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Chessville
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Checkmate! my first chess book Reviewed by Rick Kennedy
With Checkmate! my first chess book, Gary Kasparov presents what might be the first coffee-table chess book for children. Props to the author, who many believe to be the best chess player, ever; and hats off to Horatio Monteverde, listed in the front of the book as being in charge of “design, typesetting and illustrations.” This is a very eye-catching book. There is color, there is an attractive layout, there are 2-D diagrams and 3-D-style board representations – and those stylized chess pieces (soft? melted? Dali-esque?) which Everyman likes, abound. The book’s contents (and the color of the pages):
Many pages have boxes containing “Master tips” or “what you need to know” about the subject under discussion. The instruction is competently presented, the puzzles are educational (and fun), and the glossary is a useful addition. The vocabulary in use suggests upper elementary school students or, more likely, middle schools students as the targeted readers. Those expecting something avant garde or outré (other than the striking visuals) in a primer from Mr. Kasparov will be disappointed – there is, after all, a basic package of knowledge to be passed along to each beginner by every writer who creates an introduction to chess. Innovation – Other chess books have somehow forgotten to mention the Quark, the most fundamental of chess pieces… – is hard to come by. Checkmate! even uses the time-tested piece equivalents, i.e. Bishop or Knight equals three Pawns, Rook equals Knight plus two pawns, etc. Mr. Kasparov’s book may claim title to primus inter pares, and we all must be happy with that.
Checkmate!
does fill a niche, however, for the parent, grandparent, uncle, aunt or
doting family friend who wants to give someone their first chess book,
perhaps on a special occasion. It is a good choice for a gift, and,
like any coffee table book, even if the recipient never really reads it – it
looks great just sitting there.
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