Scan barcode
mandalor3960's review
2.0
If you're going to read this book, there's essentially only 30 pages of good material while the rest is just salesman talk. De la Maza provides what seems like revolutionary theories and thoughts that any adult inexperienced player can relate to. My criticism, along with most of the chess world is that you have to adopt a style of play and begin to learn openings and techniques to advance fully. Full focus on tactics can only get you so far but it is none the less instrumental. I provided this book with a low rating for the unnecessary pages of tactics, half-baked theories, and reviews on the Seven Circles and vision drills.
Rating Update 31 May 2019
Two stars to one star. It took me 21 days to read 128 pages. I definitely found a lot of it boring.
Update 7 July 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original rating and original review conform to the new rating system. While only twenty pages of the one hundred and thirty pages are useful and reach a three star rating, the rest of the book falls into one star rated content. I round the rating of the book to two stars when it should fall to one star because when I think of this book, I think only of useful pages. I consider this book to be "OK".
October 6, 2019
Update
To elaborate on the 1.5 star rating mentioned in the update from July 7, 2019, the 1.5 star rating is accurate. The average rating of the three star-rated thirty pages and the one star-rated ninety pages is 1.5 stars. I have rounded the rating to two stars because of the impression that the three star-rated segment gave me, and for my liking of it.
February 16, 2020
Update
In the update from July 7, 2019, I wrote that twenty pages receive a three star-rating, I believe this to be true because this is the cumulative rating for those twenty pages, since there is four star-rated content within that gets bumped down by three and two star-rated content.
February 20, 2020
Update
Supposing that the twenty pages could receive up to a four star-rating and the remainder would receive a two star-rating, the book would receive a cumulative 2.31 star-rating, not close enough to a three star-rating by rounding up from 2.5 stars. This book is a definite two star-rated book.
Two stars to one star. It took me 21 days to read 128 pages. I definitely found a lot of it boring.
Update 7 July 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original rating and original review conform to the new rating system. While only twenty pages of the one hundred and thirty pages are useful and reach a three star rating, the rest of the book falls into one star rated content. I round the rating of the book to two stars when it should fall to one star because when I think of this book, I think only of useful pages. I consider this book to be "OK".
October 6, 2019
Update
To elaborate on the 1.5 star rating mentioned in the update from July 7, 2019, the 1.5 star rating is accurate. The average rating of the three star-rated thirty pages and the one star-rated ninety pages is 1.5 stars. I have rounded the rating to two stars because of the impression that the three star-rated segment gave me, and for my liking of it.
February 16, 2020
Update
In the update from July 7, 2019, I wrote that twenty pages receive a three star-rating, I believe this to be true because this is the cumulative rating for those twenty pages, since there is four star-rated content within that gets bumped down by three and two star-rated content.
February 20, 2020
Update
Supposing that the twenty pages could receive up to a four star-rating and the remainder would receive a two star-rating, the book would receive a cumulative 2.31 star-rating, not close enough to a three star-rating by rounding up from 2.5 stars. This book is a definite two star-rated book.
adrianasturalvarez's review
2.0
I realize the importance of drills when it comes to fluid tactical play, particularly in early ratings, which is where I stand, and while the ideas presented here are somewhat useful I couldn't get past the infomercial style presentation, nor the reduction of chess elements into some kind of extended 80s training montage. Chess is an art, which means, for me at least, this book's attitude was an absolute turn off.
kyleboon's review
4.0
Chapters 2 and 3 are worth reading for all
Adult chess improvers at the class level. It mostly boils down to a) create and stick to a plan and b) concentrate on tactics. Lot of similarity to the woodpecker method but lacking the puzzles.
Adult chess improvers at the class level. It mostly boils down to a) create and stick to a plan and b) concentrate on tactics. Lot of similarity to the woodpecker method but lacking the puzzles.
More...