Positional Chess Handbook

by Israel Gelfer

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0713463953
• ISBN13: 9780713463958
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great Book

I am an avid player and own an extensive collection of chess books. As most chess fans have probably discovered, a lot of chess books are simply the same ideas rehashed and presented with different games. This book however, is a refreshing break from the rest, presenting strategic play in a condensed format with great exemplars of the theme discussed. Honestly, probably one of the best books on the game that I've read. Short, sweet and to the point--highly recommended!

Concision in content means abundance of examples

I've rekindled my interest in chess and, not wanting to expend too much time on the game, have limited my reading to three books: on tactics, on the endgame, and on positional chess. This book, serving the latter purpose, has 495 diagrams, mostly from practical games between top players, many of which are known classics. Each illustrates a point, and the author avoids copious variations. The moves usually extend from the diagram position to the end of the game. They are very well selected. As a result, my intuition has clearly improved in an important area of the game. Gelfer's rigor is reflected in his impeccable English (no translator or editor is mentioned). I can't think of a single typo, in word or variation, and the text is clear, no nonsense and to the point. He seems to have honed the work, culled from his training manuals for the Israeli youth and women's teams, over years. This makes the book a pleasure to read. My copy, which isn't a Dover edition (which have excellent bindings), is getting old (1993) and pages are beginning to fall out. But that's a good sign: it's due to the use the book has seen. Highly recommended.

Solid Book for Chess

I recommend this book for any 1500+ ELO player who wants to improve their strategic game. A lot of the variations are given few comments, so a solid chess understanding and playing the moves on a board are essential. The book is organized into themes which any chess player can appreciate: discussion of good/bad knights/bishops, endgames, 2-bishops, bishops opposite colors, etc.

The Best Value For A Positional Chess Book!

This is an excellent book on chess. The diagrams are clear and can easily be followed through and the previous reviewer who commented that they were too small, was on my part greatly exaggerated and didn't do any justice. Buy one copy for yourself and decide. This book gave me countless hours of enjoyment and I am sure it will do the same for you.

Excellent Material for the Price

First off, this book is a compilation of strategic examples. The author groups these examples according to theme (Key Squares, Pawn Structure, Positional Sacrifices) and presents them with a few explanatory textual comments and variations. The author is far from prolix, so you should already understand the strategic themes and want to peruse a selection of illustrative examples and analyze them yourself. For the price, I feel this book is outstanding and one of the best of the Dover reprints. The author does not swamp the reader with Fritz like variations, but provides enough input to guide the independent reader on their way. For those formulating their approach to positional chess, the Positional Chess Handbook would be worth the $.