The world's top trainer, Mark Dvoretsky, and one of his best-known pupils, grandmaster Artur Yusupov, present a five-volume series based on courses given to talented young players throughout the world. The books contain contributions by other leading trainers and grandmasters, as well as games by pupils who have attended the courses.

In this first volume the reader is shown how to as­sess his strengths and weaknesses, analyse his own games, and learn from the rich heritage of the past by a study of the chess classics. Over a hundred graded test positions provide ample material for self­improvement.

By what is success in chess determined? Usually, in answer to this question, two necessary factors are singled out: talent and work. However, ability and a desire to work, on their own, are insufficient. Of great significance are physical condition, competitive character and the ability to concentrate during a game. It is no less important to choose correctly the direction of the work and to be able to carry it out qualitatively. Of course, this is by no means a simple problem. At the first session of our school we try to help our pupils to master the skills of working independently on chess.

Contents

PART 1
A Chess Player's Virtues and Deficiencies, and their Influence on the
Course of a Game (Mark Dvoretsky)
The Way to the Top (Mark Dvoretsky)
American Observations (Mark Dvoretsky)

PART II
The Analysis of one's own Games (Artur Yusupov)
Commentator's Doubts (Mark Dvoretsky)
Black (Artur Yusupov)

PART III
The Technique of working on your own and other Players' Games
Admit your Mistakes! (Mark Dvoretsky)
The `superfluous' Piece (Mark Dvoretsky)

PART IV
Studying the Chess Classics (Mikhail Shereshevsky)
Finding new Ideas (Mark Dvoretsky)

PART V
Positional Evaluation and the Choice of Plan in the Middlegame (Alexey Kosikov)
Regarding a certain Article (Mark Dvoretsky)
 
PART VI
A Feeling for the King (Grigory Kaidanov)
Supplement to Grigory Kaidanov's Lecture (Artur Yusupov, Mark Dvoretsky)
 
PART VII
Ideas and Advice of great Players

PART VIII
Tests 12x8 (Mark Dvoretsky)
Solutions to Exercises
Thematic Index of Tests

PART IX
Games by Pupils of the School (Artur Yusupov)
Postscript - School of Future Champions (Viktor Glatman )

From the Authors
This book, like our whole series of books, is addressed to those who do not regard chess simply as an amusement, but want to understand its secrets more deeply and substantially raise their standard of play. How can this be achieved? What are the ways and methods of working independently on chess? That is what we teach in our school, and that is what is described in this book. We hope that you will derive benefit from it.
Mark Dvoretsky Artur Yusupov

This a revised and expanded edition of "Training for the Tournament Player".

Publisher's Recommendation