19 Sep 06
We've seen enough forums on good chess books, so lets have a thread on bad ones. This will help others avoid wasting money on a bad book. Please list the book(s) and give a brief description of why it sucks.
Mine are
Chess Openings Traps and Zaps
and
Chess Openings Traps and Zaps 2
Both of these are just cheap elementary forks, etc. where the opponent blunders badly. No opening help whatsoever.
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20 Sep 06
And most books by Bruce Pandolfini.
I can't believe the kind of books this guy dishes up.
Most of them are superficial if not hazy and they are neither entertaining nor instructive. And he even has a column in a respected chess site.
"The Chess Doctor" ought to be the worst chess book ever written.
21 Sep 06
Originally posted by buddy2I have read many excellent books by Eric Schiller.
Any books by Eric Schiller. Take your pick.
"Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom" is an excellent resource as a comprethensive outline for use by chess teachers.
"Gambit Opening Repertoire for White" and "Gambit Opening Repertorie for Black" both contain many interesting opening ideas.
I think that Schiller gets a bad rap. The only problem that I've noticed with virtually all of his books is extrremely poor proofreading.
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21 Sep 06
Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugI think so, unless the old memory is playing tricks again - it's him and two others but he is the main author I believe. The book isn't all bad but there are so many errors in the notation and diagrams. The last half of the book, analysing various master's games, could have been good but I didn't think much of his analysis, it didn't go into enough detail. I need more help than just a list of the first 20 moves, I'd like to know why some of them were played.
Did Eric Schiller write that as well?