Chess for Juniors: A Complete Guide for the Beginner
by Robert M. Snyder
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert M. SnyderEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-03-20
ISBN: 0812918673
Number of pages: 237
Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games
Book Reviews of Chess for Juniors: A Complete Guide for the Beginner
Book Review: Excellent text for Teachers as well as Students
Summary: 5 Stars
As an elementary school teacher as well as a chess player I have found CHESS FOR JUNIORS to be the perfect text book for introducing my students to this wonderful brain sport.
Chess is a great way of helping my students improve their concentration and studies have shown that chess helps improve reading and math test scores.
CHESS FOR JUNIORS is not only used for the lesson plans it has by myself, but it is clear and easy reading for the students. It was only a few years ago that I came across CHESS FOR JUNIORS after having used a couple of other books. The other books, which had a combination of nice pictures, fancy illustrations mixed in with a reading level that was not suited for upper grade elementary school readers, were ok for a good teacher to read to their students. However, my search ended when discovering CHESS FOR JUNIORS.
Now a little bit about the material in the book:
a. It is logically organized beginning with a little bit of background made interesting to read. It then goes into the basic rules (especially good is how the author covers, "en passant", "castling", "check", "checkmate", "pawn promotion" and the "movement of the Knight" which often confuse first time beginners) and moves into strategy.
b. Each lesson builds upon former lessons, introducing new strategy based on the material covered in previous lessons. This is the way teachers actually cover material in a classroom. It does have the drawback of covering just one subject in an entire chapter like so many other beginning books I have seen.
c. Extreme wide coverage of important tactics. There are enough problem format examples for students to work on and a teacher to set up that if a club was to have a weekly meeting it would have enough material for an entire school year. It covers ALL of the most important basic mates (especially good is the coverage of "how to defend against the scholar's mate", "rook roller mate", "back rank mate", "mates against the weak f7 square such as Legal's mate", "smothered mate" including the "Philidor's Legacy" mate). It covers all of the important opening traps (especially good is the coverage of "Petrov's Trap") and tactics that win material (nicely covered with good examples are "the pin", "the fork", "the skewer/x-ray attack", "discovered check/attack", "overworked defender" and more).
d. Good Opening System. The opening system introduced does not go off into hundreds of complicated variations. It doesn't suggest over ambitious gambit lines nor openings that are over positional or mechanical (not allowing the student to think for them self). The openings are well rounded with a good degree of openings containing important opportunities to get into tactical situations - allowing the openings to be "learning openings" for a beginner. Excellent are the Ruy Lopez and the line against the Sicilian as White (there is also a nice brief coverage of other ways to handle replies to 1 e4 such as the French, Alekhines, Center Counter and Caro Kann) and well as Black (playing against the Ruy Lopez and handling the "d" Pawn openings with the Nimzo-Indian, an active defense with a good sharp fight for the center).
e. The most important first endgames for students to learn with how to checkmate a lone King with just a King and Queen and King and Rook, and then going into basic King and Pawn endgames. These are explained extremely well.
f. Special features of the Rook (use on opening files, behind passed pawns, on the 7th rank, doubling, etc...) and Pawns(doubled pawns, isolated pawns, pawn chain, backward pawns) are very nicely pointed out.
g. reading and writing moves (notation) is very nicely taught. Getting into this important part of learning chess into an appropriate depth for students not to fear what at first may appear to them to be complicated. CHESS FOR JUNIORS does an excellent job of covering this.
h. Two example games with very nice winning ideas are covered. There is move by move analysis making the games flow very nicely. This makes the setting for a follow up book by the same author known as UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS (continues with more games in this matter).
i. Ever try and look something up again that you had previously seen in a book, but had problems locating it? Ever had someone mention the name of something but then ask yourself, where would it be in this book? Well in CHESS FOR JUNIORS you will find an extensive INDEX in the back! What a wonderful help this has been!
j. Humor using riddles and stories are used to help the students remember. Some are so silly/funny (well suited for an elementary school or even junior high school audience) that students cannot forget the material. This is an especially great and unique feature of CHESS FOR JUNIORS not found in your typical beginner's book. This can only come from an author that has many years of experience working with young students.
h. The author's UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS and my favorite, WINNING CHESS TOURNAMENTS FOR JUNIORS continues with additional material designed to go beyond CHESS FOR JUNIORS (this avoids the pitfalls of having inconsistent or repeated material).
In a chess nut shell if you are a teacher, student or parent and want what is far the best chess book for a beginner, then CHESS FOR JUNIORS is it!
Summary of Chess for Juniors: A Complete Guide for the Beginner
Robert Snyder, national chess master and noted teacher, introduces this timeless game to the young beginner. Snyder teaches the basic principles and then builds on students' knowledge, giving clear instructions on how to choose and employ opening, middle, and endgame strategies to win. In twenty graduated lessons, with over 275 diagrams, Chess for Juniors covers:-- Basic Rules
-- Check, Checkmate, and Castling
-- Opening Systems, including the Ruy Lopez, the Sicilian Defense, the Nimzo-Indian, the Queen's Indian Defense.
-- Basic Endgame Strategy
-- Tactics such as the Hanging Piece, the Fork, and the Pin
-- And more.
Robert M. Snyder's students have included the 1989 and 1990 national elementary and junior high school champions. He is the founder of the Chess for Juniors chess club in Garden Grove, California, the country's largest club for young people, and his school seminars have been attended by a total of over 50,000 students.
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