Play Winning Chess

I'm unsure if it's my fault for not digging deep enough before I purchased this book, but the title 'Play Winning Chess' feels very misleading. This feels more like an introduction to the game more than anything; a book for those that have never even touched chess. I began to get a bit frustrated when, 60 pages in, I simply hadn't learnt a thing. The brief sections on concepts such as pins and forks left me quite entertained, until I realised they were only 2 pages each, including a full page of an in-game example (an unrealistic one at that). It felt as though I was about to learn something new a lot of the time, but it just never went anywhere.I remember that the chapter regarding Pawn Structure, the one that I was most anticipating as I was weak in that regard, was interrupted with a 2-page autobiography regarding the author's personal life; and as such is common in this book, the chapter ended shortly thereafter.I can say that after reading most of this book, my (chess.com) rating climbed from 1300-1400. The worst part is that I'm not even sure I can attribute that to the book in any sense, it was just natural improvement. Not once during any game played after reading this book did I even regard it in my though process, I simply played with my natural intuitions that I had beforehand.I can safely say I will be avoiding this series of books from here onwards.

The joy and exuberance that accompanies Seirawan's videos is captured in essence in this bookChess books are usually not the best way that children learn chess these days. There are many good web-sites that do a good job explaining concepts and openings. I loved this book because it is a great way to read the book and follow the growth of a chess player.I would recommend this book to any parent or coach who want to introduce chess to their kids.

...buy this book.Ok... play some games first and after you realise you love the game and want to learn more about how to play better chess then buy this book.It focuses on the 4 key principles of chess. Force, Space, Time and Pawn structure. You will take a huge leap forward if you study these ideas presented in this book.It's well written and easy to follow, but not patronising. This book challenges you to reach the next level and you may have to spend time going over what is being taught.Excellent Chess book for the beginner with aspirations of moving forward with chess.

Educational.

This is the first book of a superb series on how to play chess and improve your game. Lively, clear explanations, interesting and helpful. Encouraging for the beginner who wants to improve their game. Highly recommended, even players at a Superior level of achievement will find (be reminded of) useful hints and tips..