In the Zone: The Greatest Winning Streaks in Chess History

by Cyrus Lakdawala

A winning streak in chess, says Cyrus Lakdawala, is a lot more than just the sum of its games. In this book he examines what it means when everything clicks, when champions become unstoppable and demolish opponents. What does it mean to be 'in the zone'? What causes these sweeps, what sparks them and what keeps them going? And why did they come to an end? Lakdawala takes you on a trip through chess history looking at peak performances of some of the greatest players who ever lived: Morphy, Steinitz, Pillsbury, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Fischer, Tal, Kasparov, Karpov, Caruana and Carlsen. They all had very different playing styles, yet at a certain point in their rich careers they all entered the zone and simply wiped out the best players in the world. In the Zone explains the games of the greatest players during their greatest triumphs. As you study and enjoy these immortal performances you will improve your ability to overpower your opponents. You will understand how great moves originate and you will be inspired to become more productive and creative. In the Zone may bring you closer to that special place yourself: the zone.

372 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2020

Reviews

[Trey S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book about great players. No person comes to mine specifically but it talks about a bunch of players. It goes through their first win to their eventual defeat. Botvinnik, Kasparov, etc. are all mentioned. It’s a long book though so maybe at points it got a little redundant but I liked it.

3.5/5