Winning Chess Strategy for Kids

Goes through the moves and options very clearly. Points out the obvious "do's" and "don'ts". Goes on to take you through better stuff. It's not just for kids, but also for those who want to know and learn how to learn and play.better. I have certainly improved and learned quite a lot.. Recommended for the non-expert as well as the starter.

I bought this book for my daughter who has joined a chess club. Many reviews online say that this is the best chess strategy book that you can buy for kids or adults. It does allow access to higher level thinking about the game -- not just a few strategies or aspects. I am reading it myself and am impressed. So on some level I would say this book is for anyone that wants to move beyond the rules and basics. On the other hand there is something awkward about the tone. The book both feels above and below the level that it is pitching for. By the third page the book talks in chess code (For example: "3. Bc4 Nf6? 4.Qxf7#"). The second page does give an explanation of how to read this code but it feels like it needs more of an easing in and getting the kids acclimated. So the first few pages are going to be hard for a kid to get past without the help of a chess teacher to work through it with them. However even though the content is at a very high level, the illustrations and the jokes seem sort of dumbed down for a kid that is going to be able to follow the strategy and seem disconnected from the content ("Hi, boys and girls... I am Biff the B. Welcome to the chess talk show!," random dumb pizza jokes, "darth pawn"). The illustrator is not a professional illustrator (the only other things he seems to have done is other chess books by this same author). I would love to see a new addition in which the author worked with a professional book designer and illustrator so that the cartoons seemed to add to and unlock the content (I wish the illustrations also felt like a rich puzzle themselves that gave insight into the game) instead of feeling silly and tacked on.

I bought it for my kids but I'm enjoying going through it even myself, while sipping my morning coffee. The format of the book is great. Very short chapters describing chess concepts in an engaging way. Each chapter always ends with a few puzzles. Who this book is for? I would say it'll definitely help beginners and intermediate players. What if I/my kids don't know how to play chess at all? Then start somewhere else, but come back right away when you know all the rules. If you want to teach kids chess the trick which worked for mine was to set up the board with only pawns, play a few games, and then gradually add more pieces (bishops, then rooks, then maybe bishops and rooks, etc.). Should I buy the book or use a chess website? Buy the book! If you want to truly learn and enjoy the experience it requires environment with no distractions. Just set up a board and go through one of the chapters! Savor this experience! If you need an excuse "I'm learning but maybe I'm not good at chess" - then go with video tutorials :) They give you an impression that you're learning something ("it made sense when I watched the video") but you may not flex your brain to actually learn and practice something. This is a book which you'd be (and should be) going back to regularly on your journey as a chess player. For example if you're a beginner you're going to appreciate, say, forks and some sacrifices to win material (middle game). But then your games will end up with only 2 kings and a pawn on the board, or a queen against a pawn and a king. You will realize those end games require much deeper knowledge and calculations, knowledge of tricks, practice. And some of those techniques are described in the book as well. I heard Kasparov saying: what will winning material give you if you can't turn it into a win in the end game? End games are extremely important! Actually the longest chapters in the book are the ones about some end game techniques. Don't hesitate - buy, enjoy, play!

I fall into the later category, self-taught. I am a chess novice who has received immeasurable help from this famous chess book. Obviously kid-friendly, this is very much a book for all ages. It seems to be a bit of a chess in-joke that if you don't think you're a "kid" but are a novice, then do all the exercises in this book and check your score. You might be surprised! This book is also part of a series and they all have value. Most newbies lose games due more to lack of tactical knowledge, rather than needing better opening experience, etc. This book will introduce you to all the classic tactics you need. It is a great and thorough way to begin your chess journey and I highly recommend it. Five Stars!

I really liked the companion volume to this Winning Chess Tactics which is brilliant. That prompted me to buy this one and it too is excellent. I have awarded it 4 stars only because , in my view, it it is not a systematic scheme for explaining strategical ideas to juniors. You cannot work from cover to cover. Maybe the subject precludes this. However, it has so many good ideas and examples in it, it is well worth the money. I have picked bits from all over to use with our junior club, and have found them to be instructive and useful. Maybe I should have given it 5 stars.