In a strikingly original self-improvement manual, Jonathan Tisdall draws on his own experiences to explain why erratic results and painful setbacks occur, and shows how to institute a training program that can lift the player's game to new heights. Tisdall's improvement ideas will fire the imagination of players at all levels.
I won this book at a tournament a decade ago or so, and was honestly a little disappointed about it at that time. I was not impressed by its title. It sounded way too catchy for me. For the longest time, it sat on my shelf until this year when I decided to practice my chess some more due to the additional free time in 2020. So, I finally gave it a shot.
I must admit this book really surprised me. I think it indeed helped me to think about ways how I can improve my chess. It puts light a little bit on everything except the opening and the endgame I would say (except the appendices on mating patterns). The main focus being on advice on how to calculate, and for how long, depending on the situation. It suggests the use of 'stepping-stone' diagrams, which I think is a very interesting and useful concept. Other than that the chapters are about tactical and strategical motifs (the ones the author liked himself without particular order or reason) and some general 'advice and wisdom'.
I can only repeat myself: It probably does not sound like the best book in the world and it likely is not, but I still found it immensely inspiring for my own chess and I benefited a good chunk from it according to my online correspondence ratings.
Cool book with lots of practical advice. The games include lots of fragments and i do prefer full games, but also a lot of the book can be read without a board which i enjoyed.