The Chess Player's Battle Manual: Equip Yourself for Competitive Play [Paperback]

Nigel Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2003

Working on the theory that within every player there is a better player waiting to be unleashed, this renowned chess teacher uses examples from his teaching practice to reveal the key elements in the makeup of strong players. He then shows players how to acquire these skills by examining how games are won and lost and how results can be improved with common sense and practical measures.

Beginner

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Batsford (June 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713470437
• ISBN-13: 978-0713470437
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Guide for A to C Players, August 7, 2002

By 

Hughbert L. Green Jr. "hgreen8" (Langhorne, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chess Player's Battle Manual: Equip Yourself for Competitive Play (Paperback)

Nigel Davies is a Grandmaster who has a keen understanding of the needs and limitations of club players. In working with club players, he has analyzed thousands of club level games. This, coupled with his Grandmaster status, gives him a unique view of the club player's needs and desires. His book The Chess Player's Battle Manual: Equip Yourself for Competitive Play is perfect for club players looking to improve.

Davies offers tactical improvement advice in his first chapter ("The Vision Thing"). Tactics are the basis of victories for most club players. The biggest problem seems to occur in creating a tactically friendly environment. Most club players take one of three approaches: The first approach is to try to memorize the mountains of opening theory in the hope of getting to a good middlegame position, the second approach is to view the memorization of opening theory as too daunting, and therefore not worth the energy. This group just "wings it." Lastly, some club players try to find lines with little theory to memorize. These can be quirky off-beat lines or solid openings that rely on the understanding of certain themes. I personally moved from the first approach after getting my brains beat in while trying to play the Sicilian Defense (Dragon Variation) to the third option, playing the KIA as white, and the Caro Kann and Kings Indian Defense as black. I have since moved from the KID to the Dutch as I could not keep up with the mountains of theory in the KID.

The Chess Player's Battle Manual addresses the need for understanding where the opening leads the player. Chapter two (A Game Plan) addresses this issue. Though Davies does not use the quote,"Any fool can know, the point is to understand" by Albert Einstein, that is the gist of his second chapter. Davies tells the reader that "memorization alone is not enough". He also explains why players continue to rely on memorization without understanding. He tells the reader to study positions that arise in the openings they play. Davies understands the time limitations club players have, and stresses that understanding of the positions will benefit the club player at least as much as rote memoization of opening lines.

In chapter three (Building an Opening Reportoire), Davies addresses a problematic area connected to chapter two that all club players face, "What openings should I play?" We have all been there. We learn the Ruy Lopez early and are told that this is probably the best opening for white. Then we discover the huge memorization task in front of us. We try the Sicilian Defense because it offers black the best chance to win. We play the Kings Indian Defense because it can be played against all other lines, or we play QGD defenses, because they seem natural. Before we know it we are buried in theory. These are all great openings, but require a great deal of time to learn. Many players, like myself, get shocked into more passive positional type games, that we may or may not be suited for. I switched to the Kings Indian Attack with a decent level of success, but always felt that I should be able to really punish weaker players. I always had the desire to play a more attacking style. Davies speaks to this subject saying that in his "experience the majority of players at club level and beyond like to hold the initiative and attack." To that end he recommends 1. e4. But he does not leave it there, he goes further saying, "If your time is limited I suggest you use a more practical approach." He goes on to suggest that the aggressive club player play opening lines of lesser known attacking grandmasters like Victor Kupreichik. It is Davies' belief that these lines may startle your opponents. He gives ideas for gambiteers and ideas for repertoire lines against the many varied defenses the club player will face. The section of this chapter I found most interesting (as I had been toying with the Colle System and the Stonewall Attack) was 1.d4 repertiore suggestions. He suggests studying the games of GM Ranier Knaak an attacking d4 player. He also mentions what he calls "The d4 charge" which he covers in the next chapter. Against 1.e4 he recommends the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon which yields sharp Dragon formations with a much more limited amount of theory (and without the dangers of the Yugoslav Attack). Against 1.d4, he lauds the KID, but suggests the Dutch as an aggressive but much less studied alternative.

Chapters 4,5, and 6 deal with handling three faddish openings at the club level. Davies does a nice job of giving good advice on the handling of these dangerous openings (The d4 Charge - Colle, Stonewall type attacks, the Trompowsky and the Grand Prix Attack in the Sicilian. I was so intrued by The d4 Charge chapter that I have begun to play it as white (with good success). These three chapters are not just fill, as they are helpful to club players.

Chapter 7 deal with the often neglected , but very important "Endgame." Davies correctly advises players with limited spare that "study of the endgames is the single most effective means of improving results." I won my first tournament game as an unrated player verses a 1710 player by outplaying him in the endgame. This is a vital and oft neglected area.

Chapter 8 deals with playing against and using computers, while chapter 9 offers advice good advice on practical play.

Chapters 10 and 11 are small tactical puzzle sections.

If you are going to play me in the future, please don't buy this book, however if you want to improve your chess playing ability, and you are an A to C and possibly D player, this is one of the books you want.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Practical Advice For Less-Experienced Players, July 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chess Player's Battle Manual: Equip Yourself for Competitive Play (Paperback)

This book is definitely more valuable to 1800 and below USCF-rated players than Tisdall's or Nunn's (although those are interesting reads too). Davies' experience as a chess coach shows: he focuses on practical tips for improving "the vision thing": calculating, tactics, plans, developing opening repertoires, etc. Unlike Nunn, he doesn't drift (e.g., into a detailed, intricate discussion of an endgame that only strong masters could truly appreciate). Unlike Tisdall, Davies offers advice on opening repertoires, computer chess, and elementary pawn formations. The biggest drawback to this book is the impression, from the middle three chapters (on playing against three different current faddish openings), that Davies simply wanted to fill out the book. If he had, instead, integrated his earlier chapters, with an exposition on three different possible opening reps, that would have been more logical and timeless. Too bad - Davies is truly an author in line with his target audience, the others, I think, aim a little high.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Full of practical advice for Experts and Class players, May 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chess Player's Battle Manual: Equip Yourself for Competitive Play (Paperback)

This book is in danger of being lost in the shuffle as it came out at about the same time as similar efforts by Nunn and Tisdall, but - speaking as an Expert - I found this as informative and entertaining as the other two. The weaker you are, the more I would recommend Davies's book. He is well-known in Britain as a chess coach, especially of juniors and what we call average club players. Here he really does provide practical tips that will act as a battle manual for the tournament player.