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The Inner Game of Chess: How to Calculate and Win Paperback – November 1, 1994

by Andrew Soltis (Author)

31 customer reviews

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The Inner Game of Chess: How to Calculate and Win
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Every player has heard the saying, "Chess is 99 percent tactics." It isn't.

It's 99 percent calculation. But until now there has never been a book devoted entirely to this most mysterious and essential chess technique.

This book examines both the technical and practical aspects of how to think ahead -- the selection of candidate moves, the evaluation of end positions, finding the proper move order, and the like.

Special attention is paid to the broad range of calculating mistakes, such as overlooked zwischenzugs and "quiet moves," visualization blunders, and "believing" your opponent.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

About the Author

Andrew Soltis is an International Grandmaster, a former U.S. Open Champion, and the author of more than seventy books. He writes an award-winning column for Chess Life magazine.

Series: Chess
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games; 1st edition (November 1, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812922913
ISBN-13: 978-0812922912
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
Average Customer Review: 31 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #383,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #444 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Chess

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A. D. Schleizer

Comparison b/t 1994 and 2014 editions

May 19, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Great book. However, if you have the old McKay edition published in 1994, you may not want to update to the new edition as it's almost the same book except that new book is physically slightly larger, slightly larger font and overall is a bit easier to read. All 10 chapters have the same title and sub-sections. Only chapters 1 and 9 had any games that were different (chapter 1: 7/10 the same, chapter 9: 25/26 the same). The text between games is exactly the same - I read chapter 1 in detail and spot checked a few pages in each chapter in the rest of the book. That being said, I think this one of the best chess books Soltis has written and is well worth purchasing if you don't have a copy or, like me, have an old book that's been read so many times it needs replacing.

26 people found this helpful

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How to calculate

February 24, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I remember reading this book many years ago.

It's been updated with newer games... and I think more examples.

Basically the idea is to teach "how to calculate." The topics include: Trees (going back to Kotov's "How to think like a Grandmaster."), force, counting out, choice (which is a "stop sign."), monkey wrenches, oversights, rechecking, practical tips.

There are some interesting pieces of advice like... when your opponent moves, look for what that move left undefended. This question can lead to all sorts of ideas.

Still there is a subtle realization (not in the book) that for a brilliancy to happen someone has to blunder first. The key is building a sense on when an opportunity will happen. Solits does this well in this book. Lots of instruction and diagrams.

One of the more interesting parts of the book is demonstrating that anyone can "visualize" a few moves in advance. A real confidence builder.

If you really want to put the work into your chess game, give Soltis' "Catalogue of Chess Mistakes" a try.

One person found this helpful

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Fx3

Readable classic reprinted with a ridiculous font

August 7, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an extremely readable introduction to chess calculation. Soltis teaches by example, considering the pros and cons of a variety of methods. It is a bit disappointing that he didn't try to systematize the subject matter into a more practical framework.

One important note: the new edition is printed with a GRAY font, suffering from an extreme level of dithering that makes reading for a sustained period quite tiring. This is just an absurd choice by Mongoose, and I urge them to correct this blunder in future volumes. For this reason, I strongly prefer the original (1994) edition of "The Inner Game of Chess".

4 people found this helpful

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MAYANKINGTop Contributor: Chess

More practical than Kotov's Think like a Grandmaster.

April 14, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is a great book which deals with a subject dear to my heart, how to select moves in a chess game. There is a lot of thought put into this book. This is probably the best book Soltis wrote in my opinion. He goes over so many different aspects on how to select a move, how to evaluate your calculations during a game. I think this is a more practical book than Kotov's Think like a Grandmaster was.

2 people found this helpful

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R. Tobias

Calculation, The Heart of Chess

May 15, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

American GM Andy Soltis is a bit of an enigma. He is infamous for churning out mediocre (or worse) opening books, but then he turns around and puts out a gem like this one. The ability to calculate variations, to sense WHEN to calculate, to be able to choose worthwhile candidate moves and to be able to clearly visualize the position a few moves down the road, is the main divider between strong and ordinary players. GM Soltis does the chess community a service by breaking down this very complicated subject into positions and topics that are digestible and instructional. He points out that not everyone has the strategic gifts of a Smyslov or a Capablanca, and that by becoming adept at calculating, you can often overcome a strategically inferior position by simply outcalculating your foe. He discusses ideas, the famous 'tree of analysis', forcing moves, counting (not as simple a topic as you might think!), quiet moves, desperadoes, in-between moves (the famous zwischenzug) and many other vital topics. Many well chosen examples from master play are carefully and insightfully explained. In all of this, Soltis has, I believe, done a better job for the average player than Kotov in his monumental 'Think Like a Grandmaster', as Soltis is far more flexible and adaptable than Kotov's 'analyze a line only once' stance. If you have already mastered basic tactics, general openings ideas and simple endgames, mastering this book will do FAR more for your rating than rotely memorizing reams of opening analysis. Also, be sure to review your own games with a stronger player, play as many games at slow controls as you can, and study LOTS of well annotated master games. Good Hunting!

8 people found this helpful

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November 30, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I tottaly Recommend this book... it will improve your way to calculate and it will teach you not to focus on things that some players would consider as important when they are not. I DON'T GIVE 5 STARTS BECAUSE I GOT THE VERY GOOD VERSION FOR A REASON... it doesn't look like very good to me... but is still very acceptable... is not bad at all... but I wouldn't have said... "very good" as the state of the book.

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Nalton Jannise Jr.

A book of analyzed games

January 18, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

GM Soltis offers a few games where his intention is to provide his insights to each. There in very little in this book that I would consider instructional. If I wanted to have a work of analyzed games, I would choose those by, say, Kasparov. Also, there are more insightful books on the chess thinking process, which is what this work was billed as. For example, see the books by Philip Ochman.

9 people found this helpful

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September 12, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It's not the best book on calculation, but it is worth reading.

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