Gary’s Adventures In Chess Country

Book Review by Kay Slater

Gary’s Adventures In Chess Country
by Igor Sukhin, Introduction by Susan Polgar
2008 Mongoose Press, 152pp., $24.95

Let me begin by saying I am no chess expert. I’m a mom of a bright but antsy seven-year-old and was looking for something to engage his mind; so I dusted off my very old chess set and set about trying to remember enough to teach him the game of chess. Beyond the basics I was lost, so I then set about trying to find a book to help me along the way. Most were dry, complex and with wonderful potential to turn us both off the game for life. Others were so basic and childlike they earned no more than a quick flip. Finding the balance between them was the challenge; something entertaining and engaging but with an approach that taught him (and me) the game in a systematic manner that ensured each step was mastered before another begun. Igor Sukhin’s book Gary’s Adventures in Chess Country (Mongoose Press, Boston, 2008) has done just that and with a fair bit of fun to boot.

Upon first look, you notice colorful and playful graphics on appealing large pages. Throughout are diagrams for each and every theme; which were helpful for both my children and me as we adventured through. As the title hints, the book tells a story that kept the themes connected and fun. Each topic is followed by riddles and puzzles to develop the skill and this thoroughly engaged the children. So engaged them in fact, that I often found the book missing with it later turning up at the breakfast table, by the bedside, or on the floor with the dog – always with a few chess pieces laying beside it – and open to one or another of the riddles or exercises.

The book begins with the absolute basics, which were below the level of my son, but which engaged his little sister and provided an opportunity for him to teach and review. It also was helpful to get us “into the story” and used to the format before venturing into more complex territory. Again, the diagrams helped the children get used to the style of the book and unite it with their chessboard as we were reading along.

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Recommended package for youngsters learning to play chess: Gary’s Adventures in Chess Country and Learn Chess in 30 Minutes – Chess for Absolute Beginners.