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Applying Logic in Chess
Is chess a logical game? What constitutes an advantage in chess? How can we set problems and create psychologically difficult situations for the opponent? These are big questions, and Erik Kislik tackles them and others head-on in this thought-provoking, thoroughly modern, and original work.
He answers the first of those questions with a resounding ‘yes!’. His assessments focus on concrete points: pawn-structure, material imbalance and compensation. Even though the analytical proofs may be complex, he repeatedly shows that these elements are the keys to evaluating positions and forming plans.
As the trainer of players ranging from high-level grandmasters to average club-players, Kislik is very strong on providing practical guidance on topics such as how best to use chess software, choosing hardware, getting psychologically ready for a game and preparing for specific opponents. He is always willing to boldly state his views, even when they run contrary to conventional chess wisdom.
“I was excited by this book because of the way all of the ideas are intertwined and you get very concrete advice ... Everything is applicable and it is easy to see how it applies to the real world.” – from the Foreword by GM Hjörvar Steinn Gretarsson.
Erik Kislik is an International Master originally from California who lives in Budapest. He is an expert in computer chess and one of the most in-demand chess trainers on ICC. He has coached many grandmasters and assisted a number of elite players with their opening preparation.
He answers the first of those questions with a resounding ‘yes!’. His assessments focus on concrete points: pawn-structure, material imbalance and compensation. Even though the analytical proofs may be complex, he repeatedly shows that these elements are the keys to evaluating positions and forming plans.
As the trainer of players ranging from high-level grandmasters to average club-players, Kislik is very strong on providing practical guidance on topics such as how best to use chess software, choosing hardware, getting psychologically ready for a game and preparing for specific opponents. He is always willing to boldly state his views, even when they run contrary to conventional chess wisdom.
“I was excited by this book because of the way all of the ideas are intertwined and you get very concrete advice ... Everything is applicable and it is easy to see how it applies to the real world.” – from the Foreword by GM Hjörvar Steinn Gretarsson.
Erik Kislik is an International Master originally from California who lives in Budapest. He is an expert in computer chess and one of the most in-demand chess trainers on ICC. He has coached many grandmasters and assisted a number of elite players with their opening preparation.
- GenresChess
792 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2018
89 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 3, 2018
The book has no discernible organizing principle.
The author is very fond of opening analysis like "The main line is [move that has been played 4000+ times according to ChessBase], but best is [move that does not appear in ECO and has never been played]." I'm not saying he’s necessarily wrong (although he must surely be wrong at least some of the times he writes this), but some justification would seem to be in order.
A lot of the analysis is poor quality, or downright sketchy lines.
But my main criticism remains that the author doesn't seem to have anything important to say.
The author is very fond of opening analysis like "The main line is [move that has been played 4000+ times according to ChessBase], but best is [move that does not appear in ECO and has never been played]." I'm not saying he’s necessarily wrong (although he must surely be wrong at least some of the times he writes this), but some justification would seem to be in order.
A lot of the analysis is poor quality, or downright sketchy lines.
But my main criticism remains that the author doesn't seem to have anything important to say.
July 22, 2021
Im a bit torn between rating 3 or 4 stars. Would I recommend the book? Definately.
So what is the issue/annoyance? The main annoyance was that the author repeats himself a lot. For a long time that is actually useful to remember all previous ideas he already mentioned, however, there come chunks in this book that one could without a doubt delete without information loss.
Second, the difficulty of examples ranges a lot, often depending on the chapter (surprisingly, examples are very rare in a couple of chapters which is also a slight drawback of the book). While most of them are very nicely selected (especially I liked the chapters 'losing consistency' & 'ciritical moments' here), the chapter on engine analysis really went beyond my head. This could be by design, but anyhow I did not feel like learning much there.
What is good/great about the book? Looking past these IMO modereate/minor weaknesses, the book is actually as concrete as I have seen for an improvement manual. The author gives very concrete suggestions what should be done to improve and HOW you may do it. Often referencing his own training methods and books he went through in the past. I do not know why other books often lack this information, but this is really a major reason one buys books like this! So, this is the biggest plus. And of course, besides that there are just many interesting points here and there just too repetitive at times.
So what is the issue/annoyance? The main annoyance was that the author repeats himself a lot. For a long time that is actually useful to remember all previous ideas he already mentioned, however, there come chunks in this book that one could without a doubt delete without information loss.
Second, the difficulty of examples ranges a lot, often depending on the chapter (surprisingly, examples are very rare in a couple of chapters which is also a slight drawback of the book). While most of them are very nicely selected (especially I liked the chapters 'losing consistency' & 'ciritical moments' here), the chapter on engine analysis really went beyond my head. This could be by design, but anyhow I did not feel like learning much there.
What is good/great about the book? Looking past these IMO modereate/minor weaknesses, the book is actually as concrete as I have seen for an improvement manual. The author gives very concrete suggestions what should be done to improve and HOW you may do it. Often referencing his own training methods and books he went through in the past. I do not know why other books often lack this information, but this is really a major reason one buys books like this! So, this is the biggest plus. And of course, besides that there are just many interesting points here and there just too repetitive at times.
January 2, 2021
I think the analysis is the interesting part of the book, but there is still something i dislike about the overgeneralized principles, or even just the flowchart on the front of the book
in some ways, i wonder if this book is the opposite of Reuben Fine's Basic Chess Endings, in that, his principles are the best part of the book, and the analysis, purely secondary!
April 10, 2020
A mammoth effort by a chess trainer and enthusiast who has indeed walked the walk before sitting down to put pen to paper. Seriously thorough and an inspiring read. Somewhat repetitive at times, but overall very well written and highly applicable.
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August 14, 2025
A bit wordy and repetitive in places, where it could have used some editing. However, the amount of useful information it contains is definitely worth five stars. Has changed the way I approach chess training and I expect to review highlighted sections at some future point as there's no way I will absorb everything first time through
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews