MODERN CHESS PLANNING
Author: Efstratios Grivas
Gambit (2007)
143 pages
$24.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The publication of a translation of Hort and Jansa's THE BEST MOVE by RHM was an important event in the chess world in 1980. Previous to that, students of the game had only books on combinations and chess solitaire to go through, but they were nothing quite like the work by the two Vlastimils. The 230 test positions, all from their own games, were challenging, even with three choices offered. I still remember taking a Greyhound bus from Philadelphia to Boulder, Colorado, in 1981 with IM Walter Morris and the difficulties both of us had finding the correct solutions.
 
The recent publication of MODERN CHESS PLANNING by Efstratios Grivas makes me recall THE BEST MOVE. The Greek GM, who has become a regular for the Gambit team, presents 75 tests, 50 of them derived from his own games. Each test has one page and a key position with a diagram. A prose overview is given and then three choices are offered. Unlike THE BEST MOVE, the entire game score is given and the logic behind the various choices is more involved. The back of the book offers not only detailed solutions but also what was wrong with the alternatives.
 
MODERN CHESS PLANNING offers the aspiring student an excellent opportunity to improve their planning ability through active study. Players rated 1800-2300 will derive the most benefit from it.

Recommended.

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