Product Description

Since its first publication in 1950, "The Right Way to Play Chess" has taught chess to generations of beginners, taking them to the standard expected of good club players. It gives full details of exactly how to play the game, explains basic theory and includes many examples of play. There are separate chapters on the openings, middle and end games, plus a chapter of master games which illustrate how styles of play have changed over the years. Fully revised and updated by chess expert Richard James, a new chapter shows how to encourage and teach children to play the game.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4079 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From the Publisher
The standard text for chess players
Chess is the most popular indoor game in the world, and ‘The Right Way to Play Chess' has now served as tutor to generations of readers.

In this tenth revised version, D. B. Pritchard draws new inspiration from the latest developments in the game. Yet, because the basics remain invariable, Pritchard's teaching method retains its unique pre-eminence and authority.

The book is now established as the Standard Work on the subject. It is planned to take the complete beginner to the grade expected of a good club player. The journey is a pleasant one!

Some reviews which hailed earlier editions:

Sunday Times: " . . . remarkable"

The Observer: " . . . easy"

Yorkshire Post: "Chess without tears . . . "

About the Author
David Pritchard was involved in the world of chess for over sixty years.He took part in ten British Championship finals between 1959 and 1978. The author of numerous chess and games books, David was also President of the Chess Variants Society. Richard James played tournament chess at county level, has been teaching chess to school children for over thirty years and runs the interactive website ChessKIDS Academy. He received the British (now English) Chess Federation President's Award in 1996.

Customer Reviews

Still the best for the beginner and beyond.
It has been said that one becomes serious about chess when one buys their first book on the subject. I became serious when I bought this book. Pritchard's agenda is to take the absolute beginner to the standard expected of a good club player. That's quite a leap, but it's a goal Pritchard achieves with ease and style. Beginning with an explanation of how the pieces move, we move through basic concepts (forks, pins, en passant etc.), tactics, strategy, how to handle the opening (including a list of the most common openings currently played), middle-game and end-game. All of the subjects are handled in a highly literate style that is accessible to all ages, with the sure-footedness of a seasoned master, and without condescension. The reader feels assured that the lessons being given are of the highest quality, and that the principles absorbed will always be relevant, regardless of fashion.

From my own experience, The Right Way To Play Chess completely transformed my game. Prior to reading this book, I knew how the pieces moved, and considered myself a chess player. Yet I was constantly defeated by friends, and grew increasingly frustrated at the apparent ease with which they did this. Having read this book, the defeats came to an abrupt halt (strangely, so did the games - a coincidence, I'm sure). Against most casual players, I now had not only the ability to handle most situations but also, crucially, the knowledge to enable me to *understand* why certain situations should be handled that way.

The Right Way To Play Chess remains absolutely outstanding, the benchmark for beginners. I cannot imagine a better book for giving you a rock-solid foundation on which to build your chess career.

The best book around for chess beginners.
Pritchard's aim in this book is to give new players a firm foundation on which to start their chess playing. The book teaches how the pieces move, gives guidelines to follow in each stage of the game and a bit of advice on tactics and mating the enemy king. He explains each section with absolute clarity and everyone should be able to follow it easily.

However, if you have been playing chess for a while and already know the basics then this book is unlikely to help much. It claims to take a complete beginner to the level expected of a good club player but this is not true. To become a good club player much more practise with tactics would be needed. Invest in a tactics book designed for novices and, along with this book, that is all you should need to become a very competent player.

For any beginner wanting to learn how to play well this is the best choice (at an outstanding price!)

Excellent book for chess beginners!
This is very much a book for those new to the game of chess. Once you;ve reached the novice stage within a club then you're probably not going to learn a great deal from it.
But for those learning, this really is excellent. It explains the rules of the game, telling you exactly how the pieces move, the object of the game, and all the possible circumstances under which the game can end (eg. checkmate, resignation, agreeing a draw, caliming a draw etc).
It also clarifies plenty of rules with which many beginners are unsure. For instance, there is an idea in circulation one cannot castle once one has been in check. This book clarfies that, and confirms correctly that one cannot castle whilst in check, but can do having previously having been in check so long as the king has not yet moved.
It then divides the game up into three sections, namely the opening, middle game and endgame. It offers some very good advice on how to play each of these three stages of the game.
It also offers exmamples of play from real games, along with some various tactics that every chess player should know about.
Overall, this is excellent reading for somebody new to the game of chess.