Review: Become the chess ninja your friends won't see coming
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 14, 2012
I am a terrible chess player. Not that I'm not smart, nor do I have trouble with reasoning, strategy, or logic. A brilliant uncle of mine taught me to play chess when I was about 12 years old. I could hold my own with other people who had just learned the game, but family members who had any savvy about the game have always beat my socks off. I would never strive to be a world class grandmaster of chess. This book doesn't claim to do that, anyway, which is fine. The title of the game is the key, though, which is that I've been hoping for a way to beat my friends (and family) at chess. I'm not malicious about winning games, but I am tired of losing all the time. In reading through this book once, I saw that with some study and practice I could be a better chess player against people who also have little hope of becoming grandmasters. To make the best use of this book requires at least some level of chess knowledge. Chris Statz doesn't endeavor to teach the rules of the game to a first-time player. With a familiarity of the rules, a few games under one's belt, and a little study of this book, it is the best I've found for becoming the newest chess ninja in one's close circle of unsuspecting victims. With just a little practice, I'm already seeing great improvement in my opening moves and understanding of how to move in for the kill.