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GM RAM Introduction

GM RAM Introduction

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Jimmy720
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This will be the first (substantial) post in my GM RAM series. GM RAM is a book by GM Rashid Ziyatdinov. GM Ziyatdinov is an eccentric figure, and his book follows suit. The author views chess skill as heavily dependent on pattern recognition (recognition that is often subconscious).

"We must acquire the tacit knowledge that will help us make all the calculations automatically. That is, we want to know what must be done, even if we have not thought about why it is so... In this sense, chess is a language and this book provides the reader with these most important 'words.' The more of them you know, the less you will need to calculate."

Ziyatdinov aims to give the reader a list of these "words" in GM RAM. The book is a collection of 256 positions. "My opinion is that if you memorize all of them, you will be a 2600 level player.  Even a 2500 level player does not know all of them cold. They can find the solution, but only after studying the position."

This is an extremely bold claim (bordering on outlandish). However, in GM Ziyatdinov's defense, his standard for memorization is extremely high. He excepts that one know the position by heart. This includes what would happen if the position is varied slightly.

In addition to memorizing these positions, he thinks it is important to memorize games. All the middlegame positions in the book come from classic games, and he instructs the reader to memorize those games, as well as the position.

The author gives virtually no commentary or analysis on any of these games or positions. It is up to the reader to solve these positions and analyze them. GM Ziyatdinov does recommend some books to aid in studying his book:

  • Yuri Averbakh - Comprehensive Chess Endings series
  • Pal Benko - Endgame Lessons
  • Mark Dvoretsky - Secrets of Chess Training 
  • Reuben Fine - Basic Chess Endings
  • Alexander Alekhine - My Best Games of Chess 1908-1937
  • Alexander Alekhine - On the Road to the World Championship 1923-1927
  • Yuri Averbakh - Chess Middlegames: Essential Knowledge
  • Bobby Fischer - My 60 Memorable Games
  • Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov - The Art of the Middlegame
  • Hans Kmoch - Pawn Power in Chess
  • Sun Tzu - The Art of War