Elements of Positional Evaluation: How the Pieces Get Their Power [Paperback]

In 1974, Heisman's classic was revolutionary, and one of the first "systems" since Nimzovich to integrate static and dynamic elements of positional evaluation. Heisman honestly states that since the first three editions sold out almost immediately and are now classics, there was no financial reason to completely update this fine book, since most serious players have read one version or another.

We are lucky he changed his mind and took the tougher path, for the sake of us readers! Heisman did an amazing job of keeping the best elements from the earlier editions and integrating them with modern evaluation theory, including concepts like "ply" analysis that have become key with computer aided study and play, and were not even dreamt of in 1974.

The best thing about this edition, and all four in fact, is the fact that Dan integrates a wide field of positional analysis, evaluation and even tactics, and puts them in context and perspective. If, for example, you bought a dozen separate books about pawn structure, opening theory, control of the center, taking advantage of too early castles, picking away at f/g/h king protecting pawns, rooks on 7, "wrong" color bishops, etc. you still wouldn't have enough of the "big picture" of WHY certain general principles work, and what their exceptions are, and why there are exceptions. When is a doubled pawn structure an advantage, and why? When is a bishop more valuable than a rook, and why? Why do certain patterns of black squares matter?

Chapters and sections include: Background, definition and History of Positional Theory; Mobility, flexibility, control and strategy; Material, space, king safety and development; Mobility and piece relationships to each positional element (demonstrated piece by piece with examples for each); All about pawn structures; All about squares, files, ranks and diagonals; Application of positional evaluation techniques and theories at each of the three stages of the game.

The layout of this edition is superb. Because the detailed analysis and evaluation are given in words as well as board sequences, you can learn a LOT about the "why" of positional rules of thumb without actually playing through the examples.

Will this book help improve your game or rating? The author suggests not, that only practice can do that, and understanding evaluation is not as important as good individual line analysis and tactical practice. However, he also states that Fischer credited Steinitz, one of the fathers of positional evaluation, with much of his skill, and Fischer studied both major and minor Steinitz games in detail.

I think Heisman's humility here is misplaced-- this book might not help your game if you are a highly skilled club player, but if you want to understand, in detail, WHY control of the center can be important, WHY you shouldn't attack until fully developed, WHY pawn structures set whole tactical themes and strategic plans, etc. then this is a MUST have in your library. If we understand what's behind the positional rules, it is a lot easier to be flexible when an opponent, or computer, pulls a move out of book or away from expectations.

The icing on the cake is Dan's ecletic examples from far flung areas like finance, psychology, philosophy, and other sciences, showing how correlation doesn't imply causality, and relating many different areas of strategy in other fields to chess.

I've seen some other reviews that dinged the book as "too much ego time spent justifying the older theory." This is very unfair, as much of the 1974 theory is now taken for granted. The point is, if you haven't been playing through the whole positional evolution SINCE 1974 (sadly, I have), this can bring you up to speed on 2010 thinking without having to wade through all the predecessor books. I'm not saying the "My System" isn't a great read, it's just that, in today's time pressed society, to get the whole update in one book is of immense value. If you're into computer play, just looking at Dan's arguments for and against evaluation vs. brute force analysis is worth the price. All that time watching HIARCS or FRITZ "think" will suddenly take on a lot of new meaning, because Heisman's examples clearly show how the chip is rating the potential moves. Hundreds of fun examples from actual play are given, with good diagrams and excellent notation. There are a number of minor typos, and it looks like the book might have been rushed to press, but none of these are significant. All in all, highly recommended for mid level players and a fun read for advanced players.

What are the elements of positional evaluation and why are they important? Before saying what these elements are, the subtitle of the book provides a clue as to why they are important; it's how the pieces get their power. This book proposes a new theory that supplements and often supplants the old theory on the power of pieces, a theory that concentrated on transforming the dynamic yet evanescent elements of "space" and "time" into the static, more permanent and supposedly superior elements of "force" and "pawn structure."

Some readers will recognize the elements of "space," "time," "force" and "pawn structure" as the theory made popular by the late Larry Evans in his now classic book, New Ideas in Chess. When first introduced, the concept was a revelation to many, including myself. An internet search reveals the same four elements being taught today to students of the game with the hope that the concept will be grasped for a reasonably good level of play. But just as the atomic structure of protons, neutrons and electrons has been supplanted in the mind of physicists by the Standard Model of quarks, leptons and bosons due to their more fundamental nature, Mr. Heisman has searched and found a chessic Standard Model of fundamental evaluation that helps dissect any position on the board. This new theory virtually eliminates exceptions that propagated in Evans' theory like a 1960s elementary particle zoo.

On the cover of Elements of Positional Evaluation, 4th Edition you'll find a simple, attractive illustration of the classic elements in Greek antiquity known as earth, water, air, and fire, and there is something timeless about these new elements: mobility, flexibility, vulnerability, center control, piece coordination, time and speed. If these seven elements sound abstract and rather theoretical, I can attest they most certainly are not. Mr. Heisman does an excellent job explaining how each of these elements are regularly seen in the dynamic, modern game dominating the past 20 to 25 years of professional chess. To give just a brief preview of this theory, I'll let the author speak for himself:

* The seven elements are the basis for positional (piece) evaluation.

* Evaluation based upon static features alone is misleading.

* Static features can be used as guidelines, but not building blocks.

* Concepts such as space and development [time] are generalizations. There concepts express real ideas, but have multiple aspects that can be broken down into components, and thus should not be used in place of these components as basic evaluation tools.

* The concept of unchanging material values is a guideline that too many beginners are taught to take seriously, and is thus the root of many bad habits found in their play and thought processes.

As Mr. Heisman goes on to write, "Keep an open mind. If it works, play it! Don't be hamstrung by such guidelines as 'doubled pawns are bad,' 'always capture toward the center,' or 'bishops are better than knights.' These guidelines are often very helpful, but don't treat them as absolute rules or laws."

Frankly, I thoroughly enjoyed this work and found it unique among chess books that propose to teach the student how to think about chess. This isn't a book of tenuously related examples that a student rapidly learns and just as rapidly forgets. No, this is a book that provides a foundation for future understanding instead of rote learning.

Perhaps what I like best about the book is that these elements are not confined to chess; they can be applied to other games not to mention military campaigns. It was General George S. Patton who said "Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." This applies every bit as much to a doctrinaire view of the static elements in a chess position as to the Maginot Line in World War II.

One of the best recommendations for Elements of Positional Evaluation, 4th Edition is IM John Watson's high regard for this new theory. That is understandable since it dovetails nicely with his award winning book, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch.

By the way, the reader may also want to consider the author's The Improving Chess Thinker for insights into analytical positions and how to approach them.

Odd to think about, but chess books can be classified by genre. Of these, there are subgenres. Opening books may take the broad view, such as John Watson's two volumes on 1.e4 and 1.d4, or they may focus on a particular opening or variation of an opening, such as the Worrall system of the Ruy Lopez. There are books on positions, tactics, endgames; the occasional more "wordy" type, dealing with ways of thinking about the game. What distinguishes "Elements of Positional Evaluation" is the theoretical treatment. Heisman conditions evaluation, at least initially, upon the geometry of the board and the way the pieces move. These are the "elements," a theory concerning how the pieces control squares in space and time. This might be thought of as the physics of chess, and this is the first book, to my knowledge, which considers the game at this atomic level. The book is not limited to theory, and practical applications of the elements, such as the interaction of pieces in various game phases, are examined. But most notable is the fundamental reduction of the game to an understanding of how pieces exert power. This is a remarkable book, recommended to anybody with an interest in the game of chess.