Self teaching of Chess

In the Teach Yourself Books edition of THE CHESS MIND, the author Gerald Abrahams said: "It is to be observed, in the history of Chess, that those who have attained eminence, and certainly those who have preserved their strength longest, have been men equipped with a philosophy of the game - and, usually, with abilities in other departments of thought. They have been able to give Chess its proper place in their mental perspective. Their other activities have in this way been enriched; so has their Chess."

The author continued: "This book, be it emphasized, is primarily of interest to Chess players. But in describing the growth of the Chess mind, one is also describing that subtlest and most difficult of all human undertakings - Education. In Chess, one realizes that all education is ultimately self-education. Every Chess player teaches himself Chess."