Analyzing the Chess Mind

Analyzing the Chess Mind is an exploration of psychology in chess. Psychology affects the chess moves we make, as the authors entertainingly illustrate in expertly annotated examples, but our personal chess psychology is not fixed. We can improve our chess psychology, and the authors show how.

To write about chess psychology, the ideal authors would have world-class chess skills and advanced professional qualifications in psychology, so GM Boris Gulko and Dr Joel Sneed are perfect for the task of Analyzing the Chess Mind.

GM Boris Gulko is one of the few players to have a plus score against Garry Kasparov, and is also the only man to have been both Soviet and U.S. Chess Champion. He has a Master’s degree in Psychology from Moscow State University.

Dr. Joel R. Sneed is a Professor of Psychology at the City University of New York and a keen amateur chess player.

Reviews

Stjepan Tomić (chessreads.com)
“Analyzing the Chess Mind explores how we play chess, how we make decisions, why we make mistakes, why we struggle, reach plateaus, how we deal with defeat, and many other questions not related to the chess skill itself, but to the psychology of chess players and their ability to perform under pressure. As Alekhine had put it almost a century ago: “Psychology is the most important factor in chess.”
(full review in English)