Think Like a Grandmaster

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A training manual to help the average player understand how a grandmaster thinks, and even more important, how he works. Kotov tackles fundamental issues such as knowing how and when to analyze, the tree of analysis, a selection of candidate moves and the factors of success.

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The Bottom Line

A classic of chess calculation that explains when to play from intuition and when to buckle down and start analyzing variations.

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I. Introduction

In the groundbreaking Think Like a Grandmaster, Alexander Kotov opens up the grandmaster’s thought process to the average player, sharing details about his personal approach to chess strategy and improvement. The first edition (published in 1970) sold out within months, and the book remains one of the best-selling chess tomes of all time.

Kotov developed his chess skills while he was studying engineering in Moscow. At his peak, he was among the strongest players in the world, qualifying twice for the World Championship’s Candidates tournament, in 1950 and 1952. He defeated a number of top grandmasters over the course of his career, including a 13-move victory over future World Champion Tigran Petrosian.

Think Like a Grandmaster — the first in a three-book series, along with Play Like a Grandmaster and Train Like a Grandmaster — examines the key aspects of grandmaster competitive chess and lays out what separates strong players from the weak.

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II. Analyze Your Moves Efficiently

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III. Choose Candidate Moves Before You Begin to Calculate

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IV. Steer Clear of Mental Blunders

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V. The Problem with Intuition

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VI. Blumenfeld’s Rule

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VII. When to Calculate vs. When to Rely on Positional Judgement

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