game. Then, in the later chapters, the discussion goes into intermediate theory in tactics and strategy. Finally, by the time you finish the book, you will have a deep enough understanding of chess that you will be able to move on to more advanced chess instruction. I recommend this book highly. Chess books tend to be a bit stuffy. They can overwhelm the uninitiated. So initiate yourself with this primer, and welcome to the fascinating world of chess

Fabulous book. The diagrams are unusual and sharp, altogether extremely nice. The book is extraordinarily specific, yet manages to find space for a humongous amount of information ranging from opening principles to the comparing of pieces to quotes related to chess. Having been in the chess world for a few years, I have seen many chess "instruction manuals", but this one stands head and shoulders above them all.