Play Better Chess

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Great Chess Starter

Book that got me hooked to chess!

Play Better Chess
Leonard Barden
Manufacturer: Octopus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0706409671

Customer Reviews:

Great Chess Starter.......2003-04-20

The book that taught me to learn from chess books, and that took me as an adult player to win my first game against those guys I could never beat!

A friendly and instructional book which covers openings, midgame, endgames, biographies, rules, common blunders - just a whole lot!

I hope it is republished forever, originally by Octopus 1980, later by Treasure Press 1987. (My copy's not for sale.)

Book that got me hooked to chess!.......2002-04-02

Very well written. Includes chess history, endings openings and strategy. I recomend it for anyone being introduced to chess theory and even for others who want to read some good chess writing. The section where he gives practical advice on tournaments, general play and openings is very useful. Was very original at the time it was written. I am surprised there are no newer editions of this book.

Book Description

Kids from 6 to 16--once you've worked your way through the author's Start Playing Chess, you're ready to focus on the secrets of winning. Just place this book beside your chess set, and watch your skills soar! Over 100 diagrams show how to manipulate the strengths of each piece, and defend against its weaknesses. You find winning strategies for any board situation: what to do when you're in closed position (when many of your pawns are stuck) or open position (when you're free to move and trade). Then try your hand at "double stuff"--how to do more than one thing at a time and confuse your opponent--as well as fun moves like a "family fork" and "skewer."

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Better Chess.......2006-06-22

The Katzs' show young and older players how to improve thier games form beginers to those who have been playing for sometime.

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Better Chess-How to Play
Fred Reinfeld
Manufacturer: Wilshire Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Baroque Chess Openings, Or, How to Play Your Betters at Chess and on Occasion Win

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Fun and stylish
And yet it improves your game
A chess humor book! It can't be real!

Baroque Chess Openings, Or, How to Play Your Betters at Chess and on Occasion Win
Richard Wincor
Manufacturer: Harvard Common Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0876450591

Customer Reviews:

Fun and stylish.......2005-10-11

'That many a chessplayer below Master rank has the power, through changing his style, to improve his playing strength dramatically in one sudden leap, is the argument maintained in this little book.' This is not so much a book of particular things to do as it is a change of point of view, according to author Richard Wincor. Wincor is a self-described 'average player', although it is obvious that he is better than that (however, Wincor's name is absent from the major lists of players, so while he may be above average, he did attain the master level ranking).

This is not in fact a book for beginners, or perhaps even average players. It involves strategy and tactics that Wincor describes with little definition to the terminology he uses. This can be confusing to the novice who is unfamiliar with chess writing, so this is perhaps a good second or third book, but not a good first. Besides, perhaps one should learn the game along the more traditional lines before one goes for broke through the baroque.

Wincor's style of writing is fun and interesting to read. He would identify with the second section in Edward Lasker's book, 'Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood'. However, for Wincor, obviously the 'blood' is fun! He writes of the first opening he describes, 'The most aggressive Baroque opening for White is the Dutch Stonewall. Its texture is solid, massive and pent-up, something like a bunching of heavy tanks. When it rolls, it has a chance of flattening all opposition in the King's fortress.'

Wincor's commentary is inspired. For example, in the same Dutch Stonewall game, he makes a comment after one interesting turn of play, 'Mrs. Bruce played that domestic tragedy like an Amazon.' Wincor, upon speculating on the question of whether or not there is such a thing as a perfect opening, draws in ideas from Neoplatonists and quotes the poet Pope (yet hastens to add that Pope never thought of chess as an application of his verse).

Wincor does not promise in this book that the novice will begin winning in grand-master tournaments. However, he states, 'Still they lose, but with more style than before.'

This is a very fun book.

And yet it improves your game.......1999-08-18

This book was recommended to me by an "A" player back when I was rated 1300. He said it helped his game by 300 pts. It did the same for me. Its kind of like Nimzo on tranquilizers.

A chess humor book! It can't be real!.......1998-10-26

This book is a Pythonesque take on chess openings. And now for something completely different. "Baroque," explains the author, is used here in all its senses: ornate, complex, to some degree indecipherable, and not least sort of ugly. The openings Wincor describes are truly all these things. But if you can appreciate the British sense of humour, you'll enjoy reading it regardless of your attitude or knowledge about chess. I left my copy on a train years ago, and the loss still haunts me.

Baroque Chess Openings: Or, How to Play Your Betters at Chess

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The game usually goes to the craftiest
If it ain't "baroque", don't fix it!
A Baroque Collection of Romanesque Clarity

Baroque Chess Openings: Or, How to Play Your Betters at Chess
Richard Wincor
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0806505036

Customer Reviews:

The game usually goes to the craftiest.......2002-07-22

Chess being a mental game itself, it necessarily follows that its devotees enjoy mind games when facing opponents. This is an excellent book for such folks. I recommend it highly.

The book covers one offense, the Dutch Stonewall Reversed, and two defenses, The Black Dragon variation of the Sicilian Defense (for playing against a King Pawn opening), and the Queen's Indian, for playing against a queen pawn opening. It explores only these three openings, no more. It is the author's theory, and my own, that it is better to be able to play a few variations very well than a great many variations badly.

Few people see the Dutch Stonewall Reversed. It is a strong, fluid offense, and frequently takes even expert players by surprise. Many times, the so-called superior player recovers too late. AHA!

The two defenses are somewhat more commonly seen, but each has the virtue of shifting momentum to Black in the event of the slightest error by White. Again, that's what any player wants.

The book is eminently readable and fun. It iexplains the nuances of the three openings and shows you how to play them without drowing you in notation or sterile analysis.

This book has given me a lot of pleasure, and has allowed me to beat players who were easily superior to me under normal circumstances. You will enjoy it a lot. It's not for the real beginner, but you don't have to be Nimzovitch or Fischer, either. Enjoy.

If it ain't "baroque", don't fix it!.......2000-07-01

This book is a fun read. The author explains and discusses a number of opening systems for White and Black (including the King's Indian Attack, Queen's Indian Reversed, Stonewall Attack, and Old Indian Defense)in a light and witty style,with a good deal of verbal discussion of strategy, plans and ideas.

These openings are theoretically inferior -- "less than best". However, if you enjoy playing slow, manuevering, Nimzovich-style chess and are satisfied with reaching a merely equal middlegame, then perhaps you'll find this book worth studying.

A Baroque Collection of Romanesque Clarity.......1999-11-15

The chess opening seems to bring out the sincerest form of flattery in most players. Among any particular group of low-rated players, a high percentage in any community tend to play either the opening that the world champion is playing (such as the mid 1970s, when every 'D' rated player wanted to play the Najdorf Sicilian Poison Pawn variation) or what the local experts and masters play (in one community, the Goring Gambit and Smith-Morra Gambit were considered well-nigh a forced win by a local strong player, resulting in a world of people playing who should have been content with the Colle System or the Bird variation to the Ruy Lopez).

Wincor's book is a classic of teaching the chess player to march to the tune of a different drummer. The style is light, humorous, and aimed less at describing intricate variations than at giving ideas on a new way to play. Wincor's suggested style is "baroque", a deviation from the wild tactics of the e pawn beginner or the boring oversolidity of the 1. d4 2. c4 player.

The influence of this book filters through amateur chess even today, as a minority of fun-seeking explorers move into the B ratings using the odd but very workable ideas contained herein. In the same way that surrealism eventually filtered into mainstream MTV videos, a good day at the Internet Chess Club or any local chess club will net baroque players, who used to be a rarity. Still, second only to Koltanowski's Colle System book, and a nose ahead of Soltis' book setting forth a Slav/Caro-Kann defensive system, this is a book which can help a D player become a B player, and help an E player move towards C. If you haven't read this, let Amazon.com locate it for you, and enjoy!

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Better Endgame Play
Edmar Mednis
Manufacturer: Chess Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0945470835

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Better Opening Play
Edmar Mednis
Manufacturer: Chess Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0945470878

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How to Play Better Chess
Fred Reinfeld
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Co. c1961
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OO0EOO

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How to play better chess
Fred Reinfeld
Manufacturer: hanover House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007DZZRS

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How To Play Better Chess
Fred Reinfeld
Manufacturer: HANOVER HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SN1HXS

Book Description

A half-century of Wall Street history as seen through the lives of its most illustrious family
This compelling new narrative from bestselling author John Rothchild tells the story of three generations of the legendary Davis family, who rank among the most successful investors in the history of the Street. With a novelist's wit and eye for telling detail, Rothchild chronicles the financial escapades of this eccentric, pioneering clan, providing a vivid portrait of fifty years of Wall Street history along the way. Rothchild shadows the Davis family's holdings through two lengthy bull markets, two savage and seven mild bear markets, one crash, and twenty-five corrections and, in the process, reveals the strategies behind the family's uncanny ability to consistently beat the markets.
The Davis Dynasty begins in 1947, the year Shelby Davis quit his job as a state bureaucrat and, armed with $50,000 of his wife's money, took the plunge into stock investing. By the time he died in 1994, he had multiplied his wife's original stake 8,000 times! The story continues with his son, Shelby, who established one of the most successful funds of the past thirty years. The final characters in this enthralling family saga are grandsons Chris and Andrew. Both surrendered to the Davis family passion for investing and both went on to earn reputations as investment luminaries in their own right.
John Rothchild (Miami Beach, FL) co-wrote the blockbusters One Up on Wall Street, Beating the Street, and Learn to Earn with Peter Lynch. He is the author of Survive and Profit in Ferocious Markets (Wiley: 0-471-34882-1), A Fool and His Money (Wiley: 0-471-25138-0), and Going for Broke. He has written for Harper's, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and other leading magazines and he has appeared on the Today Show, the Nightly Business Report, and CNBC.

Customer Reviews:

Family history and market history in one.......2007-02-15

This is one of the better investment books on the history of post-WWII stock investing. While there are a number of absolute classic books on the 1920s and earlier periods (Lefevre's "Remininscenses of a Stock Operator", Galbraith's "The Great Crash", Brooks's "Once in Golconda", to name just a few), there aren't as many great books on recent history. This is one of them, however.

The Davis family, starting with Shelby Collum, is used by the author as a vehicle to traverse the history of the stock market from WWII through the late 1990s. Followers of mutual fund investing in the past 25-30 years are probably more familiar with Shelby Davis the younger, than with his father Shelby Collum. But it was the elder Shelby that made the family fortune. His is one of the great fortunes ever created strictly through long term investment and is a story of buying extreme value and holding for very long time periods. It's also about venturing into uncharted waters -- like being one of the first to invest in Japan.

This theme is carried forward to the story of his son, the well-known former portfolio manager of New York Venture Fund. Shelby the younger came of age in the go-go sixties and picked up some bad habits. The savage bear markets that followed chastened him and forced him to revert to a style of investing closer to his father's in the mid 1970s. The tensions between them created a sort of competition with the son posting a tremendous record with his mutual fund vehicle, New York Venture.

The relationship between father and son would be best described as "semi-estrangement." It took Shelby's sons, Andrew and, particularly, Chris to reconcile their father and grandfather's differences. The human story is interesting, and the elder Shelby was quite a character. I found the chapter on Chris's "apprenticeship" with his grandfather fascinating -- perhaps the best part of the book. In short, Shelby the elder is getting old and wants to retire and turn his portfolio over to a younger generation for management, but because of the bad feelings he doesn't know how to approach his son. And it's clear that he greatly admires the record his son has build with NY Venture. So he talks grandson Chris Davis (now the co-manager of NY Venture and Selected American Shares) into inventorying his portfolio. Chris then brings his father into the picture and the two of them work long hours reading through the 5 decades of trades and holdings. The portfolio at that time was close to $1 billion.

The story ends with the younger Shelby's semi-retirement and turning the reins over to sons Andrew and Chris, and Ken Feinberg, who continue with this style of investing. The mutual funds and separate accounts run by the Davises typically have portfolio turnover rates less than 20%, often less than 5%. This means they buy and hold, and hold, and hold. However, it's the price they pay for stocks that really juices their returns. The pigeonhole mentality at mutual fund rating agencies like Morningstar don't adequately describe Davis funds because of this. The Davises buy deep value, but after a stock recovers from whatever temporary trauma caused the bargain price, they continue to hold as long as the company meets their growth expectations. So Morningstar, for example, will call them a "blend" fund, which seems to say absolutely nothing about such a distinctive methodology as the one the Davises follow. This book is an elucidation of the emotional discipline and intellectual process behind this style of investment. Both the book and the investment style are highly recommended by this reader.

Combination biography and investment ideas.......2002-02-27

I personally don't care for dry investment books. I read for entertainment. This book provides a great combination as it is a biography of a family steeped in money management and also gives tips of how they were able to grow their fortune.

The book traces the investment history of Shelby Davis to his son to his grandsons. Shelby had family money through his wife and starts investing shortly after the crash in '29. Like many people, I assumed the market has been a somewhat continual climb with some setbacks. This books traces the history showing the many periods of lackluster stock value growth and how most Americans shunned the stock market for bonds. Quite a difference from today.

The original Shelby was a miserly value investor who never spent an extra dime. His investment hits were insurance stocks when no one liked that industry and some prudent investments in Japan, also mainly in the insurance industry. By leaving these investments to compound for years, Shelby built a great fortune. But the hidden engine behind this vast growth was the use of margin to leverage his returns. The original Shelby eventually grew his fortune to over a billion dollars in value.

Shelby's son Shelby did not work with his father until late in his life but eventually became a money manager of some renown also. His philosophy was similar but different and his large money winners tended to be from other industries. The book ends with the sons of Shelby Jr. taking over their father's money management firm and establishing their own identity.

Along this 70 year history, you will learn about the markets and the different stages of development over the years. A significant amount of time is spent in the 60s and 70s as both of the Shelby's were investing at that time. I strongly recommend this book if you have interest in the market and its history.

Highly Recommended!.......2002-01-30

John Rothchild has written a fascinating biography of one of Wall Street's most successful and least-known investors, Shelby Davis, who turned a $50,000 initial investment in 1947 into $900 million, almost exclusively by buying and selling insurance stocks. Part character study, part Wall Street history, Rothchild's book reads like a novel, with an accessible and witty narrative. Of special note is the concise summary of Davis' investment strategy, which rivals Buffettology in its simplicity and common sense. In Rothchild's hands, Davis' life becomes a fun read, no matter what your business interests, and we from (..)recommend this book to all curious readers.

More Than a Dynasty.......2001-10-28

While this is not a "how to" book it certainly is "why to" book. It's a look at remarkable family that gives anyone who has never invested in the stock market a perfectly good reason why they should! Patience and long term results are a philosophy that has worked well for them over the years. It's a look at a concept and philosophy handed down by the patriarch of the family that wealth should not be handed down, but earned. Spanning 4 generations, Rothchild gives the reader a remarkable insight into a family that works hard and plays hard. Even with this success the family has given back through many philanthropic endeavers including millions to the United World College. The college, with 10 campus' world-wide endeavers to bring students of different cultures and backgrounds together to foster understanding of each other in a world that desperately needs it.

Fifty Years in Wall Street (Wiley Investment Classics)

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Fifty Years in Wall Street (Wiley Investment Classics)
Henry Clews
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471772038

Book Description

The definitive look at Wall Street in the 19th Century

Perhaps the 19th century's best book on Wall Street, Fifty Years in Wall Street provides a fascinating look at the financial markets during a period of rapid economic expansion. Henry Clews was a giant figure in finance at that time, and his firsthand account brings this colorful era to life like never before. He reveals shocking stories of political and economic manipulation and how he helped bring down the mighty Boss Tweed. He writes eloquently about the madness of the markets and how the era's greatest speculators amassed their fortunes. This book provides an expansive view of Wall Street in an era of little regulation, rampant political corruption, and rapid financial change.

Henry Clews was born in England in 1836 and emigrated to the United States in 1850. In 1859, he cofounded what became the second largest marketer of federal bonds during the Civil War. Later, he organized the "Committee of 70," which deposed the corrupt Tweed Ring in New York City, and served as an economic consultant to President Ulysses Grant.

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The definitive look at Wall Street in the 19th Century Perhaps the 19th century's best book on Wall Street, Fifty Years in Wall Street provides a fascinating look at the financial markets during a period of rapid economic expansion. Henry Clews was a giant figure in finance at that time, and his firsthand account brings this colorful era to life like never before. He reveals shocking stories of political and economic manipulation and how he helped bring down the mighty Boss Tweed. He writes eloquently about the madness of the markets and how the era's greatest speculators amassed their fortunes. This book provides an expansive view of Wall Street in an era of little regulation, rampant political corruption, and rapid financial change. Henry Clews was born in England in 1836 and emigrated to the United States in 1850. In 1859, he cofounded what became the second largest marketer of federal bonds during the Civil War. Later, he organized the ""Committee of 70,"" which deposed the corrupt Tweed Ring in New York City, and served as an economic consultant to President Ulysses Grant.

Fifty years in Wall Street: "Twenty-eight years in Wall street," revised and enlarged by a résumé of the past twenty-two years, making a record of fifty years in Wall street,

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Fifty years in Wall Street: "Twenty-eight years in Wall street," revised and enlarged by a reÌsumeÌ of the past twenty-two years, making a record of fifty years in Wall street,
Henry Clews
Manufacturer: Irving Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B00085D1J4

The Davis Discipline: Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street (Davis Edition)

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The Davis Discipline: Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street (Davis Edition)
John Rothchild , and Peter S. Lynch
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel

ASIN: 0471216372

The Davis Disciplinek Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street

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The Davis Disciplinek Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street
John Rothchild
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000V1ZQX4

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Fifty Years In Wall Street Part 1
Henry Clews
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fifty Years In Wall Street Part 2

ASIN: 1428645489

Book Description

Twenty-Eight Years In Wall Street Revised And Enlarged By A Resume Of The Past Twenty-Two Years, Making A Record Of Fifty Years In Wall Street. Author Henry Clews Was A Giant Figure In Finance During The Late Nineteenth Century, And His Firsthand Account Brings This Colorful Era To Life Like Never Before. This Version Of An Investment Classic Touches On A Wide Range Of Important Financial Issues, Including: The Causes And Consequences Of Wall Street Panics The Influence Of Wall Street On National Politics How Individuals Like Jay Gould, Daniel Drew, And Commodore Vanderbilt Made Their Fortunes The Characteristics Of Winning And Losing Speculators How Operators Attempted To Corner The Markets For Individual Stocks 360 Seiten.

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Fifty Years In Wall Street Part 2
Henry Clews
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fifty Years In Wall Street Part 1

ASIN: 1428645497

Book Description

Fifty years of Wall Street with anecdotiana

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Fifty years of Wall Street with anecdotiana
Dean Mathey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006BNLO0

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Bank Street fifty years ago
Richard B Wall
Manufacturer: Press of the Day
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008AABFQ

Wall street fifty years after Erie;: Being a comparative account of the making and breaking of the Jay Gould railroad fortune,

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Wall street fifty years after Erie;: Being a comparative account of the making and breaking of the Jay Gould railroad fortune,
Ernest Howard
Manufacturer: The Stratford company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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