( 4 reviews )
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Posted: Nov 30 2008
A solid game overall, simple to use but could use an advice system when learning the game. Perhaps a system of teaching players in different situations so they can hone their skills would be helpful.
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( 20 of 24 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 30 2001
Well, it's a good book such as it is. I wanted to give it 3.5 or even 4 stars. I just didn't feel it delivered what it advertised. The *tons* of recorded games in the appendices are great. The total lack of annotation is terrible. Perhaps many or most people don't need annotation, but the book was advertised as a book for *beginners* and I am in fact a total beginner, and I found the lack of annotation to be extremely unhelpful. I can't understand why many of the moves are made - and there are even a few games which end in resignation in which I don't understand why the player resigned. Now, like I said, probably many people don't need this explained, but I do, and if you think you would need these kinds of things explained, then this is not the book for you.On the other hand the explanations of the various openings (8 openings and 8 responses are discussed) are quite good. Again, they will seem high-level to a total beginner like me. There are a lot of things it is assumed you will understand which you might not understand. But still, if you have a board in front of you and play through the moves as you go through the discussion, you will be at least somewhat edified.Unfortunately, the discussion doesn't really go in-depth. The openings and responses are given, and some comments like "red intends to attack the right side" or "blue is defending the central line" are given at the end of the listing, but no real discussion of the implications of the moves are given. Xianqui is a very tactical game - even more tactical than Western Chess because of the extreme importance of aggressiveness and sacrifice in the game. For that reason, I feel a more detailed discussion of the results of the various opening systems was in order.So, all in all a decent book but it is quite scary if you aren't ready. Not *really* a beginner's book though I think it is trying to be one.Here's what it is that bothers me - it reads like a textbook; as though it is assuming you have an instructor there with you to go over the text and to help explain the material. Unfortunately, of course, there is no such instructor so it's kind of like trying to learn the Chinese language by yourself out of a slightly outdated textbook with no access to native speakers to practice with or ask questions of. But it *is* one of only *two* books on Xianqui strategy I can find anywhere on the net, so the final judgement is: buy it, but be prepared.
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( 47 of 64 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 23 2000
This is a beautifully bound book, well suited for beginners and intermediate players of Chinese chess.
