Title: Excelling at Positional ChessAuthor: IM Jacob Aagaard
Pages: 176
Publisher: Everyman Chess (2003)
Phase of game: Middlegame (mostly)
Rating: ~ 1700+
Description and review:
The book is divided into two informal parts, namely theory and exercises.
The theory on positional chess is very brief, and covers the first 66 pages of the book. This part seems to be aimed at any player level, but I feel as though it is rather aimed for beginners than anyone else. The first 66 pages don't say much at all; let's face it, if you buy that book, you buy it for the exercises, not the theory. The first 6 chapters of the book are Simple Truths; Primary Concepts (comparing pieces, ideal squares, one move away from the ideal square, improving your worst placed piece); Defining Weaknesses (and creation of weaknesses); Squares - and how pieces exploit them (knight, bishop, heavy pieces); Analysing your own games; Positional Sacrifices.
The first chapter is -- in my opinion -- useless. As for the rest, there is very little theory. Positional rules are written in italics (perhaps 4-5 at best). The examples are well explained, but very rare. Moreover, the theory is, I think, to take with a critical mind: Aagaard gives a very dogmatic vision of the chess game. For instance, he writes that heavy pieces (rooks and queen) win in power and value with every exchange (due to the higher number of empty squares on the board). Without going into details, GM Andrew Soltis clearly demonstrates in Rethinking the Chess Pieces that things are not that simple, and that no straightforward law can be extracted from such exchanges. But then again, if you consider that the theory part is more for beginners, it can't be too bad not to mix them up with exceptions...
If it was for the first 66 pages, this book would be a no-no. But there comes chapter 7, Positional Exercises, followed with complete, detailed solutions up to the end of the book. There are 108 positional exercises, and fortunately, they're much more aimed at intermediate/advanced players than they are at beginners. Even though Aagaard says that the exercises are related to the theory exposed in the first chapters, it doesn't feel like it's the case -- which is a good thing anyway, otherwise it would be a book for beginners. The exercises are the heart of the book, and they are very useful, and well explained. They are taken from real games, from all kinds of openings. Most exercises show a middlegame position, even though some are taken from an opening or endgame position.
This book is highly recommendable, not only because the exercises are instructive and well explained, but also because positional and strategical decisions have to be made during all the course of a chess game. As opposed to tactics, which happen every now and then (without saying they are unimportant to practice of course), moves with no forced variation happen very often. And although plenty of moves are good in a given position, some are better than others; and these are the precise subject of this book. Overall, this book will make you used to, and better at, evaluating a position abstractly and finding plans when there is no tactics exploding right away.
All in all: a must!, for any player who wants to improve their middlegame
Grade: 9/10
Description and review:
The book is divided into two informal parts, namely theory and exercises.
The theory on positional chess is very brief, and covers the first 66 pages of the book. This part seems to be aimed at any player level, but I feel as though it is rather aimed for beginners than anyone else. The first 66 pages don't say much at all; let's face it, if you buy that book, you buy it for the exercises, not the theory. The first 6 chapters of the book are Simple Truths; Primary Concepts (comparing pieces, ideal squares, one move away from the ideal square, improving your worst placed piece); Defining Weaknesses (and creation of weaknesses); Squares - and how pieces exploit them (knight, bishop, heavy pieces); Analysing your own games; Positional Sacrifices.
The first chapter is -- in my opinion -- useless. As for the rest, there is very little theory. Positional rules are written in italics (perhaps 4-5 at best). The examples are well explained, but very rare. Moreover, the theory is, I think, to take with a critical mind: Aagaard gives a very dogmatic vision of the chess game. For instance, he writes that heavy pieces (rooks and queen) win in power and value with every exchange (due to the higher number of empty squares on the board). Without going into details, GM Andrew Soltis clearly demonstrates in Rethinking the Chess Pieces that things are not that simple, and that no straightforward law can be extracted from such exchanges. But then again, if you consider that the theory part is more for beginners, it can't be too bad not to mix them up with exceptions...
If it was for the first 66 pages, this book would be a no-no. But there comes chapter 7, Positional Exercises, followed with complete, detailed solutions up to the end of the book. There are 108 positional exercises, and fortunately, they're much more aimed at intermediate/advanced players than they are at beginners. Even though Aagaard says that the exercises are related to the theory exposed in the first chapters, it doesn't feel like it's the case -- which is a good thing anyway, otherwise it would be a book for beginners. The exercises are the heart of the book, and they are very useful, and well explained. They are taken from real games, from all kinds of openings. Most exercises show a middlegame position, even though some are taken from an opening or endgame position.
This book is highly recommendable, not only because the exercises are instructive and well explained, but also because positional and strategical decisions have to be made during all the course of a chess game. As opposed to tactics, which happen every now and then (without saying they are unimportant to practice of course), moves with no forced variation happen very often. And although plenty of moves are good in a given position, some are better than others; and these are the precise subject of this book. Overall, this book will make you used to, and better at, evaluating a position abstractly and finding plans when there is no tactics exploding right away.
All in all: a must!, for any player who wants to improve their middlegame
Grade: 9/10
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