Customer Reviews

Can You Be a Positional Chess Genius

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This is without a doubt my favorite chess book! The heart of this book is ten tests of fifteen puzzles each. Each test is divided into 5 easy, 5 intermediate, and 5 difficult problems. This helps you to guage how much effort you should put into each problem.

I find that puzzle books are the most effective, practical, way to improve my playing strength.

The solution to each problem is crisp and clear. After pondering one of his problems, when I finally see the answer, it's like a light-bulb is turned on. "Aha! Yes, clearly that's the best move!" When this happens, I feel I've truly learned something that will stay with me, and benefit me later when I'm actually playing a game.

The book is nicely printed, with large diagrams so that you have the choice to either set up the position on a board, or to solve them directly from the book-- very convenient when travelling or otherwise away from home.

The author has obviously picked the problems very carefully, and scored the possible solutions diligently; so that the learning experience for the reader is greatly enhanced.

After I worked through this book, I felt that my playing strength improved about 100 rating points. I think the level of this book is useful for players in the 1700-2300 range (for reference, I fall into the middle of this range).

I loved this book!! Kudos to Angus Dunnington for a fine work.

There are very few good positional chess puzzle book on the market, but this is definitely one of the better. Unfortunately this book (as many other chess problem books) presents chess problems in all levels of difficulty (I think this is related to market, cost and economy for each chess-publishing house).

In Angus's there are 3 levels of difficulty and chess players who manage to solve chess problems at level 1 (among 1600 in rating), may not at all be able to solve problems at level 3 (2300-2400 in rating). So a player rated around 1700 may only benefit 50% from this book. This book is perhaps an expensive book for a player at this rating level.

"Can you be a Positional Chess Genius" by International Master Angus Dunnington is an intersting selection of positional puzzles arranged in a test format complete with a scoring system. In all, there are 12 tests of 15 puzzles each for a total of 180 puzzles. Each test is arranged from easy to difficult, with themore difficult puzzles being worth the most points. After the puzzles, there's a section called "Ask a Grandmaster", which will give the reader hints as to the solution of the puzzle at the cost of some points. Then there's solutions, and that's it.

The book is almost absurdly thin. When I first got it, I couldn't help but think, "That's it?" There's a lot crammed into this concise work, though, and Dunnington doesn't waste time with flowery text or overly long descriptions of positional/strategic theory. It's puzzle after puzzle after puzzle, then hints, then solutions.

For this reason, I consider the book to be more of an assessment than an actual instruction. It is best used to determine where you stand in your understanding of positional play and where to go from there. I would have liked more content and description, but all in all it was an acceptable book to study.

About the Author?
For me unknow... but nice books and work

How does this book works?
Ok this bring a lot puzzles, every text is 15 puzzles, to easy to harder solution. There are diagram from real games, and you have to find the best move, not just to gain material, like mate, or winnig a piece.

This puzzle you have to find the anwer just to gain iniciative or positional space. Remenber positional advantage not tactical winning material.

REsolving this kind of puzzle you improved you analitical skills.

This book is not oriented for explain ideas, you can used like this way, but remenber that this book is just to keep analitical skills.

Beginer player, can used this book, but study is required intermediate player... just go for it, and resolve the puzzles text your positional skills

This book really is more towards the person trying to learn the positional aspects of chess. But the actual game moves aren't separated very well from the possible variations, or suggestions. Furthermore, there is no graph or explanation, or point system that has any usefulness for evaluating a person's skill level. It causes one to guess. Other than that, I would recomend it as a work book for more advanced players.