The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess [Paperback]

Hans Berliner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Hans Berliner is one of the most successful correspondence chess players of all time, and was utterly dominant in the 5th World Championship. Here, for the first time, he explains the set of principles - The System - that he used to guide him to the right moves. Readers will be astonished by the simplicity and power of Berliner's methods as he takes several major openings and subjects them to System principles, and finds radically new approaches to them.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Gambit Publications specialises in chess and has an unrivalled reputation for originality and editorial excellence. The company is owned and staffed entirely by leading chess masters and grandmasters.

About the Author

Dr. Hans Berliner enjoyed considerable success as an over-the-board player before turning to correspondence chess, and in this form of the game, his systematic approach made him a world-beater. His lifetime score was 94 wins, 1 loss, and 10 draws. After winning the 5th World Championship by a margin of three clear points, he turned his efforts toward computer programming. He first wrote a backgammon program that beat the reigning world champion in 1979, then he moved on to chess programming. His Hitech program won the World Computer Championship twice and was one of the first programs to score good results against top-level human players.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901983102
• ISBN-13: 978-1901983104
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,169,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too good to be true, September 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess (Paperback)

Like many of the other reviews to this book, I believe this book was amusing! It was very provocative to get me to think about changing from my Beloved English to the Queen's Pawn Opening. However, like many other people, I cringe when he claims to have worked out a forced win for White. Yes, his little records are exciting, and perhaps he is on to something, but I doubt that chess will be solved to a level where humans can know how to do it, ever.
Still, there is much to be said for his interesting first two chapters, where he lets you in on some good information, much of which was review (in the first chapter), but still informative. I did enjoy this book, but for someone really looking to improve their chess, I can not recommend it.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The System - How to create more pressure playing d4, December 20, 2000

By 

Ray Field (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess (Paperback)

Although this book has had some poor reviews, it should not be under-estimated. If you are of playing strength 1600-1800 (which I currently am), and you like to play d4 as an opening, I would highly recommend this book. Although Berliner speaks of "The System" as if it could be written down as an equation (so to speak) i.e. the "unified field theory of chess," (this concept is interesting to analytical types and/or scientists)-> The book does has many merits for the d4 player against the Benko Gambit, Indian defenses, etc.. Check it out!

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some real truth in a chess book, December 4, 2002

By 

BRET ADDISON (england) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess (Paperback)

This book is one of the most interesting I have read. It has many interesting points such as a revised points score scale for the pieces. Berliner clearly believes in this as he has used it for the evaluation function in his computer program HITECH.
Also some of the opening analysis is very interesting, such as some very convincing ideas on Benko gambit and Grunfeld.

The book is has been slated by some ignorant reviewers who do not fully understand what Berliner is trying to say in this book.
The idea in the book to me is that evaluation is the key to the middlegame and that you have to have an openings philosophy.

The anecdote about his conversation with Bobby Fischer is also an eye opener.

All in all very entertaining, more please Dr Berliner!