Lessons on Uncompromising Play: Mastering Strategies for Winning Concepts - HARDCOVER

Chess has evolved significantly over the past few years. Talented teenagers are playing better than ever, top players possess even deeper theoretical knowledge and make fewer mistakes, and preparation now demands more time and energy. Consequently, winning against strong opponents has become increasingly challenging. This has taught us that players need to manage their energy levels carefully. Most of the advice in this book remains applicable even when you are tired, though in such cases, it's usually better to play more solidly if you're primarily aiming for a good result. That said, results aren't everything. Interesting games are also important, and we are excited to share them with you in this epic book.

If you want to win a game, you should be ready to progress in small steps. In most games, you first need to gain the initiative, then transform it into a positional advantage or into an attack and eventually win the game. Reality is usually more complex and even grandmaster games mostly contain mistakes on both sides and often even unexpected twists and turns. (True, there are many grandmaster games in which the balance has never been disrupted, but they do not really belong into this book.) To gain the initiative, you need to sacrifice some material or play somewhat better than the opponent. I often try to create imbalances, e.g. exchange my bishop for an opponent's knight, doubling my opponent's pawns or getting a lead in development in return. Once you possess the initiative, you should usually act resolutely to transform it into something real (more can be found in the chapter on dynamics).

This book will be your perfect guide to combating chess!

About the Author:
Nine-time Czech champion David Navara became a grandmaster in 2002 at the age of sixteen. Amongst his many achievements are: 1st at the Ordix Open rapid tournament in Mainz, Germany, in 2007. World Cup quarter-finalist in 2011. Gold medal winner on 2nd board at the 2012 Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. Gold medalist with the Nový Bor team at the 2013 European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece. Winner of the European Blitz Championship in Wrocław, Poland, in 2014. Silver medalist in the European Individual Championship in Jerusalem in 2015. This is his second book for Thinkers, his first 'My Chess World' being an acclaimed bestseller.