Delightfully anachronistic. It's OK as an instruction book for intermediate players, but it's better as an entertainment. ( )

"The philosopher Mendessohn gave up Chess because he found it too serious to be a game and not serious enough to be an occupation. If, in disregard of that great example, the reader desires to immerse his mind in this scientific Lido, then the author undertakes in these pages to prevent him from drowning, and so to exercise him that his general mentality will be strengthened rather than weakened by his new pursuit.
And in these pages swimming lessons are also available to those who have long disported themselves in the water.
In other words, the author has endeavoured, in this book, to produce something that shall be useful to many classes of persons interested in Chess, ranging from those who know nothing at all about it but wish to learn, to those who are experienced in the game and can benefit (as who cannot?) from a scientific analysis of its many aspects."