‘Probably more nonsense has been written about planning in chess than any other aspect of the game. ... In fact, as many games are lost through pursuing bad plans as are won by pursuing good ones.’ (Page 28) - Better Chess by William Hartston
‘Probably more nonsense has been written about planning in chess than any other aspect of the game. ... In fact, as many games are lost through pursuing bad plans as are won by pursuing good ones.’ (Page 28) - Better Chess by William Hartston
Look at this game I just played against a friend. There is not a positional concept utilised in the entire game. Its simply about making threats and one move threats at that, something Silman despises because of his snobbery.
Complete and utter tosh!
This may have been a very short game, but I sure spot imbalances and how you made use of them (with the help of a catatonic opponent...), whether you recognized them or their pursuit during the game, or not.
Complete and utter tosh!
This may have been a very short game, but I sure spot imbalances and how you made use of them (with the help of a catatonic opponent...), whether you recognized them or their pursuit during the game, or not.
I never thought about a single imbalance the entire game. All I thought about was making threats. One move threats the kind of which Silman despises. Neither you nor these other Silman flunkies can deny it. What you see and what I saw are not one and the same thing and its absurd to think that they are. What are you going to attempt some posthumous analysis attempting to label the events with some spurious positional appendage. Hilarious. Suck it up Comfed, chess at patzer level is realpoltik not some ethereal battle of minute and often imperceptible imbalances. I mock such a preposterous proposition and all who make it.
Judgment and Planning in Chess by Max Euwe
Actually I have this book and its another insufferable tome gathering dust somewhere in my library. Yeah I said it. I also have The art of the middle game by Keres and Kotov, equally useless. (Oh no! now he's blaspheming!) I may write a book myself, The art of Chess Realpolitik (foreword by Otto von Bismark and Gavrilo Princip) ![]()
Here is my new book, awesome isn't it.

Foreword by Otto von Bismark, The Duke of Wellington and IM William Hartson.
"... For the chess player the importance of planning is sufficiently manifest and is nowadays acknowledged. ..." - Emanuel Lasker (~1932)
Lasker belonged to a bygone era. Capablanca gave him a pasting because Capa played Realpolitik chess. Capa was king of one move chess. If you buy my new book you can also play Realpolitik chess and perfect the art of the one move threat. First you will need to unlearn all that Silman jive talk.
... Capa was king of one move chess. ...
"Planning a Win in Middlegame Play" - chapter 3 in Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca
... Capa was king of one move chess. ...
"Planning a Win in Middlegame Play" - chapter 3 in Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca
Capa was a great player but a very poor author, even in his own day his book kinda failed. It was left to posterity, to great authors like me to expound upon his real method, the art of the one move threat.
Actually i am trying to locate a quote by Reinfield where he states that Capablanca was king of one move chess. Threats are the basis of good chess. Planning is for idealists, moralists and all kinds of other fantasy merchants inebriated by the idea that chess is anything other than empty.
Well, while we wait: "... White, however, does not want to disclose his plan at once, and thus awaken Black to the danger of his position, hence this move, which seems to aim at ..." - Capablanca
You make the folly of assuming that what happens at world champion level has any bearing on what transpires at patzer level.
The Art of Planning in Chess by GM Neil McDonald