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Summary: Alburt's popular CCC series has seven volumes but..
Review: ...Amazon's current online presentation makes individual volumes hard to locate, even though indeed they are all listed and sold here. It doesn't help that the book titles do not necessarily contain the series volume number. Nor the fact that volumes I and II are listed by Amazon as merely different editions of the same book, and so are given identical online customer reviews :]! But of course these two are entirely different.So, as a search aid I list the entire seven below. Actually learning chess from books all from one series will economise on money and time spent. For instance over at the archives of the book review section of www.chesscafe.com, Taylor Kingston's review of number 7 (_Just the Facts_) says, "You should note that you will not find the basic mates in the book. No K+Q versus K, etc. You have to go to the first volume in the Comprehensive Chess Series for that." A couple other quotes from Kingston: "At any rate, Just the Facts! is splendid in its simplicity and instructional value." and "For bringing clear and simple endgame instruction to the masses, however, Just the Facts! is terrific." l Comprehensive Chess Course Volume I: Learn Chess in 12 Lessons by Lev Alburt & Roman Pelts 2 Comprehensive Chess Course Volume II: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons by Lev Alburt & Roman Pelts 3 Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player by Sam Palatnik & Lev Alburt 4 The King in Jeopardy by Lev Alburt & Sam Palatnik 5 Chess Strategy for the Tournament Player by Lev Alburt 6 Chess Training Pocket Book: 300 Most Important Positions and Ideas by Lev Alburt 7 Just the Facts!: Winning Endgame Knowledge by Lev Alburt, Nikolai Krogius, Nikolay Krogius Amazon's book description of 7 says, "Just the Facts! is the seventh and final volume of the best-selling Comprehensive Chess Course,...". So, apparently Lev has now completed this very popular series!
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Summary: Start Here
Review: Escellent book for the beginner. Clear. Good diagrams. Logical stepwise progression of instruction. Start here with this book, then continue the whole series by Alburt.
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Summary: Bring you from a D player to a B player!
Review: Ever conider the hardhitting of the chess world? And yes, yes, it is time for you to take a break and chose some of the alternate ways. CCC2 is the way to go! It brings your rating up like nothing else. Well, you either have to get your nose digged in the oceans of opening books, or this! Only for players rated from 1000-1600. Usauly it'll brigh you 200~400 more rating points.
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Summary: The Perfect First Book
Review: Excellent for chess novices. Does not waste time on unnecessary information.
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Summary: A great start for a timeless game
Review: I have been playing chess for 30 years. I wish I had this book 30 years ago. This is a simple, clear introduction to the game of chess. The authors have based this series of books on the teachings of the Soviet school of chess. There are twelve lesssons in this book, teaching about a different piece or concept. The beauty of this book is that it breaks down chess into small, manageable parts, and covers all the basics of the game. The lessons progress from the easiest piece (the pawn) to the king, checkmate, stalemate, en passant, and castling. The idea that you learn to play a game with just pawns first, then pawns, bishops and rooks, not only lets students learn the simpler pieces first, but also shows that chess can be played without moving the queen all the time, a good lesson for beginners. Also, there are several simple drills to help players visualize the chessboard, a key skill in becoming a good player. I am using this text for teaching students new to the game, and so far the results are encouraging. This book is worth every penny I paid for it.
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Summary: The best beginner's book I have read.
Review: I have known the rules for about 20 years, and started tournament playing in Feb 2001. I thought I knew the basics and didn't need this. I read the introduction, and could not answer some very basic questions. While it took only a few weeks to run through the book, instead of the months recommened in the book, I definately learned what I was missing for the level I am at, which at the time is an 886 USCF rating.
The lessons are just that, lessons. They have objectives, they have homework, they have themes in each lesson, and you review the the beginning of each lesson. While this sounds so very simple, why is the the only book I have seen laid out like this? Imagine, a book to teach chess that lays out a course in a manner that you would use to teach anything from math to history in a school. That is what sets this book above anything else.
The oldest person to ever achieve a master rating was 53, I believe. That does give me hope. While this book is very basic, it relaid a very firm foundation for me: reinforcing basics, and showing the holes in my knowledge, then filling those holes.
Highly recommended, even if you have read other beginner's books. Then move on to Volume 2.
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Summary: keep your money
Review: I love chess books ... I devour them. This one made me nauseous. I got flashbacks of kindergarten when my teacher would make me do busy work while she bemoans "What could have been ...". Keep your money, or you will regret spending the $20. "How to Reassess Your Chess" by Jeremy Silman is much much better, and it is cheaper too. And no ... I am not Jeremy Silman nor do I know him :-) Keep your money. Buy your special someone some flowers or candy. Give it to some homeless person if you want. Better yet, buy some other chess book like the old standy "My System" by Nimzovich or games collections of Capablanca, Alekhine, Tal, etc. Oh by the way, I have a sneaking suspicion that the other reviewers may have gotten kick-backs from one or more of the authors :-)
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Summary: The best chess book series that has ever come upon earth
Review: I loved this book. I recomend this book series to anyone that wants to improve or just for light entertainment. I am a very series chess player and have improved greatly with this book and the others in the series. GM Alburt teaches something, I don't think anyone has mastered to teach what the actual student really wants to learn.Alburt explains how to draw a completly hopeless game, Sac major pieces for mates in a couple or so. Just stuff ohter books fail to teach you. There is this one postion I loved. A mate in 3 for white. I figuired it out, The answer was sacking a queen for a pawn, the idea was, if the pawn didn't tkae, it would be forced mate in 1 or 2. If he took, samething. Just postions like that, make you aw and ew. And you will find out that when the Brain see's stuff like that, It will quickly be fasinatated by what it just saw and obsorb it automatically! This book and the the rest of the series has really really helped mee to impove my game *ALOT*
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Summary: In the Beginning
Review: I own this book in French so I hope my comments will fit for the original version.
Of course, a book for beginners must start from the beginning and that's what Lev Alburt has done. The theory is followed by execises, all in a practical form. The only element that bugs me is the importance given to mastering the colours of the chessboard squares. Frankly, I'm a class B player and don't even need this. I believe it doesn't fit the rest of the book.
Beside that, it's the best book for beginners a know.
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Summary: The Greatest Instructional Series on Earth
Review: I would like to begin by saying that about one year ago I didn't even know what chess was, and I now find myself with the rank of chess expert thanks to this excellent series. In order to improve in chess one must have a solid foundation. This is exactly what the whole Comprehensive Chess Course gives you. The concepts expounded in the series are the most important in chess. Any beginner regardless of age should begin their chess career with instruction from these books. I began with CCCV1 and CCCV2. Study form these books lasted about a month and a half. I then simply went on to the next book in the series: Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player. It must be noted that I supplemented this book with alot of diagram trianing which I still continue. The perfecct follow up is King in Jeopardy. Here you will apply your tactical abilities and become a very dangerous attacker. Chess Stategy for the Tournament Player should take some more time to work through (I recommend a chapter every two and a half weeks and always review)and I found supplementing it with playing through GM games to be very fruitful. Just the Facts is the perfect endgame book and with carefull study will make you playsuperb endings. Going through this whole series along with practise from your own games should make you at least a class A player. Good Luck!
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