Most players are fascinated with the way that grandmasters think about chess, and this book provides an enjoyable glimpse into the way 12 strong players approach chess ideas and their way of thinking about them. While it is unclear whether this discussion will help the reader improve their play, the players and topics covered are generally fascinating, and this is an enjoyable way to learn a bit more about what makes great players tick.

The majority of the book is devoted to interviews with grandmasters Lev Psakhis, Alon Greenfeld, Yona Kasashvili, Alik Greshon, Gadi Rechlis, Boris Gelfand, Zvulon Gofshtein, Dov Zifroni, and Ilia Smirin, as well as Gady Costeff (a world class chess study composer), IM Alexander Mikhalevsky, and Ofer Comay (a world class chess problem solver). A second, smaller part of the book is devoted to a discussion of some key concepts and ideas that came out of the interviews in the first half of the book. The book closes with a short chapter on critical success factors in chess, an extensive list of references, an index of players, composers, analysts, and openings.

The topics run the gamut, from what separates strong from weak players, how do great ideas get formed, how opening novelties are found, and how positional assessment is done.  Unlike another recent book based on conversations, Aaron and Claire Summerscales’ INTERVIEW WITH A GRANDMASTER, here the focus is squarely on chess ideas and analysis. By contrast, the Summerscales sought to personalize their subjects, and the only real chess analysis was found at the end of each chapter, where the grandmaster subject provided their best game and the game they considered to be the best ever played. While their approach made for interesting reading, there was little chess learning content – definitely not the case here.

Besides some interesting discussion of advanced approaches to chess study, play, and thinking, there are also many interesting human insights to be found. For example, in the first chapter, Lev Psahkis, a multiple champion of the Soviet Union, suggested that most grandmasters do not differ all that much from ordinary players, noting that “[British GM Jonathon] Speelman has genius: he is a special kind of grandmaster. In 80% of cases he will think in an ordinary way, searching for the best squared for his pieces, etc., but at some points he will do other things. He has a different brain, and not just in chess.” Psahkis continues this discussion of world class players, noting that “Shirov is close to what I call ‘normal’: every grandmaster uses an algorithm for decision-making. Now, Shirov gives priority to generous doses of risk, activity and daring in his algorithm. Morozevich, I admit is a distinct type: he thinks in a completely different manner. He belongs in the same category as Speelman.” Psahkis concludes by arguing that “There are only a few extraordinary grandmasters.  The vast majority are ‘normal.’ For instance, players like Nigel Short and Michael Adams – they are excellent grandmasters, but play a ‘normal’ kind of chess.”

One of the more interesting chapters, from my perspective, was with Yona Kasashvili.  While the winner of several strong international tournaments in the mid-1990s (and with a peak ELO of 2580), Kasashvili is a physician whose current chief chess claim to fame is being married to Sofia Polgar. Now an “amateur” chessplayer, his approach to the game may prove more useful to other amateurs than discussions by some of the professionals found here. Kasashvili exhibits a practical approach to his play and move selection.  For example, he notes that a crieria he uses in selecting candidate moves is the degree that they correspond to his taste, noting that, “If a line is ‘objectively’ good but does not accord with my style, I’ll avoid it.  Being better ‘on paper’ yields nothing.” This is a useful guide that is often overlooked by regular players. Indeed, Kasashvili comes across as a player who knows what he knows (and doesn’t) and tries to shape his play around it.  The closing chess “recipe” for this chapter was that “A good idea is usually what you think, believe or value to be a good idea. If a move you feel comfortable with enters your mind, play it. The idea is probably ‘right’ for you.”

There are other interviews that cover topics with practical value. For example, Boris Gelfand (the player interviewed with the highest current rating) provides some good advice about clock management, noting that “You can’t allow your opponent a big lead in time… if the position is tenable, I allot myself a specified amount of time to reach a decision.”  He also advises that, “usually, if you don’t see a move in the first few minutes, you are unlikely to see it at all.”

A major topic for discussion, not surprisingly, is the whole area of what predominates in deciding on a move – calculation or intuition. This has been the subject of numerous books, and you can find strong players who generally find themselves in both camps. Here, the author discusses (or probes for discussion) this with several players.  The results are rather mixed – I was humored by his pursuit of explanation from Psakhis about how he decided on a move which didn’t really seem to do much.  Psahkis kind of danced around the subject, saying “it was clear to me that 13.Be5 improved my position (although it was not necessarily the best move here).” When the author suggested it wasn’t that clear to him (keeping in mind the author is a FIDE master), Psakhis, after some attempts to convey his meaning, gave up and said, “There are some moves which you can’t explain.  Either you feel them or you don’t. Many of Karpov’s moves are impossible to explain, yet they are the correct moves.”

The author also presents unfamiliar positions to the subjects and asks them to analyze what is happening, and, in some instances, to suggest the best moves, often with little time for reflection. This gives insight into the ability (or lack thereof) for a strong player to quickly grasp the salient points, even in a complex and unfamiliar position. While these are fascinating situations to observe, they probably are more interesting for the author as a psychologist than for any useful information they present for the average player to benefit from.

The interviews make up about three quarters of the material, but there are some interesting summary chapters in the second part of the book. The author seeks to take the various discussions and distill them into some general commentary. As the author is a psychologist, it isn’t surprising that he draws upon previous studies, such as DeGroot’s seminal work, in discussing just what it is that grandmasters “know” compared to others. There is a fair amount of discussion of pitfalls and problems with past studies, and if you are “into” this sort of discussion, you’ll enjoy these pages. Others may wish to skip the technical stuff and get down to some of the author’s conclusions, which are interesting and perceptive.

Avni finds, for example, that “grandmasters always put the question what before the question how,” “implement prophylactic thinking in a profound and systematic way,” “manage their thinking in a focused and economical way.” These and some other conclusions are supported by examples, often with references from earlier chapters. 

The author is a FIDE master in composition, and it is not surprising that the book delves into this topic. Besides the chapters devoted to interviews of Gady Costeff and Ofer Comay, there is also a chapter that discusses a system for problem-solving. While I have never been a big problem fan, the discussion provides some insight about how problem solving thought processes can be applied to other chess situations.

There are some other interesting discussions in these later chapters, and the book closes with, not surprisingly, a chapter that concludes that yes, grandmasters are different from the rest of us. The author closes by discussing some of the critical success factors that separate the great from those of us who will never quite make it to such lofty heights.

In conclusion, THE GRANDMASTER’S MIND provides interesting discussion from several strong players on a variety of chess topics. While there is a lot of attention to the psychological aspect of chess and chess thinking, there are also practical tips and useful discussions of chess concepts that should prove valuable for many players. 

Click to see SILMAN'S REVIEW of this book.