GM Reviews

The 300 essential position method seems to have been used successfully by many Soviet players. This book only has 250 positions with the rest for you to fill in with your own positions (I don't like this and would rather have had 300 of the author's original positions). Additionally there are some really good classic games in algebraic notation but without move explanations. I believe that the positions here will make you a strong player and memorizing the games as the author suggests would probably reward the effort. Ultimately the book hinges on whether these are indeed important positions for you...I can't answer that. It is far better than Albert's 300 both in terms of content and w/o the tacky cover too. I do find it funny that an IM would write about essential GM knowledge. Perhaps IM-Ram would have been a more accurate, if less catchy, title?

I like the book, but I don't think that having no text is an advantage. If you want to figure things out for yourself, then show some willpower and don't look at the answers! I prefer Kosteyev's 40 lessons for the Club Player, Nunn's Understanding Chess Move by Move, Howell's Essential Chess Endings, and Pongo's Tactical Targets Series. I should also mention that I'm ~1900.

This book contains positions which serve like words in a "chess vocabulary". To master chess, you need to know these positions cold, which means you know the right plan and procedure and key moves for both sides without calculating. This is NOT, I repeat _NOT_ an instructional book. It simply presents the minimum material one would need to be a Grand Master.

For this book to be useful, you need an instructor who can explains these positions to you, or you need the reference works from which these positions come from (most are Endgames). One reviewer said he used his computer to figure out the positions, but I do not trust that even a powerful computer will get to the correct moves (I tried and many positions were drawn that should be wins).

My favorite part of the book are the excellent games (in the last section) that one is expected to memorize.

Most people will never become Grand Masters, Masters, or even Experts. This book has many key positions that everyone should know, especially pawn endings, rook endings, queen vs rook, and some great classic games.

This book sets out to show what you need to know to be a master, nothing less, nothing more, so 5 stars.

Ziyatdinov's message is clear: if you aspire chess mastery at any level, a previous mastery of the fundamentals is required. The sole vehicle to achieve chess mastery is hard work and this book is a tool. GM-RAM could also become your favorite self-evaluation and review tool.

According to Ziyatdinov, GM-RAM is a knowledge review aid that covers the chess vocabulary. The book is not meant as an introductory manual or even a training aid, but more as a workbook, or "final exam", of distilled chess knowledge. Ziyatdinov makes an analogy between chess and language, where mastery of each requires a prior mastery of the fundamental elements: if you will, chess pieces are letters, their interactions constitute words, combinations and positions constitute sentences, and a game represents an essay on chess.

GM-RAM's fundamental proposition is that chess mastery requires a finger-tip knowledge and understanding of elemental positions and principles of the game in all its stages. The message is that master-caliber players cannot expect, much less attempt, to decipher chess principles or outcomes of typical positions over the board, but should know these beforehand and by heart so as to free the creative element without the added distractions of its mechanics.

Ziyatdinov's proposes a method of learning the fundamental chess elements through multiple positions in the middlegame and endgame and rote "memorization" of exemplary (i.e., classical) games where the implicit principle is that memorization of chess games is impossible on wrote memory alone, but on the logical understanding of the positions, tactical themes, etc. that arise within games. The effect is that the you are encouraged indirectly to understand the principles that, eventually, lead to the facilitated memorization.

GM-RAM's diagram-only format forces you to analyze the fundamental chess elements on your own so that you may "discover" the principles and techniques through your own thought process. GM-RAM will help you check that you know the elements of the language of chess by heart. If you realize you have yet to learn the letters, syllables and words of chess, the lack of written analysis in GM-RAM will only make you work harder so that you may become a better chess "writer".

Readers that express discomfort with the book's diagram-only design would benefit by working first on tactical/combinative exercises and introductory books on opening, middlegame and endgame theory. Most of the exercises are far from simple, require careful analysis and sometimes research, and each should be studied as "White to move" or "Black to move".

P.S.
The book indicates that IM Ziyatdinov had already achieved his first Grand Master (GM) norm.

I really improved after reading this book. I read this book on a plane ride to California (from Buffalo) and during my trip (4 days). I finished it a couple days after returning (about a week and a half total on the book).

I did not have a board, but I visualized the board from the diagram as there were enough for me to do so. I enjoyed the examples and thought they were very useful in teaching the material.

In any case, a couple weeks later, I won the Under 1600 section of the New York State Chess Championship. I'm not saying that this book was the only reason for doing this, but I learned much and was inspired by the positional play in all of the examples I read.

My only criticism is that there wasn't enough analysis behind some of the moves where the author makes a statement such as "and of course move x was terrible" and doesn't explain it. However, in my specific case, this was good, as I couldn't really analyze too many variations anyway, and instead was able to get the ideas behind the strategies explained.

I highly recommend this book as well as "Chess Tactics for the tournament Player" by the same author.

I disagree most ardently with the reviewer who gave one-star and claimed this book was misleading. I am a chess instructor and have found this book to be outstanding. Perhaps the other reviewer is used to Kotov or Timman or Igor Stohl; it is true, that this book by Alburt is not a book like that. But this book is magical and wonderful for several reasons. First, the instructive examples are absolutely wonderful. They seem very carefully chosen to illustrate the theme, and Alburt's comments are not extensive, but they constantly reiterate the theme to be followed. Deep study of these examples will pay huge dividends for your chess. For instance, just look at the first game, Alatortsev v. Levenfish. Not only is the good/bad bishop theme perfectly shown, but we see how that factor influences the endgame, and how the advantage of the good bishop is translated into a superior endgame. Second, the book is superbly produced. The paper is thick and strong, and so is the binding. It is true that there is quite a bit of blank space in the book, but I think this is a strength of the book. I have my students write notes and questions in the book, and there is plenty of room to do this. Other books have more text and variations, and I have found that students get bogged down in Kotov-like treatises. But with this book, they are filling up the margins with their comments and questions, they end up with a superior understanding of the straetgic theme being discussed, they know how the theme works in a practical setting, and they are truly progressing. Finally, I would like to address the other reviewer's point avout the title of the book being misleading. I disagree completely, as I think this book is in fact the ultimate book of strategy for the tournament player. "Tournament players" to me means the masses of players at tournaments. Those are the people who most need a practical guide such as this to show them how to implement crucial themes of strategy in their games. I have found that works like My System and Pawn Power in Chess are too abstract or unique to impart much practical working knowledge to the "tournament" player. This book by Alburt is of far more value to players than those books, even though they are of course classics. Many students get frustrated with the density of most chess books. It is valuable for a book to teach you without holding your hand. I have found that this book, and the companion books on Tactics, King in Jeopardy, 300 position pocket book, and Just the Facts, teach you, but make you learn for yourself too. THAT is the key--the knowledge in this book becomes the living property of the student, if he uses this book correctly. I love this book.

There is something special about these books. It's not just the paper and production, which is probably the best in all of chess publishing, and it's not just the crystal clear instruction. More than that, it seems somehow that Alburt understands exactly how to teach an aspiring chess player. Alburt knows that the player must feel he is progressing through a book. How often have you spent two hours on a single page of Dvoretsky and felt that you were getting nowhere? (Not to say that Dvoretsky books are not great, because they are. The point is that those books are aimed at a very advanced player; these are aimed more at typical club players). With this Alburt book on Strategy, you will feel that you are learning, and that you are plowing through the book. His books are long in pages, leaving plenty of room on pages for your own notes or thoughts. The examples are very well chosen to inculcate core concepts into your head. This sounds trite, but there is really something here in that regard; Alburt knows how to pick examples that will provide maximum instruction. Most importantly, as I go through this book, I am having fun. It never goes over your head. There are variations placed at precisely the rights spots. Having fun going through a chess book is very key, since many of us have a very up and down relationship with chess. Sometimes is seems to hard to improve, and thus becomes less fun. If I had to sumamrize this Strategy book and all the other books of the Alburt series, I would say that they are fun, and you will ENJOY chess working through them. Is there a higher compliment than that?

Speelman has a reputation for exhaustive analysis and deeply conceived endgame strategies. This book certainly reinforces both of these descriptions, but Speelman also shows a bloodthirsty side! His organization is a bit unusual, dividing the games into two general sections ("Growing up as a Chessplayer" and "Themes"). This has certain advantages, but given the depth of his commentary (sometimes spending more than two pages on a single move), I would prefer a more traditional format. The games are entertaining and instructive. I have always been a fan of Speelman's style, and this book ranks among the year's best. However, I wonder how many readers will actually go through every comment of this densely packed trove.

If you are a middle rated and (hopefuly) an ambitous player this the book for you. Plent of in deep analyzes and good advice.

This book could be half as long as it is if all the failed attempts at being funny were removed. The authors seem more concerned with trying to amuse their readers than with providing them with helpful information. While some good information exists within the book, it's buried among lame attempts at humor. I found myself being annoyed over and over again by these unfunny intrusions.

If you're looking for a lot of helpful, well-organized information on car care, I'd look elsewhere (e.g., "Lucille's Car Care", by Lucille Treganowan, which I highly recommend). And to the authors I'd say, "Either be stand up comics or authors of helpful car books, but don't try to be both!" (because you're failing miserably at it!)

Click and Clack diagnosed my intermittant start-up problem in about 2 minutes, via this book.

As a result, I could talk to my mechanic more intelligently, and I knew what I was in for before I called the shop. I don't fix cars myself, but this book enabled me to be in charge of the process.

You get a great diagnostic tool, and some cheesy (but still funny) humor, all for under $15. Not a bad deal.

Great stories of the guys vs gals and a wonderful throw in on a college students response to a candidate college! My only complaint would be that the tape was too short only about an hour of entertainment, but a great hour!!!And if you need a good mechanic in Boston this tape has the perfect guy for you - really!!

The GM's screen is a very useful piece of gear for any GURPS GM, containing all of the pertinent information right at your fingertips. It sure beats having to search the rulebooks for this table or that.

The GM screen IS nice but I would like it better if all of the info were printed on only one side of it. As it is, one is forced to flip it to get at the rules printed on the other side.

I like GURPS lite (either one or two copies inside package) it is a great tool to introduce new players but you don't have to buy the screen to get it, it can be downloaded free from the official web site.

All in all, this screen is worth shelling out ten dollars for, especially when you have nosy and/or cheating players. (I have had both)

GM Johnson has produced a useful, very reasonably priced map book for these counties. Street detail is very good in the densely populated areas, but is often lacking for those places off-the-beaten-track. Therefore, if you just need to get around the cities and towns, this map is great. However, it is really not sufficient for backroad treks.

this book is a very well documented engine rebiuld. it gives you the reader information on performance parts / parts interchangeability . also has a great specifications page has every torque spec available for every part of this engine. i would highly recomend this book..

The GM Compendium contains such a wealth of information that it is indispensable for anyone intending to use the Providence game world. Not only does it provide detailed descriptions of a broad cross section of "movers and shakers" within Providence but also provides a deep understanding of the historical, political, and sociological context in which these characters operate. Packaged with the Compendium is a very well designed Game Master's Screen and loose Character Sheets. This very fine publication is worth many hours of exploration and readers of it will likely find (as I did) that as one reads along the inter-relationships between individuals and groups become so very interesting that it is hard to leave the thing alone!

This is a very original book, devoted to just one rare but extraordinary tactical idea - one player sacrifices both his Rooks on the first rank. This sacrifice is extremely uncommon and the resulting positions resemble a world of fantasy where normal chess strategies don't apply. Even so, there are many different and practical tactical tips the reader will find very instructive. This book, containing exciting games with vivid insights, will bring many hours of enjoyment.