"Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" Book Analysis
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“Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” is an instructional/puzzle solving chess book by Fischer, Margulies and Mosenfelder. The book contains a brief introduction on how to play chess followed by six subsequent chapters. The chapters are as follows: (1) Elements of Checkmate, (2) The Back-Rank Mates, (3) Back-Rank Defenses and Variations, (4) Displacing Defenders, (5) Attacks on the Enemy Pawn Cover, and (6) Final Review. Before continuing on it should be said that this book is for the most part based completely on puzzling solving. However, a reader who takes the time to study the puzzles and brief excerpts from the authors will gain much more from this book. Let it also be known that this book is primarily geared toward a chess beginner (rating below 1000) and would be of little help to anyone who has played chess for some time. As a chess beginner, I read through “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” and would like to do a book “walk through” for those who may be interested in purchasing it for themselves.
“In preparing this book, I did not want to write just an ordinary chess book – so I used a new method called programmed instruction. Instead of merely presenting information that you have to try to understand, this book, called a program, actively teaches the material it contains. A program consists of a series of small informational steps called frames. Each frame presents information and usually requires a written response from you the learner… My answer to each frame appears in the answer box at the top of the next right-hand page… You will notice that each frame builds on positions previously presented and prepares for positions to follow.” – “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess”
The introduction is just that – a complete yet simplistic introduction to the game of chess. After reading this section, a new player would be ready to sit down in front of a chess board and play the game (they probably wouldn’t have much luck winning, but they would be able to play). The introduction includes a description of the chess board, the quantity and type of chessmen that each player starts the game with and how each piece moves and captures. Additionally special moves such as castling (king and queen side), pawn promotion and en passant capturing are covered in the introduction. The last section in the introduction includes the numerical values of each chess piece.
This chapter starts off by stating the object of chess and the three ways to escape check by an enemy piece. The three ways are as follows: (1) capturing the checking piece, (2) interposing or (3) fleeing. The chapter then continues with a variety of different puzzles that require the reader to identify when there is a mate and when there is not and if there is not which one of the three ways of escaping check can be used. Additional tips that are discussed in this chapter include bishop pairs, protecting checking pieces, using the king during the endgame as an offensive piece, watching all the pieces on the board, the power of pins on enemy pieces, discovered attacks and the importance of not weakening the king defenses.
This chapter highlights one of the most common of all mating combinations: the back-rank mate. Back-rank mates can be accomplished with a few simple moves or may require advanced thinking and planning ahead. This chapter also includes a discussion of useful versus useless interpositions, the power of lining up rooks and/or queen on an open file leading to the back-rank for mate, determining the amount of power needed to mate, determining the first move in a back-rank mating combination and determining if white can or cannot mate and showing the move that will lead to mate.
This chapter takes a closer look at many variations of back-rank mates and defenses that can be used to prevent them. The concept that the first move in a back-rank mate may need to be removing a back-rank defender is discussed and accompanied by a number of puzzles. Additional ideas that are explored include rooks working together to protect and attack, the correct defensive moves to make to prevent a back-rank mate, and the power of disconnecting your opponent’s defenders (specifically rooks) to gain access to the back-rank.
In this chapter, the need to sometimes drive away a key back-rank defender before being able to mate is explored. Sometimes by driving away an enemy defender and sacrificing a piece a mating combination can become possible by opening up squares that were originally protected. Similarly, at times the enemy king needs to be driven away from a defensive square before mate can be achieved. Lastly, the concept of driving the enemy king into a corner with no flight squares is illustrated as being a strong start to a mating combination. A number of puzzles are included to reinforce these concepts.
This chapter examines how to make attacks on the enemy king even when it appears the king is completely secure surrounded by his own pieces. All the themes of this chapter involve sacrifices that destroy the pawn structure in front of the enemy king. Some things to take away from this chapter include determining whether a piece sacrifice will ultimately lead to mate, carefully analyzing if a sacrifice will lead to mate before making a move, identifying which piece will deliver mate to the enemy king and forcing your opponent to make a pawn weakness in front of their king that will lead to them losing the game. A number of puzzles are included to reinforce these concepts.
The final review is simply that – a final review of every topic that has been covered in the book. Before the chapter begins there is a brief summary of the basic elements of checkmate, the back-rank mates, and defensives, displacing themes, and an assortment of sacrificial combinations. The three ways to get out of check and a discussion about pins against the king are also reviewed. The chapter then continues in a similar fashion as the other chapters but now incorporates everything that has been learned throughout the entirety of the book. As always a number of puzzles are included to reinforce these concepts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this review.
- Reuben