Chess is fun. Chess Stories: What one Master’s Experiences tell us about Life and Work

Chapter 1: A strong foundation Chapter 2: Strategic Planning To the reader How to play chess A brief note on chess notation Rooks belong on open files Knights before bishops Knights belong in the center of the board Knights on the rim are dim Don’t move your Queen’s bishop until you’re sure you know where it’s going Trade your bad bishops for your opponent’s good bishops Don’t bring your queen out early Every pawn move creates a weakness If it looks bad, it is bad Don’t move quickly, even when you are certain of your next move The rules are your friend Secure your king Don’t be a Gryzyb Don’t be a booked up fish When you see a good move, look around for something better It’s about where my pieces belong, not what move to play Avoid doubled and isolated pawns Every move creates a weakness Attack pawn chains at their base When your opponent’s King can’t move, all you need is check When two moves look the same, know that one move is always better Don’t ignore threats The threat is stronger than the execution Maintain the initiative Always do your math Patzer sees a check, gives a check Always have a realistic goal Even a bad plan is better than no plan Don’t fix on a single plan Indulge your fantasies Don’t play for Cheapos If you come up dry, without ideas, consider every move One plan is always better than the others Don’t move until you understand the position Keep your options open Chapter 3: The last 10%... Passed pawns are meant to be pushed It helps to know where you're going There’s nothing harder than winning a won game No one ever won a game by resigning Develop a routine That brute of a boy! Don’t get wedded to bad ideas Don’t panic If you are ahead, exchange pieces not pawns If you are behind, exchange pawns not pieces In the endgame, the King becomes a very powerful piece