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Playing Winning Chess
Yasser has been praised for his clear introductions to chess topics. In this text, he provides dozens of instructive examples, question-and-answer sections, psychological hints, and sample games to teach player to strategize and play aggressively while having fun. And exuberant and conversational prose are speckled with personal anecdotes and historical details for an enjoyable read.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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1113 people want to read
About the author
Yasser Seirawan
36 books57 followersYasser Seirawan is an American chess grandmaster and four-time United States champion. He is a published chess author and commentator. His peak FIDE rating was 2658, which he reached in November, 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 9, 2018
"You don't have to be 7 feet tall, as quick as Carl Lewis, or as strong as Mike Tyson to play chess. All you have to do is think."
As a kid, I thought I played good chess. In reality, I only knew how the pieces moved, and I came to this realization last year, when a chess set gifted to me by my brother rekindled my love for the game. Playing a few online games convinced me that a blind pigeon could probably score better than I did, and so I set out to improve my skills.
I first discovered Yasser Seirawan through a series of lectures on YouTube. He's an excellent chess player and educator. Born in Syria, he moved to the US as a kid, and picked up chess around the age of 12. He won the World Junior Chess Championship at 19, and went on to win the US Chess Championship 4 times.
(Sidenote: 9 out of the top 10 US Chess players are immigrants. How cool is that?)
I had little knowledge of how chess works when I picked up this book. It's meant for the absolute beginner, so Yasser and his co-author Jeremy begin with some fascinating bits of chess history, and then go on to describe how the board works, and how the pieces move. There are four principles that are the focus of Play Winning Chess: Force, Time, Space, and Pawn Structure. Those terms meant nothing to me at the time, and Yasser does a great job of taking the reader through each principle.
There are many annotated games and examples in the book, and aside from a few illustrations, most are described in Standard Algebraic Notation (a system used to write down chess moves). Since I can't play blind chess, I had to have a chess board near me the entire time to be able to visualize the positions being described by the authors. I used an app for this, which made the process easier. That was my only issue with the book. There's not much the authors could've done about it, though!
At the end of each chapter is a test section, which I found to be very helpful. Bearing in mind that this is Book #1 out of 7 in the series, it was an excellent read.
Some tidbits:
"I play chess because it enables me to engage in a physically safe but psychologically strenuous battle in which I pit my wits against those of my opponent. Complex strategies that include vicious attacks and subtle defenses take me beyond the thrill of competition and into the realms of the creative process, of art. Each game demands an ordered mind and deep concentration, and can result not only in a deeply satisfying victory on the chessboard, but also in an improvement in my daily life due to the mental focus that playing chess develops in me."
"Young or old, black or white, male or female, jock or couch potato, cook or computer programmer—everyone can learn how to play chess and know the satisfaction of unleashing their creative and combative potential at the chessboard. Chess is in many ways a great equalizer. Having said that, I have to acknowledge that, perplexingly, chess is a great bastion of male chauvinism."
"His opponent, Louis Paulsen, has been deliberating over his move for 9 hours. Morphy, usually the epitome of politeness and certainly one of the quickest players around, finally feels the need to ask, “Excuse me, why aren’t you making a move?” Paulsen comes to life with a jerk: “Oh, I thought it was your move!”
Incidents such as this one prompted the idea that games should be timed, and in 1861 [...] introduced the concept of timed games to the world by timing the match with an hourglass for each player."
October 13, 2017
Short version: A fantastic beginner's guide on how to approach learning chess past how the pieces move.
Long version: Yasser breaks down the basics in terms of:
Force/material. - The value of the pieces, their main strengths/weaknesses and therefore when a trade of pieces is favourable.
Time. - How to mobilise your pieces efficiently and avoid situations where your opponent may force you to waste time.
Space. - How to evaluate how much room you have to manoeuvre your pieces, and what to do if you are ahead, or behind, in terms of space.
Pawn structure - How pawns build the backbone of chess and how to use them to control the battlefield, including how to avoid weaknesses in the structure of your pawns.
Finally, Yasser ends with several annotated games, explaining the reasoning behind each move in terms of Force, Time, Space and Pawn structure, allowing the reader to get a grasp of how to analyse their games, and learn from their mistakes.
A wonderful read for any aspiring chess player.
Long version: Yasser breaks down the basics in terms of:
Force/material. - The value of the pieces, their main strengths/weaknesses and therefore when a trade of pieces is favourable.
Time. - How to mobilise your pieces efficiently and avoid situations where your opponent may force you to waste time.
Space. - How to evaluate how much room you have to manoeuvre your pieces, and what to do if you are ahead, or behind, in terms of space.
Pawn structure - How pawns build the backbone of chess and how to use them to control the battlefield, including how to avoid weaknesses in the structure of your pawns.
Finally, Yasser ends with several annotated games, explaining the reasoning behind each move in terms of Force, Time, Space and Pawn structure, allowing the reader to get a grasp of how to analyse their games, and learn from their mistakes.
A wonderful read for any aspiring chess player.
August 24, 2018
I've started and not finished a couple of beginner's chess books now - this is the first one I've finished. Seirawan expects more rigor than most do, which is good - the use of teaching algebraic notation from the very beginning and almost demanding its use is very appreciated and will pay off a great deal. Excellent blend of humor, annotation, tactics, and ideas. The best beginner's chess book I've yet seen or read.
March 14, 2018
Has been my on and off lunchtime companion since the summer, in service of my (futile) goal to become better at chess. I enjoy chess because it is one of those rare activities that demand your total attention, which makes it therapeutic for me. I like how this book is organized into "4 key ideas". I am a sucker for that kind of presentation.
April 15, 2021
This is my second chess book to Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. Fischer’s book taught me a lot about what I’d call “chess vision” - I am much better now at seeing opportunities to mate opponents, and when I am at risk of mate. However, I finished that book disappointed, because I felt I had no idea what to do between the first move and the point where I was able to mate in 4 or less on the back rank. That’s where this book seems to help (haven’t had a ton of time to test the principles yet, so cannot comment on how they’ve helped my game just yet).
Seirawan discusses the principles behind why some moves are better than others. Why castle? What pieces should you move first, where, and why? What risks do you open yourself up to, how do you defend against them, and how do you identify and exploit your opponent’s weaknessses?
His discussion is succinct and thorough with plenty of examples, and his writing style is both fun and informative. There are quite a few “history of chess” notes that I found quite interesting. Overall I thought this was a very good book on chess; having read it I have a much better understanding of both the game itself and how to play it.
Seirawan discusses the principles behind why some moves are better than others. Why castle? What pieces should you move first, where, and why? What risks do you open yourself up to, how do you defend against them, and how do you identify and exploit your opponent’s weaknessses?
His discussion is succinct and thorough with plenty of examples, and his writing style is both fun and informative. There are quite a few “history of chess” notes that I found quite interesting. Overall I thought this was a very good book on chess; having read it I have a much better understanding of both the game itself and how to play it.
November 9, 2025
lord forgive me for I have read a chess book.
definitely better than 3* if you are wanting to take it on its instructional merits, but some downvoting for an almost comically terrible discussion of "women in chess" in the introduction
definitely better than 3* if you are wanting to take it on its instructional merits, but some downvoting for an almost comically terrible discussion of "women in chess" in the introduction
June 26, 2021
Came across a fellow who installed my new roof who complimented one of my chess sets. I take the game pretty seriously and have since the '70's. While my game is quite variable, I would estimate it is at about the 1600 level or about that of a serious club player. I have beaten some experts and even a Master but have lost to folks rated far lower. At any rate, this fellow seemed to have good instincts about the game but had never studied it. Did not know chess notation and was not as familiar with some of the more obscure rules. So a good primer for basic strategies is the Fischer book, "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" since it does not require familiarity with notation. I did caution him that the book flips at the end and works its way back since I noticed an number of these reviews thought it was a defect.
I also paired it with this first book in the Seirawan series to get him well grounded in the basics, including notation. Always great to be able to encourage someone in the love of the game!
Note also that Yas is also one of the nicer guys in the game. Met him at the U.S, Open when it was held in Jacksonville some years ago and we were both browsing the book selection. He started a nice conversation. His set of courses on the game are among the best for those hoping to develop some skill in the game of Kings.
I also paired it with this first book in the Seirawan series to get him well grounded in the basics, including notation. Always great to be able to encourage someone in the love of the game!
Note also that Yas is also one of the nicer guys in the game. Met him at the U.S, Open when it was held in Jacksonville some years ago and we were both browsing the book selection. He started a nice conversation. His set of courses on the game are among the best for those hoping to develop some skill in the game of Kings.
September 5, 2024
Amazing book, learned so much! Loved the sample games and the chapters naturally added new strategies throughout.
October 21, 2018
This is the second book by the authors that I have written, and it suffers from a bit of a Goldilocks problem. If the first book I read by the author was a bit too ambitious and difficult for someone whose chess ambitions are as modest as mine are at present, this book suffers from being a bit too basic. Admittedly, I read a fair amount of books about chess [1], but this one was far easier than expected. Admittedly, about thirty years ago this book would have been very useful, as I was at that time a total beginner when it came to chess and about to embark on the longest sustained chess playing period of my life, between the third and fifth grades, culminating in my third-place finish in my elementary school's annual chess tournament. At any stage later than that, though, this book is far too basic and far too fundamental for my own understanding of the game, and as such this is a book I can only recommend to those who need assistance about the very basics of chess and not the tactical problems or strategic and positional elements of chess that I am more interested in myself.
In terms of its contents, this book is a bit more than 200 pages long and seven chapters and consists of very straightforward material. After some acknowledgements and a brief introduction, the author talks about the evolution of chess over its history from a game played mainly by rulers and military leaders to a game that has a wide degree of popularity (although still mostly dominated by men) throughout the world (1). After that, the author talks about four basic principles of chess that must be mastered if one is to become a more successful player: force (2)--namely the amount of material that is devoted to victory, time (3)--one's tempo and initiative, space (4)--the amount of the board one's pieces cover, and pawn structure (5)--which determines whether one is dealing with an open or closed position. After that, the author gives some very lively comments on some annotated games (6), discusses what the four principles and their mastery mean for the intended reader (7), and various supplemental material like a photo album, glossary, answers to the quizzes and tests throughout the book, and an index. With this book the author meets a worthwhile project in writing a basic book for very early chess players, seeking to give them encouragement on how to better their game and devote themselves to mastery of it.
Even so, apart from the basic nature of the book, there were other elements of the book that I found somewhat bothersome. In particular, I was irritated by the author's moving into social matters through his expression of irritation that chess at the highest levels was dominated by men. I don't find any area of domination by men in this particular day and age to be something to regret, but instead something to celebrate and rejoice in, and the author's movement in gender politics was unwelcome for this reader. While I was certainly willing to cut the author a great deal of slack when it came to his oversimplification of various matters of chess history and strategy because of the audience this book was aimed at, the book's political angle proved to be at least one issue too many for me to overlook charitably. Given that the author is a very successful man himself at chess--and at one time (if not at present) one of the top ranking chess players in the world, the author's attempt to appeal to women and to contemporary gender politics comes off as unwelcome and unnecessary pandering, as empty and hollow as the FIDE titles for women that pander to their lower achievement rather than giving out rankings that reflect the massive contemporary disparity in chess achievement between men and women.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
In terms of its contents, this book is a bit more than 200 pages long and seven chapters and consists of very straightforward material. After some acknowledgements and a brief introduction, the author talks about the evolution of chess over its history from a game played mainly by rulers and military leaders to a game that has a wide degree of popularity (although still mostly dominated by men) throughout the world (1). After that, the author talks about four basic principles of chess that must be mastered if one is to become a more successful player: force (2)--namely the amount of material that is devoted to victory, time (3)--one's tempo and initiative, space (4)--the amount of the board one's pieces cover, and pawn structure (5)--which determines whether one is dealing with an open or closed position. After that, the author gives some very lively comments on some annotated games (6), discusses what the four principles and their mastery mean for the intended reader (7), and various supplemental material like a photo album, glossary, answers to the quizzes and tests throughout the book, and an index. With this book the author meets a worthwhile project in writing a basic book for very early chess players, seeking to give them encouragement on how to better their game and devote themselves to mastery of it.
Even so, apart from the basic nature of the book, there were other elements of the book that I found somewhat bothersome. In particular, I was irritated by the author's moving into social matters through his expression of irritation that chess at the highest levels was dominated by men. I don't find any area of domination by men in this particular day and age to be something to regret, but instead something to celebrate and rejoice in, and the author's movement in gender politics was unwelcome for this reader. While I was certainly willing to cut the author a great deal of slack when it came to his oversimplification of various matters of chess history and strategy because of the audience this book was aimed at, the book's political angle proved to be at least one issue too many for me to overlook charitably. Given that the author is a very successful man himself at chess--and at one time (if not at present) one of the top ranking chess players in the world, the author's attempt to appeal to women and to contemporary gender politics comes off as unwelcome and unnecessary pandering, as empty and hollow as the FIDE titles for women that pander to their lower achievement rather than giving out rankings that reflect the massive contemporary disparity in chess achievement between men and women.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
December 18, 2022
Very helpful, step by step guide that covers intermediate tactics in an engaging and understandable way.
Read
March 22, 2021Hmm. I can't deny how negatively the intro to this book landed with me. Chess, chess, chess+, awkward chess joke, chess, SEXISM, chess, chess, chess.
Did I think there was no sexism in chess? No, I did not think that. It was more, so out of left field. Yo, Yasser, why bother saying it? A non-sequitur to such a deeply abstract sport and abstract topic, where did this come from? Yuck. I guess men do this all the time where they have power and only a man could be surprised when it happens and he notices. Fair. Fair.
It is like discovering an articulate uncle whose words you admire on leadership actually does legit believe that climate change is a dream beamed into his head at night using the microchips found in the vaccine shot. Eeeeevery other thing he's ever said is shadowed by how dumb that one opinion is.
No doubt, this guy knows a lot about chess, but, uh, I'd still rather learn from someone else? Find a better book that covers the below topics.
#1 lesson:
-Use a physical chess board to play out examples described in chess notation, to play out famous games, and generally whenever possible. It improved my game a TON! I even played out my games against the computer on a wooden board and copied the moves in the real world. It is just easier to visualize all the possible options and then see the better move. It is also deeply satisfying playing the game and handling the pieces.
General tips:
-Don't obsess over captures
-Play for superior force (more pieces overall or more pieces in a strategic part of the board)
-Don't develop your strongest pieces in the first few turns of play because that puts them at risk to be taken because no one is there to back them up
-Play for superior time (more pieces being in their most optimal areas of the board before your opponent and do so with fewer moves to get them there)
-Gain a lead in development by getting your best pieces in places where they can influence the largest number of squares -- e.g. your Rooks do nothing without an open space in front of them
-Improve your pawn structure as you play, since pawns actually change the playable shape of the board
Did I think there was no sexism in chess? No, I did not think that. It was more, so out of left field. Yo, Yasser, why bother saying it? A non-sequitur to such a deeply abstract sport and abstract topic, where did this come from? Yuck. I guess men do this all the time where they have power and only a man could be surprised when it happens and he notices. Fair. Fair.
It is like discovering an articulate uncle whose words you admire on leadership actually does legit believe that climate change is a dream beamed into his head at night using the microchips found in the vaccine shot. Eeeeevery other thing he's ever said is shadowed by how dumb that one opinion is.
No doubt, this guy knows a lot about chess, but, uh, I'd still rather learn from someone else? Find a better book that covers the below topics.
#1 lesson:
-Use a physical chess board to play out examples described in chess notation, to play out famous games, and generally whenever possible. It improved my game a TON! I even played out my games against the computer on a wooden board and copied the moves in the real world. It is just easier to visualize all the possible options and then see the better move. It is also deeply satisfying playing the game and handling the pieces.
General tips:
-Don't obsess over captures
-Play for superior force (more pieces overall or more pieces in a strategic part of the board)
-Don't develop your strongest pieces in the first few turns of play because that puts them at risk to be taken because no one is there to back them up
-Play for superior time (more pieces being in their most optimal areas of the board before your opponent and do so with fewer moves to get them there)
-Gain a lead in development by getting your best pieces in places where they can influence the largest number of squares -- e.g. your Rooks do nothing without an open space in front of them
-Improve your pawn structure as you play, since pawns actually change the playable shape of the board
March 8, 2020
Seirawan's book is based on the idea that winning chess is based on four principles.
Force, Time, Space and pawn structure.
Looked at from his view the game then becomes simpler than when you first think about it.
What Seirawan has done is reduce a complex game to simple fundamentals.
Force looks at focusing your resources at a single point.
Time looks at deploying your resources in a timely manner. It has to be strategic as well as timely. He illustrates this by comparing the 'berseker' style to a well co-ordinated style.
After a while you realise that one or two bersekers charging a whole army will always lose and that the idea is to move the army as a unit.
With space, he introduces us to the story of Whilhem Steinitz (1836 - 1900) known as the first official chess world champion. Steinitz started of using the common 'berseker' style of the day i.e strong attacks, but then developed a more positional style of play.
He dominated the game for over 20 years.
Personally, I learnt the importance of space in my own games whereby I found a closed game was not really my strong suit and by exchanging pieces in such a scenerio I stood a better chance of winning.
The fourth principle linked with another hobby of mine. Boxing. Steinitz opened the chapter with an observation that once a boxer sees he has cut his opponent he will keep jabbing away at the cut in the hopes that the ring doctor will stop the fight. The same principle occurs in chess. When an isolated pawn is noted it should be attacked.
I was happy with the book and feel it has simplified the way I think about and play chess.
Where I could have done better is work through the exercises presented on an actual board, but I really couldn't be bothered.
I the type of person who when I'm reading, I'm reading. When I'm doing, I'm doing. I'm sure if I were to return to the book I would go through the exercsies and make a proper study of it.
Force, Time, Space and pawn structure.
Looked at from his view the game then becomes simpler than when you first think about it.
What Seirawan has done is reduce a complex game to simple fundamentals.
Force looks at focusing your resources at a single point.
Time looks at deploying your resources in a timely manner. It has to be strategic as well as timely. He illustrates this by comparing the 'berseker' style to a well co-ordinated style.
After a while you realise that one or two bersekers charging a whole army will always lose and that the idea is to move the army as a unit.
With space, he introduces us to the story of Whilhem Steinitz (1836 - 1900) known as the first official chess world champion. Steinitz started of using the common 'berseker' style of the day i.e strong attacks, but then developed a more positional style of play.
He dominated the game for over 20 years.
Personally, I learnt the importance of space in my own games whereby I found a closed game was not really my strong suit and by exchanging pieces in such a scenerio I stood a better chance of winning.
The fourth principle linked with another hobby of mine. Boxing. Steinitz opened the chapter with an observation that once a boxer sees he has cut his opponent he will keep jabbing away at the cut in the hopes that the ring doctor will stop the fight. The same principle occurs in chess. When an isolated pawn is noted it should be attacked.
I was happy with the book and feel it has simplified the way I think about and play chess.
Where I could have done better is work through the exercises presented on an actual board, but I really couldn't be bothered.
I the type of person who when I'm reading, I'm reading. When I'm doing, I'm doing. I'm sure if I were to return to the book I would go through the exercsies and make a proper study of it.
March 25, 2024
Must read after learning the bare basics of chess.
Force (strength of pieces and position)
Time Delicacy (building center quickly)
Space (Free reign of your pieces and piece structure)
Pawn Structure (never forget those powerful little guys)
The book also teaches algebraic notation quite simply.
Overall, my elo is going up, and I just stick with development and targeting blunders whilst my opponent berserks their queen.
Force (strength of pieces and position)
Time Delicacy (building center quickly)
Space (Free reign of your pieces and piece structure)
Pawn Structure (never forget those powerful little guys)
The book also teaches algebraic notation quite simply.
Overall, my elo is going up, and I just stick with development and targeting blunders whilst my opponent berserks their queen.
August 22, 2020
Yeni başlayanlar ya da oyuna olan bakışını değiştirmek isteyenler için muazzam bir kaynak. Seirawan Hocamınızın akıcı ve esprili diliyle de birleşince iş teorik olmaktan fazlasıyla çıkıyor. Anlatımı örnek ve testlerle süslemesi de kitabın kalıcılığını arttırıyor. Tavsiyem fiziksel bir takım önünüzdeyken okumanız yoksa dijital bir program da gayet iş görür.
August 27, 2009
Rather boring; a few interesting points, but nothing that really set this book apart from other "learn chess" books
October 5, 2010
An excellent introduction to chess. This book and Chess for Dummies are the best books I know of for those trying to acquaint themselves with the game. Strictly for the beginner.
July 9, 2012
Very, very basic introduction to chess.
November 18, 2024
Solid first Chess book for teens and adults. Seirawan is a gifted writer (unlike many Chess authors) and explains the basic components of the game really well.
Unlike many books that say they're about the fundamentals (looking at you Capablanca), Seirawan doesn't immediately expect the reader to know what the pieces do. You can be a complete neophyte and pick up this very accessible book. That about coves the first chapter. The rest cover more helpful concepts to the more advanced beginner. They are:
Force: The overall firepower the player has (where it counts).
Time: How quick the player can get down the board and execute their plans.
Space: The spacial control and general mobility of the pieces.
Pawn Structure: How pawns control the board, determine the course of the game (a big emphasis is placed on what NOT to do.
Overall, I found these categorizations helpful though I already learned much of them from Capablanca's Fundamentals. I recommend reading the books back to back as I did. Seirawan and Capablanca made wonderful teachers for me at about the same grade level. Seirawan is the smiley affable type you remember because he patiently explains thing to you in ways you remember. Capablanca is the grim type who expects you to work things out for yourself . Go with what resonates with your more first.
This book does not get a fifth star only because I found the instructive games kinda lame. Helpful, but not as exciting. Capablanca picked much, much better games that I'll likely play through again for the pure joy of it.
In summary, this is a fine first book for the 0-1,100 ELO crowd if you combine it with a diet of beginner mating puzzles (Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess did the trick for me as a first book). Those above may see it as an opportunity to see the fundamental concepts under a new light, but won't likely find anything outstanding. If you're in that boat, I think you would benefit more from returning to one of your own formative books. I'll return to a couple passages in the future, I'm sure.
This book has earned Seirawan a spot as one of my Chess mentors. I'll be reading other books in this series (possibly all of them).
Unlike many books that say they're about the fundamentals (looking at you Capablanca), Seirawan doesn't immediately expect the reader to know what the pieces do. You can be a complete neophyte and pick up this very accessible book. That about coves the first chapter. The rest cover more helpful concepts to the more advanced beginner. They are:
Force: The overall firepower the player has (where it counts).
Time: How quick the player can get down the board and execute their plans.
Space: The spacial control and general mobility of the pieces.
Pawn Structure: How pawns control the board, determine the course of the game (a big emphasis is placed on what NOT to do.
Overall, I found these categorizations helpful though I already learned much of them from Capablanca's Fundamentals. I recommend reading the books back to back as I did. Seirawan and Capablanca made wonderful teachers for me at about the same grade level. Seirawan is the smiley affable type you remember because he patiently explains thing to you in ways you remember. Capablanca is the grim type who expects you to work things out for yourself . Go with what resonates with your more first.
This book does not get a fifth star only because I found the instructive games kinda lame. Helpful, but not as exciting. Capablanca picked much, much better games that I'll likely play through again for the pure joy of it.
In summary, this is a fine first book for the 0-1,100 ELO crowd if you combine it with a diet of beginner mating puzzles (Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess did the trick for me as a first book). Those above may see it as an opportunity to see the fundamental concepts under a new light, but won't likely find anything outstanding. If you're in that boat, I think you would benefit more from returning to one of your own formative books. I'll return to a couple passages in the future, I'm sure.
This book has earned Seirawan a spot as one of my Chess mentors. I'll be reading other books in this series (possibly all of them).
September 23, 2019
If I had not previously read Chess for Dummies then I would have been much more enlightened by Yasser Seirawan's introductory book. The former book takes its structure from this series by Seirawan, with this first volume going over the four elements of chess: force (material), time (development), space, and pawn structure. I appreciated Seirawan's writing style, which has entertaining flair to it that adds a degree of levity to the usual serious world of chess.
I also like the focus on general concepts rather than explicit directions and move lists. For example, while the opening white move of e4 is used repeatedly, he explains why this is a sound opening move based on the four elements. The same guidelines were also in Chess for Dummies, so it's hard to reinvent the wheel in a game as old and established and analyzed as chess.
I do wish there were more diagrams to go along with all the move annotations. Chess for Dummies had practically a diagram for each move, which might be overkill and kill a few more trees than necessary. I assume this book has limited diagrams to conserve space but also to force the reader to break out an actual board and move the pieces. Repeating something yourself rather than just reading it always helps to absorb the concepts better. And especially in a game, so your eyes get used to seeing the patterns on the board.
So I didn't learn an abundance of new material since I was already familiar with its concepts. But that's as it should be since this is another introductory book, with more focus on tactics and strategies and openings and endgames in subsequent volumes. But I felt like I needed the reinforcement in a different style before moving on to those higher level concepts.
I also like the focus on general concepts rather than explicit directions and move lists. For example, while the opening white move of e4 is used repeatedly, he explains why this is a sound opening move based on the four elements. The same guidelines were also in Chess for Dummies, so it's hard to reinvent the wheel in a game as old and established and analyzed as chess.
I do wish there were more diagrams to go along with all the move annotations. Chess for Dummies had practically a diagram for each move, which might be overkill and kill a few more trees than necessary. I assume this book has limited diagrams to conserve space but also to force the reader to break out an actual board and move the pieces. Repeating something yourself rather than just reading it always helps to absorb the concepts better. And especially in a game, so your eyes get used to seeing the patterns on the board.
So I didn't learn an abundance of new material since I was already familiar with its concepts. But that's as it should be since this is another introductory book, with more focus on tactics and strategies and openings and endgames in subsequent volumes. But I felt like I needed the reinforcement in a different style before moving on to those higher level concepts.
September 2, 2023
Aimed at complete beginners. The opening chapter literally explains the rules of chess, from how the pieces move to en passant. By the last chapter he's talking about some fairly challenging concepts, like pawn structures.
I think this is a great book to gift someone who wants to learn chess, but I wasn't too impressed by the structure of the book. The chapters had fancy titles like "The Second Principle: Time", but many of the ideas presented under these Force and Time and Space sections really busy boil down to common sense. I'm not saying the ideas aren't useful, I just think it doesn't really help to think of them in the terms the author is describing. For example I doubt I'm ever going to actually calculate a space advantage using the square counting method he proposed.
But plenty of the teachings were really useful and at their worst, still nice refreshers. The pawn structures chapter is a good reader for players of any level IMO, as are the few annotated games.
I think this is a great book to gift someone who wants to learn chess, but I wasn't too impressed by the structure of the book. The chapters had fancy titles like "The Second Principle: Time", but many of the ideas presented under these Force and Time and Space sections really busy boil down to common sense. I'm not saying the ideas aren't useful, I just think it doesn't really help to think of them in the terms the author is describing. For example I doubt I'm ever going to actually calculate a space advantage using the square counting method he proposed.
But plenty of the teachings were really useful and at their worst, still nice refreshers. The pawn structures chapter is a good reader for players of any level IMO, as are the few annotated games.
February 25, 2021
Chess is the greatest game ever created. As such it has been skill #78934658 that I decided to work on during covid. As with most games of skill your innature skill level will hit a plateau, which mine likely did about 2 decades ago. A google of top chess books showed this one to be one of the top ones to push through plateaus and learn the fundamentals of the game.
Definitely recommend this book whether you're a beginner or intermediate. It will teach you the, to steal a Dalio term, first principles of chess, and even better, explain why certain things make a lot more sense than others. Why certain moves make no sense. How to trap people. How to play the beginning, middle, and endgames. Guaranteed to make you a better player as you learn the principles and play through dozens of game examples - learning the why.
Would you like to play a game?
Definitely recommend this book whether you're a beginner or intermediate. It will teach you the, to steal a Dalio term, first principles of chess, and even better, explain why certain things make a lot more sense than others. Why certain moves make no sense. How to trap people. How to play the beginning, middle, and endgames. Guaranteed to make you a better player as you learn the principles and play through dozens of game examples - learning the why.
Would you like to play a game?
August 19, 2024
The quintessential beginner chess book. Yasser Seirawan is a former world number 3 of the game but he is a world number 1 contender as far as I am concerned with chess teaching. This book is the first of a winning chess series of his that covers in broad strokes the basic core concepts of the game of kings.
Yasser has such an understanding approach to chess teaching and a perfect way of breaking down what he calls the four facets of the game: force, time, space and pawn structure. I’ve read several other beginner chess books, but this is the one I would first recommend to pure beginners but also I would say is worthwhile for club players to own and read through as well. The concepts are put in such a superb way there is still something to gain for people who have played the game for years.
Yasser has such an understanding approach to chess teaching and a perfect way of breaking down what he calls the four facets of the game: force, time, space and pawn structure. I’ve read several other beginner chess books, but this is the one I would first recommend to pure beginners but also I would say is worthwhile for club players to own and read through as well. The concepts are put in such a superb way there is still something to gain for people who have played the game for years.
April 26, 2020
Grand Master Yasser Seirawan and veteran chess writer Jeremy Silman serve up a reasonably good introduction to the game. Though this is neither the gentlest nor the most engaging basic chess book I’ve ever read, it does a reasonably good job of walking the thin line between confusing and stupid. Every once in awhile it introduces a concept or two without explaining them thoroughly. But overall beginners should find this a good starting point. The authors break chess strategy down into a simple, four-concept plan, which I thought was a nice move. I also liked the occasional inclusion of biographical info about some of the game’s better players. Anyone trying to learn the game for the first time (or even brush up a bit after being gone for awhile) could do a lot worse.
November 18, 2021
Oof. Okay, it's been a while since I read this one. My copy was not an ebook, but had the same cover of this purchased through ThriftBooks. The illustrations were of good quality, but read a few places the newer edition had lower resolution. The book would be good for a beginner, and made some interesting tips for me as an intermediate player, but used far much time on the basics for most avid players. I am mostly a 12-- player on Chess.com, and found some of the positional stuff helpful. There is oddly a photo section with captions like, "A Chess Tournament In Action" which is clearly not what most players want, but there it is. I don't know. If you're looking for some basic help this one is clear and well-written. You could do worse.
March 24, 2023
It is tough to blend accurate information and interesting history into a book designed for novices just entering the chess world. Seirawan does it here better than anyone else I've seen. For me, this is the definitive beginner's book for chess and will be the book I recommend to anyone interested in getting into the game. Seirawan's key principles are solid, the examples are very applicable and easy to follow, and the quizzes and tests are a good blend of difficulties. Even though I've been working on my chess for several months now, I found this both a great review of basic principles as well as providing instruction on several new ideas.
Read more at https://znovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/...
Read more at https://znovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/...
April 5, 2021
A great introductory book for anyone who wants to enter the world of chess and not only that but a great book that reminds us to keep in mind the basic principles while playing chess at any level.
Although I wasn't new to chess when I read this book, it still was a lot fun and helpful reading Yasser's guide to play winning chess. This book will surely help beginners but also to players at higher level in many ways.
The Annotated games were fun to follow on the board :)
Loved my first Chess Book read!
Although I wasn't new to chess when I read this book, it still was a lot fun and helpful reading Yasser's guide to play winning chess. This book will surely help beginners but also to players at higher level in many ways.
The Annotated games were fun to follow on the board :)
Loved my first Chess Book read!
November 11, 2017
I've known how to play chess for almost as long as I can remember. Regardless, I never felt much better than a fresh beginner. This book has filled gaps in my chess knowledge and has renewed my interest in the game. Seirawn encourages the beginner to learn the foundations of sound play by study and practice. Learn for the masters. Learn from your own mistakes. Don't be afraid to play anyone-- even a grand master. Just enjoy the game-- even if you're playing at a serious level.
June 20, 2018
I started this book 2 years ago with the intention to read all of Yasser Seirawan's series but I lost interest in the final pages (as I always do). Still , It was a very interesting read based on solid historical research on chess and it's fundamentals. I'd recommend this to beginners or passionate players. As for novice or advanced players I'd recommend further reading into Seirawan's series, as I intend to do at some point in the future..hopefully.
March 20, 2021
Good, clear introduction to chess and its foundational principles. The only downside is that some of the annotations given of what the best move is may not be accurate (i.e. the author says the best move is X but modern engines like Stockfish says otherwise), so you may have to play this on Stockfish, Lichess, or Chess.com yourself.
Also, the lack of diagrams makes it hard to imagine the positions - you'd either have to play it out on a physical board, or play on the computer.
Also, the lack of diagrams makes it hard to imagine the positions - you'd either have to play it out on a physical board, or play on the computer.
April 4, 2022
I won’t say that I have all of the subtleties in this book mastered but as I’m trying to relearn some chess tactics and strategies. (after a VERY long absence) I found it to be a good reentry into the game. But I did play through all of the examples in the book and knocked some rust off my brain.
Next steps. Play a few games (probably online) and then move onto winning chess tactics and winning chess strategies. The next 2 in the series
Next steps. Play a few games (probably online) and then move onto winning chess tactics and winning chess strategies. The next 2 in the series
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