Chess Analytics

Book excerpt: Analytics The Method of Logical Analysis You are invited to take an instructive journey with one of the most successful chess coaches of our era, Greek grandmaster Efstratios Grivas. Over 40 critical aspects of the royal game are examined by this experienced, well-respected trainer. Grivas presents almost 240 games, most with complete scores to assist comprehension, illustrating his themes with practical, insightful examples and explanations. And the convenient structure of the book is such that the reader may pick and choose the topics in any order. There is a broad range of the subjects which are covered. You will find well-known subjects like back rank mate combinations, chapters about isolated pawns, strong squares, etc., as well as less commonly presented patterns, such as the chapters �False Guards” or �The King�s Golden Cage.” Topics include: Pinning, Shattered Pawns, the Weak d5-square, Doubled f-pawns, the Double Exchange Sacrifice, the f4 Break, Planning, Opening Diagonals, Small Advantages, Sacrifices for the Initiative, Rook vs. Bishop Pair, Pawns on the Seventh Rank and many more! The guiding principle of these themes is their practical value. This is particularly true in the endgame section where the author deals with structures which occur relatively often but are rarely presented in chess literature. The structure of each chapter is clear and methodical. The concept is explained in a few lines and illustrated in carefully selected, annotated master games. A conclusion with practical hints rounds off each section.