Dear rgcm:ers,

I'm currently about half way through Chess secrets I learned from the
masters by Edward Lasker.

So far I have to say that I like it, because as a very non-professional
player, I find it hard to make it through chess books that are based on a
wall of chess moves with very little graphical illustration. The only way
to survive such a book (if possible at all) is to bring out the old chess
board and move piece by piece, and it does get tedious after a while.

The book I'm reading has a different methodology, in that it mixes very entertaining glimpses from the authors life about chess, when he met chess masters, what he learned from them, what chess taught him about life and
so on, with games here and there to illustrate the points.

From time to time there are of course the classic walls of chess moves,
but there are illustrations of the positions, and the stories makes the
book more entertaining.

So I'd give it a 4 out of 5 for amateurs, and I imagine that good chess
players might miss the wall of chess moves.

Personally, I try to follow along mentally with the chess moves and to visualize it but after 5-10 moves I'm lost. If the moves are logical and obvious (such as capturing something) it is easier for me to visualize and follow along, but if the moves are strategic, I quickly forget and have to start over.

That's it! Hope you enjoyed the post! ;)

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