Weapons of Chess: An Omnibus of Chess Strategies

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Edition: Paperback
Author: Bruce Pandolfini
Skill Range: Beginner
Publisher: Fireside Chess Library
Year Published: 1989
# of Pages: 288
ISBN: 0671659723

Description:

With Weapons of Chess, National Master and highly acclaimed teacher Bruce Pandolfini brings us the most accessible and easy-to-use chess strategy book ever.

Written for beginning and intermediate players, Weapons of Chess is the first encyclopedia of chess strategies that doesn't rely on the usual baffling chess notation. There are no symbolic chess moves, no charts or sequences in chess notation: every move is explained in words.

Arranged alphabetically for easy use and based mainly on pawn formation, the incredibly detailed and thorough entries in this book talk a player through dozens of common strategic dilemmas, such as "doubled pawn," "bishops vs. knights," and "hanging pawn pair." Diagrams illustrate the terms, first showing the basic position and then strategically moving to more complicated versions of it. Players will learn how to formulate plans once they have reached a middlegame, enabling them to make wiser strategic decisions after the first few moves of the game.

Designed for use as a ready reference during actual practice games, and usable without a chess board, Weapons of Chess is a unique and invaluable resource for any developing chess player.

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by Howlingbanshee - 2 months ago
Bedford, TX United States

Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 120

Rating:

This book was decent for a beginner. The sections on pawn structure are probably the most informative. No games were explained just many diagrams. I enjoyed it and would recomend it, not vital for a chess player's collection.

by erik - 2 months ago
Menlo Park, CA United States

Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 1948

Rating:

this was my very first chess book ever! when jay beat me really badly at chess in our first few games (he was a tournament player, i was a novice) i went to my university bookstore looking for a chess book. at the time i was, admittedly, embarrassed to be buying a chess book! i bought the book and read it privately and i was amazed by it! this started my love of chess!

looking back this book isn't that good really and probably deserves 3 stars. but my nostalgic side wants to give it a 5! i guess i'll settle in at a 4 :)

by unluckythirtyfive - 2 months ago
United States

Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 6

Rating:

All right. So, this is a book by the same guy that taught Josh Waitzkin, the subject of "Searching for Bobby Fischer." This was also one of the first books I got. There isn't really anything bad about this book. It has a lot of content. The problem is, there isn't anything exceptional about it either. It's kind of on the short side. I finished it in two study halls during school last year. It's an average book for beginner-intermediate players. 3 stars.

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