EBOOK
About
"To be passive... is fatal to the beginner or medium player – such players must be aggressive. He must attack, because only in that way can he develop his imagination, which is a very important thing." This quote comes, perhaps surprisingly, from José Capablanca, a world champion far better known for his brilliant strategic and positional play than his attacking prowess. This emphasizes the fundamental importance of having a clear understanding of how to build up and execute an attack. Every chess player loves to attack. Directing one's forces towards the enemy king, probing to create weaknesses and ultimately crashing through with a brilliant sacrifice is always a thrilling experience. However, attacking play must always be based on sound principles and carried out in a forceful and logical manner. This is not always a straightforward task. In this book, the highly experienced author and grandmaster Neil McDonald guides the reader through all the complexities of attacking play. Topics include: * Attacking a king trapped in the centre.* Exploiting weaknesses to develop an attack.* Preventing reinforcements from rescuing the king. This book on attacking play is designed to aid practical play by focusing on typical attacking themes that crop up consistently in chess.
Neil McDonald became a grandmaster in 1996 and a FIDE trainer in 2017. He is a regular coach of the England Junior team at international events. Neil has written numerous books on openings, endgames, tactics and strategy as well as biographies of famous players. He lives in Gravesend in Kent, England. One of my favourite authors in terms of chess instruction...
The game examples are very carefully and deeply annotated, exploring the options for both sides in terms of analysis of the relevant moves but also explaining why the moves were being played, the thinking behind them. In addition, there are numerous questions for the reader to try to answer along the way.
I would estimate that the material is mostly aimed at players rated from 1600 up to about 2200, although slightly lower-rated players with the assistance of a coach also would be able to benefit from the material. For those eager to improve in this particular aspect of the game, this book has a lot to offer.
Neil McDonald became a grandmaster in 1996 and a FIDE trainer in 2017. He is a regular coach of the England Junior team at international events. Neil has written numerous books on openings, endgames, tactics and strategy as well as biographies of famous players. He lives in Gravesend in Kent, England. One of my favourite authors in terms of chess instruction...
The game examples are very carefully and deeply annotated, exploring the options for both sides in terms of analysis of the relevant moves but also explaining why the moves were being played, the thinking behind them. In addition, there are numerous questions for the reader to try to answer along the way.
I would estimate that the material is mostly aimed at players rated from 1600 up to about 2200, although slightly lower-rated players with the assistance of a coach also would be able to benefit from the material. For those eager to improve in this particular aspect of the game, this book has a lot to offer.