The Art of Defense in Chess

by Andrew Soltis

Most games are not won -- they are lost. The vast majority of instructional books tell how to improve a position when it is already (or may be) favorable. The Art of Defense in Chess analyzes the practical aspects of not having the
-- How to obtain counterplay
-- When to contest open lines
-- When to accept sacrifices
-- How to anticipate short- and long-term threats
-- How to restrain your opponent's pieces
-- How to create a defense perimeter
-- How to minimize losses
-- And much more

The Art of Defense in Chess also discusses the proper psychological attitudes for successful defense -- coolness under fire, the Saving Grace, stonewalling, etc. -- as well as the Principle of Exploitable Weakness and the Principle of Economy, as illustrated in more than one hundred positions taken from competitive play.

Genres: Chess, Games, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply an amazing book with complex positions and thought notes

crank out your chess computer and find all the holes in what Soltis presents with Master play!

a deeply satisfying book, and the cloth hardcover is beautiful to hold, but the algebraic version is much easier on the brain

[Joeri Dassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great games and puzzles

[Neo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read it yet but I think it is highly instructive for players that cannot defend