Customer Reviews (22)

I love Susan Polgar's style
Susan Polgar's commitment to sharing the game she loves is obvious.Her style of presentation is informative, illustrative, corrective, and easy to understand.This book is good for both the beginner and the intermediate chess player.

This is the book to buy
When starting an elementary chess club, there were things I needed to learn and be able to teach. I have read alot of chess material, but this book by far had the best step by step outline of chess which was clear and extremely easy to follow. It also has a wonderful index in back which is terrific for easy reference for my club members. I recommend this book for beginners and intermediate players.

An easy book to follow
This is an exellent book. It's one of the best beginner's books in chess. I also recommend World Champion's Guide to Chess. Both are excellent, easy to follow and thorough.

...Polgar avoids wordy text and lines of movement
"Alpha Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours"Zsuzsa Polgar ...et al, [...] ISBN 0 02 864408-5

Rates much above the typical beginner book, becausePolgarILLUSTRATES the point she is making,instead of giving you dull and boring, wordy paragraphsto read.When you see the illustration,you QUICKLYget the point of the lesson.

The author is SUSAN POLGAR, and "Zsuzsa" is the Hungarian form of our "Susan".Susan Polgar gives days and weeks of her personal time through the year,to promote chess.She is one of the most self-sacrificing chess celebrities in the entire world,totally committed to enlarge human experience through chess.She has a heart ofgold where chess is concerned.

For example, the weend of 13-14 May 2006,Susan Polgar attended the annual Bert LernerNational Championships for children grades Kindergarten through 6th Grade.Many of the children taking home trophies, had the honor of having Susan Polgar appear on stage with them for photographs.Besides that,Ms. Polgar gave a simultaneous exhibition on Friday the 12th of May.

This book has a nice set of questions at the end of each chapter, with answers in the back.I also like the way Polgar hassample games that have a new diagram for EACH and EVERY MOVE in the sample games,and there are explanations for each and every move.

Chapter Nine must be mentioned,because it covers ENDGAMES.It is so important that all chess players get skills for the Endgames,and Susan gives them here.

This book is THOROUGH, and COMPLETE.I can recommend it to any chess BEGINNER asa "first book" on chess.--Bruce R. Bain,President,Denver Chess Club

Clearly written
Very good book for beginners.I especially like all the diagrams, make it easier to understand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book
It's an interesting book. The only problem I have with this book is the husband. He's not a chess player, know little about chess but spoke like a big shot. The part about Zsuzsa is very good.

Not so much instruction
This book seems to be more of an ego trip for the author who seems to be tooting here own horn a lot. This put aside it isn't such a bad book with games and some interesting things being covered.

After playing for 42 years, I found this book #1!!!
I am very honored to have met Judit, Sophia, Susan and Jacob, Susan'shusband. We met at the U.S. Amateur Team Championship East in February,1998 in Parsippany, NJ. I have also been to Susan's "Polgar ChessAuthority" a number of times in Queens, NY. There, I talked to Susan,Judit, Max Dlugy, John Fedorowitz, Pal Benko, Alex Chernin, Maurice Ashley,and a many others.But when I first met Susan and Cobi, I felt a need toknow more about this fasinating personality, and her sisters. At the Team,I had a chess site on display on my computer. Sophia asked if I could helpher find a phone number of a hotel in Amsterdam thru the Internet. She,like her sisters, was a most pleasant person - alive and vibrant! A fewweeks later, the owner of the games site and I went to Susan and Cobi'shome to set up the site on their computer. Being served coffee by theWomen's World Champion was a most memorable experience, AND it tastedGREAT! At the Chessathon, in Newark, NJ on May 30th, 1998, I purchased herbook, and she autographed it. To meet a celebrity is one thing; to havethem know your name is something else; but to read and learn about theirlife is the ultimate!The annotated games were great!! But the life andstruggle are the key issues here, as are the FAMILY accomplishments! Name amore prolific family in any sport/career!!On August 28th, 1998, MaxwellScott, my first grandchild, arrived in this world. Labor Day weekend, 2002,will be his first chess lesson, after a visit to the Polgar ChessAuthority. Thank you Susan, Judit, Sophia, and Cobi, for telling us of yourgreat lives!Love you all!!! Richard

Inspiring story of an amazing Champion

Okay, so maybe you know who Judit Polgar is, but you aren't clear about who Zsuzsa and Sofia are, right? If so, then this is the book for you!

This book contains lots of behind-the-scenes info on Zsuzsa's tournament career, and the often nasty political tactics that were used to (try and) keep Zsuzsa out of the spotlight. This book gave me a much better appreciation of who Zsuzsa is, how her contributions to chess helped pave the way for her younger sisters (and women in general) to excel in the traditionally male-dominated chess world, and what an amazing player she is in her own right!

Also contain 100+ pages of games annotated by Zsuzsa (including all the games from her 1996 World Championship match with Xie Jun), and lots of color and b/w photos of the sisters and other chess legends (go find Bobby Fischer!).

Excellent, and an easy read, even for non-chess players! I gave it a "9" only because I wanted more, more, more!!! :- ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

page turner 80%, 20% boring, but honest.
page turner 80%, 20% boring, but honest. Interesing because
author was a competitor. Games are excellent. Ony drawback
is that the content does not cover the topic of the book
in much detail. ... Read more