Improve Your Middlegame Play

This book is useful, but not the one chess book you should buy over all others. As other reviewers have stated, it deals more with specific subjects than a look at everything in the middlegame. "Worst Piece First" echoes what other writers have said in the past, but it is a useful way of thinking about it which has improved my play. The other tidbits are interesting, such as showing how black can activate his French bishop, but they are not a whole book. The chapters that make this book worth buying are 'Keeping Control' which shows how to deal with complex situations, and 'Attacking Play' which is arguably the most instructive chapter. Overall this is not a book, but a collection of advice on separate subjects, though they are all interesting and helpful. Though not well structured, Kinsman produces a workable book.

Its hard to find a chess book which is at the same time easy to read and helps improve one's game. Improve Your Middlegame Play is a pleasant exception. The book starts off with a very nice Karpov game, one of those that looks so easy but we all know how difficult it really is! His advice: Try to play with a draw in hand. This is the value Kinsman brings to the book - he gives very good, commonsensical advice which is usually learned the hard way - through many painful losses! He focuses mainly on the practical aspects of chess. Dealing with Time Trouble is another very good chapter of wisdom. Every chessplayer would have experienced throwing away many hours of hard and good work in a bitter time scramble. Kinsman gives valuable advice which would help in those critical 'big points'.This book is well suited for anyone between the strength of 1800-2200 (USCF) and aspiring towards an international rating / national master title.