These 25 chess games played between master and amateur were chosen,
arranged, and annotated to help amateurs improve their games. What
better way could the amateur have of learning to exploit the weak play
of fellow amateurs than to study how a master would handle such
situations? Selected by former World Chess Champion Max Euwe and Walter
Meiden, a typical amateur player, the games point out graphically how
the chess master takes advantage of characteristic errors of the
amateur.
In general, the games have been presented in order of the degree of
skill of the amateur. The early games were played against beginners;
later games, against coffeehouse players of various skill levels; the
last games, against amateur book players. Each game, with commentary by
Dr. Euwe, was chosen to illustrate a specific aspect of chess, from
various openings to a number of typical chess situations. By carefully
studying these games, the amateur player will learn how to recognize and
avoid a variety of weak strategic and tactical moves.
Dr. Euwe's helpful and informative commentary on each contest consists
of a discussion of significant moves in the game, an analysis of the
opening used and explanations of important chess concepts as they arise.
Often, he includes a detailed analysis of tactical variations that might
have been played as alternatives. The result is an indispensable aid for
amateurs seeking to raise the quality of their games as well as a book
that can be read with profit by chess players at every level of
expertise.
