Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch

I had put off reading this book for 2 years because of all the hype that surrounded this book, but the curiosity got the better of me & I have finally read this book. I have to admit it is an epic effort to try to explain how chess has evolved or de-evolved, depending on your point of view, since what I call the golden era of chess (1851-1930). My review will not do this book justice because it is so vast in ideas, so please consider my review to be succinct & that it should be complemented by other reviews. First of all, I would like to explain my theory on chess, which like man, is a duality:1. Positional considerations & Tactics2. Principles & Rule-independence3. Modernism & Hypermodernism4. Symmetry & Imbalances5. Activity & Passivity6. Knights & Bishops7. Logic & Imagination8. Science & Art9. Dynamic & static10. Queenside & Kingside11. Calculation & IntuitionThis book attempts to give as much explanation & examples of the difference between point number 2. The author throughout this book explains the principles of the golden era of chess as codified by players such as Steinitz, Tarrasch, Reti, Lasker, Capablanca, Rubinstein & of course, Nimzowitch, amongst others. He then goes on explaining how chess has changed & become more dynamic since this era, this includes the 2 things that Bobby Fischer talked about towards the end of his life which in his view has killed the novelty & fun in chess & that is memorisation & pre-arrangement. The author believes that chess started to become more dynamic when Alekhine starting experimenting & it was developed further after that by Mikhail Botvinnik's analytical approach to studying chess which is still alive today. I would like to point out that a lot of the ideas that are still in use in chess today, came from the golden era of chess e.g. pawn sacrifices, prophylaxis & the exchange sacrifice, however, it is true that since 1930, these ideas have become more refined & have been extended into more situations/positions. If you would like to know more about this sub-topic, I highly recommend reading "Technics of positional play: 45 Practical methods to gain the upper hand in chess" by Valeri Bronznik.The author has referenced around 30 to 40 books in producing this epic book. The book that he references more than any other is the awesome "Knights vs Bishops" book written by Steven Mayer. Because I have already read this book, I felt that I was going over a lot of ground I already knew. The second most referenced book is Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy. If you have read both of these books, I would not recommend reading this book because you will find that you are repeating a lot of ground that you have already covered.After reading this book, my head was spinning with the thought of "how do Grandmasters come up with some of these ideas?" This book is not for players who are either novices or have a fairly low rating. I would recommend this book to players with a minimum of a 1800 rating. I believe that a lot of this material would go over your head & you may consider some of the analysis is quite deep in regards to games, if your rating is low.So what is my verdict on the theme of this book? Well, I believe in the duality of chess. What I mean by that is that when you are looking at any given position, you should consult the principles, but also think outside the box i.e. rule-independence. The bottom line is, it's all about ideas! Think about it, the principles are ideas that have become conventional & have a lot of logic behind them, however, the principles are not the only ideas, so one must use his/her imagination & think outside the box e.g. placing your knight on the rim, accepting a bad bishop for the compensation of strenghtening a pawn chain, exchanging a rook for a monster knight or a good fianchettoed bishop, exchanging a minor piece for 2 pawns, sacrificing a pawn for the initiative etc.In chess, I like to study the history of the game & the statistics of the game. The author goes into these 2 things quite a bit, along with the analysis of Nimzowitch's book "My System" & the anthology of games, particularly post 1930. Thank you Mr Watson for your contribution in this field. I can tell that you put a lot of thought into this book & that you researched it thoroughly. I am sure that you would of wanted to have doubled the content of this book or made it into a 2 volume set, however, you have made your points... & my head is still spinning.

I got about 20 books this winter to update and add to my collection. This was one of the choices, partly due to some reviews, but also because it covers newer tenets in theory since 1950 or so. Having the more updated concepts outlined in a succinct format was what I was looking for. I have a LOT of reading to do! :)So, I haven't yet fully dived into this yet - a look at the first two sections tells me this is going to get a lot of use as I continue to study and re-develop my chess skills. I believe it is a nice addition to the repertoire of many chess libraries. Not recommended for novices - sorry - this is really more advanced and requires understanding some of the theories of the likes of Nimzowitsch, Tarrach, and a few others first to make more sense of it. I am far form an expert, but am currently going through the "My System" again and plan to follow up with this one afterwards to round out the concepts to a more modern approach. A nice book I think! I was careful in my book choices and this seems very good from what I have gleaned so far!

This book fills a very interesting niche in my chess library. As the author states many times, this is NOT a how-to book, though I did pick up a few things here and there (after all, it IS a big book packed full of some pretty wild games). Part 1 is essentially looking back at the contributions to chess that Nimzowitch's books My System and Praxis provided, along with some of the other notable players of the era, such as Alekhine. It also covers how the old rules have either been revised or flat-out refuted. Part 2 is a "to heck with the rules" look at how the game is often played today. Essentially, what this book does is leave me with more questions than answers, and that is a fantastic thing, indeed.

I am writing this review, because this masterpiece is accessible and the other reviews dont point this out. Clearly this book is aimed at higher level players with a fair grip on essentials, but it is very readable.If you have ever read a chess book, any chess book at all, cover to cover than you will enjoy this book. If you have ever wondered why you lost a game when you played by the rules and your opponent ignored basic sane principle then you will enjoy this book. If you consider yourself an intelligent person, even if you are not yet Class A or expert, then you will enjoy this book. If you play an occasional game against your father on holidays, well, then see my comments above on reading Silman or Nimzowitch once first.I never had a board out while reading this. It is not that kind of book. It is an essay on the magical growth of the game into a wild, unpredictable, and sometimes incomprehensible contest at the highest levels. It will, however, improve your game by pulling back the curtains on "mysterious" Grandmaster play. Don't be surprised when you uncork a "mysterious" brilliancy of your own in your next match.

The first book I read by this author was on French Defense, so I was aware of his penchant for details.If you have read 'My System' by Nimzowitsch then you could almost leaf through the first part of the book. But when the author explains concepts like 'doubled pawns' & expounds it with some examples by old & new players, the magic starts to unfold! I'd suggest that the reader goes through this part of the book unhurriedly, with chess board. I am quiet sure that such endeavour will enrich your chess understanding. At times you'd be in awe of how deeper the author has dived to exaplin. Ofcourse you may or may not agree with everything he says but that should not be a hindrance in enjoying this book.This is not an opening, middlegame or endgame theme book. But you are going to like it if you love the the game of chess.regards,

Estou lendo e aproveitando para aprender com os diversos exemplos e também de forma indireta conhecer um pouco sobre os temas abordados em MI SISTEMA - NIMZOVICH.Mais um livro interessante para minha coleção. Com o tempo posso melhorar o meu aprendizado.O livro parece muito interessante, preparado com a experiência de quem conhece a melhor forma de ensinar.Eu possuo alguns livros do mesmo autor. Este é o ultimo que adquiri sendo que estou lendo a parte 3 no momento usando o arquivo para Kindle.

Excelente!!!!

Dominando a teoria

Like all.

Very comprehensive and instructive.