Excelling at Chess

by Jacob Aagaard

Some players become good at chess, some very good, while others excel at the game. In this book Jacob Aagaard identifies the key factors that separate the very strong players from the rest. In Excelling at Chess, he includes chapters on when to calculate, how to evaluate positions, how to study theory, how to study the endgame and when to force the position. Anyone who follows the advice in this book cannot fail to improve their feel for the game.

* Ideal for players who are serious about improving
* Discusses all phases and aspects of the game
* Packed with useful practical tips

Genres: Chess

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

Reviews

[Abdulloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Ernest Cadorin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author describes his personal (and somewhat unique) perspective on various aspects of the game. He describes the thought process that grandmasters use, he describes how a position can be broken down into what he calls concepts (e.g. the knight would be better on this square) and elements (e.g. the knight can’t move there yet because of the mating threat), and he reconciles common rules-of-thumb and their exceptions by proposing that the rules-of-thumb themselves are indeed absolute, and “exceptions” aren’t really exceptions, but rather characteristics of the position that make the rule less important. For example, a knight on the rim is always dim in the sense that all things being equal, its scope is always less on the rim than in the centre. Yet there are positions in which a knight on the rim is still dangerous despite its reduced scope, and therefore is well-placed on the rim. The chapter on endgames was too advanced for me. The last part of the book provided tips for performing well in tournaments. (e.g. getting enough sleep, having a positive attitude)

[James Stripes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired me to eschew draws in imbalanced endgames.

[Alberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, but not much here that will actually help you excel at chess. The other books in the series are more traditional training material.

[TjeerdFokkens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great chess book! Very original and inspiring instructions on how to play. The idea of focussing where your pieces want to go is really nice. I do think that the definition of 'real' chess players is a bit simplistic, but I understand this as being thought-provoking rather than being inaccurate. The book is written in a time where computer were not so strong yet, which in this case is an advantage, because the positional aspects of the game are explained in a human way. The level is quite high (I couldn't solve most of the problems), but the quality of the instructions benefits even non-expert players. Highly recommended!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great training manual - rating range of between 1200-2000 and IF properly applied, there's no reason one won't see their rating climb upwards of 2200.