- ISBN13: 9781857443257
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Positional chess remains a mystery to many and yet an understanding of the finer points of the game so often makes the difference between two equally matched players. Improve your positional play and you will see chess in a totally new dimension! In this unique book, International Master Jacob Aagaard selects many original examples of positional chess, the crème de la crème of those that he uses for training and study. Aagaard also delves deeply into the ideas of positional evaluation and analysis. * Teaches how to mix calculation with evaluation * Contains many original exercises * Written by a battle-hardened expert
This book looks like a bad sequel of a good book by Aagaard called Excelling at Chess. I go back to that book every now and then to review some points and to better understand conceptually chess. The idea of excelling at positional chess is interesting but wasn’t that covered alreay in the first book? Other than the positional exercises (that you can craft for yourself by examining a middlegame position from a great game) I didn’t find anything novel or worth reading in this book… Frankly, Aagaard he is becoming a Schiller by doing this type of book factory like production. I was frankly saddened by his book on the Grunfeld and this book about excelling at positional chess… Poor quality books from a guy that created a good name for himself by publishing a very good book of chess: Excelling at Chess. IM Aagaard just entered the dog-house of authors I don’t want to read ever again that include: GM Neil McDonald (His book on the French Winawer was hideous), IM John Watson (The third edition of Play the French was terrible), Schiller (Ugh!), and GM Larry Evans.
Very poor book! Don’t buy it!
Amazon User Rating: 1 / 5
Earlier, I plan to get this book to improve my kid’s chess but when he put it away, I have to evaluate it. I feel some of the chapters is in the wrong order. Chapter 5 or 3 should come first. I also hate it when Aagard keeps refering to Dvoretsky and Silman and other books. The author should just explain what he meant. The publisher should work harder to improve Aagard’s draft.
What I feel Aagard should do is categorizes each positional theme such as: (1) release one piece to attack (2) release one piece to defend (3) moving out one piece to release rook (4) draw one opponent piece away (5) prevent counterplay etc etc
The good part of the book is Aagard has 100+ of positional puzzles to test your skills. I spent a good time reading this on my KL-Dubai flight. For some puzzle “Black to Move” is actually black turn’s to move and not necessary Black wins !! For these puzzles he is using a lot of chess plays from his IM tournamenet such as Kramnik, Gelfland, Anand and Short.
I am getting my kid the David Lemoir “How to be a Deadly Chess Tactician” to replace this. Wait for my review.
Amazon User Rating: 2 / 5
I’ve been conditioned by Hollywood to expect a let down from anything labelled part II. This book though fully lives up to the high standard set by Aagaard’s award winning first book “Excelling at chess”. It will change the way you look at a chess position.
Amazon User Rating: 5 / 5
Authoritatively written by an international chess master Jacob Aagaard, Excelling At Positional Chess is a technical proficient, in-depth, instructional guidebook specifically designed for intermediate and advanced chess players seeking to improve their strategy by mixing calculation and evaluation. Offering original exercises, numerous examples with diagrams, and enhanced with a wealth of fascinating insights, Excelling At Positional Chess is a superb self-teaching guide for serious and dedicated players of the game.
Amazon User Rating: 5 / 5
This book is grea, but the games insert this games, has a very positional approach.
i like positional chess, but for player who love tactics, then will not enjoy the book.
For begines or any player around 1800, will enjoy this book. there are nice games.
Intermediate layer, could help only like prositional chess.
Amazon User Rating: 4 / 5