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Technical Decision Making in Chess
In Technical Decision Making in Chess former World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand discusses his path to decision making in endgames and positions where one side possesses a structural or material advantage. This investigation into a top Grandmaster's technical understanding will illuminate difficult parts of the game that many players find elusive. Concepts like the “Zone of one mistake” are certain to be a revelation to many.
- GenresChess
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 7, 2021
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33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 27, 2021
Me and IM Kostya Kavutskiy covered this book in our ChessDojo bookclub. You can view our analysis sessions as well as Kostya's final video review on our YouTube channel.
The book is a disappointment, esp. because it could have been so much better. As I've noted in my reviews of the first two books in the series: we get the promise of something like a modern My System - but then we degenerate into long winded computer analysis that doesn't come with a verbal support structure. Hint to the authors: I have an engine too, it's free!, and it will be even stronger in a couple years. So what I really want is to hear Gelfand thinking, for him (somebody!) to put his thoughts into words and then the variations should be human, what he saw and what he didn't see. And don't trick me with chapter headings that claim to be about something but then aren't (book titles too).
You can tell that the authors meant well, because the first couple chapters are more focused, then we just completely lose any kind of thread. Good writing takes time!
The book is a disappointment, esp. because it could have been so much better. As I've noted in my reviews of the first two books in the series: we get the promise of something like a modern My System - but then we degenerate into long winded computer analysis that doesn't come with a verbal support structure. Hint to the authors: I have an engine too, it's free!, and it will be even stronger in a couple years. So what I really want is to hear Gelfand thinking, for him (somebody!) to put his thoughts into words and then the variations should be human, what he saw and what he didn't see. And don't trick me with chapter headings that claim to be about something but then aren't (book titles too).
You can tell that the authors meant well, because the first couple chapters are more focused, then we just completely lose any kind of thread. Good writing takes time!
October 26, 2023
The first 1/3 was a good book that achieved its goal. Though, not always clear about the technique being looked at (the chapter titles were nor always helpful). But, as the book progressed less and less of Gelfand's thinking and approach came out and more and more engine lines.
So, he readily admits it is not a manual but claims it is his own thoughts on this topic while playing. Largely, both goals are missed.
But, the parts that are good were quite fascinating. It was a good practice in visualization as the amount of diagrams were appropriate.
So, he readily admits it is not a manual but claims it is his own thoughts on this topic while playing. Largely, both goals are missed.
But, the parts that are good were quite fascinating. It was a good practice in visualization as the amount of diagrams were appropriate.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews