Customer Reviews

Excelling at Chess (Everyman Chess)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I just finished the book. I have to say, I am very disappointed in the author. His books on various openings in the past have been beyond exceptional. In this book he spends the first few chapters criticizing Watson's SOMCS. He goes on to say what anyone that has played at even a laughable level would know, that all "rules" in chess are not set in stone and that chess is a dynamic game. He does talk about how he helps his students determine their positional plans...by having them ask themselves what they want for Xmas. This is the same thing that Silman describes in his books as the "dream" position. But, unlike silman, he does not go into how various ways to break down the positions in order to organize ones thoughts in order to determine that "dream" position. Planning for all class and amatuer players is the hardest thing to come up with....after reading this book, I cannot say that I am any better. The book is well written and easy to read. It is worth having if you simply enjoy chess books, but if you are seriously looking to improve, I would consider it after Silman's books.

I enjoy reading about chess at least as much as I enjoy playing it, and I look for books that will improve my play by (1) giving me something to practice (i.e. workbooks) or (2) correcting my thinking. This book purports to be in the second category, but I can tell you, as a beginner, I got nothing out of it.

There is very little English describing how to excel; rather the author gives you games to look at as examples and you, the reader, are supposed understand the brilliance behind the moves. For me, this is not enough: I need a tour guide to show me the sights, not just a taxi driver to take me to them. I'm guessing that very good players don't need such hand-holding, hence my title for this review.

One reviewer suggested that you will like this book if you like Rowson's "The Seven Deadly Chess Sins". Well, I'm only partway through TSDCS but I can tell you that I'm really enjoying it, but did not enjoy (or learn from) Excelling at Chess.

This is a book of chess that will not be a classic. This is a book of chess that has good things to think about but it is not all-encompassing. When I started reading the book I saw an essay trying to prove John Watson's points were wrong and that's fine... But I haven't read Watson's book and it is very difficult to weigh the arguments... Instead, I would have preferred for the author to present his points of view on the dynamic nature of rules of chess (if those rules do exist...) and defend his point of view accordingly. The debate with Watson made the points that the author wanted to emphasize obscure... However, I rejoyced in gathering the good of the chapter and obtained good pointers...

The strongest point of the book though is the presentation of Anderssons's games and the way he plays endings. That in itself paid for the book! I am not into endings but after reading the chapter in this book I started liking them... ergo, I improved...

All in all, the book is fine and has a place in the personal library. However, it could have been written better for the benefit of the readers...

This book is a true inspiration to all chess players that are serious about the game. The book is written in a very personal way and without question will help the tournament player (the ideal reader should be a tournament player). It talks about many topics from chess strategy, psychology of chess, and good training methods and advice. Are you a real chess player?

What can I say about this book ?? Well it could be the best book ever written for the struggling 1600-2200 people.
It really shows what to look for and how to think, personally I would rather sell my mom than this book.....
Its divided in 10 chapters with clear cut explanations of the reviewed topic.
Nothing much else to say, other than you will regret not buying this book, especially if your opponent has it :)

To Hell with Sadler and his higher-rated-than-thou ilk. . . .I liked this book very much, and I even think it might help me play better. Highly recommended.