Substituting photographs and comprehensive captions for the customary diagrams and notations, this prolific author of chess texts has constructed the most basic manuals on the sport of philosophers. At this price, not too many folks will consider it as a gift for children, but it is a mite restricted for adults, assuming that only fairly cultured adults would turn to chess in the first place. There are older books still in print that start out with the same fundamentals, but progress to more satisfying intricacy, books that even casual players preserve against the day they may develop skill and/or a real taste for the game. The best way to learn chess is still by playing consistently against an opponent more experienced in the game.