I do not think we were talking about an “Absolute” beginner. Knows how the pieces move, and I would assume the adult player knows how to mate King & Rook versus King [I have seen second graders who did not]. Single problems at a glance from the 1001 books may not be easy. Rather if you are going through a section at one sitting it can teach you certain patterns. Pattern recognition can be important in chess. Learning patterns and how pieces work is a little similar to how the Chess Life For Kids can appear. Latest issue of that magazine focused on the Bishop. There are always 2-3 sets of problems and instruction on a specific topic. If possible you should see if you can get the “Adult” beginner some copies of old Chess Life For Kids issues. You might be surprised by what is in an issue, and even a non-beginner could enjoy it.
The player I am writing this for knows how the pieces move…mostly. She is still sometimes confused by how to castle (king moves two, and the rook jumps over), and has trouble remembering how capturing “en passant” works. She cannot always mate with K+Q vs. K.
En passant is covered on pages 19-20 (Diagram 28, a-e). Castling is covered on pages 20-21 (Diagrams 29, 30, and 31).
Page 21: Self-testing Quiz #5(a): “In the following diagram, which King can castle on which side? What keeps the other king from castling?”
Page 21: Self-testing Quiz #5(b)" “In the following diagram Black has just made a pawn move. Is White in a position to capture en passant?”
Pages 58-60, with Diagrams 158-164: Mate with Queen.
Page 60: “It is possible from the starting position given to bring about mate in nine moves. But the play we illustrated [a 15-move mate] is more “real”… The system, however, and the techniques are the same.”
P.S.: Which I utilized about 13 years ago with 9-seconds remaining + 5-seconds delay, burning two seconds to elect mating w/ K+Q the “safe” technique way rather than the fewest-moves way to avoid blundering into a stalemate.
With K+Q vs K there can be no stalemate unless the defending K is on the edge of the board, so you could have done it the fewest-moves way until the K got to the edge.
A Complete Chess Course by Antonio Gude looks to me to be a decent modern introductory book. One can see an online sample at gambitbooks.com/pdfs/A_Compl … Course.pdf
The attempt to teach an adult beginner can be difficult. I applaude Mr. Parker’s attempt. I considered writing continuing, “…to do the impossible.”
Having taken time to reflect on some of my ill-fated attempts to do so after reading just what a beginner is this woman I would like to share one story. While working at the House of Pain a well-known Chess coach came to me asking if I would make an attempt with a thirty something gentleman with whom he had “flared-up” with the trouble the well educated attorney when he had much trouble understanding simple concepts with which the coach’s younger students had no problem. I spent an hour watching the man agonize before spending another half hour talking with him. Things had gone well with the man in life and he had excelled at everything he had tried, but Chess was another thing…It was the last lesson as he called to cancel the next one after doing some serious soul searching about spending the time required to master the Royal game.
Many months later we found ourselves in line at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market and he asked if I would share a table. “I still play Chess occasionally,” he said. “My friends are not very good, but neither am I. Yet I began winning more than my share of games and they wanted to know why. So I told them what you said to me at the lesson…the three questions. ‘Why did my opponent make that move? What move to I want, or need, to make. And am I leaving anything en prise.’ See? I at least remembered that much.”
While grinning from ear to ear I replied, “Now it is time for your next lesson, grasshopper.” Now he too was grinning as I continued, “Number four, examine all checks to the Queen. That means both yours and his.”
“Is that what it is to teach Chess…in steps?” he asked.
“Is that not how your learned the law?” I replied…
Play Winning Chess, by Yasser Seirawan. Not sure if it’s still in print, but widely available online used.
Way better than a book of tactical puzzles…
Winning Chess Tactics/Winning Chess Strategy by the same author would be good follow ups.