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Rating: 
Summary: For once, a Chess book that's actually ENTERTAINING...
Review: Being on my school's Chess team, I'm exposed to many strategy guides. Although they can be helpful, they...are....DULL! Maybe I'm just not a serious-enough player, but I don't especially care for memorizing dozens of openings. I want general strategies. Samurai Chess does just that. Besides being a stategy guide, it's a pretty good read, giving insight to an alternative mindset for playing Chess. I could be biased, though, as I am in third-year Japanese and I love their culture.
Rating: 
Summary: An Intriguing Reading but It Won't Improve Your Chess
Review: SAMURAI CHESS by Mr. Michael J. Gelb and Mr. Raymond Keene puts things in perspective for the neophyte chess player and gives one a basis of comparison with a familiar theme - the martial arts. I've poured through several chess books which were all too advanced and gave skant attention to a beginner chess player, but as a dedicated Judo and Jiu-Jitsu practioner, I was finally able to absorb some basic chess concepts through this book and the author's ability to draw a martial arts analogy. Yet the only flaw is that the Japanese already consider the Asian game of 'Go' a martial art equal to Karate or Kendo and they give those 'Go' players hard won Dan or Black Belt ratings; and this is hardly appropriate to Western chess, which is, after all, only a game!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Beginners Book on Chess!
Review: SAMURAI CHESS by Mr. Michael J. Gelb and Mr. Raymond Keene puts things in perspective for the neophyte chess player and gives one a basis of comparison with a familiar theme - the martial arts. I've poured through several chess books which were all too advanced and gave skant attention to a beginner chess player, but as a dedicated Judo and Jiu-Jitsu practioner, I was finally able to absorb some basic chess concepts through this book and the author's ability to draw a martial arts analogy. Yet the only flaw is that the Japanese already consider the Asian game of 'Go' a martial art equal to Karate or Kendo and they give those 'Go' players hard won Dan or Black Belt ratings; and this is hardly appropriate to Western chess, which is, after all, only a game!
Rating: 
Summary: A good starter
Review: The authors have written a good book for begining chess players. It's easy to read, and teaches sound principles. But it's hardly a book for seasoned players, as it's too simplistic. If you already are fairly good at chess, this is not the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Reading but It Won't Improve Your Chess
Review: This book is quite simplistic and devoid of any strategic learning value to help you improve your games. If you are a beginner and seriously want to improve your chess with easy-to-read authors try Jeremy Silman's "Reassess Your Chess: Workbook", Bruce Pandolfini's "Russian Chess" describing six games move by move, Irving Chernev's "Logical Chess: Move by Move", and of course Aaron Nimzovitch's "My System".This Samurai book tells you to "Seize The Initiative" as one of their strategies. True, but how to do it requires you to work and practice, and the guidance of good chess authors. -- I give it two stars because of it's inspirational value and innovative idea. It's not a boring read, just not a very useful chess book.
Rating: 
Summary: A basic approach to chess, but not a strategic guide
Review: This is are very interesting book written in a different perspective then most chess books. If you have any backround in the martial arts or enjoy chess, you will enjoy this book, if for nothing else than the unique and interesting position that it endorses. Not only that, but it is a pleasant read as well.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Book
Review: Truly an interesting book to a person how does both Martial Arts and chess (As a side note a have been studying both now for a number of years). The theme was interesting because one of my Teachers actually talks like a chess person when going about how to get in an attack in sparring although he does not play chess, so I have seen this connection before. As a straight chess book it would be on a beginner to an intermediate level. If you take into consideration the philosophies of the book though it becomes more profound. I have read most of the books they use as exerpts and found it to really help blend these two worlds together. It has been said that If you read The Book of Five Rings once you will get something out of it. Twice, you will get something different again. Etc. These books (The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings) are also business books and found in this section if you go to Indigo. So not only is this book talking about chess, it discusses Martial Arts, Business and Life as a Whole (ie. "The Way"). If you can look at this book in this light then it becomes much more than "just a chess book", it becomes something of a reminder of how to live life. Perhaps I lost a couple people there but it boils down to is there are some people who all they do is chess, this book could be an introduction to a new way of looking at things, and new philosophies. So Enjoy!
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