Books

I have been working on an e-book on the Marshall Attack for almost a year now.
It’s really beginning to look very good!
Currently I am adding video highlights to the book and also updating with the newest games played by the top GM’s.

I enjoy it very much and I do believe that the book will be very useful for black players up to around 2200 ELO level who want to play and understand(!) the Marshall Attack against the Ruy Lopez.

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9 months ago I got the idea that I wanted to create a chess e-book. Don’t really know why.
And I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten the idea in the first place had I known what a time consuming project it is to make one!

First, I had to decide on a subject. That was already difficult. Many, many chess e-books are available already. Many, many subjects have been covered.

I decide to write an e-book on the Marshall Attack.
For many reasons:

1) To my knowledge, there are no up-to-date books out on the Marshall
2) It’s an opening played very regularly on top level
3) Choosing a very specific opening line, made limitations on subject much easier!
4) I like the Marshall - it’s interesting!
5) I already wrote an article on the Marshall here on my blog

Now, it may read as if my Marshall e-book is already done.
It’s not. Far from.
But I think I’ve spent more work on it already than I have to spend in the future.
In other words, it’s more than half done.

This is all for now. I will of course keep you updated on the progress of my work on the e-book.

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Jacob Aagaard - Inside The Chess Mind

I just read a quite unusual chess book written by Jacob Aagaard called “Inside The Chess Mind - How Players Of All Levels Think About The Game”.
It’s quite an interesting read. But it’s also one of those books where I’m left with a feeling that something isn’t quite right. It’s difficult to explain excactly what I mean and perhaps it’s just me - but…

Well, let me continue the review.
The interesting thing about this book is that Jacob Aagaard does an exciting experiment:

He presents 10 test positions to 8 players of very different playing strength and to Fritz 8.
Each player is asked to speak their thoughts into a microphone  while trying to solve the test positions.

The 10 test positions are of different character - from tactical to postional and also a few endgame themes.

The 8 participants range from GM’s Artur Yusupov and Peter Heine Nielsen, IM Jesper Hall to a few ~2000 players and finally a 1500 and a complete novice. 

The interesting thing about the book is of course to try and solve the test positions yourself,  writing down your thoughts, and then read what and how(!) the participants were thinking.

I think most of the test positions are well chosen and I think most of the thoughts of the participants are interesting although I not always agreed with them :)

I’m not quite sure that I really learned that much from the book. To me it was good entertainment. It’s not the kind of book with lots of good points - it’s not a book you’d want to re-read over and over again.

The test positions are not easy to solve, but I think players at most levels could learn something from them anyway.

All in all, it’s a good book - but perhaps more entertaining than educating…

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Jeremy Silman - How To Reassess Your Chess

For the first time ever I just read IM Jeremy Silman’s
“How To Reassess Your Chess, The Complete Mastery Course” Expanded 3rd edition

Silman starts out with the simplest of simplest of endgame techniques:
From simple opposition to elementary rook endgames and essential positions like Lucena position and Philidor Defence. The point Silman makes is that you need to know basic endgame techniques or you will not be able to make the right decisions in openings and middle game.

Then he runs through what he calls imbalances and the “Silman Thinking Technique”
This is an essential chapter of the book, IMO.

Imbalances are defined as differences in the white and black positions. It can be different things like
pawn structure, superior minor pieces, space, initiative, material, control of files, diagonals or squares or lead in development. No matter which imbalances exist, it’s your duty to convert any imbalance into an advantage for you!

The “Silman Thinking Technique” ensures that you recognize the imbalances and creates a plan which will turn this or these imbalances into an advantage! Let’s look at the technique:

1) Figure out the imbalances for both sides
2) Figure out which side of the board you will play (kingside, centre, queenside) You can only play where a positive imbalance exists or where you are able to create a positive imbalance
3) Don’t calculate! Think of the dream position instead
4) Once this fantasy position is in your head, figure out how to reach tis position
5) Not until now you start looking at candidate moves and calculate if they can help you reach your dream position 

After Silman’s presentation of his thinking technique and defining imbalances he runs through a lot of everyday subjects like: Minor pieces in middlegame, Pawn structure, Weak squares, Material loss and sacrifice, Development and Initiative, Open files.
He discusses all the subjects through a lot of well chosen examples from real play and ending every chapter with a few quizzes so the reader has a chance to check if he understood the chapter or not.

All in all, I think this is a ground breaking chess book. It covers everything from basic endgames to complicated middlegame plans and if you study this book thoroughly you will surely become a better chess player! No matter if you’re rated 1200 0r 2000!!

I can only recommend reading this book. It’s great value for money!

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