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Concise Chess The Compact Guide for Beginners Reviewed by David Surratt
Hmmm, the first thing I noticed about this book is it's odd (to me) size. The dimensions (in inches) of 0.85 x 5.90 x 4.30 are described by the publisher as "pocket-sized". Which pocket!?! At nearly an inch thick it certainly isn't something you'd want to stick in a back pocket of your blue jeans (imagine sitting on that!). Of course, those baggy cargo pants that are all the rage among the younger group might accommodate this book. And how many shirt pockets are wide enough to accommodate something with the combination of width and thickness that this book has? Some, I discovered, but in my closet, less than one-third. Again, the thickness would make that awfully bulky to carry around. Maybe in a suit coat pocket! Yes, it fits comfortably in both the outside and inside pockets of my suit coat. So that's it - I have to wear my suit in order to use this book. :-) No, it's not what I would call pocket-sized, let alone concise. Nor can the book lay open on the table, it must be held in the hand the whole time you are reading it. It's too small even for a book stand. The binding is glued, not stitched, which might have been called for on a book with these dimensions. As a study guide for the beginner though, this little book excels. Emms, of course, is an excellent author, and not to be blamed for the production limitations. Content-wise, Concise Chess does indeed take the beginner from the very first peek at a chessboard, to meeting the various pieces, through all of the rules, notation, mating patterns, tactics, opening aims, even thinking ahead is tackled in this ambitious little book. Concise Chess is replete with actual photographs in addition to the diagrams, in fact nearly every page has either a photo, diagram, or table, making it a nice combination of text and graphic. Let's examine a couple of examples... Chapter Three covers check and checkmate (ah, my favorite chess positions!) After the initial illustration of what check is, Emms uses the following examples to illustrate the three methods of escaping check, and I quote: Getting Out of Check (1):
In the first diagram above we see the black king in check from the white rook. The simplest way out of check is to move the king so that the rook is no longer threatening it. This is the case if Black moves the king from g8 to g7 (see the second diagram).
Are there any other king moves that get out of check?
No. The other two options for the black king, the f8- and the
h8-squares, would still leave the king attacked by the enemy rook. Of
course the white rook does not attack the h7- and f7-squares, but they are
occupied by black pawns. Getting Out of Check (2):
The diagram above shows a similar position to the one on the
previous page except that Black has an extra piece: a bishop on the
d5-square. Black is once again in check and must take action against
this. Again, he could move the king from g8-square to the g7-square.
However, on this occasion he has another option: the bishop on d5 can
capture the rook on a8, thus removing the rook from the game and thereby
getting out of check (diagram 2). Getting Out of Check (3):
The first diagram above is once again similar to the first one on the previous page. This time, however, Black has another extra bishop, which is on the b4-square. As we have seen previously, Black could step out of check by moving his king from g8 to g7. He can also get our of check by capturing on a8 with the bishop on d5, thus eliminating the checking piece. On this occasion, however, Black has a third method: he can move the other bishop from b4 to f8, blocking the line of fire and thus making sure that the rook no longer attacks the king (diagram 2). Checkmate
Here I have made some slight changes; let's see the result. The first way out of check, moving the king to g7, no longer works because on this square it is still attacked - by the bishop on b2. Nor can Black capture the rook: the pawn on b7 blocks the bishop's path to a8. Finally, Black cannot even block the check because the pawn on c5 blocks the other bishop's path to f8. Thus Black has no way out of check and it is therefore 'checkmate'. The game is over - White wins! End of quote. As you can see the examples are very easily laid out, progress step by step, and provide the reader with a clear understanding of the subject matter. Typical Emms, and easy to commend. Though written in simple English, Concise Chess may not be best for the younger set, probably the most appropriate age group for this book would be about 12 years and up, and most particularly suited to adults. After several more examples addressing check, checkmate, which check is mate, etc. (including pointing out that the king may not be captured!), Emms finishes up this section with series of eight exercises and their solutions. Chapter Eleven, Thinking Ahead, provides the reader with some basic strategic ideas, addressing topics such as making use of extra material, exchanging pieces, promoting pawns in the endgame, opening lines, outposts, and so on. Another nice touch is a limited glossary at the tale end of the book, some 57 terms - each with a one or two sentence explanation. Overall the quality of instruction for the absolute beginner
is, in my opinion, very high. The material is well organized and
presented, making excellent use of the marriage of words and pictures.
I highly recommend Concise Chess for your teen and adult friends who
want to take up the Royal Game, just warn them about the pocket thing.
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