Modern Chess Planning

Good planning is central to good chess. A plan gives meaning to manoeuvres and tactical devices, forming a coherent whole that brings us closer to our goals. The modern understanding of chess planning has evolved considerably since the days of the "grand plan", whereby a player might even try to map out the whole course of the game. Nowadays, top-class players appreciate that the opponent's ideas also deserve respect, and our own plans must take them into account too. Modern grandmasters plan with great purpose but also flexibly, ready to adjust or even change direction completely when the situation demands it.

Grivas provides 75 superb practical examples where it is important to make the right plan. Once the critical position is reached, he guides you through the options and challenges you to find the right path. Detailed solutions are provided, with a full discussion of the pros and cons of the various options.

Modern Chess Planning

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Complete Chess Strategy 1: Planning The Pieces

Ludek Pachman was both one of the world's strongest chess grandmasters and one of the world's greatest writers and teachers of the game. He led a remarkable and amazing but somewhat tragic life. Although one of the world's strongest players who won 15 international tournaments, he never quite made it to the top elite. He won four zonal tournaments and played in six Interzonal tournaments, possibly a record, but he missed qualifying to the World Champion Candidates Tournament by a half-point twice. He played in Interzonals at Saltsjöbaden 1948, Saltsjöbaden 1952, Gothemburg 1955, Portoroz 1958, Amsterdam 1964 and Manila 1976. Pachman was the first chess grandmaster to truly publicly endorse, investigate and recommend computer chess. Pachman played eight tournament games against Bobby Fischer, finishing with an even score. His most famous game is his win over Bobby Fischer in Chile in 1959.

Complete Chess Strategy 1: Planning The Pieces

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Planning (Batsford Chess Library)

This is part of the "Think Like a Chess Master" series, written by young ambitious players on popular topics. It uses questions and exercises to draw the reader into the subject, and offers practical tips which will bring results. The ability to form good plans is one of the key aspects of chess mastery. It is only by forming a coherent plan that brilliant sacrifices and fiendish counterattacks can be devised. Many players can obtain good positions from the opening; do they always know what to do next? Studying this work should help players of all standards to think more clearly about what is important in their games and thus plan more successfully.

Planning (Batsford Chess Library)

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