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Title: It's Your Move Improvers by Chris Ward ISBN: 1-85744-278-4 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (7 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: I love this book!
Comment: Best book on strategy, bar none!!!
5 ten-problem quizzes. Only 50 problems. Seems like a rip-off for the money, right?
No! I just wish it were longer!
You see the puzzle, and then you get some ideas from 5 different patzers. (This is similar to Silman's "Amateur's Mind" and Euwe's "Chess Master v. Chess Amateur", which use patzer games for analysis of positions and instruction of principles.) The subjects range from spotting weaknesses in a complex position to finding the winning ideas in a simple endgame. These are not Mate-in-x or tactical combination puzzles (although there are tactics in some that you have to spot) but they all have clear solutions once you understand them.
What makes this book fun is debunking the bad ideas. I often cannot figure out the problem, but I always feel superior to at least one or two of Ward's colorful characters! And since that's the level of competition I play against, this book is perfect for me! I feel as if this book actually makes me a better player. (That's hard to prove, but I definitely view my own games more circumspectly now.) I am reading it cover to cover!
USCF 1200-1500 rating. If you're only 1200, you might not get ANY of these puzzles, but you will still understand the solutions and learn a tremendous amount.
Avoid the older blue-cover "It's Your Move" by the same author. It's not bad, but it's too hard (and at that level, Silman is better). The "Improvers" version is much easier.
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I've noticed that Amazon thinks these are different editions of the same book. No. The blue book "It's Your Move" and the red book "It's Your Move: Improvers" are completely different books. (And now there is an even more advanced book, yellow I think, which I have not looked at.)
The blue book is a two-star effort. It is basically 50 annotated games, with only one move of annotation for each game. As a positional chess quiz book, there are much better choices: e.g. by Kosten, Bellini, or Evans.
The problem with the blue book is stated in its introduction: The author does not want to waste his time explaining why the bad moves are bad. I ask, "Why not?" That would have made this book useful, especially if these games were club (rather than master) level.
How did one author compose two books of nearly identical look and feel but polar opposites in quality? It's a mystery.
Rating: 4
Summary: Enjoyable
Comment: I just finished this book; spending four weekends solving the puzzles. I would categorize this book as enjoyable, but not overly difficult (On last check I'm 1800 USCF). I scored 100 on three of the tests, a 92, and a 73(Avg score of 93). Each of the five tests have 10 questions with five choices (a-e).
What I enjoyed about solving the puzzles was not only finding the right answer (always a plus!) but finding out what was wrong with the other suggestions. Sometimes the suggestions were tactically flawed, or the assesment of the position was incorrect, or just flat out bizarre!
So, while only getting 50 puzzle questions may be of some concern, you could view it as an additional 200 puzzles because you have to refute the other four poor suggestions! However, as I mentioned before finding the refutation was usually not to difficult - but worth the effort in concrete analysis and visualization practice.
The puzzle selection is fairly balanced with selections from the opening, middlegame, and endings (quite a few King and pawn endings).
On the downside, the book is expensive, but I am a sucker for chess books. However, overall I think that the value was solid. I would agree with the other reviewers that the book is best used by B and C rated players (although they may do just as well or better than I did).
Rating: 4
Summary: It's Your Move!
Comment: This book contains only 50 positions and that is my only complaint with this book...well that and the price. However this is a good book if you want to test your knowledge and you may even learn a thing or two! (this more than makes up for the cost i believe). The book is full of commonly seen positions which is a great bonus. Another great thing about this book is every 100 point rating jump you gain you should be able to go through the book quicker and get more correct, then when you get a full score...you can get the original "It's your move" which is apparently much harder. In conclusion get this book if you want to test yourself and make sure your knowledge is up to scratch.
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Title: Multiple Choice Chess by Graeme Buckley ISBN: 1857442482 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: 01 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Multiple Choice Chess II by Graeme Buckley ISBN: 1857443098 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: 01 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Three Hundred Chess Games - 'Dreihundert Schachpartien' - English Language Edition by Siegbert, Phd Tarrasch, Sol Schwartz, Sol Schwarz, David Sewell, Lou Hays ISBN: 1880673185 Publisher: Hays Pub Pub. Date: 01 December, 1999 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: How Good Is Your Chess? by Daniel King ISBN: 0486427803 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 21 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Quickest Chess Victories of All Time by Graham Burgess ISBN: 1857445384 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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