Better Thinking, Better Chess

Book excerpt: Finding strong moves does not simply depend on how much you know about chess. In fact, greater knowledge often makes choosing a move more complex because it increases the number of directions your mind can take. It’s about the way you think. His many years as a chess trainer have taught grandmaster Joel Benjamin how fundamental failings in their thought process cause his students to make mistakes. Pointing out the moves his students missed was just half the job. He needed to explain why they didn’t arrive at the right move. Analysing your game with a chess engine will not tell you where and why you went wrong. Chess engines represent a different reality: the top computer move isn’t always the right move to play. This book teaches how you can improve the structure and effectiveness of your thinking when sitting at the board. How to look for the right things. If you take the wrong direction at the start of your deliberations, as club players often do, you may be losing before you know it. Joel Benjamin concentrates on a wide array practical issues that players frequently have to deal with. By applying a grandmaster’s train of thought club players will more often arrive at strong moves and substantially improve their game.