The Art of Chess

The Art of Chess by Mason, James. paperback edition. ISBN: 0800759204632.

This is a completely unabridged reprinting of the last revised edition of the most famous general study of chess ever written. Prepared by an early twentieth-century master, it was designed to teach the beginner and the intermediate player just about everything he needed to know about openings, middle game, and end game. It has never been superseded as the most practical and easily followed book of its sort. It is unusual in presenting both ideas and actual moves (taken from master play) in the most easily assimilated form. Revised and brought up to date by Fred Reinfeld and Sidney Bernstein, this book explains and makes easy for you more than 90 different openings, ranging from the classical Ruy Lopez up to the work of Alekhine, Reti, Nimzovich, and others. Combinations are analyzed and presented so clearly (yet without sacrificing depth) that you will soon find yourself seeing moves ahead more clearly than you did before. You will learn how to plan your game with a purpose, how to attack, sacrifice, defend, exchange, and govern your general strategy. Endings are also thoroughly covered. All in all, there is not an aspect of practical chess that is not treated, and there is hardly a player living below the rank of grandmaster who could not profit form Masons work. If you follow Masons exposition thoroughly, you will probably obtain as much knowledge of chess as you could short of making chess a full-time study for years. Bound in with Masons Art of Chess is an entirely new booklet by Fred Reinfeld, How Do You Play Chess? In this booklet, Mr. Reinfeld uses lively questions and answers to tell novices of the basic fundamentals of the game.