Foundations of Chess Strategy reproduces these
elements faithfully. The effectiveness of this approach
in the first instance will depend very much on the
extent to which the reader is convinced by the “narrative”. For the most part, I was convinced. The model
made sense to me, and I could see the logic behind the
groupings of great players. Inevitably, there is a simplifying process at work here: the best players are
always more rounded than headline descriptions of
their style imply. Nevertheless, Hansen makes a good
case that the players discussed in each chapter are
indeed a natural fit within their category.
for which you should read the book as a whole. In
practice, Hansen uses the model as a basis for four
lengthy chapters (110 pages out of 176) explaining the
Intuition
Logic
ACTIVISTS
REFLECTORS
Tal, Anand,
Shirov,
Morozevich
Capablanca, Smyslov,
Petrosian, Karpov,
Adams
PRAGMATICS
THEORISTS
Lasker, Alekhine,
Euwe, Spassky,
Fischer,
Kasparov,
Korchnoi
Facts
Steinitz, Tarrasch,
Nimzowitsch,
Botvinnik, Kramnik
Of course, for the book to make a noticeable difference to the standard of my play, understanding must
be transformed into action. The real lessons of the
book are that, to improve, a player must put effort into:
(a) understanding his own games; and (b) studying the
methods of players who fit with his identified
strengths.
General Concepts
characteristics of each type, illustrated by numerous
annotated games. The annotations emphasise words
over variations, which makes them more attractive to
the average player. The games, by world-class players,
are of excellent quality (although possibly not new to
the well-read amateur).
Foundations of Chess Strategy provides an excellent framework for selecting a “chess hero” who tallies
with your personal preferences. Whether it leads to
improvement, however, depends – as always – on how
much work the reader is willing to do. Learning a new
way of expressing familiar ideas feels like progress, but
ultimately the only thing that matters is how you
change what you actually do.
How will all of this help the average player? Hansen’s
underlying message is a familiar one:
1. Know yourself and play to your strengths;
2. Know your opponent and play to his weaknesses.
This has been said many times before. The key question is whether the specific model used here to make
the point adds anything to the effectiveness of the lesson.
This is not easy to answer. Chess books and business
books have this in common: the fundamental “truths”
and essential knowledge required by the student are
relatively well established and familiar. The quality of
any given book on the subject tends to be determined
by the way in which concepts are presented and the
persuasiveness of the specific examples used. Many of
the most acclaimed business books have similar features:
• The appearance of a “scientific” basis, often
expressed as a specific model or framework, to convince the reader of the truth of the underlying messages;
• A series of simple messages (e.g. “Stick to the knitting”) or categories to make the lessons easy to remember and pass on;
• A heavy concentration on good examples, using the
power of narrative to increase the reader’s buy-in.
If you enjoyed this, why not check out ChEx, the Chief
Executive’s blog, at www.englishchess.org.uk/farthing?
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