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Chessville
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Beginning Chess Play
Reviewed by Dave Zaklan
Cardoza Publishing
(Simon & Schuster) ISBN: 1580420443 Softcover, 160 pages Perhaps as difficult as the game of chess can be to the tyro, picking the best chess books also has an equal level of difficulty.
To the good fortune of any beginning player Bill Robertie, a world class chess master and backgammon champion (Robertie is also a former winner of the U.S. Speed Chess Championships) has compiled an excellent book in conjunction with Cardoza Publishing. Beginning Chess Play is among the finest chess books created in all of history. By definition an expert cannot easily define intermediate steps in a process, yet Bill manages this task with a proficiency that will benefit anyone reading his books. He is apparently mindful that one does not build a house of knowledge by starting on the roof, and carefully lays the foundation and support structure squarely in a manor that defies the nebulous ramblings of other greats in the field. In example - opening strategy is explored, beginning with the statement, "Control The Center" and a diagram with the central squares designated. Then follows: "In the opening, we control the center by developing pieces; that is, moving pieces off the back rank into battle. That should be a key goal of your opening strategy: develop your pieces, preferably toward the center of the board, and mobilize them for the coming fight." In Beginning Chess Play, the reader is given all the basics of the game, from the cornerstone up. Each chapter begins with an aside box labeled "First Word". Herein, the reader is succinctly told what the section covers and its meaning, followed by wonderful encouragements. All examples are clear, well conceived and relevant to anyone trying to learn the game. Again an example from the section on opening play: The opening move for White of d2-d3 is questioned and described: "For one thing, the pawn is less influential on d3 than it would be on d4. There's another reason, but it's a bit more subtle. Although moving the pawn to d3 opens a diagonal for the Bishop on c1, it closes a diagonal for the Bishop on f1. The White-squared Bishop used to be blocked on the diagonal from f1 to a6 by one pawn, the pawn on e2. Now it is blocked by two pawns: those on e2 and d3. In the opening of the game, it's important to open lines for your pieces, not block them in."
The text is mindful of a beginner's stance and provides easy-to-read charts and explanations showing the basics of playing and winning at chess.
Beginning Chess Play
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