Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve

Rating:
Summary: Not for the lower rated player
Review: Besides being quite enjoyable, the problems chosen for this book are very instructive and they are also original-the author doesn't "copy and paste" from other problem books; instead, many examples are from games of his students or from other not-so-famous games, which most likely will not be recognized by the reader.

Yet it isn't just a puzzle book: it will also provide an accurate assesment of your rating and will test your ability in different facets of the game, such as "endgame, "strategy", and "tactics." It should be emphasized that you must take your time and try your hardest on every problem if you want to get an accurate assesment.

Overall, this is one of my favorite chess books; I highly reccomend it to players of all levels.





Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Detailed and Practical
Review: I am a USCF Class B player. Like many competitive amateurs, I desperately desire to improve my chess skill. I have purchased a truckload of chess books in my competitive chess "career", but I have never encountered a test that provides such detailed, practical feedback in all areas ... Attack, Counterattack, Defense, Opening, Middlegame, Endgame, Tactics, Strategy, Calculations, Standard Positions, Sacrifice, and Recognizing Threats... as IM Khmelnitsky's exam.

His exam will save you money even if you engage a professional chess coach. A good chess coach can use the results of this exam to tailor a training program to facilitate your improvement.

The only caveat I have about his test is that you absolutely should not take it if you are only seeking to have your ego stroked. Your test results may sting a bit but it is good medicine. No pain, no gain. :-)


Rating:
Summary: I felt I was working one-on-one with the private coach
Review: I bought this book after reading two very positive reviews in ChessToday newspaper. I also checked sample pages and feedback on ChessExam website and Amazon (just click on the cover shot).

The book produced an honest evaluation of my skills and I enjoyed it tremendously. Now, being a 1300 rated player (Class C), I knew I would have difficulties with many of the problems, but those that I missed I had no problem undestanding the explanation, which is brief, direct to the point and has minimal variations.

When I saw my final results - wow! Overall rating of 1345, that is only 25 points off my OTB rating. My Standard Endgames rating was only 1024. While tactical rating was 1487. I sort of felt this way about my skills, but seeing it as a number was rather dramatic. Of course, the reports with tips and training suggestions were very helpful. I went straight to the one that covers Standard Endgames and got the suggestions on what to do next. So I am using books by Averbach and Alburt and applying some of the recommended training techniques..

Overall, I would agree with some of the readers - this book will not stroke your ego, but will give you an honest assessment and clear recommendations. Children rated under 1100 and adults who don't know much beyond the rules of the game should postpone getting this book. They should focus on books like "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" by Snyder. Everyone else will get their money worth 100x and enjoy their time spent.

One more thing, after every 10 positions-set there is a rating scale and "Take a Break" chess puzzle which is very entertaining.



Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Time Saver
Review: I can say without exaggeration that if I had to give up all but one chess book of the dozens and dozens in my collection, this book would be the one I would keep, because it leads to maximum, concrete improvement in the shortest possible amount of time.

As a currently unrated player who has been away from tournament chess for more than 30 years, I am using this book to assess my game prior returning soon to active play. It is proving to be a very important tool and is saving me hours and hours of time by quickly zeroing in on the things I need to work on most.

This is not to say that improvement will be without effort, that's impossible! But the results of the exam ensure that you will focus on your needs and thereby get the best results from your study.


Rating:
Summary: Very Informative Book
Review: I found Igor's book to be right on target! Being a Class B player I have trouble trying to pinpoint my weak areas and how to get improvement in those areas. The Test and informative reports clearly showed my strentghs and weaknesses and how to make improvements very quickly. The test was quite challenging yet very entertaining and fun to solve.

Rating:
Summary: Best for the Intermediate or Advanced Level Player
Review: The "Chess Exam and Training Guide" contains are good number of important tactical themes best suited for a chess player rated over 1400.
I found some areas lacked showing some critical moves and even found some improvements in the quality of moves shown. For example in the Philidor's Defense the author gives the moves, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 Ngf6 and shows the best move as 5. Ng5. This is not the best move as Black does best to defend with 5....d5, giving up the Pawn. Better than the author's recommended 5. Ng5 is to first play 5. dxe5 with the idea of meeting 5....dxe5 with 6 Ng5, or meeting 5....Nxe5 with 6. Nxe5 dxe5 7 Bxf7+.
Even though "Chess Exam and Training Guide" has mistakes it does have good coverage of tactics to help you train. However, if you want the best book to help you train for tournaments (any age) I recommend "Winning Chess Tournaments for Juniors" published by Random House and "Combination Challenge" published by Hays.

Rating:
Summary: Not for all levels like it says
Review: There's many chess test books and software out there that rate you on combinations or endgames. This is the first book that rates you on all aspects of the game: middlegame, attack, defense, strategy, calculations, etc. There are 100 positions, 200 questions, many very difficult, to solve. After entering your answers in the charts provided, you can quickly determine your ratings in all areas. As a class A player trying to improve to the next level, the test pin-pointed my weak areas. I knew exactly how to prioritize my limited study time. A very fine book.