The Genesis of Power Chess: Effective Winning Technique for Strategy and Tactics

When I was given this book in the summer of 1995 I never figured that it would influence my playing as it had. Nearly ten years later I still thumb through many of the positions and review its many themes. This is th book for the beginner and intermediate player. It presents 700 positions divided up into 8 chapters, starting with the first chapter on the basics. The beginning player will benefit tremendously from this first chapter while intermediate players will find it to be excellent to skim through. The subsequent seven chapters deal with positional play, tactics, and endgame tequnique. There are generally two positions presentd per page, with a very clear and easy to understand analysis below. I must have read this book twenty times, and don't leave home without it. It is excellent for sharpening tactics, positional play, and I think that this is the best introduction to the endgame I've ever read. Unlike other chessbooks The Genesis of Power Chess makes learning easy and enjoyable rather than some monotonous, herculean task. Dr. Ault has created a classic and it is surprising that more chess players are not relying on this invaluable tool for improvement.

This is a terrific book by a relatively little-known author. Ault is an experienced tournament chess player, and a recognized authority in psychology and training methods. His book should be better known, since it is one of the best approaches I have ever read (and I've read quite a few) to the complex and abstract subject of positional chess thinking. He has developed a very logical and systematic approach, building from simple concepts (basic mates, basic endgames) to more difficult ones (knight outposts, knights vs bishops, controlling key squares, etc). He wrote another, earlier chess book (The Chess Tutor: Elements of Combinations) addressing the basic tactical themes of chess (pins, skewers, forks, etc). This is another gem of a book. He also co-authored the classis book Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, and developed the chess training method pioneered by that book. If you're looking to improve your understanding of positional chess, then The Genesis of Power Chess will be well worth your time. I'm working my way through it for the third time - each time I read it, my game gets a little better.

I cannot believe that this is not a wildly popular book! Somonerecommended it to me on the newsgroup, and I cannot get over how greatthis teacher is! He is lifting me gently, challenging me, and bringing me along! I feel like this is private lessons! Everything he does is logical and makes sense! This ought to be right up there with "Reassess Your Chess" with Silman, and Yasser's books also! Are there MORE by this author?

I studied my paper back copy of this book so much that I had to make my own hardcover binding to help preserve it from further destruction. No useless diagrams, overbearing alternate line analysis or complete game transcripts to sift through. The author has made sure that everything presented has a logical reason for being included. The author has also organized the material in a logical order starting with simple endgame positions and building from these into more complex positions and concepts throughout the book. This may be the only chess puzzle style book that doesn't contain only worthless mate-in-2, and similar, positions. Most positions focus on application of correct chess principles to obtain a winning advantage and not necessarily the flashiest mate-in-x combination. Buy this book if you want to study and learn effective ways to improve your game, as opposed to reading someone's post game analysis inserted into the listings of their favorite games.

Unlike many chess books, this book leads you along as if the author is standing over your shoulder. Rather than provide just a set of positions for you in a random fashion, Ault presents each position along with a paragraph or two of commentary containing the lesson he is trying to push across. The positions proceed along systematic, progressive themes beginning with simple mates, through endgame play, then strategic considerations such as pawn play, piece play, and attacks. The last section has a variety of positions with themes randomly chosen from the preceding discussions. An very instructive and well-organized tutorial on chess strategy, that has certainly improved my chess understanding and actual play!