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Gr. 4-8. International Master Basman puts 20 years of experience teaching children how to play chess into this systematic, succinct, and thorough book. Dedicating each page to a different topic, he guides readers through the rudiments of the game, from explaining the pieces and setting up the board to special moves, essential techniques, and attack and defense strategies that players must know to win. Especially interesting for readers entirely new to the game are anecdotes in the "Check it out" section, which explain the origins of chess and how the game has figured in literature, language, and even history. A solid introduction for novices and good for skilled players wanting to develop their strategies and find out about chess clubs and tournaments. --Roger Leslie

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This introduction to the game, written by an International Master, identifies all of the pieces and the rules that govern their movement, explains chess notation, and describes basic attacking and defending techniques. The accompanying color photographs are clear, but the layout is crowded, and beginners may be overwhelmed by the busy presentation, which features page after page of diagrams. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.