Basic Chess by David Levens: Book Cover

    Basic Chess by David Levens

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    • Publisher: Hamlyn
    • Pub. Date: September 2004
    • ISBN-13: 9780600608042
    • Sales Rank: 234,326
    • 176pp
     
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    Synopsis

    Chess is the world's most popular board game--and now anyone can play, with this straightforward, jargon-free introduction. Written especially for beginners, it's the most comprehensive manual available and includes everything from explanations of each piece to orchestrating endgames. In addition to expert advice, simple instructions, and more than 200 easy-to-follow diagrams, novices will find aggressive openings, the top-ten traps and attacks, basic tactical principles, specimen games to learn and crib from, and a test your chess IQ section. And, to keep the momentum going, there's guidance on how to practice-including playing computer chess and joining a club.

    Library Journal

    This book delivers exactly what it advertises. Suitable only for novices, the work presents the fundamentals in the trademark bright tones that characterize the booming instructional book market. While his work proves somewhat thin on tactical practice opportunities, Levens does lay out the game and its basic principles, covering such essentials as standard openings; piece strengths, weaknesses, movement and tactics such as pins, forks, and skewers; and common mating patterns. The gloss of chess history, including the obligatory tip of the hat to famous players (e.g., Dickens, Nabokov, Duchamp, Amis), adds little to the text. The pages would have been better allotted to more exercises, the key to improving any beginner's games. Advanced beginners hoping for a new collection of tough puzzles or reviews of sophisticated lines of play would be better served by standbys like Bruce Pandolfini's lively Ultimate Guide to Chess or Fred Wilson and Bruce Albertson's lesser-known 303 Perplexing Chess Puzzles. Additionally, nearly all the information in this book is available on the Internet. Recommended only for larger public libraries.-Elizabeth Kennedy, Oakland, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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    Basic Chessby Anonymous

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    October 14, 2006: Written at about a high school reading level, 'Basic Chess' is just what the title calls it! This is a reasonably decent choice (there are so many beginning chess books available: hundreds to choose from) for a high school student through adult to get started if you know nothing about chess, but want to learn. You will learn the basic rules and basic strategies (includes tactics, openings and just enough to get you started). The weakness of the book is that I don't agree with the order of introduction of the materials at certain points - not making it as efficient as it could be.