The Enigma of Chess Intuition

Forord

In this book, as in all my previous ones, I have followed a principle which is well-known to my regular readers. It is as follows: that the majority of chess players, regard less of their age, playing strength or ambitions, want not only to learn about the ex is tence of the various different chess principles, but also to learn how to exploit them themselves. There fore, in my books, articles and training sessions, I work as fol lows: first, I tell about the fact of the existence of a certain principle or method of play, then I formulate it in the most general way, and after this, I present examples, showing all its possible sides. In this way, I try to show as clearly as possible how one can use this principle or method in one’s own games, albeit not as well as a great master, but use it, all the same...!

I will use the same method in this book, although here, things are a little more complicated, since we are dealing with the most mysterious of all aspects of chess. Since we are concerned only with questions of intuition, al beit in as much detail as possible, I have of ten left out variations which seem to me to be superfluous, and not bear ing on the mat ter in hand.

The subject I am attempting to tackle in this book is not the most specific and concrete of subjects. This is because of the rather mysterious essence of intuition itself. Where does it come from, how does it work, is it some thing con crete, or is it partly taken from the sub con scious world? I will try to find an swers to these questions, but only in re la tion to chess it self. I have not at tempted to show ex actly how intuition is constructed or how it works, but I try to ex plain how it co mes into effect and where it takes us.

As always, I ask my read ers not to be shy of tell ing me their opinion of my work. Praise and criticism will be received with equal gratitude. My e-mail address is: valeribeim@gmx.net
Valeri Beim, Vienna, March 2012