Improve Your Chess Now
The question of how to improve is one that vexes many players, so a practical guide dealing solely with the topic is very welcome. GM Tisdall himself has an interesting chess C.V., having been an active U.S.  professional player for some years, before settling in Norway and devoting much of his time to coaching. It is only in the past few years that he has made the final jump to the Grandmaster title, despite long being held in high regard as an opening theoretician and analyst (he was Speelman's second for his 1988 Candidates match with Short). So, this extremely thoughtful and well-planned out manual (which took three years to complete) is clearly borne out of playing and teaching experience.Tisdall takes as his starting point Kotov's "Think Like a Grandmaster", praising his tree of analysis for its usefulness as a training exercise, but questioning its value in practical games. To quote GM Anatoly Lein, which Tisdall does at the very start, "I don't think like a tree - do you think like a tree?" so we are given a more practical guide on how to calculate. Many of the methods advocated are, of course, not entirely new (the idea of pattern recognition is a well-known example) but there is often a refreshing twist. For instance, in the section illustrating strategical themes, the minority attack (as in the QGD) is examined from various angles, including where both sides have castled *queenside*. There are also exercises to develop calculation skills: playing through games blindfold (an idea borrowed from Alexander Beliavsky), and the use of 'stepping-stone diagrams' (a Tisdall original - while trying to visualise a position some moves hence, a player fixes a half-way position in the mind's eye, then, when this is secure, continues calculating).Another pet Tisdall scheme is piece value, where he sinks his teeth into a few more myths. He quotes with delight Steinitz's approval of the Staunton piece count: knight 3.05, bishop 3.50, rook 5.48 and queen 9.94, and adds, "Surely the scientists of Staunton's day had better things to do with their time?" Positional sacrifices, 'playing for the king' and the much-maligned bad bishop are themes all given a thorough re-working. He also discusses opening variations which lead to a 'difficult' material imbalance such as rook and pawn versus two minor pieces.An admirable effort has been made to really get to grips with the learning process; Tisdall even takes up the Japanese game shogi, in order to 'begin again' on the learning curve. His enthusiasm is infectious, and one has the feeling that in a few years' time this work will take its rightful place as a recognised classic in the field of training manuals. --Tim Wall,The British Chess Magazine, December, 1997