Maria’s book and movie recommendations

Wondering what chess books to curl up with on a windy October eve? Take a look at my favorites:

1. Understanding Chess Middlegames by John Nunn

When I think back on my evolution as a chess player, “Understanding Chess Middlegames” is the book that I credit for bumping my ELO from 1700 to 2000. GM John Nunn is an established author and his selection of middlegame positions is great for exposing players to various types of strategic motives correlated with typical pawn structures. The book’s layout is very simple: it selects a couple of high-level games for each sub-chapter and explains variations and critical moments. Often, the book explores a strategic concept from both a defensive and offensive perspective. For example, when talking about space advantage, the reader can see how to capitalize on space, and also how to maneuver in a congested setup. It might be tempting to just read the text and follow the diagrams, but I urge you to play the positions on a real board if you decide to take up this book. It makes a great difference!

2. The Best Move by Vlastimil Hort and Vlastimil Jansa

I admit I have not yet finished this book comprising 230 test positions. However, I recommend this book as an alternative to only doing chess puzzles on the internet. Every position comes with a different question. For example, you could find one that asks you “Is White winning, better, or equal here? Find the best move!” or “What is the correct plan for White, continue the attack or trade queens? Find the best move!”. This way, the book offers more variety than most tactical websites. This diversity is important, since often when I’m solving puzzles on Lichess, my brain gets lazy. It doesn’t calculate all variations because it expects that the solution is a check, a sacrifice, etc. – frequently the move that first catches the eye. Obviously, during a game, nobody tells you when there is a tactic to be spotted. You either spot it or you don’t. Since any tactics website provides instant feedback, I often jump and play the move that looks good, without calculating everything – and since all exercises are tactics, this tends to work out and my tactics rating goes up. “The best move” sabotages this behavior, because many problems have underlying strategic motives, and the solution is not always a clear-cut variation. The grading method is also old-school; write your moves and then grade yourself. It’s important to put down more than one move, not just for thoroughness, but also because the book gives partial points.

3. The 100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesus de la Villa

One hundred endgames to learn to bump your rating by at least 200 points?! That doesn’t seem so hard, does it?! Well, “The 100 Endgames You Must Know” is one of the densest chess books I’ve ever come across. Going through the first chapters of this book felt like titanic work, but I strongly believe it is worth it. Knowing endgames is not just about endgames, really. It is also about anticipating potential transitions from the middlegame. When you think about it, many games seem balanced in the middlegame, but one player’s position crushes with the transition to the endgame. That is because a player with good endgame understanding knows which imbalances or pawn structures to create to maximize his chances once the position is simplified. If you’re still not convinced, have a look at your playing stats: how many equal endgames did you lose? How many winning ones did you miss?

If you feel you’d rather get into a chess series, I’m sure you’ve heard about Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. Aired in 2020, this show brought an unprecedented number of new players into the chess community. As a chess coach, I taught many people whose interest in chess was sparkled by this show. The main character, Beth Harmon, played by the stunning Anya Taylor-Joy, is a bright but quiet eight-year-old who grows up in an orphanage after her mother died in a car crash.

There, she picks up chess, and to everyone’s surprise, her cleverness and determination shape her into a chess prodigy, ready to face the strongest players of the Soviet Union. The journey is not all smooth, and through losses, the viewers get to know the protagonist more intimately. As a female player in a male-dominated sport, Beth Harmon has made me feel represented and seen. The show is not flawless, of course, at times falling into the trap of presenting the rock-bottom of women as something that still somehow has to be desirable and aesthetic: Nonetheless, the show is interesting and captivating, and the chess games displayed are from real matches. In fact, former World Champion GM Garry Kasparov worked with Netflix as an official consultant. So cozy up, grab a cup of tea, and let yourself be immersed in Beth Harmon’s journey to chess grandmaster.

Author

MARIA CIOCAN