num_pages: 144
description: Forming a plan is the most important goal of logical chess thought. Without a good plan we are reduced to tactical opportunism rather than harnessing the power of our pieces to achieve specific tasks and make methodical progress towards victory.However few chess-players - even those fortunate enough to have a trainer - develop a disciplined approach to planning. In this book one of the world's leading chess teachers provides step-by-step guidelines for identifying the features of a position onto which our strategy should be latched. He adopts a thoroughly modern approach recognizing that the opponent will have his own plans and be attempting to disrupt ours. The effectiveness of Kosikov's methods - in particular the STEPS algorithm - is shown by his pupils' over-the-board proficiency.Having presented the basics of orderly strategic thinking Kosikov shows them at work in a variety of middlegame and endgame situations especially the strategic minefield of minor-piece play. Examples are taken from both classic games and modern grandmaster play together with instructive moments from games by the author's pupils.
language: English
title: Elements of Chess Strategy
publisher: Gambit Publications