Irving Chernev's outstanding chess books earn him a high rank among the world's top chess authors. In this well-annotated text, Mr. Chernev guides his readers to an understanding of the subtleties of combinative play. Step-by-step from the simplest combinations to the most complex, the book explains the intricacies of pins and counter-pins, Knight forks, smothered mates, and other elements of combination play. There is a discussion in chapter five of combinations lurking in roads not taken -- alternate lines of play show up in Chernev's notes to the game, while the sixth chapter, "Convincing the Kibitzers," shows the second-guessers what would have happened had the masters done the obvious. (Some disastrous combinations show up here.) A host of boomerangs follow -- cases where the player didn't look far enough ahead and his combination, instead of bringing about the opponent's ruin, paved the way to his defeat. Chapters 8-21 take up combinations used by such great players as Tarrasch, Botvinnik, Nimzovich, Steinitz, Rubinstein, and Pillsbury; the sacrificial combinations of Anderssen and Spielmann; the dazzling brilliancies of Morphy, Keres, and Alekhine; the deadly attacks of Marshall; the almost unfathomable ideas of Lasker; and the matchless creations of Capablanca. Mr. Chernev's thoughtful annotations unravel the secrets of each of these plans. A diagram accompanies each combination; an index, by player, leads the reader to the combination he is looking for.

This book is a lively result of a chess authorities attempts to help his teenage son improve his play. Young Benjamin Fine proved to be an invaluable assistant in preparing the text, presenting the problems and helping to work out the solutions. Other young chess beginners will find his experience of more than ordinary interest. In writing this book, the author kept in mind the player who has little or no previous knowledge of chess. His aim has been to provide a useful practical technique for handling the game. In addition to basic information about the board, the chess men and notation, Dr. Fine in a special chapter on chess moves introduces the reader to some of the delights or more complex play. The last chapter is devoted to describing a study scheme which is bound to lead to steady improvement on one's play. Over 300 clear, explanatory diagrams and a brief but carefully selected biography compliment the text and add to the books usefulness. Reuben Fine is one of the world's leading authorities on chess. In addition to being one of the foremost grandmasters of our time, his writings have done more than those of any other man to make the knowledge of the masters available to all chess players. He has the rarest of all gifts, the ability to be both lucid and profound.