Best books on general strategic ideas

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Avatar of osdeving

Hi guys!

There is books where the author just point how the GM are smart guys and how he won a specific game.

Anyway, when we study chess, we like methods (that is because begginer love opening books: play b4, and if Nf6 play Nc3 and if...).

Middle game have methods too. I think all strong plays like reach postions where he can apply some method!

I search some books where the author list and explain and show diferentes games where that methods are executed. I search books with Pythagorean-theorem-like methods. 'hey, look, that pawn are in X square, and you have a knight, your best try is push that pawn...'.

A think I have explined good my desires... My reaserachs show Euwe books as the most instrutive in that aspect.. Any other books suggestions?

Remember: METHOD. I'm a lazy guy and with modern time controls I cant think deeply in the game, I need know BEFORE what to do!

Thanks for repply!

Avatar of bong711

Simple Chess by Stean is ideal for you. It's 168 pages only and after reading a 2nd time would improve your chess.

Avatar of madratter7

I get your desire, but reality doesn't sometimes conform to our desires. Frankly, part of the reason the game is so rich is that it isn't easily broken down into simple rules like what you are looking for.

Avatar of LeeTaylor85

Chess The Easy Way, Reubin Fine. it covers pretty much everything

Avatar of osdeving
madratter7 escreveu:

I get your desire, but reality doesn't sometimes conform to our desires. Frankly, part of the reason the game is so rich is that it isn't easily broken down into simple rules like what you are looking for.

That was my thinking until I realized that the strongest players (I'm not talking about exceptional players, but strong players, normal GMs who studied the game, finals, themes.) Are winning from less experienced players following guidelines that they have learned some day. These guide-lines are not few, there are MANY, but they are used 'religiously'. When a position presents one of these themes, if you ask 10 GMs to play, the 10 will do pretty much the same moves!

I'm talking about patterns, themes. Some of them are more difficult technically: pawn majority in queen-side is a hard subject to apply these days, but surely it is possible to realize this advantage against less experienced players.

We beginners can benefit from this. We are not super GM, we can not get into theoretical-philosophical discussions like the ones John Watson presents. The basic themes still allow us to win games.

Avatar of osdeving
bong711 escreveu:

Simple Chess by Stean is ideal for you. It's 168 pages only and after reading a 2nd time would improve your chess.

I read two chapters of this book. It's more or less what I'm looking for, but I already have 1800-2000 and something a bit more concrete seems more productive. I look for something like this:

In this position, which appears from the caro-kan openning and a few lines from the queen's gambit you should keep the bishop in (...) your idea 'in these positions' is to press on h-pawn (...).

These are methods you can consciously recognize. It is not something that we intuitively note because of experiences, but something that you can remember the exact position of the book: oh, that position I learned to play in that book X is before me! Let me see, from what I know I can not trade my bishops here and I will have to force the pawn h to ...

They are middle-game positions, but they are repeated and learned in a concrete way.

Simple Chess helps a lot, but still a bit too generic. My idea of ​​'generic' is just in the sense that it does not have to be EXACTLY equal to the position, but all the important details should be there ... I'm not talking about the same old history: good bad and active bishops, open ranks and files, weak and strong squares, etc. etc.. But concrete plans/methods/patterns... 'How to play isolated pawn' 'How to play against king-india-like fianqueted bishop from...'

You think it's cheating to study like this? It seems that players train like this. And they will always want to play the positions that he has studied / knows.

Joking time:
Caruana are training for 2050 match, that is because he dont played on blitz wcc...

Avatar of OldPatzerMike

If I'm understanding you correctly, books on pawn structure would benefit you. They will tell you things like how to play isolated queen pawn positions, advance French/Caro-Kann pawn chains, KID structures, Sicilian structures, etc. Two good books of this nature are "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis, and "Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide" by Mauricio Flores Rios. There are many others, but those two are a good start.

Avatar of Jenium

"Techniques of Positional Play" by Valeri Bronznik might be a book for you.

Avatar of bong711

Want advance book? Chess Secrets: Giants of Strategy by Neil McDonald. I love this book. And combined with an excellent tactics book Great Book of Chess Combination by Jozef Pinter, everything about middle game strategy and tactics are taught. Just matter of Tal

Avatar of bong711

Talent and Hard Work.

Avatar of kindaspongey

Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andrew Soltis (2013)

"... Pawn Structure Chess can be a real 'game changer' for intermediate players looking to improve their play. …"
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101523/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review908.pdf

"... Chess structures: A Grandmaster Guide is not a primer of positional play; for that, try Michael Stean's Simple Chess, Herman Grooten's Chess Strategy for Club Players, or Silman's ... How to Reassess Your Chess. Instead, you might think of Chess Structures as positional chess 'finishing school.' ..." - John Hartmann

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-structures-a-grandmaster-guide/

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7495.pdf

Avatar of kindaspongey

Chess Secrets: The Giants of Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092313/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review620.pdf

Avatar of kindaspongey
Jenium wrote:

"Techniques of Positional Play" by Valeri Bronznik might be a book for you.

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/983.pdf

Avatar of Jenium

"Chess Master Trade Secrets" by Soltis has a great chapter on strategical ideas in endgames...

Avatar of kindaspongey

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094523/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review916.pdf