Excelling at Chess (Everyman Chess) [Paperback]

Jacob Aagaard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Everyman Chess | Publication Date: February 1, 2002

This book identifies the key factors that separate the very strong players from the rest. Anyone who follows the advice in this book cannot fail to improve their feel for the game.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Some players become good at chess, some very good, while others excel at the game. In this book Jacob Aagaard identified the key factors that separate the very strong players from the rest. In Excelling at Chess, he includes chapters on when to calculate, how to evaluate positions, how to study theory, how to study the endgame and when to force the position. Anyone who follows the advice in this book cannot fail to improve their feel for the game. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 192 pages, diagrams)

About the Author

Jacob Aagaard is an international master and studies languages, semiotics and communication at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Århus in Denmark. He is gaining a reputation as a highly diligent author and his previous books for Everyman include The Dutch Stonewall and the Sicilian Kalashnikov (with Jan Pinski).

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857442733
• ISBN-13: 978-1857442731
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bold, 21st century classic, September 22, 2003

By 

Alan DeNiro "alan_deniro" (Oakdale, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Excelling at Chess (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

This book sets itself apart from others of its ilk for a few reasons. First of all, Mr. Aagard has an engaging voice that comes across in the pages. He comes across as a real human being who has had ups and downs with chess. He has a lot of wit and warmth interspersed with very forthright analysis. A rare combination! This does not mean, however, that the book is somehow not serious. Far from it; he has a thesis regarding positional play and he defends it with rigor. He's not "my way or the highway" but at the same time makes a convincing case regarding what it takes to take a quantum leap in playing skill.

But wait, there's more: Mr. Aagard's background in neuropsychology takes this book to a new level. He integrates fascinating info about cognition and perception and how it relates to chess. This is stuff that is compelling in its own right. Ultimately, I wouldn't have changed much with this book. It accomplishes exactly what it wants to, and points towards a "humanist" perspective on chess: train hard, but also realize that (a) it's a game between 2 human beings who must respect each other during the course of play, and (b) it's important to have fun. I really think this book will have a long shelf life--it certainly had a deep impact on how I approach the game.

27 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness someone would stand up to Watson!, March 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Excelling at Chess (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

It has been a long four years in the world of philosphical discussion about chess, since John Watson came out with his epic Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy. Watson's book is a comprehensive look at the elements of chess, as they have evolved since the time of Nimzowitsch. His book is based on the premise that the old masters were incorrect in thinking that chess is based on rules, which more or less dictate the strategy and tactics to be applied in a game. I have always thought that Watson's book is a travesty in terms of its logical argument. It is a great chess book, due to the depth of its discussion, on both an historical and a substantive level, but his whole philosophical argument about the nature of chess is ridiculous. The whole argument that evaluation of a position must be based on concrete analysis rather than the application of rules is a truism in one sense, and false in another. In any field of knowledge, there are general rules or principles. For instance, when driving a car (in the USA), there is the rule that you should pass on the left. But if there is a snow plow traveling at 5 mph in the left lane, the "concrete analysis" dictates that you should pass on the right. Similar to this argument, Watson presents old rules such as "don't move a piece twice in the opening," and then presents specific examples to show that a player did the right thing by moving a piece twice in the opening. This is so Mickey-Mouse and simple an argument that it is amazing that Watson's book has received the acclaim it has. However, the present book, Excelling at Chess, is the first systematic attempt at refuting Watson's argument. Aagard likes Watson's book (as does everyone apparently), but he points out that general rules of positional understanding do often dicate the correct strategy to follow in a game, even though of course any ideas must be verified by concrete analysis. This is obviously true, and it is refreshing to hear someone say it. There is no question that Watson went way overboard with his arguments. The Aagard book is an excellent, entertaining read that is full of insights into chess, what makes a great player, the competitive aspect of playing chess and improving, and many other issues. It is everything I love in a chess book. If you like The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Watson's book, The Road to Chess Improvement, and that type of book, you will like this one too. In summary, highly recommended: a refreshing and challenging book.

21 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Taste, April 20, 2003

By 

Gary (Holland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Excelling at Chess (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

I'd say the book is great, but as the title shows, that's a matter of taste. Some people like their books full of analysis, all filled with moves, and moves and... moves. Others like the books better when the moves are explained by letters, not by moves. That's what this book is about, it explains the moves in a nice way by telling what the thoughts are, and why some moves are so 'natural' to play. It makes you want to think that you can play just like the GM's in the book. Most of the time you're like 'I would have played all those moves as well, cos I understand the meaning of it, this must be a beginners-game', then you look at the names of the players and you see 'Karpov - Kasparov'.
For me this is a book which really helped. I think it is a good book for 1700 - 2100 rated players.