Play Winning Chess: An Introduction to the Moves, Strategies, and Philosophy of Chess from the U.S.A.'s #1-Ranked Chess Player

My chess "career" started 20 years ago as a child. However, like many people, it stagnated. I got to a certain point, and then got bogged down in trying to learn opening sequences and just ran out of steam and got bored. I was under the impression that to play chess well, you had to have a great memory to remember all those opening variations. Yasser Seirawan tells us different. He introduces 4 concepts - Force, Time, Space and Pawn structure. Playing with these principles in mind, memory is not required. In a very friendly and conversational style used throughout this book, Yasser relates a story from when he was young. His opponent was playing his first moves really fast, and Yasser struggled to maintain equality. However, by the time the middle game arrived, they were "out of the book", and Yasser quickly dispatched him, using these principles. This book is a very good introduction to the game of chess. It covers the basic rules in the first 38 pages and then quickly moves onto the 4 principles. Another interesting facet of the book is that it is dotted with historical references and anecdotes about some of the legendary Grandmasters of the game. Highly recommended. I have already ordered his next book in this series, "Winning Chess Tactics"

This is a great introduction, but it may not be for everyone. It's not a simple problem-answer type book, such as Bobby Fischer teaches chess, and calls for a lot more attention. It fits my style perfectly, and got me up to the point where I can play a decent game and appreciate some of the subtleties of the game. Have a look through it and see if it fits your learning style - this is one of the best introductary books available.

I purchased this book after reading the many reviews here, but noticed that a lot of the reviewers are fairly strong players already. Not that I don't appreciate their judgement, but it's probably more appropriate to see what a novice thinks of this book.I learned how to play chess at an early age, but never played much. I knew the rules, and how to move pieces, but had no idea how to really play. This book took me from the post Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess stage (that's the only other book I had at the time) to a level where I feel comfortable playing the game. While this book starts out at a very low level, don't let it fool you; it skips a lot and gets heavy pretty fast. So it's not ideal for a total beginner, but requires a good deal of attention and is best for someone who can grasp the basics quickly, since the author skips over them in just one chapter.Beyond that, this is an excellent book, and I have already ordered others in the series. The author neither talks down to the reader, nor does he patronize them. It's a relaxed tone, and that helps a lot.The only negative point is that the diagrams don't have coordinates, which makes it a little difficult to get used to spotting the right squares.

This book is the best modern primer on chess available. Yasser Seirawan writes with the authority of a top-rated chess player whose main idea is to get beginners to learn the main ideas about chess. Unlike other books, Seirawan pays little attention to specific moves and concentrates on four important cornerstones of the chess game. Material ("Force") is usually the concept which is easier to assimilate, but Yaz successfully stresses that development ("Time"), territorial advantage ("Space") and position ("Pawn Structure") are as important as the first concept. The clarity with which he explains the ideas and connects them makes this book very suitable also for initiated players who are still crude in chess theory. The merit of this book is that newcomers will learn how to decide upon their chess moves taking into account the most important points of the game. Eight short games thoroughly annotated follow, where the practical aspects of all four elements are shown. A nice picture album, a very useful glossary, and quizzes spread along the text nicely complement the reading. Recommended for beginners and for those who, although already familiar with the way the chessmen move, want to take up the game of chess more seriously. (USCF ratings up to 1200).

I stumbled onto this book by accident and before I read it, chess was a total mystery to me. Now, I can play a game of chess with a sense of (albeit limited) purpose; I am able to evaluate if I am in a good or bad position and I actually win sometimes! Mr. Seirawan states his intention as wanting to make chess accesible to the common man. He can rest assured in his successful education of the absolute worst chess moron. I've now bought all the other books in the series. Mr. Seirawan has made me a fan of chess. In addition to being an easy read, it is witty and does a great job of giving one a sense of the history, the whys and the hows of chess. Excellent for a beginner.