Let's Play Chess

by Bruce Pandolfini

Presents chess fundamentals in numbered statements in arranged graded sequence with 198 diagrams.

Genres: Chess, Nonfiction, Games, Reference

Paperback

First published September 1, 1980

About the author

Bruce Pandolfini (born September 17, 1947) is an American chess author, teacher, and coach. A USCF national master, he is generally considered to be America’s most experienced chess teacher. As a coach and trainer, Pandolfini has possibly conducted more chess sessions than anyone in the world. By the summer of 2015 he had given an estimated 25,000 private and group lessons.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Matthew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely recommended for anyone wanting to learn. Mad quick read if you want it to be, only 120/130 pages or so. Real easy to understand and explains things in a very easy manor.

[Deepak Jaisinghani · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent starting point for beginners. Pandolfini explains not only the moves and tactics, he also advocates sound principles and clears certain misconceptions.

A noob is sure to find tremendous value in the book. A seasoned player does not need this book, as it's too basic for someone of a professional calibre. But what about an amateur player like me who knows the rules and tricks of the game, but is looking to improve his overall game? I believe most of us belong in that category. So did I discover something new that might help me? Oh yes I did.

1) Many don't even know the existence of en-passant rule in chess. I was aware about it but did not grasp the meaning of it. It helped me understand the 'why' behind rules such as castling and en-passant.
2) I am unable to see past three or four moves. As Pandolfini puts it, 'Unless you are aspiring to be a professional chess player, you just need to see three half-moves ahead and you are playing chess'.
3) Capturing is an inherent part of the game. You cannot expect to capture your opponent's pieces without some kind of exchange. The author introduced me to the concept of exchange value of pieces and how to decide if a particular exchange of pieces/pawns is worth it.
4) The ideas are expressed in words, not in typical chess notations which make it difficult for a beginner (or for that matter, any reader) to understand.

The most important takeaway for me was this incredible piece of advice: "If you cannot see the point behind the opponent's sacrifice of a piece, rely on your own thinking powers and assume there isn't one." Wow! If you are right and the opponent's sacrifice was indeed for nothing, then you gain an advantageous position. If you are wrong and the sacrifice was made to lure you into a trap, then your opponent teaches you something. Either way, you win.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it purports to be, a guide for beginners to the game of chess. In a series of 800 brief paragraphs, numbered for easy refence, the author takes someone with no knowledge of the game through all of the rules and introduces basic concepts of strategy and tactics. Many of these concepts are bolstered by simple, easy to understand illustrations. The benefit of numbering the paragraphs makes it easy to look something up if you do not understand it first time through.

If you are already familiar with the game you are not going to find anything new here, but the publisher, Russell Enterprises Inc. does include a list of 100 other publications to bolster your chess library.

If you are new to chess or know someone who is interested, this would be an excellent way to get introduced to the game.

[Amy Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful introduction for an adult who knows how the pieces are supposed to move and that’s about it - a lot of beginner’s chess books seem to plop you down in the middle of the conversation, assuming a level of knowledge and sophistication you don’t have yet, or are written for children or adolescents and therefore are too cutesy. This book, for whatever reason, seemed orderly and methodical to me, with exercises to work on at various points in the book and even a sample game toward the end, with explanations of the various moves that could have been (but weren’t) chosen and why they worked or were a mistake. It is the tip of the iceberg, of course, but it was helpful for me.

[Graham Lipsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes hard. The author has little quips throughout that make it clear he sees chess as deathly serious—it's take no prisoners war, and you play to win. Fun to read for that reason. Despite the stakes laid out, Pandolfini's not rigid. Savvy to the give and take of the game, he does a great job communicating that mindset with examples and explanations. Straightforward and to the point throughout, it's a great introduction to the mindset of chess.

If you've played before, you can definitely heavily skim the first half of the book, which has great tidbits but mostly just introduces the rules of chess rather exhaustively.

[Anjela Bugher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like many people who really liked The Queen's Gambit, I came away wanting to learn more chess skills. This was recommended as one of the first books a beginner should read, and I disagree. While it contains lots of really useful information, it's not put together well and reads very dry and boring. I'm hoping to find something much more approachable soon.

[Bronte Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's Play Chess is a complete beginners guide to the world of chess. Set out in the form of 800 statements it goes over all the rules as well as basic tactics and principles. The format made it easy to read and also to go back and look up previous statements and the author is clearly very knowledgeable!

[Joshua Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sound introduction to chess – not only explaining the rules, but also the basic principles of play.

[Greg McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for the new player!!

A very easy and understandable read. Bruce is a great author! Recommended to anyone wanting to learn chess. Good Luck!

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

They said this is the best book a beginner should start with. They said, if you want to read any one book about chess, it is this one.

I think they were right.

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bruce Pandolfini, a USCF National Master, takes novices from the basic rules of chess to a set of introductory principles to follow through the opening, middlegame, and endgame of a chess match. By familiarizing players with the rules and basics of playing, Pandolfini does one of the most important things in introducing new players to any game: making them comfortable enough to show their face at the playing field. With the groundwork laid in this short book, anyone can go from not knowing a pawn from a bishop, much less having heard of the en passant capture, to being a chess player on the path toward improving his or her game every day.

[Bill Magill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for beginners or for someone who learned chess a long time ago but has only played sporadically over a number of years and never went much past the basics, but wants to get better (me). It is an easy read and gives all the essential principles. It has improved my game significantly.