Rating: 
Summary: My new favorite chess book
Review: As an 1800 player looking to drastically improve, this book was an inspiration. What makes this book so unusual is that the author is able to give such an honest appraisal of how he slowly improved from a 2200 14-year old into a GM at the age of 34 and then a 2700 player. It is a series of steps to ever higher plateaus which require a radical change in training plan to advance to the next level. His explanation of the essential differences between players of different strengths is beautifully clear and convincing.
I own dozens of books but this is one that I know I will study in depth over a long period.
I would strongly recommend to anyone who loves the game and would like to understand it more deeply.
Rating:
Summary: Go to school with GM Yermo!
Review: Dozens - if not hundreds - of people have written me and asked me to review to review this book. I have had the book for close to a year now. I have played over perhaps a hundred of the examples, 10-20 in great detail. And I have just plain 'read' the book from cover-to cover at least twice. And I have also "polled" dozens of players - both in person at chess tournaments, and on the Internet - about this book. At first I was a little critical of many of the examples in this book, (he only uses his own games to illustrate points that could have been accomplished by better known examples)- but the text is pretty clear and concise. I will give a very small extract from the book later, and you can judge for yourself. I am a "Chess Pro" (A LIFE-Master), ... for over 5 years now I have made a living teaching chess ... both in person and lately - sometimes giving 3-7 lessons in a [good] day on the Internet. So my questions about this book were twofold: #1.) Is it a GOOD teaching vehicle? # 2.) Is it something the average chess player would benefit from? Another hard consideration is there are dozens of chess books out there on the market today - all promising improvement. So why should I listen to this guy? (Especially when I could buy the series from Lev Alburt?) Well the answer is pretty simple, this guy is NOT a yutz: this is a [former] U.S. Champion who at one time had played in like 8 consecutive U.S. Championship events. He has won many large open tournaments in the USA and has even played very creditably on the International Chess scene. He is an extremely well known teacher and has written many respected articles for newspapers and magazines on chess. He is also a product of the highly vaunted "Soviet School" of chess - their teaching methods are well known and have produced all but one of the chess World Champions since Botvinnik. I am not sure I agree with the layout of this book, I might have done it differently - but this is more of an ergonomic and stylistic remark than a valid criticism. There are sections on everything from the Benoni structure to advice on how to handle complex tactical positions. There is also some very frank and extremely instructive advice and commentary on some of the endgames. In the introduction the author tells you that this book is, "essentially a collection of A. Yemolinsky's games and analysis." (In the Introduction.) So the only question remains did he come through on the two basic questions that I posed above? Well, a good question to see would be to find one of my own weaknesses and see if the author could help me in this area? The answer was yes. On page 51, we find an extremely detailed explanation - and the beginning of a whole section of analysis - on, "The Burden Of Small Advantages." (Steadily converting a small ad vantage is an area I have had a lot of problems with.) Here is an extract, I have started with near the end of one paragraph, and the start of another, simply to make a point.
<< they are described as 'plus over equal' in chess literature; and that's the most popular evaluation we find in Opening Books -"White is slightly better."
The positional theory of Steinitz - Tarrasch teaches us (as generations of chess players before) to attack when we are better, otherwise the advantage will disappear - some sort of 'use it or lose it' advice. And we should follow it ... >> VERY good words!
(The author has a dialogue that runs well over one whole page, see the sample pages if you would like more examples of the author's style of writing.) The next few examples I found to be VERY illustrative - and both entertaining and instructive. I went over them many times, one time playing the main lines out on a big chess board, and looking at the side-lines on a small wooden peg board ... AND a magnetic set. The first example (in this section) is Adelman - Yermolinsky. He shows how White, (who is a very strong player); took a very seemingly equal and harmless position - with almost no visible weaknesses - and went on to lose. I think I learned a great deal from this section. But the real question is not whether he can teach a chess pro; but whether or not the average player would find this book of any real instructional value. I took one of the examples- with a diagram - copied it, word-for-word; (with a few sparse comments from me); and sent it out to dozens of my friends and students. (Both on the Internet and in the U.S. Mail.) I also asked as many people about this book (esp. in person, at a chess tourney); as I could. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. A medical doctor - who is currently the Pensacola Chess Club's president; felt this was a great book. A player in Tallahassee, FL said, "This is a GREAT book, one anyone could learn from." A player from Kansas, whom I teach on the Internet, said, "This was - without a doubt - the best chess book I had ever read." (!!) A player from Mobile, AL (who attends college there), called this, "A VERY good instructional book!" Of the nearly 30 players who responded, only 1 "Class D" player said, "This is probably good stuff, but I felt it was a little over my head." My honest take on this book is that it is a VERY good teaching book. I would give it an 8.5, on a scale of one to ten. I also think it is like one of Shrek's onions, it has MANY layers. I.e., I feel almost any player who applied themselves seriously to this book, (a 6-12 month study course); would show DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT! My only criticism is that a very inexperienced or lower-rated player would be a little lost with this book. Highly recommended for players in the 1700-2199 ratings bracket!!
A good buy (One-volume!) and excellent instruction from one of the United State's strongest and most successful players!!
Rating:
Summary: A great chess book - Sure to be a classic
Review: Having read some of Alex Yermolinsky's chess articles in the past, and knowing of him from various tournaments where I saw him play, I anxiously awaited this book in the mail. I was not dissapointed! Especially for competing tournament players, this book has everything. It sets itself the high objective of wanting to be more than just a collection of Yermo's best games and succeeds admirably. Grandmaster Yermolinsky disscusses the Psychology of being the higher-rated player trying to beat the lower-rated one, as well as the other way around. He speaks volumes about particalarly dangerous opening systems such as the Benko Gambit, and the so-called Grand-Prix Attack in the Sicilian, and the approach he takes in preparing against these lines successfully when encountering a booked up, usually lower-rated opponent in the typical American swiss event. Most importantly to me is that Yermolinsky's writing style is very coversational, even more 'American sounding', then a person who has been born in the USA, (He is from the former Soviet Union), and he address chess issues that I always wonder about in my own games, such as how to break out of a plateau in your game, how to choose a move when you can't see all the way to the end, and how to apply various practical thinking techniques to the situation of the game. There is even a chapter on the approach a Grandmaster takes when playing a chess computer, compared to facing a human. This was only a little dissapointing, (but still useful), as Yermo was White in all of the computer games he shows, and only shows one loss (against HIARCS, in a different chapter). He annotates his games (and the games of some few others), in sufficient detail to give the feel of the game as he was playing it, and also groups his games in chapters that apply the theme of what a typical tournament player (well if you can put yourself in the shoes of your typical Master to GM tournament player), is trying to achieve at the time. Its great that Yermolinsky admits that he doesn't have all the answers, and that this book will not solve all of your chess problems. He points out that knowing (and figuring), out what needs to be done to improve your games is an important step in in the process of improving it. While that may be some typical zen like psychology, it is in the execution of the advise that makes it useful, or not. Its interesting to me that Yermolinsky remarks that he carries the recently published classic, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, by John Watson, around like a bible, and quotes some of that authors brilliant observations, in his own writing. That's the same sort of thing that happened in many chess books, after 'Think Like A Grandmaster, by Alexander Kotov, 1st published 1971)., came out - Many chess authors used its remarkable (for the time), advise in there own works. If the author produces a conscientious work, as is done here, the new book complements the earlier work. (Most chess author's can't carry that through, and only a few of the post 'Think Like A GM', books were worth having). And that is exactly how I feel about this book, after reading just a few chapters. I now consider this the one chess book to read completely through, before any others. It is my bible amoung the many chess books that I own, and one of the 10 or so best chess books (Improve Your Chess Now!, by Jon Tisdall, 1997. Secrets of Pratical Chess, John Nunn, 1998. Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, by Watson, 1998. and Soviet Chess 1917-1991, by Andy Soltis, 2000., and most of the Doveretsky, as well as John Nunn books), that have come out in the last couple of years. In the light of the year 2000 and beyond, I must say that a wonderful thing is still happening for chess players in this age of the Internet, computer playing programs and databases; even more great chess books are still being written. This is one of the best yet. Larry Tamarkin, Marshall Chess Club, NY
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book! Highest Recommendation!
Review: How can I improve my game?" is a perennial question facing chess-players. While there are no easy answers, Alex Yermolinsky is better qualified than most to offer advice. Having found the famed "Soviet School of Chess" wanting, he trained himself, slowly but surely raising his game to top-class grandmaster standard. In this book, he passes on many of the insights he has gained over the years. He steers the reader away from "quick fix" approaches, and focuses on the critical areas of chess understanding and over-the-board decision-making. This entertainingly written book breaks new ground in many areas of chess understanding. Topics covered include: Trend-Breaking Tools; The Burden of Small Advantages; What Exchanges Are For; Classics Revisited; and Computer Chess. A large part of the book discusses a variety of important opening set-ups, including methods for opposing offbeat but dangerous lines, such as the Grand Prix Attack.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book! Highest Recommendation!
Review: How can I improve my game?" is a perennial question facing chess-players. While there are no easy answers, Alex Yermolinsky is better qualified than most to offer advice. Having found the famed "Soviet School of Chess" wanting, he trained himself, slowly but surely raising his game to top-class grandmaster standard. In this book, he passes on many of the insights he has gained over the years. He steers the reader away from "quick fix" approaches, and focuses on the critical areas of chess understanding and over-the-board decision-making. This entertainingly written book breaks new ground in many areas of chess understanding. Topics covered include: Trend-Breaking Tools; The Burden of Small Advantages; What Exchanges Are For; Classics Revisited; and Computer Chess. A large part of the book discusses a variety of important opening set-ups, including methods for opposing offbeat but dangerous lines, such as the Grand Prix Attack.
Rating:
Summary: A good read for the emerging player
Review: I picked up Alex Yermolinsky's The Road to Chess Improvement out of curiosity. When I arrived home, I had second thoughts and almost returned it. I took one last look inside and suddenly became engrossed with Yermo's handling of Openings and Early Middlegame Structures. I knew then that this book was a keeper. He provides several enlighting sections on a variety of openings and the middlegame structures derived from them. He speaks about the Grand Prix Attack and how he overcame early struggles verses it, as well as the Benko and Modern Defenses (Benoni etc,) Grunfeld, Exchange QGD. He also has a nice section he calls The Sicilian Counterattack. Another opening area he covers fairly well is one on double fianchettos. Finally he recommends against the ongoing trend of lower rank players chosing offbeat, usually dubious or at least risky lines against better players. There is a reason they are better players. He suggests sticking to main lines. The first section of the book is about determing what type a player you are. He takes you through his journey as you question your own. He discusses the difference between a 1800 and 1600 players as well as 200 and 1800, and 2200 and 2000, 2400 and 2200 and finally 2600 and 2400. Interseting and enlightening at the same time. The third part of the book talks about tactical mastery and strategic skills as opposed to the usual way of looking at tactics and strategy as tactical skills and strategic mastery. This chapter offers a lot of insight in a very clear fashion. There are lots of written explanations, which are very helpful to the emerging player. All in all, Yermo's easy speaking stlye of writing makes the reader feel as though Yermo is talking directly to him or her. This is not some aloof GM trying to show you how smart they are or how superior to you they are. He is a guy who understands the plight of rank amatuer chess players who want to get better. I highly recommed this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great practical advice on improving in chess.
Review: It took me a while to purchase this book. I read many reviews praising it and browsed it in the bookstore. I finally purchased it and I'm glad I did. Yermo's introduction tells about what the book is about. Basically, how he used his games as a reference to how to improve in certain areas in chess. To that end, he shows how he learned things in different areas, including emotional control during games (1st part), how to study opening set-ups vs. just memorizing lines (2nd part), the importance of calculation and analysis (3rd part), and finally a section on computer chess (4th part)-I found that part the weakest and it seemed like he tired after writing the rest of the book. The key to my enjoyment of this book was that he told you what he learned from his games and gives practical advice on how to improve an aspect of your game. He does teach about chess theory in indirect ways, but more importantly, he shows you how you can use your games and study materials to learn more effectively. He also gives honest criticism of other ways of learning chess, e.g. He suggests that technology in chess such as internet chess and chess programs have hindered some because they got away from reading chess books and the inherent training of visualization and discipline that it gives. My only criticism of the book is that sometimes although he writes in a very enjoyable conversational manner, sometimes I wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. For example, at the end of one chapter, he discusses improving one's visualization capabilities and discusses how reading chess books without a board might help this and then goes on to say that solving problems may not be a great way of developing this, but then he moves onto another topic without quite finishing off his thoughts on visualization. This is very conversational, as one topic often brings up another, but in text format it left me wanting to ask him some questions about what he thought. Perhaps this was intentional, as the book seems to encourage self-reflection. In any case, I highly recommend this book to any player wanting to improve their chess. I think it would benefit any skill level, but I think one should have the basics of strategy and tactics down before delving into this one.
Rating:
Summary: Conversations With A Grandmaster
Review: Stronger players (say 1700+ USCF) would benefit the most from The Road - although anyone can enjoy it - because the text covers topics more immediately relevant to them: going beyond positional "maxims," developing opening repertoires, integrating strategy and tactics, etc. "The Road To Chess Mastery" is a not a highway with a signposts saying, "10 Miles to Master Ranking," it is more an overview of a road that winds through a forest. Yermo goes from graphing the turning points of his games (p.18), commenting on chess analysis (see p. 172, Janowski-Capablanca where he notes how even old annotated games should be examined critically), to detailed examination of various opening systems (for example, p.113 on the Sicilian Grand Prix). Yermo is giving us insights, not dictums, and insights mean we will have to think and digest his information on our own.
Rating:
Summary: Conversations With A Grandmaster
Review: Stronger players (say 1700+ USCF) would benefit the most from The Road - although anyone can enjoy it - because the text covers topics more immediately relevant to them: going beyond positional "maxims," developing opening repertoires, integrating strategy and tactics, etc. "The Road To Chess Mastery" is a not a highway with a signposts saying, "10 Miles to Master Ranking," it is more an overview of a road that winds through a forest. Yermo goes from graphing the turning points of his games (p.18), commenting on chess analysis (see p. 172, Janowski-Capablanca where he notes how even old annotated games should be examined critically), to detailed examination of various opening systems (for example, p.113 on the Sicilian Grand Prix). Yermo is giving us insights, not dictums, and insights mean we will have to think and digest his information on our own.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put my finger on.
Review: The value of this book is that you can see the struggle of a chess grandmaster as he evolves through his career. The best parts to me are where he goes through several openings and shows the evolution of his approach to them. This shows me the kind of work that has to go into opening analysis to come up with one's repertoire. The frustrations with the book are its lack of a rationale structure. But is this really a criticism? Perhaps not, because my frustration with this book is parallel to my frustration with chess; that is, it is hard to find a structured path to take as one's chess evolves. There is no set way to go, and chess is a very hard subject to really learn. So, this book is frustrating for its lack of clear instructional content, but very valuable perhaps, in that it shows the achievement of chess mastery for what it is; namely, a difficult and endless path. Yermo is no Capablanca, that is, chess is not his mother tongue (neither is English, but that's another story). But again, perhaps this makes his book more valuable than those by Capablanca. Capa was a magician who, to teach you how to juggle, just says, "you go like this," and juggles. Yermo, on the other hand, takes you through his struggle. "First, I tried with two balls, and eventually got to three, and practiced practiced practices, until then I could juggle a little--see, like this, but then I realized that I had to make this change, etc." In this sense, the Yermo book is much more valuable than the Capablanca books. Time will deliver the verdict on this book. I t may be a classic, or it may just be ambitious. It is a little hard to tell. If I get a clearer picture over time, I will edit this review and let you know.
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