Review: Let's Play Chess

This second edition of Let’s Play Chess is said to contain about forty percent new material compared to its predecessor, and offers an easy, stress-free peek into what we all know can be an exceedingly complex game.

In describing how each chess piece moves, Pandolfini does a nice job of not complicating matters. He initially avoids en passant captures and pawn promotion, castling, and avoids any real discussion of illegal moves such as moving a king into check, but does cover these topics later in the book. He allows readers to feel a sense of success and lessens the likelihood of frustration setting in any earlier than necessary!

You can read the full review for the next week at the main ChessCafe book review page, and it is also permanently archived here.