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Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve
This book offers a unique approach to chess self-evaluation and training. It will answer the two most common questions that players ask an experienced coach - what is my true rating (or strengths and weaknesses)? How do I improve?
The readers will
100 diagrams & 200 total questions of various difficulty.
Comprehensive answers include diagrams for easy reading away from the chessboard.
Distributions of answers, percentiles and other statistical reports by rating group from unrated to 2400+.
Match yourself against players of all levels, up to grandmaster and see how you stock up.
Results evaluated and Rating assigned overall & by 12 distinct Opening, Middlegame, Endgame, Attack, Defense, Counterattack, Tactics, Strategy, Calculations, Standard Positions (Endgame), Sacrifices, Recognizing Threats.
Comprehensive reports on each of the categories with examples, training recommendations and book/materials suggestions
The book will be essential reading for everyone who plays chess because it
a. help them to understand their current situation by identifying their strengths and weaknesses;
b. give them clear explanations on how to improve, both in suggesting the appropriate training materials and in outlining the training methods;
c. encourage players to establish and then follow a structured training plan;
d. relieve player's anxiety by assuring that there is plenty of help available to those who are interested in understanding the game better and improve their skills;
e. provide players with means of getting all their questions answered via timely advice from experienced coaches and also their peers.
The readers will
100 diagrams & 200 total questions of various difficulty.
Comprehensive answers include diagrams for easy reading away from the chessboard.
Distributions of answers, percentiles and other statistical reports by rating group from unrated to 2400+.
Match yourself against players of all levels, up to grandmaster and see how you stock up.
Results evaluated and Rating assigned overall & by 12 distinct Opening, Middlegame, Endgame, Attack, Defense, Counterattack, Tactics, Strategy, Calculations, Standard Positions (Endgame), Sacrifices, Recognizing Threats.
Comprehensive reports on each of the categories with examples, training recommendations and book/materials suggestions
The book will be essential reading for everyone who plays chess because it
a. help them to understand their current situation by identifying their strengths and weaknesses;
b. give them clear explanations on how to improve, both in suggesting the appropriate training materials and in outlining the training methods;
c. encourage players to establish and then follow a structured training plan;
d. relieve player's anxiety by assuring that there is plenty of help available to those who are interested in understanding the game better and improve their skills;
e. provide players with means of getting all their questions answered via timely advice from experienced coaches and also their peers.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2004
5 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 29, 2010
Brilliant chess book. You get 100 positions and are asked to evaluate them and to select from up to 4 candidate moves. The break down and explanations are very helpful for beginners and intermediate players.
The best feature is that based on your results you get scores in different areas, e.g. endgame, middlegame, attack, defense etc. The author claims that he has collected statistical data so that the final rating is quite accurate. The raw number is not so important but weak areas can be recognized easily and the author provides useful recommendations for players of different levels how to improve.
Highly recommended.
The best feature is that based on your results you get scores in different areas, e.g. endgame, middlegame, attack, defense etc. The author claims that he has collected statistical data so that the final rating is quite accurate. The raw number is not so important but weak areas can be recognized easily and the author provides useful recommendations for players of different levels how to improve.
Highly recommended.
April 28, 2014
This is a very helpful resource in assessing one's skill level. It uses a series of multiple choice chess puzzles to break down particular strengths and weaknesses. There are some mistakes (in grammar and notation) that I found in the explanations, but by and large this book has been an asset for me as a player and coach.
January 31, 2010
Too good! For experienced players and novice alike. Outstanding
November 29, 2025
Amazing workbook.
Igor Khmelinitsky is the author of a series of workbooks published between 2004 and 2009. First book in the series, that is currently being reviewed Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve was followed by the workbook dedicated to tactics (Chess Exam and Training Guide: Tactics: Rate Yourself and Learn How to Improve) and a workbook in which the chess player is to take part playing vs Bobby Fischer (Chess Exam: You vs. Bobby Fischer: Matches Against Chess Legends: Play the Match, Rate Yourself, Improve Your Game!).
Workbooks style
Khmelnitsky’s workbook is written in a very interesting style. In the first book of the series, the one under review, the author gives the reader/student 10 tests, each containing 10 positions.
The author recommends spending up to 20 minutes per position. Test questions present a diagram followed by two multiple-choice questions. Khmelnitsky’s workbook is therefore very unique in the sense that the test taker is not only answering with what is the best move, but has to answer the questions such as “Which statement of the four is the most accurate”, “Evaluate the position”, “Does Black have immediate threats”, “If allowed, white would want to…” “White is to move – How should black respond in case of x move,” etc.
After each of the diagrams, the solutions and the scoring system are given. The reader can earn up to 5 points per question and can also get negative points, usually -1 or -2 if choosing the worst of 4 options. After each set of 10 diagrams, the reader should count the number of points that they earned and translate their score to a rating – a nice system that kind of gamifies the workbook. After finishing all the tests, the author gives several tables that group the positions on the basis of the type of position that was present in the diagram (such as opening position, middlegame position, endgame position) and by a type of exercise (such as attack, counterattack, strategy…).
Even though counting the results is interesting and fun by itself, I would give a high score to Khmelnitsky’s workbook, especially due to the positions that are given for tests. More than half of the exercises require calculation of only several moves and especially theoretical endgame positions are useful for players of relatively low rating (up to 1800 online rating). The unorthodox questions that are being asked are also a plus to the book. Positions can be solved only from the diagram, and the solutions are very simply written and clear-cut. So the readability of the book is good.
Once the test is finished, Khmelnitsky gives recommendations for further reading and training tips, which are also useful but not the main focus of the book.
The summary is that Igor Khmelnitsky’s workbook “Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve” is a very good material for training. Due to unorthodox questions, gamification of the score to rating system, and prevalence on the endgame positions, it is also a very enjoyable read and a must-read for all players rated U2000.
Igor Khmelinitsky is the author of a series of workbooks published between 2004 and 2009. First book in the series, that is currently being reviewed Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve was followed by the workbook dedicated to tactics (Chess Exam and Training Guide: Tactics: Rate Yourself and Learn How to Improve) and a workbook in which the chess player is to take part playing vs Bobby Fischer (Chess Exam: You vs. Bobby Fischer: Matches Against Chess Legends: Play the Match, Rate Yourself, Improve Your Game!).
Workbooks style
Khmelnitsky’s workbook is written in a very interesting style. In the first book of the series, the one under review, the author gives the reader/student 10 tests, each containing 10 positions.
The author recommends spending up to 20 minutes per position. Test questions present a diagram followed by two multiple-choice questions. Khmelnitsky’s workbook is therefore very unique in the sense that the test taker is not only answering with what is the best move, but has to answer the questions such as “Which statement of the four is the most accurate”, “Evaluate the position”, “Does Black have immediate threats”, “If allowed, white would want to…” “White is to move – How should black respond in case of x move,” etc.
After each of the diagrams, the solutions and the scoring system are given. The reader can earn up to 5 points per question and can also get negative points, usually -1 or -2 if choosing the worst of 4 options. After each set of 10 diagrams, the reader should count the number of points that they earned and translate their score to a rating – a nice system that kind of gamifies the workbook. After finishing all the tests, the author gives several tables that group the positions on the basis of the type of position that was present in the diagram (such as opening position, middlegame position, endgame position) and by a type of exercise (such as attack, counterattack, strategy…).
Even though counting the results is interesting and fun by itself, I would give a high score to Khmelnitsky’s workbook, especially due to the positions that are given for tests. More than half of the exercises require calculation of only several moves and especially theoretical endgame positions are useful for players of relatively low rating (up to 1800 online rating). The unorthodox questions that are being asked are also a plus to the book. Positions can be solved only from the diagram, and the solutions are very simply written and clear-cut. So the readability of the book is good.
Once the test is finished, Khmelnitsky gives recommendations for further reading and training tips, which are also useful but not the main focus of the book.
The summary is that Igor Khmelnitsky’s workbook “Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve” is a very good material for training. Due to unorthodox questions, gamification of the score to rating system, and prevalence on the endgame positions, it is also a very enjoyable read and a must-read for all players rated U2000.
February 3, 2022
Good:
* Contains very hard to find exercises where the reader must evaluate whether positions favor one side or completely equal.
* Provides approximate Elo rating.
Bad:
* Some questions are completely wrong. For example question 56 is dead draw with two possible moves by the weaker side that will make the draw happen (checked with Stockfish 14.1 and also high rated players are split on the moves, as written in the book). However the book's scoring system says one side is better and only one of the moves is given points when they're both equal. Because of those mistakes, the evaluation's accuracy of this book is dubious.
* The book is advertised as being able to evaluate reader's areas of improvements (opening, attack, sacrifice, etc). However to do that the readers are required to either set up a convoluted spreadsheet that takes time, or go to the author's train-wreck-like website just to find out that the worksheet is not free. For identifying areas of improvements, Yusupov's orange book series does it better.
* Contains very hard to find exercises where the reader must evaluate whether positions favor one side or completely equal.
* Provides approximate Elo rating.
Bad:
* Some questions are completely wrong. For example question 56 is dead draw with two possible moves by the weaker side that will make the draw happen (checked with Stockfish 14.1 and also high rated players are split on the moves, as written in the book). However the book's scoring system says one side is better and only one of the moves is given points when they're both equal. Because of those mistakes, the evaluation's accuracy of this book is dubious.
* The book is advertised as being able to evaluate reader's areas of improvements (opening, attack, sacrifice, etc). However to do that the readers are required to either set up a convoluted spreadsheet that takes time, or go to the author's train-wreck-like website just to find out that the worksheet is not free. For identifying areas of improvements, Yusupov's orange book series does it better.
November 25, 2009
What I learned: How to analyze my areas that need improvement.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews