Customer Reviews

Test Your Positional Play: How You Should Think In Chess

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

 

 

Well,
Fisrt, this book was written by Internationa Master and Italian Master, maybe, you should consider that, they are not grand Master. Neverless thay are great writers with considerable experience of teaching and trainig.

Let me take some foreword from Ljubomir Ljubojevic, I consider this book to be exceptional value... Well if ljubojevic says that. You shoul have it.

Player who loves 1. e4, oppening i have to say this, mostly of the games were chosen from queen's pawn gambit. there are few games with 1.e4.

Even that, this book focus how to stream a plan, read it and you will become acquainted with the method of thinking.

How does the book work?
The book is divided in two chapters.
1.The first chapter ¨How should i think?¨
There are certain position that the authors give personal approach (45 pages)
2. Second Chapter Practical Section.(130 pages)
They give you a test with different option, the diagram was taken from grandmasters games, each position has three plan, the reader must indicate the plan he would use in a game. Each plan is awarded. Acourding the anwers you archieved points.

Every test, has his nuance, maybe a plan might pusue strategically correct idea but contain tactical drawbacks. So you have to be very aware.

The writers show the best line, and they explaned very well, even better from a grand master, they ussually gives varaitions without any approach.

I compare their explication with the infinite analysis of my computer, and some lines are not the best, but also are a very nice and natural plan and always leads to the victory.
This book is a peace of work, not for beginer player, they will suffer.

I love this book, is like a grandmaster in your house, you will discover deep knowledge, of how to play chess.

I hope this review helps.

Don't leave home (for the tournament) without this book! I am a sub 1200 player and this book is the first (for me personally) to describe the "mechanics" of positional play and game strategy. By working through the exercises one gains a true appreciation of how to analyze a position from a strategic/positional perspective. The thinking process that one learns using this book carries over into actual play--where it counts the most obviously!

The core of this book is 30 tests in a series of increasing complexity where the reader is asked to choose from 3 reasonable alternative plans for each test. In one test, you may be given the following alternatives: a) Should you try to close the center and attack on the kingside? b)Double the enemy's pawns and pile up on the open file? c)Or take the initiative and prepare a central pawn advance? You're not thrown into the tests without preparation as the authors first discuss (with 7 detailed games) ways to analyze, asess, and implement a plan. I would say that this book is a positional brother to all those chess tactics books. If you can find it, well worth buying.

This is a very good book. It is an alternative to Silman's Reassess Your Chess Workbook. Many people love the Silman books. Personally, I think they make you feel as if you can play much better than you really can.

This book, through its ratings (and according to the authors you must complete all exercises before you get an accurate rating) can give you a realistic idea of your strategic skills. But the authors note that a good plan may be subverted by tactics.

In the preface the authors reveal their aim of writing a book which is both enjoyable AND instructive. They do this by keeping the reader involved, as if interacting with a chess coach. I think they do a fair job at both tasks, and that is high praise for a chess book.

I think that in the first few chapters they do a better job than Silman -- or nearly anyone else -- of explaining the elements of strategy. The main problem is that they bounce around amongst seven different games to show their points. You need a computer (or 7 chess boards) to follow along closely.

Anyway, the tests are the meat of the book. As I have not gotten far, I'll withhold my opinion and promise to finish this review later. For now, I suggest reading Silman's other book, The Amateur's Mind, then turning to this book to see what you've learned. Then I would skip How To Reassess Your Chess Workbook, though the HTRYC textbook might still be interesting eventually.

An excellent book which confronts the reader with a choice of three main plans for a number of positions which arose in tournament games. The reader is awarded points based on the choice of plan, and the variations which were forseen. These points can be added up and the readers strength can be assessed! It is a uniquely challenging and addictive book as well as being highly instructional.

This book is quite exceptional. It is not soporific like many other chess books and will have you not wanting to put it down. Will surely help your positional play and method of thinking. I had to copy the book though. Hard to find.

This book is a series of positional chess exercises. I find that puzzle books are the most effective, practical way to improve playing strength.

The author has picked good problems, that will help you to improve your over the board play.