Pattern recognition is one of the most important mechanisms of chess improvement. Realizing that the position on the board has similarities with something you have seen before helps you to quickly grasp the essence of that position and find the most promising continuation.
Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition supplies a wealth of essential, yet easy-to-remember building blocks for your chess knowledge.
In 40 short, well-defined and practical chapters, experienced chess trainer Arthur van de Oudeweetering presents hundreds of examples of surprising middlegame themes. To test your understanding he provides exercises for every chapter.
After working with this book, an increasing number of positions, pawn structures and piece placements will automatically activate your chess knowledge. As a result, you will find the right move more often and more quickly!
Content
007 Foreword by Ian Rogers
009 Preface by the Author
012 Explanation of Symbols
013 Part I: Typical Piece Positions
015 Chapter 1 A Very Powerful Piece: The Octopus
021 Chapter 2 A Killer Knight
027 Chapter 3 (How to Get past) Nimzo’s Strong Centre-Back
033 Chapter 4 Dominating from the Edge: A Powerful Knight on a5
039 Chapter 5 Sur Place en Prise
045 Chapter 6 A Not So Innocent Bystander
051 Chapter 7 The Lost Bishop
058 Chapter 8 Anand’s Murderous Twin Guns
064 Chapter 9 The Deceptive Bishop from c8
070 Chapter 10 The Beastly Bishop
077 Chapter 11 Edible or Forbidden Fruit?
084 Exercises Part I
087 Part II: No Automatic Pilot
089 Chapter 12 Out of the Box, into the Future
095 Chapter 13 Never Mind the Holes
101 Chapter 14 Ignoring the Threat
107 Chapter 15 Silent Sacrifices
114 Chapter 16 Back in side the Chain
120 Chapter 17 Play Actively, Double Your f-Pawn!
126 Chapter 18 Towards the Edge
132 Chapter 19 Double A Status - Not a Bad Thing?
138 Chapter 20 Long Live the Queen
145 Exercises Part II
147 Part III: Typical Strategic Means: Sacrifices
149 Chapter 21 ‘Passer Pour Mieux Centraliser’
155 Chapter 22 Playing the Impossible
162 Chapter 23 A Dynamic Pawn Sac
168 Chapter 24 Cutting through the Middle: e5-e6!
174 Chapter 25 The Bishop Snatcher
180 Chapter 26 King’s Rook Grabs Knight
186 Chapter 27 Central Avalanches
192 Chapter 28 Fishing for the Hook
198 Chapter 29 The Colossal Knight
204 Chapter 30 A Practical Piece Sac
210 Exercises Part III
213 Part IV: Typical Strategic Means: Typical Little Plans
215 Chapter 31 The Nievergelt Manoeuvre
222 Chapter 32 Majestic Manoeuvres
227 Chapter 33 Creeping Queens
233 Chapter 34 The Second Option
238 Chapter 35 Dances with Knights
243 Chapter 36 The No-Non sense Bishop Move
250 Chapter 37 Offside Pieces
256 Chapter 38 A Double-Edged Exchange: BxNc6
263 Chapter 39 The Big Decision
268 Chapter 40 The Runner and the Bulldozer
274 Exercises Part IV
276 Solutions
294 Epilogue
297 Index of Players
300 Bibliography
301 About the Author
Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition supplies a wealth of essential, yet easy-to-remember building blocks for your chess knowledge.
In 40 short, well-defined and practical chapters, experienced chess trainer Arthur van de Oudeweetering presents hundreds of examples of surprising middlegame themes. To test your understanding he provides exercises for every chapter.
After working with this book, an increasing number of positions, pawn structures and piece placements will automatically activate your chess knowledge. As a result, you will find the right move more often and more quickly!
Content
007 Foreword by Ian Rogers
009 Preface by the Author
012 Explanation of Symbols
013 Part I: Typical Piece Positions
015 Chapter 1 A Very Powerful Piece: The Octopus
021 Chapter 2 A Killer Knight
027 Chapter 3 (How to Get past) Nimzo’s Strong Centre-Back
033 Chapter 4 Dominating from the Edge: A Powerful Knight on a5
039 Chapter 5 Sur Place en Prise
045 Chapter 6 A Not So Innocent Bystander
051 Chapter 7 The Lost Bishop
058 Chapter 8 Anand’s Murderous Twin Guns
064 Chapter 9 The Deceptive Bishop from c8
070 Chapter 10 The Beastly Bishop
077 Chapter 11 Edible or Forbidden Fruit?
084 Exercises Part I
087 Part II: No Automatic Pilot
089 Chapter 12 Out of the Box, into the Future
095 Chapter 13 Never Mind the Holes
101 Chapter 14 Ignoring the Threat
107 Chapter 15 Silent Sacrifices
114 Chapter 16 Back in side the Chain
120 Chapter 17 Play Actively, Double Your f-Pawn!
126 Chapter 18 Towards the Edge
132 Chapter 19 Double A Status - Not a Bad Thing?
138 Chapter 20 Long Live the Queen
145 Exercises Part II
147 Part III: Typical Strategic Means: Sacrifices
149 Chapter 21 ‘Passer Pour Mieux Centraliser’
155 Chapter 22 Playing the Impossible
162 Chapter 23 A Dynamic Pawn Sac
168 Chapter 24 Cutting through the Middle: e5-e6!
174 Chapter 25 The Bishop Snatcher
180 Chapter 26 King’s Rook Grabs Knight
186 Chapter 27 Central Avalanches
192 Chapter 28 Fishing for the Hook
198 Chapter 29 The Colossal Knight
204 Chapter 30 A Practical Piece Sac
210 Exercises Part III
213 Part IV: Typical Strategic Means: Typical Little Plans
215 Chapter 31 The Nievergelt Manoeuvre
222 Chapter 32 Majestic Manoeuvres
227 Chapter 33 Creeping Queens
233 Chapter 34 The Second Option
238 Chapter 35 Dances with Knights
243 Chapter 36 The No-Non sense Bishop Move
250 Chapter 37 Offside Pieces
256 Chapter 38 A Double-Edged Exchange: BxNc6
263 Chapter 39 The Big Decision
268 Chapter 40 The Runner and the Bulldozer
274 Exercises Part IV
276 Solutions
294 Epilogue
297 Index of Players
300 Bibliography
301 About the Author