Author Files: World’s Most Instructive Amateur Game Book

Our new video series Author Files provides an inside look into the book straight from the source, the book's author. Whether it is explaining some of the material already included in the book, or providing a little extra insight, this is a chance to learn from the expert. This exclusive video made for Forward Chess explores Dan Heisman's World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book.

Who says that you can’t learn from the games of amateurs? In this book, renowned chess instructor and writer Dan Heisman presents thirty games by intermediate-level players, each one offering a rich variety of lessons in practical competitive play for all chess enthusiasts.

The catalog of errors runs the gamut from taking too much (or too little!) time to think, to shoddy calculation, cutting off analysis too soon, and ignoring the principles of sound strategy. Using gentle humor, Coach Heisman gives a blow-by-blow account and patiently dissects the players’ thinking process, offering tips for improving clock management and making better decisions at the board.

Because the advantage can swing wildly back and forth, amateur games can be entertaining as well as instructive. Heisman gives a choice selection of cases of chess suicide, for the purpose of suggesting what the victim could have done to prevent disaster. Learn from this – better them than you! Check out the video below.