| THE ART OF PLANNING IN CHESS (MOVE BY MOVE)
Author: Neil McDonald
Batsford Chess (2006)
247 pages
$20.95
Reviewed by Jeremy Silman
I didn't open this book for quite a while after receiving it. My
initial (blindfold) thought: "Oh, another one of those middlegame books
that claim to teach but never really do." So I placed it in the "check
this book out when extra time presents itself" pile and promptly forgot
about its existence.
Eventually that "extra time" did raise its head, and as I scanned the
dubious pile of wannabe titles, my eyes focused on the word "planning."
It seemed almost a challenge, so I finally cracked it open fully
intending to heap scorn on its pages and, if I was lucky, even get a
good laugh out of the bargain. The chapter titles didn't bode well: 1)
Ferocious Files; 2) Dangerous diagonals; 3) Wearing down a weakness; 4)
Surging through the centre; 5) Pawns and goat pegs (okay, this one made
me curious!); 6) Horrible holes.
I moved on to the introduction and was immediately captivated by a
quote from Emanuel Lasker: "The most intelligent inspection of any
number of fine paintings will not make the observer a painter, nor will
listening to a number of operas make the hearer a musician, but good
judges of music and painting may be so formed. Chess differs from
these. The intelligent perusal of fine games cannot fail to make the
reader a better player and a better judge of the play of others."
A great quote, and one that pushes home my constant recommendation to
all levels of chess hopefuls: Play over lots of master games! A further
reading of the introduction took me through some overly simplistic
attempts to discuss calculation, plans, patterns and whatnot. But
soon enough the author's real goals became clear: He was going to give
us thirty-six modern games with deep, move-by-move notes. This would
help the reader gain an appreciation for what can be learned by the
study of master games, and they would also illustrate, in great detail,
the plans and ideas of both players.
This is a winning idea, but could he pull it off? There was only one
way to find out -- I jumped into the games. Keep in mind that there
have been two well-known move-by-move books. The first is the classic
LOGICAL CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by Chernev. Considered a classic, the
material is very basic and repetitive, and really isn't of much use for
anyone over 1100. The other book is Dr. Nunn's GRANDMASTER CHESS MOVE
BY MOVE. It's excellent, but far too advanced for most players (I would
say it's useful for 1900 players on up).
So, I went over one game after the other. And, as I did so, my
negativity melted away. Mr. McDonald doesn't do the move-by-move bit in
the openings. However, once he reaches a position of interest (this can
arise as early as move three, or much later) he leaps into his work
with all his heart. Mixing instructive prose with variations (just
enough analysis to tell you what's going on, but not so much that you
panic and feel like giving up the game as quickly as possible), the
author gives us one of the most enjoyable and instructive game
collections I've seen in a long, long while.
The first game, Wells vs. Shirov, is a purely tactical demonstration of
how to eviscerate an opponent on a weak square complex. Other factors
like development and structure also play a role in handing Shirov, an
all time great tactician and attacker, one of his quickest, most brutal
defeats (he resigned on move thirteen!). Other games in Chapter One
also are tactically oriented, but he carefully explains more subtle
ideas like how endgame worries can convince a player to take his
chances in the middlegame, even though it might (and in the examples
given, does) lead to a quick knockout.
As the book goes on, we get games that are increasingly complex, at
times even strategically profound (Grischuk vs. Kamsky is a fine
example, while Aronian vs. Areshchenko is pure technique at the highest
level). Throughout it all, McDonald's notes keep a fine balance of
energy, humor, and instruction.
An earlier move-by-move book by McDonald, CHESS: THE ART OF LOGICAL
THINKING, is also quite good, but THE ART OF PLANNING is McDonald at
his very best. He's not as deep a thinker as Watson or Rowson, nor does
his work have the stamp of authority of a John Nunn. But these facts
actually make THE ART OF PLANNING rise above what these eminent writers
have done for the intended (and enormous) audience of 1200 to 2100 --
his avoidance of self-importance, pomposity, or overdoses of
theoretical concept leaves everything light, entertaining, instructive,
and fun to read.
Highly Recommended!
Click if you would like to buy (or get more information
about) THE
ART OF PLANNING
Other move-by-move books:
CHESS:
THE ART OF LOGICAL THINKING (McDonald) - $20.95
GRANDMASTER
CHESS MOVE BY MOVE (Nunn) - $23.95
LOGICAL
CHESS MOVE BY MOVE (Chernev) - $24.95
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