Chess Middlegames: Essential Knowledge

This is a great compact book, covering important middlegame concepts. Mostly of the tactical nature, such things as double blow, double attack etc. The book is broken into lots of small chapters so looking things up is pretty easy. What is important is that you learn basic concepts that you can expand on. He shows examples from games and other sources, teaching the idea as well as showing. This is almost a crib notes book to help you in the middlegame. If your over 2000 this book might not really be much use to you. I figure anyone U1800 can least learn something from this book. Just about anyone should be able to follow along and understand it. The book might only be 100 pages about, yet the content is better than most books that size. The Endgame Book in this series is also worth picking up. I think everyone should own a copy of this book. The price isnt really that bad for what you get in return. Not sure there is a better general idea middlegame book on market. If there is one, I really can't think of it. I have Art of Middlegame as well, which is a bit more advanced. This book is one of best gifts that I ever got to be honest.

In this slender volume, Averbakh, a renowned Russian GM (?) and famed coach, surveys middlegame knowledge from a tactical perspective. The chapters cover such things as pins, forks, double attacks, etc. and provide definitions as well as examples. Averbakh does not discuss strategy except in the sense of aiming for pins, forks and double attacks and positional topics like weak squares, outposts and pawn structures are not on the menu. Although I've seen middlegame discussions limited to tactical themes before, I am puzzled that planning and positional chess were not included in a middle essentials but...anyway, you've been advised.