| Foundations of Chess Strategy (Gambit, 2005, 175 oversize pages, figurine algebraic, paperback, $27.50) by GM Lars Bo Hansen is an original book, something that is not so easy to say these days. The Danish GM, who has represented his country in several Olympiads, is not a chess professional but rather a teacher and lecturer on business studies. In his first book he seeks to bring modern business practices to the chess world. First up for Hansen is to know your own strengths and weaknesses as a chess player, as well as those of your opponent. Reading this book will assist you in discovering if you are an Activist, a Reflector, a Pragmatic or a Theorist. Chessplayers will recognize these styles though I am not sure if a previous author has used this exact terminology before. If nothing else this book will probably cause the reader to ask what kind of player he or she is. Of course we all know the amateur who can think of only attacking or the strong Grandmaster who has no discernible weaknesses, but for many players pinpointing exactly where they fit won't be that easy. However it is definitely worth the effort and Hansen does an excellent job of defining the respective categories. I did not find some of the business jargon at the beginning of the book especially helpful and is some instances the author may be reaching in his analogies, but the illustrative games are both well chosen and well commented. By themselves they are worth the price of admission. Recommended. Beat the Grandmaster (Gambit, 2005, 176 pages, figurine algebraic, paperback, $25.95) by Christian Kongsted is a superior puzzlebook. It contains 351 modern examples to solve. There are hints to guide you if you get stuck, charts to measure how you are doing and the exact page each solution is given on appears below the exercise. At $25.95 this book is definitely more expensive than your typical work of this kind but the production features are superior and the solutions accurate. If you intend to spend your time working your way through such a book I guarantee you will definitely appreciate these "extras". I recommend this book, but with one caveat. If you don't already have GM John Emms' The Ultimate Chess Puzzle (published by Gambit in 2000) and can get your hands on it, do so. It originally sold for $24.95 and with 1000 positions to solve represents excellent value. |