The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know

by Thomas Willemze

Overview

In chess, as in repair or construction jobs in and around the house, you will not get very far without the right equipment. If you want to win more games you simply need the right tools. Unfortunately, most amateur chess players have no toolbox to speak of.

What’s more, they don’t even know which tools they actually need. Or what tools are available. In fact, if a chess hardware store would exist, most amateur chess players would be clueless what to ask for.

International Master and experienced chess trainer Thomas Willemze is the handyman you are looking for. He tells you which are the most urgent problems that need fixing. In his no-nonsense guide, he presents essential techniques on how to mobilize your pieces in order to gain the upper hand.

Willemze teaches you how to lift a blockade, get rid of an inferior piece, conquer an open file, eliminate an important defender, exploit the 7th rank, simplify your position (why and how), fight for entrance squares and much more.

In order to make you feel comfortable and let you get used to these essential techniques, the author gives lots of fascinating examples and hundreds of instructive exercises. He even teaches you how to think outside your toolbox!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789056917975
Publisher:	New in Chess
Publication date:	10/15/2018
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	1,039,086
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Thomas Willemze is an International Master from Holland. He is an experienced trainer of amateur players and has been the National Youth Coach of the Dutch Chess Federation.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Foreword by International Master John Watson 9

Part I Exchange your way to victory 11

Chapter 1 Five powerful weapons 13

Exercises 42

Part II Unleash your rooks 47

Chapter 2 Exploiting the 7th rank 50

Exercises 70

Chapter 3 Entering the 7th rank 75

Exercises 85

Chapter 4 Conquering the open file 88

Exercises 101

Chapter 5 Opening and closing files 105

Exercises 130

Part III Attack and defence 134

Chapter 6 The Greek Gift 140

Exercises 161

Chapter 7 Lasker's double bishop sacrifice 166

Exercises 183

Chapter 8 Fighting for the entrance square 189

Exercises 207

Part IV Getting ready to use your new tools 213

Chapter 9 Winning with the IQP 215

Exercises 243

Chapter 10 Fighting the IQP 248

Exercises 282

Part V Solutions to exercises

Chapter 1 Five powerful weapons 286

Chapter 2 Exploiting the 7th rank 300

Chapter 3 Entering the 7th rank 309

Chapter 4 Conquering the open file 316

Chapter 5 Opening and closing files 325

Chapter 6 The Greek Gift 335

Chapter 7 Lasker's double bishop sacrifice 345

Chapter 8 Fighting for the entrance square 358

Chapter 9 Winning with the IQP 371

Chapter 10 Fighting the IQP 383

Bibliography 392

Index of players 393

Editorial Reviews

"A truly superb learning guide for club players. The book offers a lucid and engaging introduction to a set of tactical and strategical motifs that the author - a professional trainer and a former National Youth Coach of the Dutch Chess Federation - considers most important for the amateur player: a toolbox, just like the title says."

Award-winning author of Chess for Life - Matthew Sadler

"Willemze presents a number of key improvement techniques in a user-friendly format."

CHESS Magazine (UK)

"In order to significantly improve your play, it's necessary to employ these tools in practice. The book's 281 exercises offer you the chance to do so, and are essential to go through if you want to get full value from this work. They are also full of interesting content, which makes studying more enjoyable. Thomas Willemze has made a unique and thoughtful contribution to the literature of chess improvement, as well as contributing new insights into several areas of the game. His writing is clear and uncluttered, with a consistent focus on the practical player's needs. I can't think of another book that would be more helpful to the average player who is intent upon improving his chess."

Author of Chess Strategy in Action - John Watson

"The various parts of the book are all about piece coordination (..) It's obviously written by a teacher who really wants his students to fully understand the subject matter. This book is highly valuable for both self-improvers and trainers. I, for one, am certainly going to use it in my trainings."

Schaaksite - Bram Klapwijk