- Paperback: 212 pages
- Publisher: Dover Publications Inc. (28 Mar 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0486419495
- ISBN-13: 978-0486419497
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 1.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 411,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Synopsis
A guide to positional chess, this book is designed as an instructional device for all players to improve their understanding of chess strategy. "Positional Chess Handbook" includes chapters on vital features of the game such as "the two bishops", choosing an endgame, strong points, and cramped positions. Progressively more difficult examples are used to develop intuition through study of the play of Great champions such as Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Bobby Fischer.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a bargain. And will strengthen almost anyones positional play (advanced players included).
The basics of positional play are covered (good knight vs bad bishop, good bishop vs bad knight, play with opposite and same coloured bishops, realising the two bishop advantage) to the intermediate (rook vs two minor pieces, endgame transpositions, active king) to the advanced (key squares, strong points, inducing weaknesses, positional sacrifice) and many many more which I have not listed.
The way in which Israel Gelfer teaches proved very successful with me. He will dive straight into many examples, and talk you through them, he will do this again, and again, and again. The advantage to this method is that the understanding becomes second nature, you do not have to think about various concepts that you need to incorporate into your game.
One small drawback to this book (even though I do not feel that it qualifies as a drawback). You might need a chessboard in front of you. I know many readers will be put off by this, but if they are willing to invest the effort, the results will pay off.
This book not only did wonders to my positional understanding, but boosted endgame wins as well, as Gelfer uses many endgames to introduce his concepts.
When you take a look at the price, and all this book has to offer, I don't know how ANY chess enthusiast would deny this book a place in their library.
Format:Paperback
I bought this book on the strength of reviews and wished to add my own two cents.
Fairly specific strategic themes based on both piece play as well as positional aspects are identified. Without much preamble, positions illustrating the themes are given. There are minimal sidelines, usually to point out a tactical feature that would otherwise be missed. The continuation is given, to highlight the theme and may be stopped if the rest of play exceeds the scope of the chapter's theme.
The annotations are concise to the point of brevity. You can see a clarity of thought in Mr Gelfer's approach.
For the player starting out: this book will give you understanding of most positions you will encounter. Combinations are not the point. This is a manual of technique and grasping this, you will be well equipped to progress. You may even find certain positions or even playing "positionally" appeal to you, then you can steer your choice of opening or moves accordingly. Certainly, it is the positional aspects that usually have far reaching influences up to the endgame. I dare say you will be improving that part of your game as well.
For the improving player. These games are dated mainly 50s-80s. Researching these games yourself will bring you back to when the openings were not as well defined, therefore no point in providing the actual opening stage. Upon rereading this book a few years later, I set myself the task of following the moves minus sight of board (much easier since I played through all of them within a year the first time I received it). I found my positional nuance immediately jumped in my speed games. I put this down to:-
1) pattern recognition
2) knowledge of technique.
I suddenly realised how Botvinnik felt when he was at the forefront of chess study when he realised he had come across a position whilst actually playing and played with accuracy born of experience while his opponent was more or less winging it. I will be honest and tell you calculating ability (which I was hoping to hone) actually didn't play such an important role.
In my own opinion, its all well and good to read about Dvoretsky's famous index of positions to work through with his pupils. Not many of us have the time or neatness to organise our collected games. I'd like to think this book was my equivalent. May I suggest another excellent positional book (put in a radically different layout) The Ultimate Chess Strategy Book: v. 1
Thank you Mr Gelfer.
Fairly specific strategic themes based on both piece play as well as positional aspects are identified. Without much preamble, positions illustrating the themes are given. There are minimal sidelines, usually to point out a tactical feature that would otherwise be missed. The continuation is given, to highlight the theme and may be stopped if the rest of play exceeds the scope of the chapter's theme.
The annotations are concise to the point of brevity. You can see a clarity of thought in Mr Gelfer's approach.
For the player starting out: this book will give you understanding of most positions you will encounter. Combinations are not the point. This is a manual of technique and grasping this, you will be well equipped to progress. You may even find certain positions or even playing "positionally" appeal to you, then you can steer your choice of opening or moves accordingly. Certainly, it is the positional aspects that usually have far reaching influences up to the endgame. I dare say you will be improving that part of your game as well.
For the improving player. These games are dated mainly 50s-80s. Researching these games yourself will bring you back to when the openings were not as well defined, therefore no point in providing the actual opening stage. Upon rereading this book a few years later, I set myself the task of following the moves minus sight of board (much easier since I played through all of them within a year the first time I received it). I found my positional nuance immediately jumped in my speed games. I put this down to:-
1) pattern recognition
2) knowledge of technique.
I suddenly realised how Botvinnik felt when he was at the forefront of chess study when he realised he had come across a position whilst actually playing and played with accuracy born of experience while his opponent was more or less winging it. I will be honest and tell you calculating ability (which I was hoping to hone) actually didn't play such an important role.
In my own opinion, its all well and good to read about Dvoretsky's famous index of positions to work through with his pupils. Not many of us have the time or neatness to organise our collected games. I'd like to think this book was my equivalent. May I suggest another excellent positional book (put in a radically different layout) The Ultimate Chess Strategy Book: v. 1
Thank you Mr Gelfer.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
13 reviews
48 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Material for the Price
9 May 2002
Format:Paperback
First off, this book is a compilation of strategic examples. The author groups these examples according to theme (Key Squares, Pawn Structure, Positional Sacrifices) and presents them with a few explanatory textual comments and variations. The author is far from prolix, so you should already understand the strategic themes and want to peruse a selection of illustrative examples and analyze them yourself. For the price, I feel this book is outstanding and one of the best of the Dover reprints. The author does not swamp the reader with Fritz like variations, but provides enough input to guide the independent reader on their way. For those formulating their approach to positional chess, the Positional Chess Handbook would be worth the $.
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Concision in content means abundance of examples
2 Dec 2007
Format:Paperback
I've rekindled my interest in chess and, not wanting to expend too much time on the game, have limited my reading to three books: on tactics, on the endgame, and on positional chess.
This book, serving the latter purpose, has 495 diagrams, mostly from practical games between top players, many of which are known classics. Each illustrates a point, and the author avoids copious variations. The moves usually extend from the diagram position to the end of the game. They are very well selected. As a result, my intuition has clearly improved in an important area of the game.
Gelfer's rigor is reflected in his impeccable English (no translator or editor is mentioned). I can't think of a single typo, in word or variation, and the text is clear, no nonsense and to the point. He seems to have honed the work, culled from his training manuals for the Israeli youth and women's teams, over years. This makes the book a pleasure to read.
My copy, which isn't a Dover edition (which have excellent bindings), is getting old (1993) and pages are beginning to fall out. But that's a good sign: it's due to the use the book has seen. Highly recommended.
This book, serving the latter purpose, has 495 diagrams, mostly from practical games between top players, many of which are known classics. Each illustrates a point, and the author avoids copious variations. The moves usually extend from the diagram position to the end of the game. They are very well selected. As a result, my intuition has clearly improved in an important area of the game.
Gelfer's rigor is reflected in his impeccable English (no translator or editor is mentioned). I can't think of a single typo, in word or variation, and the text is clear, no nonsense and to the point. He seems to have honed the work, culled from his training manuals for the Israeli youth and women's teams, over years. This makes the book a pleasure to read.
My copy, which isn't a Dover edition (which have excellent bindings), is getting old (1993) and pages are beginning to fall out. But that's a good sign: it's due to the use the book has seen. Highly recommended.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
The Best Value For A Positional Chess Book!
18 Aug 2004
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent book on chess. The diagrams are clear and can easily be followed through and the previous reviewer who commented that they were too small, was on my part greatly exaggerated and didn't do any justice. Buy one copy for yourself and decide. This book gave me countless hours of enjoyment and I am sure it will do the same for you.
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