"To pick out in such a game a few moves, here and there, in order to analyse a variation, or point out a weakness, would be like picking out in a Beethoven sonata a few sounds in order to count the number of their air vibrations per second. The play of Black is perfectly delightful. He marshalls all of his troops into battle, without in the meanwhile paying any attention to the white threats … a marvel of economy".

Do you like the disposition of Black's pieces?

click for larger view

18.g3? The Art of Chess by James Mason, originally published in 1895 surely did not encourage moving pawns in front of the castled king.

Can you name even one GM or other qualified expert who recommends reading Mason's <The Art of Chess> today?

Ol' FTB will ask a question of fake Z troll. Since I <"haven't any qualification or motivation"> why does fake Z troll follow me around this website everywhere I go?

But the Gillam ref is a deflection, and just another attempt to demonstrate some chess chops.

Mason's 416-page tutelage "The Art of Chess" is a good read, but it's bulk, depth and difficult battles are not ideal as a first or second chess book in the 21st century: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show... The combinations and endgame maneuvers of the great old masters are just too difficult for beginners to absorb, and they'll likely not finish the book.

Beginners need to be spoon-fed the basics with easy positions from shorter books such as Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Reshevsky Teaches Chess, Beginning Chess by Harry Golumbek, Chess for Beginners by P.H. Clarke, Chess Tactics for Beginners edited by Fred Reinfeld, Chess Revised Edition by R.F. Green, Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld, Chess - A Way to Learn by Morry and Mitchell, Chess in 30 Minutes by E.S. Lowe, Chess in an Hour by Frank J. Marshall, Learn Chess Quickly by I.A. Horowitz, How Not to Play Chess by Eugene A. Znosko-Borovsky, Easy Guide to Chess by B.H. Wood, Chess in Ten Easy Lessons by Larry Evans, and Introduction to Chess by Kenneth Harkness and Irving Chernev among many others (Englisch descriptive notation). Then of course Morphy, Anderssen, Blackburne, Steinitz, Tarrasch, the Laskers, Capablanca, Tartakower/du Mont, Alekhine, Euwe, Spielmann, Reuben Fine, Ludek Pachman, Nimzowitsch, Reti, Keres, and the Russians await.

AJ Gillam wrote books in algebraic notation for beginners and intermediates back in the 1980s and 1990s, including his thin four volume Beginning Chess Series. (Personally, I'd just buy the one hardback book "Simple Chess Tactics" to save money to buy an endgame book such as Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Muller.) These are excellent introductory training for that level of player, to be brushed up year-after-year. Gillam's various games collections including "Your First Games of Chess" are all worthwhile. https://www.chess.com/forum/view/ch...

While on the subject, Bill Robertie also wrote a series for beginners that has since been reprinted by a different publisher -- the same book w/the same or similar titles. Robertie gives simple, clear guidance whereas Bruce Pandolfini puffs up his books with unnecessary glittering generalities. That being said, Pandolfini has a knack for selecting excellent chess positions for instruction, albeit long winded like ol' FTB can be.

If you just want a book on the Stonewall Attack (and a few other eccentrics), there's: https://www.abebooks.com/Baroque-Ch... I like the fact that the author doesn't promise you'll win often, but winning is possible perhaps with less knowledge than your opponent who'd rather be playing the Ruy Lopez or Sicilian Najdorf.

and...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...

and...
Playing the Stonewall Dutch: A Bold Repertoire by Nikola Sedlak (2020)

and...
https://www.newinchess.com/the-mode...

or the DVD:
https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-s...

and...
https://www.ichess.net/shop/stonewa...

There are likely a few other productions.

As Black, study Nigel Short's games (French, A40 Horwitz, and A90 Dutch Defenses): S Conquest vs Short, 1987

Hungarian GM Hoang Thanh Trang is a French & Dutch Defender: Hoang Thanh Trang

As White, Harry Nelson Pillsbury and Frank Marshall Stonewalled some: Marshall vs Von Bardeleben, 1908

After a decade round about here, your lap dog Z cannot play much beyond moving the pieces. It can research, but it does not bother to read its own research and learn the details of the game. If research is all it wants to do, fine. But stop the BIG PRETEND.

Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with my chess posts on a chess website. I've read the descriptive books myself over the years, so I certainly have earned the right to recommend them knowing full well that 95% of the readers won't bother. There's always the chance that someone w/the chess hunger will come along in the future and get turned on to the old classics. After all, some of these books helped build the GOAT Bobby Fischer back in the 1950s and '60s.

I have not read/viewed the latest Stonewall stuff but I did collect and pass on useful information. A person short of time and not inclined to learn theory could learn to play a decent game just by studying the players I have mentioned above (very limited openings to cut down on study time) and a few books or videos for the fundamentals. Anybody who doesn't want or need this information will pass it by.

You perfidouche just wanna ditch about something for no good reason rather than encourage others. Being a sour puss is definitely your prevailing personality. Of course, you continue to belittle my posts but I'm confident that Harry Pillsbury and Frank Marshall and Milt Hanauer and Fred Reinfeld and the like would've whipped your sass. You've become a sad state of affairs sunny, but you're never too old to learn.