Simon Webb (1) (1949–2005)

"As usual I paid nothing for this book but instead received it from NetGalley. Despite that kindness I give my candid thoughts below.

In most reviews this is the part in which I give the good and the bad about the book in question but in this case I can't really find any negatives. Instead of that point/counterpoint I'll just say what the book really is.

Most books on chess focus on some part of the game and give intricate detail about openings or middle game or endings or the general concepts of positional strategies or some other nugget of esoterica. Chess for Tigers is different in that instead it doesn't really focus on anything but looks at the game from a holistic and psychological viewpoint. The chapter titles reveal this pretty keenly:

* Play the Man - not the board (Basically, figuring out your opponent's weaknesses and exploiting them.

* Looking in the Mirror (Figuring out YOUR weaknesses and how to best compensate for them)

* How to Catch Rabbits (How to beat weaker players consistently and thoroughly)

* How to Trap Heffalumps (How to have a chance at beating a stronger player)

And also more down to earth practical topics

* How to win won positions

* What to do in drawn positions

* Clock Control

In summary, when I was a wee lad I read all sorts of books on opening positions and closings and I learned how to mate with just two bishops and all that usual rot but I quickly lost interest because I didn't have a book to tie all that working knowledge into a sensible whole. This book is that one I was missing. It takes all the memorization and strategy and stretches it out into a way to win games on a consistent basis."… (mehr)