Fra en anmeldelse av Jeremy Silman

This is a deceptively complex book and the author has a variety of theses, some related to the world of business theory and some not. Be aware that it is rather advanced, not out of reach of developing players but better suited to players with quite a bit of experience. There isn’t sufficient space to discuss the book in the depth that it deserves, so before I describe particulars I will quote from the Introduction and early pages to give an overall feel of what the author is doing:

... it is becoming increasingly difficult to play chess according to ‘standard principles.’ It is no longer sufficient to know how to play according to basic principles in typical situations ­such as ‘isolated d-pawn’, ‘minority attack’ or ‘space advantage’. While there are still important principles that underlie the evaluation of many positions, they have now become commodities – knowledge and understanding of how to handle such positions is no longer reserved for masters; this has become public knowledge and as such cannot any longer be used to build a competitive advantage against a knowledgeable opponent. More concrete and deep analyses of the position and of the two players are required if you want to outsmart your opponent and become successful in chess. After all, the purpose of chess is to beat the opponent and get a point on the scoreboard!

And that’s one of L B Hansen’s key points: beauty or even “correctness” (and similar factors) is nice but not the goal. What is necessary is to take into account all competitive factors, including the type of opponent, your own style, the practical demands of the position, and the conditions at the board (e.g., time controls, etc.). Style is a priority consideration:

Therefore it becomes increasingly important to understand your own strengths and weaknesses as a chess-player, as well as those of the opponent. Not all players handle all positions equally well, when they can no longer resort to their basic knowledge of how to handle ‘this type of position’. Some players are very good at concrete calculations, while others thrive in simple positions. To be­come successful, you must understand these differences. Put simply, you need to shift focus from how to win the position to how to defeat your opponent.

But all this is unimportant, especially since the business theme seems to fade as the book goes on. The real virtue of Hansen’s effort, obviously a labor of love, rests with the examples and his extremely intelligent analysis of them. Hansen is full of insights, clearly interested in his subject, and capable of finding original ways to describe the game. This is a unique book, and I can unequivocally recommend FOUNDATIONS OF CHESS STRATEGY to all mid-level players and above.