History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition

Average customer rating:

Unfortunately, not Recommended
Such chess principles apply equally to life in general!
A Chess Classic
Good, but not the best book of its type
Great for principles, not so great for move analysis

Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Batsford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Chessmaster 7000

ASIN: 0713484640

Customer Reviews:

Unfortunately, not Recommended.......2007-08-30

Why "unfortunately"? Because Chernev put a lot of hard work into this book. He DOES explain every move--even if he has to go back to obscure 1820s books to say something new about 1. d4 when we see it for the 10th time. What's more, he does this without, for the most part, repeating the old libels about the "crazy" Steinitz or the "sadistic" Alekhine, etc., used by some authors to make reading about chess "exciting" without real work. Also, Chernev's love of the subtle move and the brilliant combination come through in the book, making us all remember why we like chess in the first place.

Unfortunately, the book's analysis is simply bad. It is hard to blame Chernev for trying to simplify what is going on in complex positions--the book is, after all, aimed at beginners--but his simplification completely distorts the situation. Of the 30+ games in the book, almost *all*, apart from five or six, are symetrical open games (1. d4 d5 or 1. e4 e5) many of them using obscure openings few play nowadays (Colle system, King's gambit). Some of this is due to fashion. But a lot of it has to do with something Chernev constantly ignores or mistates, but is of cardinal importance--the *plans* of the two sides.

Putting things very crudely, The King Indian's Defense and other asymmetrical openings allow black to concentrate on other plans--"building a solid position" for example--instead of that of immediate control of the center and rapid development. Why? Because, as Botvinnik noted, with such "asymmterical" plans white's first-move advantage is less prnounced. Conversely, the King's gambit is now unpopular since the main plan for white--attack on the black monarch--had been shown to lead to no more than a draw against accurate play.

Not much of this gets into Chernev's book. For him, the only opening plans are "develop your pieces" and "control the center". For example, he says that the reason people play 1. ... Nf6 in reply to 1. d4 is "to not allow white to dominate the center with 2. e4". Similarly, he condemns 1. ... e6 is "less agressive" (in controlling central space) than 1. ... e5 in reply to 1. e4, but at least it "opens lines to two pieces", does not allow White to play the King's gambit, and is useful against "over-agressive players".

Talk about oversimplification! Chernev's analysis is, I suppose, helpful to absolute beginners, showing them what is wrong with 1. h4 intending 2. Rh3, or with 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 intending 2. Qxe5+ (which, after the "thematic" 1. ... g6, leads to 3. QxR, 4. QxN, 5. Qx anything she can get her hands on), though they too are left wondering why anybody ever plays "inferior" moves such as 1. c4 or 1. ... Nf6. For all others, Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move" is so superior in every respect comparing the two would be pitiful. It's like, to quote Edward Winter, comparing a Rolce-Royce with a rattle-trap.

Such chess principles apply equally to life in general!.......2007-08-11

This book is must reading for any novice! I will never again see a chess board in the same way! Many people, books and films state that principles of martial arts or samurai philosophy apply to everyday life, so much so that they constitute a guiding philosophy. In Japan and China people apply principles from war and strategy books such as The Art of War and The Five Rings to the world of business, and to great effect. Now, many films have also tried to do this with chess, but usually fall short. They usually end up making some blah statement, such as, "We are all pawns," etc. This book contains many fascinating quotes and principles handed down from the masters. As I read them one thing that struck me was that many of these principles apply equally to real life. For instance, Chernev's main lessen in this book is that the right move is determined by the requirements of you position. You assess the situation at hand, you have a goal, and there are only certain actions that will bring that goal about. Thus, the action you take is determined by what circumstance required.

A Chess Classic.......2007-06-01

I recently worked through my copy of this book. I must say it was very enjoyable to play through the games and read Chernev's explanations of the moves and the reasons behind them. I think Chernev did a superb job, and this book is a great game collection for anyone interested in chess. Newer players will certainly learn a lot.

Good, but not the best book of its type.......2007-04-07

The idea of explaining the idea behind every move is a good. I wish that more books would do this for the Beginning and Intermediate level chessplayer.
There are several problems with this book; 1) The book is overly focused on the opening - it should spend more time going into the middlegame and endgame, and 2) It often would not answer the questions I had about a move or what was going on it the game, and 3) half the games are of the author, who is only a measly master. However, overall I can still recommend this book.
This book does not compare in quality to my favorite book, "Logical Chess, Move by Move, which just recently was updated."

Great for principles, not so great for move analysis.......2007-03-31

As the other reviews state, this book is a great way for beginners to learn general principles. However, I would recommend taking Chernev's alternative variation analysis, and in fact many of his tactical variations, with a large grain of salt, frequently they are not close to the best moves. Even his main line analysis is frequently quite wrong. For example, I'm going through game 19, and on move 15 black plays 15...Bd6. This is not a good move since it allows 16.c5!. But of the alternate move 15...Qd8, Chernev only writes "...does not look appetizing". In fact, 15...Qd8 stops white's 16.c5 and lets *black* play c5 in the next move or two, gaining equality. Playing ...c5 is what Chernev is beating up Black about in this and all the Queen's Gambit Declined games, over and over, and he misses when Black has a chance to play it!

There are many more examples of bad analysis in the other games like this. Just read through the games, absorb the general principles, and move on to more modern "move by move" books with more accurate analysis.

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

Not really mastering the openings
Outstanding book
Great Opening Primer
Book Title Tells All
BEST OPENINGS BOOK EVER!

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1904600603

Product Description

A major new title from Gambit Publications Ltd. For most chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is hard to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player wont know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. With this book John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. In his previous books on chess strategy, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players, and did so in ways that have enabled them to enter the general chess consciousness of club players. Here he does likewise for the openings, explaining how flexible thinking and notions such as rule-independence can apply to the opening. Watson presents a wide-ranging view of the way in which top-class players really handle the opening, rather than an idealized and simplified model. This is a book that will make chess-players think hard about how they begin their games, while offering both entertainment and challenging material for study.

Customer Reviews:

Not really mastering the openings.......2007-09-12

John Watson seems to have quite a cult following, and to a point I agree he is unique and insightful. One must appreciate an author who gives their opinion and deep research - that is why you pay for the book. However, I believe the title misses the point, and a couple of openings.

A book that covers the Giuoco Piano, Ruy Lopez, Two Knights Defense, Philidor bypasses the Scotch and Petrov. My database gives the Petrov as the second most common response after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3, and Scotch as the third most common after 2. ...Nc6. Heck, even the King's Gambit gets seven pages.

This is a good book, with tons of insights into the openings and positions covered, as well as a long overview of the goals of the opening and positional considerations. However, it has several large gaps, and can't be used as an openings reference by itself.

Outstanding book.......2007-07-05

The author explains several opening lines from a strategic point of view, and not only by giving variants. This book is both useful and entertaining.

Great Opening Primer.......2007-07-03

If you're a club player looking for a good starting point to actually understand the ideas behind the e4 openings, this is it. It may not go as deep as the standards like the Batsford/Modern/Nunn's Chess Opening manuals, but it's really not meant to. While there's a place for the more technical manuals listed above, they can be overwhelming to a club player. Watson goes out of makes the openings approachable & understandable, as well as giving some additional ideas you can expand on by yourself.

After you've read this and vol 2 of the series (about d4 openings), you should be able to learn enough to get a feel for openings that fit your style and expand your collection into specific opening guides if you feel you need to.

Highly recommended.

Book Title Tells All.......2007-05-30

Another great work by one of the best chess authors in the business. For selfish reasons I wish he could have tackled more variations and more games, but, hey, I understand the Mr. Watson has other books to write. The book definitely gives a great understanding in words and analysis of modern approaches by some of the most novel thinkers in the game today concerning popular openings. Can't wait for Volume II!

BEST OPENINGS BOOK EVER!.......2007-05-11

I am only an amateur chess player, but this book helped me more than any other that I've ever read. The basic ideas in the first three chapters made it easy to advance to the instructive and well-written chapters that follow. Instead of these books with rows and rows of moves I found one clear explanation after another. Yet the author also gives plenty of solid variations to build a repertoire around. It's the best of both worlds. You'll love this book!

Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master

Average customer rating:

One of the best chess books.
Good endgame book, especially for the beginner
Gives you what you need and don't need to know
Wonderful
Superb book to learn endgames

Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master
Jeremy Silman
Manufacturer: Siles Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1890085103

Book Description

For more than 100 years, the world's leading chess players and teachers have told their students to study the endgame. Now, for the first time, a revolutionary, richly instructive endgame book has been designed for players of all levels. Silman's Complete Endgame Course, by famed writer and player Jeremy Silman, is the one and only endgame book you'll need as you move up the ladder from beginner to strong tournament player and finally to master.

Designed to "speak" to a player in a very personal way, Silman's book teaches the student everything he or she needs to know at his or her current rating level, and builds on that knowledge for each subsequent phase of the player's development. Starting at the beginner's level, all basic mates are clearly and painstakingly explained. After that, the critical building blocks that form the endgame foundation for all tournament hopefuls and experienced tournament competitors are explored in detail. Finally, advanced endgame secrets based on concepts rather than memorization are presented in a way that makes them easy to master.

The basic keys to a well-rounded endgame education--Opposition, the Lucena and Philidor Positions, Cat and Mouse, Trebuchet, Fox in the Chicken Coup, Triangulation, Building a Box, Square of a Pawn, Outflanking, the Principle of Two Weaknesses--are vital. But equally important is creating a love of the endgame, which is addressed at the end of the book with a look at chess tactics, minor piece domination, and a discussion of the five greatest endgame players of all time--all things that every fan of chess at every level can enjoy.

If you have found the endgame to be a mystery, if you have found that your confidence plummets once you reach an endgame, if you have searched for an instructive endgame book that will turn your weakest link--your endgame--into your personal field of power, your search is over. Silman's Complete Endgame Course is the key to a world of essential ideas, startling beauty, and stunning creativity.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best chess books........2007-08-23

I have been studying chess (with a coach) for eight months, and I have found that most chess books are written for players way above my current ability. This one, though, is terrific. It takes you from beginning endgame stuff steadily through more difficult material, building on itself as it goes.

Good endgame book, especially for the beginner.......2007-08-23

I have found this book to be helpful and useful, especially for the beginner. It separates each endgame "course" according to rating, so that the beginner is not trying to learn moves for a class A player, and a class A player doesn't have to slog through stuff they've known for years. I highly recommend it.

Gives you what you need and don't need to know.......2007-08-16

I'm not going to repeat what everyone else has said in their reviews.

Yes - brilliant concept, sorting endgames by playing strength. Stroke of genius. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before. Etc

I'd just like to say how liberating it is to read an instructional chess book and know that I can stop after a certain number of chapters because I already know more than enough.

There are not many chess books that explicitly state: "you already know enough about this - now go and practise some tactics and come back when you get a few games under your belt".

The hardest part about studying the endgame is knowing when to stop.

This book tells you what you DON'T need to know as well as what you DO.

Lucena position - don't worry about it just yet - get your rating up first.
Knight and Bishop versus Lone King - it ain't gonna happen.

How refreshing!

Wonderful.......2007-08-13

This is a step by step guide to the endgame. There has been a competition between two types of endgame books - those that want you to memorize thousands of positions and those who want you to understand various concepts and memorize only a couple positions. The problem becomes that the first is very time consuming but straight forward and the later is much faster but very difficult to understand.

This book gives the speed of learning concepts with the straightforwardness of memorizing positions. Silman has out done himself this time.

The only downside to this book is that it does not show how to checkmate with Knight and Bishop vs King but how many times have you actually been in this position? My guess is none and if you have been in it, odds are you never will be again.

I recommend this book for people of skill level from beginner to master.

Superb book to learn endgames.......2007-07-23

This was the second endgame book I bought. The first, "Just the Facts Winning Chess Endgames" was organized by endgame type (e.g. Rook Endgames). Silman's is truly a course, with chapters for beginners on up by rating. So rather than trying to master everything there is about rook endgames, Silman gives you what you need to know for your ability level. You revisit different endgames as you progress through the chapters.

I love all of Silman's books that I've read so far, and this one is no exception! If you're already a top-notch player, maybe any endgame book will work for you. But if you're learning, Silman's can't be beat!

Average customer rating:

Another ground-breaking work - easily 5 stars
Inspiring Chess Book
Somewhat difficult to understand
Wonderful
Another towering achievement

Chess Strategy in Action
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1901983692

Customer Reviews:

Another ground-breaking work - easily 5 stars.......2005-02-20

As an amateur enthusiast who plays chess only for enjoyment (I do not even possess a current rating) I feel almost itimidated in trying to review this book. However, as there are many other amateur players out there, I thought it would be worth sharing my views on why this is such a great work.
The first thing to note, of course, is that this book is a sequel to the multi-award-winning SECRETS OF MODERN CHESS STRATEGY. If you haven't read that book, you should - not because it is essential to the understanding of this one (it isn't) but because it is a phenomenal book. In CHESS STRATEGY IN ACTION John Watson expands on many subjects he covered in his first book. The new material is always put in context by Watson before he elaborates.
In his first book Watson advocated his theory of "rule-independence." He demonstrated how the modern day greats will sometimes break all established convention regarding general rules on how best to play certain positions. In this successor, the theory is fleshed out with the help of numerous examples from the games of Anand, Kasparov, Ivanchuk, Bareev, Topalov etc.
So do the old general principles, handed down over generations, still apply? Only sometimes! Watson has the rare ability to sift great games and find themes overlooked by other commentators. Thus he is able to show how and why the current chess elite can sometimes violate the golden rules that we were all brought up on. I must admit that I am a big fan of all of the Gambit books on chess strategy, which all cover different areas even though the book titles can seem a bit similar. I found CREATIVE CHESS STRATEGY (by Spanish GM Alfonso Romero) to also contain many excellent examples of rule-independence.
Whether or not you subscribe to the complete Watson philosophy, the material is rich in content, splndidly written and packed with games - the index reveals around three hundred players are represented. Like Watson's first book, CHESS STRATEGY IN ACTION is a modern-day classic.

Inspiring Chess Book.......2004-11-12

This is one of the chessbooks that can inspire you to play differently. I already had that experience once with Watson's book on the Chigorin Defence which indeed taught me that "offbeat" does not have to be bad.

In this new book Watson reduces his philosophical considerations somehow, which does the reading very good. Still, he does not let us get away without the insight that Adolf Albin who lived from 1847 - 1920 (!) "was not a modern player" (by the way, the Albin Counter Gambit is a positional pawn sacrifice in the modern spirit, which unfortunately happens to be weak). But that is bearable.

The examples are excellently chosen and there are real "eye-openers" among them. (I was particularly struck by one strategy - an early black attack with g5! against a castled white kingside which has been weakened by h3: Haven't I seen this before? Indeed, in my edition of Tarrasch's "Das Schachspiel", the old German teacher recommended for Black not to castle and instead to attack with g5 in case White castles and plays h3 prematurely in the Giuco Piano! This info just for you folks who think that they could not play chess in the old times.)

If you are looking for an entertaining and instructive game collection, this one is for you!

Somewhat difficult to understand.......2004-07-12

I think this book had some very good pointers. However, for an advanced beginner, or lower end intermediate player the way it explains things is difficult to understand in several areas. If you are advanced this book would be good, but it doesn't make it clear in the advertizing that this book is for advanced players only.

Wonderful.......2004-06-25

Another wonderful book from John Watson. For players beyond rank beginners, the better you are, the more you'll appreciate Mr. Watson. His work makes one proud to be a chess player.

Another towering achievement.......2004-04-28

This is the follow up to John Watson's Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, rightly hailed as a pioneering work when it appeared. Chess Strategy in Action is, quite simply, another classic. It contains more complete games than the original, and fills in gaps (for example covering concepts like positional pawn sacrifices and doubled pawns. Watson's premise behind both books is the same: the top grandmasters of today are extremely flexible and undogmatic in their thinking. Watson's presentation is rich with discussion and explanation. The deep examination of the move selection process is the key to learning from this book. Superb!

Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games

Average customer rating:

Target practice at its best
I gave up near puzzle #1500...
Massive Monster - Some Good/Some Filler (real junk problems)
A beautiful book...
Wow!

Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games
Laszlo Polgar
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1884822312

Amazon.com

If you love chess puzzles, this massive tome is for you. It's simply one chess challenge after another. With problems fit for beginner and grand master alike, Polgar's collection will feed your craving for years. Better yet, it's a major bargain. When I first pulled it off the shelf I was expecting a price tag three times higher.

Book Description

The biggest book of chess challenges ever--1,120 pages! 5334 fully diagrammed problems, games, and endgames (with easy-to-follow solutions in the back). Includes every known checkmate position. Covers a complete range of levels, from beginning to master. Offers what both serious and casual chess players want most--thousands of absorbing problems with which to hone their skills and have fun.

Customer Reviews:

Target practice at its best.......2007-02-03

I own the oversized hardbound edition. I'm still around the 678th position and counting and don't intend to stop!

Despite the terrifying title... 5,334 problems ?!, ... it's one enjoyable chess gym. The 2-D diagrams use one of the nicest modern Staunton fonts around and are clearly printed and illustrated. It contains an introduction, piece properties, mates in 1, mates in 2, mates in 3, combinations, simple endgames, combinations, critical positions in some of the Polar sister's games, and a solutions key (only the first move per problem). It's a simple and effective format for an outstanding effort in putting so much material in an organized manner. Many of the positions are implicitly aggregated by theme which does not give away any clues but allows the reader to better develop pattern recognition. No hints, just practice.

The softbound version makes a great gift; the hardbound is hard to find and more of a personal library book. Only a tactical practice database or software can improve on this book. I can only wish it were available as a database!

I gave up near puzzle #1500..........2006-12-29

I had the firm objective of solving all puzzles in this book, to improve my chess tactics skills.

As I progressed through the puzzles, I could definitely see improvements, to the point of reaching average solving times of 5 to 20 seconds.

Unfortunately, at about #1450, the book switches to puzzles that seem to be taken from newspaper columns (the author and year of publication is given for each one), and the level of difficulty rises by a huge amount. My average solving times fell to 20 to 30 minutes, if I was lucky to spot the solution at all!

Another problem I see with this book is that it contains only checkmate puzzles. It would be nice to have tactics leading to material gains, which are much more frequent in chess games.

Massive Monster - Some Good/Some Filler (real junk problems).......2005-09-08

Instead of giving a more limited number of problems to solve with the most important tactical patterns, the author set out to do "quantity instead of quality" and becomes a "compliler" instead of a teacher directing a student to learn what is most important with perhaps a limited time to study like the average chess player.
This mass compilation of problems contains a lot of junk filler along with some very nice important tactical themes to learn. So, the book refuses to show you what is important, and what should be tossed out with the garbage - the postions which would not likely occur in real games you would play.
I would like a book with 100 to 500 of the MOST IMPORTANT TACTICAL THEMES TO LEARN. Not so many that you cannot tell what is important from filler to make a book so big.

A beautiful book..........2005-06-24

5334 Chess puzzles is a lot, and there is no way anyone is going to get them all! (Well maybe Kasparov). The book itself is HUGE and leather bound and is an exquisite coffee table book. I do have one slight problem with it however. It is full of Mates in 1, 2,or 3. - and these are great. I would have liked to have seen a section on "White to move and win" or "Black to move and win" - without knowing what it is that I the reader am looking for. This is more akin to a real chess game, where one knows there is a win somewhere, but is not sure what kind to look for. Anyhow, that is a small complaint for an otherwise gorgeous book.

Four and a Half Stars.

Relic113

Wow!.......2005-04-12

This book is like going to McDonald's and saying SUPER SIZE IT! There are so many problems to work on you will not need another book on tactics ever! Buy it and you will like it!

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Most Excellent Work!!
Masterful
Finally!

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 2
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1904600697

Customer Reviews:

Most Excellent Work!!.......2007-07-20

First, I must confess that I have only read the chapters on the Queen's Gambit Declined and the King's Indian Defense.

Queen's Gambit Declined chapter
He gives detailed descriptions of the major themes of both the classical and exchange variations. I especially liked his discussion of the Tartakower Defense. I found his discussion of move orders to be quite interesting, subtle and useful.

I should mention that the section, "Declining the Gambit; Other Second Moves", provides important information about the Marshall Defense, Baltic Defense, Albin Counter Gambit and Tchigorin Defense. In my view, the entire Queen's Gambit chapter is a "must read" for anyone who plays this opening or for all players who really wants to deepen their chess knowledge.

King's Indian Defense chapter

I have played the Strongpoint Variation (page 208) for many years but was not aware of many of the themes in this line. Watson's clearly describes various strategies that Black has used against 8.Be3, 8.Re1, and 8.d5. Again, a "must read" in my opinion.

To conclude, as always, Watson has a wonderful knack for describing specific strategies of openings and their variations while also providing interesting example games that illustrate these strategies.

Masterful.......2007-07-20

Well, I followed my own advice and got this book, even though I haven't
played 1.d4 in about 20 years. I wasn't disappointed. Just as in
Volume 1, this book is full of good practical knowledge and deep
insights, tying the 1.d4 openings to fundamental principles, and to
important concrete ideas. Through the theme of "cross-pollination,"
we can see the give and take between different opening systems. As
always with Watson, it is also beautifully written and a pleasure to
read. This book helps me to prepare lessons for my students, and who
knows, maybe I'll dust off that Queen's Gambit sometime.

Finally!.......2007-07-18

This is the book I've been waiting for. The usual approach to chess openings is to memorize piles and piles of endless variations, and hope to outbook your opponent. But we all realize how futile and unsatifsying that really is. Finally we have a book here that truly explains the ideas behind the moves. It also explains why certain moves are not played. It connects different openings to each other, so that you know what to do when your opponent inevitably veers away from theory. And furthermore, it helps you to handle tricky move-orders, which were always confusing to me before. With this book and his Strategy books, I think I'm starting to understand chess.

Endgame Tactics: A Comprehensive Guide to the Sunny Side of Chess Endgames

Average customer rating:

A good book could have been better.
Fantastic book
introduction
The most enjoyable endgame book I've ever read
Excellent & Amusing!

Endgame Tactics: A Comprehensive Guide to the Sunny Side of Chess Endgames
Van Perlo
Manufacturer: New in Chess
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9056911686

Book Description

Why is it that most amateur chess players love opening and middlegame tactics but hate endgames? Why do you usually look at only a couple of pages in any endgame theory book you see? Sit back, forget about theoretical endgames, and enjoy the entertainment of real life chess in Endgame Tactics! There is no substitute for hard work in getting better at chess, as a wise grandmaster once said. But you always work harder at something you enjoy. Make the first step towards improving your endgame play (and beat more opponents) by learning to love the endgame. Endgames are fun, and the examples from everyday practice in Endgame Tactics prove it.

Customer Reviews:

A good book could have been better........2007-05-30

This book got the English chess federation's book of the year award. This book is not an exhaustive manual but focuses on endgames that occur frequently in practice. The positions chosen are entertaining and educational; the positions were checked using Fritz, a strong computer chess program; that's the good part about the book. Unfortunately, the positions with 6 pieces or less were not checked with tablebases which play endgames *perfectly*. For example, diagram 287 on page 135 gives white's move 1 b6? as an error. This is not true. The win is still there until 4 Kb3? which should be drawn but then black plays 4...Rh3+? handing the win back to white. The final position is still a white win which the book claims is a theoretical draw. Perlo says "I refer you to the manuals". He should have said "I refer you to the tablebases". If the editor Peter Boel had taken this one last step the book could have been even better.

Fantastic book.......2007-05-10

Still going through this book...interesting endgame situations that I had never seen before this.....highly recommended...I find myself setting up most of these problems on my board....

introduction.......2007-01-21

this book doesnt have inroductions it has only positional analysis likes a computer program. a good program gives better then its

The most enjoyable endgame book I've ever read.......2006-12-17

I'm well into this book, and it's great fun. I've always loved tactics books, and this is the first endgame book I've ever encountered with this approach. Middlegame tactics books like this helped me reach master level; I wonder how far an endgame tactics book could have helped me go? I never found endgames as much fun to study (til now). :-)

Probably one of the 25 best chess books I've seen in over 30 years. I highly recommend it to players and fans at any level!

PS - This book has been named the English Chess Federation Book of the Year 2006. There's a great discussion of Endgame Tactics on Mig Greenguard's Daily Dirt chess blog, if you search for the book title there, too.

Excellent & Amusing!.......2006-09-07

"Endgame Tactics" is an amusing romp through the part of a chess game that most of us agree is the most boring. Van Perlo presents many tactical positions, organized according to the remaining pieces, displaying tactical motifs. Van Perlo also engages the reader with a level of banter uncharacteristic for a chess book, making "Endgame Tactics" much more enjoyable that those typical dry chess tomes that we are all too familiar with. Although there are better books to read if you want to actually learn proper endgame technique, this book is still worth reading. You will obtain a tactical perspective into endgames that I have not seen anywhere else.

Average customer rating:

For beginners
Four Stars * * * * not 1 star
Useful book you can enjoy anywhere
huge mating problems
Chess: 5334 Problems

Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games
Laszlo Polgar
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1579125549

Book Description

This giant collection, finally available in paperback, features enough chess challenges to keep even the most avid player occupied for a long, long time.

The biggest book of chess problems ever published is now available in a paperback edition, featuring more than five thousand fully diagrammed problems, games, and end games for players at all levels. Chapters are organized by problem type, and each problem, combination, and game is keyed to an easy-to-follow solution at the back of the book, so users— whether they are beginners or highly accomplished players—can learn as they go. In all, this volume is a most extensive and thorough chess reference, sure to help hone skills while providing hours of fun. The more affordable paperback edition will give players at all levels reason to rejoice.

Customer Reviews:

For beginners.......2007-10-05

I think this book is more suitable to beginners up to Class C players. The book is indeed huge in size and contains many problems. The level of the problems is however limited to Mate in three........just not good enough.

Four Stars * * * * not 1 star.......2007-09-08

The book will serve you well, some errors pop up every so often. You start learning mate in 1, then 2 then 3. You learn a few combinations, and study some problems that were designed by the Polgar sisters. In the back are a few of their games. It is a gem, but just contains errors. And for some reason this review shows 1 star and I can't seem to change it. It's almost a perfect book, drop a star for the errors.

Useful book you can enjoy anywhere.......2007-08-29

Polgar's "Chess" is an excellent and useful book that can be enjoyed anywhere you go, from "sitting on the toilet and multitasking" to taking it to the park. It's enormous though, at 3 inches thick and 1000 pages, so I suppose it could function as an impromptu barbell too.

The book is entirely diagrammatic, which is one of its strengths. I've read through a bunch of chess books on strategy and even on combinations, and often the tactical descriptions in these books are 10 or more moves deep, with long variations that are also 10 moves deep, and lengthy descriptors of what is going on. As wonderful as it is to see Spielmann or Alekhine doing this sort of thing and having it explained point-by-point by someone like Alekhine himself, mere mortals like me can get lost, and it ends up being less useful than it sets out to be by virtue of the fact that I'm a long ways off from seeing what they did at the board, and because it's tedious to reset the board to the original position in order to go through yet another variation. I'm no grandmaster, and I never will be, so take this as you will as an example of my own inability to get much from those books. Worse, it is unlikely that I'll remember exactly what those guys saw or anything like it even a day after reading through their masterpieces.

This book is simple. It shows a picture of a position, and you get to use your own mental faculties to figure it out. You don't even need a board. Most of them are two-move mate problems (You move, opponent moves, you move and mate on the move). I can't stress enough how important it is not to cheat and peek at the answer. Look long enough, even to the point of exasperation, and you will eventually be rewarded.

It's funny because without actually going through them, a person might think a two-move problem would be easy. It's not always easy. I've agonized over a few of them for hours until I spotted the move. A few of them are sort of hokey, for lack of a better word. I was transfixed on one for something like 2 days, convinced it was faulty, until I finally realized my king and rook were still in pre-castling position. This problem (#1558) was in one of those endgames where nearly everything is obliterated save 5 pieces, and the king hasn't castled yet? I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but that kind of problem is a little less than useful, as it seems a bit gimmicky to me more than anything tactically important. Likewise, watch out for the en passant puzzles. There are a couple of those too, and plenty of "underpromotion" puzzles, which are indeed useful. There are also a few I've spotted with more than one solution (#612, for example), which isn't a big deal since you only need to see one of them to win.

In general, though, the book has improved my tactical ability to see the board tremendously, and that's half of what you want out of a great chess book, with the other half being something more on the strategy side.

One reviewer noted the preponderance of Queen sacrifice mates, and I agree. It becomes something you look for, but isn't that the point? So many times in games before getting this book, I would not even be looking at things that would get one of my big guns taken outright by a lowly pawn. I can't say that's true now.

A huge volume of the mates deal with set-ups for what are termed "Swallowtail" mates or semi-swallowtails, where the queen is in a square directly adjacent to the king, and the two squares behind him that she can't cover are covered by another piece or pieces, often the opponent's own. I now recognize this pattern almost instinctively, and I've been able to get a lot of surprising wins with it. Right there alone I can say this book has helped me in a measurable way, and Mr. Polgar has my immense gratitude for it.

My big criticism is mostly about the fact that if you know you have 2 moves to get mate, you can search for any possibility where after your move your opponent can check your own king, which would cause you (in most cases) to lose a move getting out of it. If your opponent can indeed check your king, then you know that most of the time you'll have to get a check yourself on his king at the outset, and you can pretty much toss out any idea of a waiting move or a repositioning move as the correct answer, which makes the solution much easier as it narrows the possibilities for piece movement. There are a few where getting out of the opponent's check in some way is simultaneously the checkmate move, so this point isn't written in granite or anything, but for the most part it's a fundamental dictum of the easy way to get through a problem. In a real game, you don't have the luxury to know that sort of thing outright, and so the "2 moves to win" thing doesn't apply unless you see it yourself, but that's none of it the fault of the puzzle-maker; it's the fault of chess puzzles by their very nature.

Anyway, this is my favorite chess book by far. I hate to be a product shill, but some things are worth it. Get it.

huge mating problems.......2007-06-26

Indeed this book is very thick, but it only deals with mating attacks, which isn't good to my opinion.
personally, I prefer other more assorted books.

Chess: 5334 Problems.......2007-03-31

Excellent storehouse of chess knowledge and problems for the beginner to advanced players. Thousands of mate-in-2 problems, hundreds of combinations, and 600 miniature games of masters at your fingertips. As a coach, I can almost exclusively use this book for material. The only thing lacking is graphic description of the many tactics which erupt therein.

Average customer rating:

Arguably, the best chess tutorial ever written
In a Category All its Own
The Title Says, "Teaches"
Handy To Keep Close
Graphic chess tutorial

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
Bobby Fischer , Stuart Margulies , and Don Mosenfelder
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553263153
Release Date: 1982-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Arguably, the best chess tutorial ever written.......2007-09-08

A must have for anyone wishing to learn chess from scratch, and for all beginning level players. Fantastic reading which requires no chess board. Great companion for those long plane or train trips.

In a Category All its Own.......2007-07-28

For the right person at the right point in learning chess I believe that this is the best book. I am a USCF correspondence chess master and over the board expert. I credit this book to getting me a good start.

Chess is a skill. Learning a skill requires practice. This book helps develop that skill and the pattern recognition that goes along with that. It does so in a way that is not intimidating. It does not teach all chess tactics. It just gets you started on the path to tactical mastery, but it is a good start.

It has a unique programmed instruction format that does not require learning chess notation. This is significant as "learning a new language" just to learn chess is off putting and creates obstacles to learning the game. After an introduction to the rules the reader practices chess tactics in a variety of positions of increasing difficulty. This book helps to build a strong foundation of tactical skill.

If you can routinely solve simple "mate-in-two" problems quickly you probably already have the skill this book can teach. If not, I think this book will improve your game.

The Title Says, "Teaches".......2007-05-01

TEACHES! You teach beginners, whether you're Bobby FIscher (a pompous lout) or the faculty advisor of a grammar school chess club. In that respect, this is a great beginner book.

Which is why, when I was looking for a "teaches chess" book twenty-five years later, this is the book I looked for.

No, it will not make you an expert. You can't get that from a book. But for the basics, nothing beats this book.

Handy To Keep Close.......2007-04-23

A great beginner book on the essentials of chess, if your new to chess or it's been awhile since you played this is a perfect book to go through. It starts out explaining the moves of chess for the total beginner. A really nice feature of this book is a chess set is not needed, all the examples of the book you can work through right in your head. The puzzles are listed on one page and the answer is located on the back of the page. The size of the book is small enough to fit in a coat pocket for those times when you have some time to kill. Overall a great book for the beginner.

Graphic chess tutorial.......2007-03-28

This is a very good book on chess by Bobby Fisher. I purchased it initially in the 1970's when it first came out. This was a new copy I gave to my grandsons. The entire book shows you chess board layots on one page and asks a question or gives you information. The following page gives you the answer or demenstrates the point being made on another chess board. It is easy to follow, I read it all over again. My grandsons are using it and picking up some good pointers.I even set up some of the chess game layouts on my computer.

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