The Seven Deadly Chess Sins [Paperback]

Jonathan Rowson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray. He focuses on several underlying psychological pitfalls: Thinking (unneceessary or erroneous); Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution); Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game); Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors); Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas); Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard); and Looseness ("losing the plot"; drifting; poor concentration). A great book for readers interested in understanding why they sometimes make the mistakes that frustrate their efforts at winning!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonathan Rowson became Scotland's third grandmaster in late 1999, within months of graduating from Oxford University. He was runner-up in the 1997 European Junior Championship, Scottish Champion in 1999 and winner of the Canadian Open in 2000. Rowson's first book "Understanding the Grunfeld" has been highly praised for the quality and originality of his writing, and freshness of approach.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901983366
• ISBN-13: 978-1901983364
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and unhelpful, May 30, 2005

By 

overlook1977 (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewer who commented this book was a good read but wouldn't improve their chess. I feel the same. I am a relatively newer, but serious chess player. Books like The Amateur's Mind by Silman were many times over more helpful to my playing. Rowson's book is more like...chess entertainment. The majority of the book is annotated grandmaster games, intertwined with quotes from famous philosophers. I like this book, it just isn't helpful to my game. When it boils down and I am in the middle of a real game, I am thinking back to Silman's book for ideas, never Rowson's - his book is just too abstract for me.

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing and multidimenzional book, June 8, 2001

By 

Srdan Sale (Croatia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Paperback)

I am an international chess master and I have about 1000 chess books. the 7 deadly chess sins is superb. Honest,erudite,practical and philosophical. I wonder how Rowson managed to finish Oxford university,get GM title,write chess books,and remain sane and witty. I did not buy any chess book for 3 year(because they write books for money not for players!) but i sensed in this book great love,will to help,genuine research and dedication. Buy this book and you will understand chess deeply.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Instructive despite writing style and format framework, November 23, 2002

By 

Petrosian (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Paperback)

This book needed an editor.

The author sat down and attempted to write a book based on 7 different psychological aspects of the game. He successfully did so. Previous attempts on the subject (I am thinking of Krogius' book) were awfully dry. This book is anything but. In fact, the overarching theme of his book (the 7 deadly sins) lends itself, in the author's hands, to exposition rambling to the point of discursiveness. In short, this author occasionally goes off of "chess topics", which seems like heresy to some people.

His self-annotations of his games are brutually honest and illustrate the points about the sins that he wishes to make. They alone are worth the price of this book

But I sense that the author was in a fog as he wrote this book ("I must write the chess equivalent of physics "Theory of Everything", I can almost imagine him saying to himself), at times semi-blindly reaching to make his points, and using a barrage of words as a shield to duck behind.

He makes many good points, and if the prose in the book had been tightened a bit at points, this would be an excellent book.

I loved this book, but focused on the negative aspects of it to better inform the potential buyer. If you are willing to occasionally wade through the author's verbiage, this is an excellent book that covers a vastly under-explored area of chess literature.