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Title: Looking for Trouble, Recognizing and Meeting Threats in Chess Author: Dan Heisman Publisher: Russell Enterprises, Inc. Genre: tactical puzzles and chess improvement Level: intermediate upwards. |
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Contains: Heisman’s book is divided to three chapters of game positions from the opening, middle and endgame respectively. Each position asks the reader to find the threat and the best way of dealing with it. A system of stars beside each task denotes the difficulty ranging from one star [novice] to five stars [challenging to an expert]. |
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The good things: Heisman begins with a brilliant introduction in which a “threat” is defined as “ a move which, if not stopped by the opponent’s reply, can do something harmful to the opponent and/or useful for your next move”. [ p3-4] Then numerous diagrams and exercises are given from all 3 phases of the game. The threat is given in each case and then the reader is asked to respond. Heisman provides more than the mere “point-blank” answer given in so many books; his explanations include both specific discussions of the puzzle in question and instructive generalizations about responding to comparable positions. For instance, after discussing a wrong answer that would have blundered material, Heisman adds, “yet another example of why even low intermediate players need to play slowly and count carefully”. (p 42) Throughout the book his crystal clear explanations of each answer to the threat and the inferior alternatives made me feel like I was actually being coached instead of reading a book. While the entire book is brilliant the outstanding section, in my opinion, is that on the endgame. His endgame examples are linked together so that each one follows on from the previous one in “sets”. This creates an emphasis of themes such as the Lucena position etc that is highly instructive.
The bad things: I could find no faults amidst such a brilliant book. At first I thought that Heisman had erred by putting the answers below the question rather than at the back of the book. But upon reflection I think that Heisman did the right thing since his thorough explanations need a continual flow that a single “quick answer at the back” cannot give. It is no great bother to cover up the answer with a piece of card in any case.
The bottom line: A wonderful piece of thorough, fascinating chess instruction; I have learnt more about tactics from this book than dozens of others. It is one of the pleasures of reviewing chess books to be able to bring such lucidity to a wider audience. There is only one mark I can give: 10/10.
Rating: 10/10
Review written by Capamantis
