GIDDINS - 50 Essential Chess Lessons

OUT OF STOCK

“And the Rest Is Just a Matter of Technique...”

How often has this comment been appended to a game move or variation? As many players know, it really may not be all that easy to figure out what is meant by this familiar phrase.

After the untimely passing of legendary instructor Mark Dvoretsky, Artur Yusupov was given access to Dvoretsky’s famous card files. With the core material based upon these files, the former top ten grandmaster – and perhaps the most successful of all of Dvoretsky’s students – put together this book, modifying and refining the content as needed.

The book begins with a “theoretical” explanatory section. This is followed by 102 practice positions, which increase in in difficulty. Good technique for gaining an advantage is useful in all areas of the game, so there are positions from the opening, middlegame, and especially the endgame – not only from practical games but also from various studies.

The comments to the solutions are very detailed, explaining not only the main line but also the supplementary side variations. Yusupov thought it important to demonstrate the logic in the search for a decision and to show how a chessplayer can come to the right conclusions at the board.

Dvoretsky’s master student Artur Yusupov has done a great job in selecting and presenting the material so that this book “feels” like another genuine Dvoretsky work. This book is a real gem and I hope that it gives you as much pleasure as it has given me. And that from now on, when you have an advantage, the rest really will be, well, just a matter of technique... – From the Foreword by Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller. 175 pages

le titre annonce la couleur: ce livre est destiné aux joueurs de haut niveau qui veulent devenir des joueurs de très haut niveau. En huit chapitres mêlant conseils psychologiques (que faire après une défaite, ne pas se laisser leurrer pas ses succès, bien aborder la dernière ronde...) et aspects techniques, le champion grec nous fait bénéficier de sa longeu expérience des échecs de comptétion et nous abreuve de bons conseils. Reste à parvenir à les mettre en pratique...

Are you a parent of a junior chess player who feels that because you don’t know how to play chess, you can’t help your child? Or are you an adult or junior chess player who has taken private chess lessons for years, but feels you haven’t been progressing?

In both cases, there can be a lot of reliance on a chess coach who has been given free rein with lesson content and direction. They probably have some sort of plan but it is likely to be a plan used for all their students. This is not ideal. More important is a well-thought out, individualized plan, that focuses on a specific player’s unique strengths and weaknesses. Formulating such a plan is crucial for making improvements.

Victoria Doknjas and her son John Doknjas are an ideal writing partnership to tackle this topic. John is a FIDE Master who has already established himself as an excellent and highly-respected author who understands the improvement process very well. Victoria has over a decade of experience navigating the competitive chess arena with her three master-level sons, including also running her own chess academy. Together they offer a unique and informative insight to those wanting to get more out of their chess studies, as well as presenting practical advice in areas including:

- Identifying important goals and how to work towards them.
- Understanding how to objectively analyse your games.
- Maximising the efficiency of software and engines for learning.

Reading this book can broaden your horizons in the essential areas of chess study, and ideally let you better evaluate what your chess coach is teaching you. And if you don’t have a chess coach, this book will provide you with an excellent foundation for serious chess study. 384 pages

Deuxième ouvrage sur le sujet en un mois, et aussi différent du précédent (Secrets of Positional Chess de Marovic) qu'il est possible de l'être. Si le GMI croate visait clairement le public des joueurs moyens en s'attardant longuement sur les bases du maniement des pièces, le MI danois s'adresse quand à lui aux forts joueurs désireux de progresser dans les finesses du jeu positionnel. La partie théorique de l'ouvrage est restreinte : six courts chapitres (encore deux d'entre eux n'ont-ils aucun rapport avec le sujet) exposent (ou rappellent) les principes de base : amélioration du placement des pièces, utilisation optimale des dites pièces, exploitation des faiblesses adverses. L'essentiel vient ensuite : un choix de 108 positions proposées comme exercices d'application, suivies bien sûr de solutions commentées. Disons clairement que ces exercices sont très (trop ?) difficiles. Aagaard a en effet sélectionné des positions complexes et des manoeuvres surprenantes, et l'absence de toute indication ou conseil n'arrange rien. A l'arrivée, il est à craindre que ce livre serve plus de recueil d'exemples commentés que d'ouvrage d'entraînement... Un conseil en tous cas : n'abordez cet ouvrage que si vous avez déjà lu - et maîtrisé - le Can you be a Positional Chess Genius de Dunnington.

Malgré le titre, ce livre de l'ex-champion d'URSS (comme cela semble loin) n'est pas un manuel de tactique, mais un traité sur l'attaque - ce qui est assez différent. Il nous expose en effet, à travers des parties complètes amplement commentées (puisées dans les carrières de Tal, Petrosian et naturellement lui-même), les thèmes offensifs propres à différents types d'ouvertures et de positions (Sicilienne, Caro, pion-dame isolé) Nourri d'une énorme expérience, servi par un style vivant, voilà un livre qui sort du lot.