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The art of winning

A while back, I decided I would do a series of reviews of middle game books. Upon doing this, I realized that I simply had too few middle game books. So of course I had to expand my book collection (oh no!). One book that was missing from my collection was the classic The art of the middle game by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov. So what better way to start this series of middle game book reviews than to discuss the art of the middle game, or as the Swedish title says: The art of winning in chess. Let's dive in!

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What can you expect from this book?

The art of the middle game was published in 1964, and is of course considered a classic of the middle game genre. I found a copy of the Swedish version on ebay, and decided to go with that. I was surprised to learn that this was published three years earlier, and that the English version was actually translated from Swedish.

One thing that separates the English edition from the "original" Swedish version, is that it has an additional chapter on planning, written by the translator, Harry Golombek. I haven't read it myself, but it is available via Google books.

Before going into the details of the book, I think it is important to give some context. At the time the book was written, there were not that many books on chess strategy and middle games. Most books were either opening theory or game collections. So Keres and Kotov were breaking some new ground and did not have a proper benchmark for this kind of book. If the book had been written today, it would probably have been very different.

The art of the middle game is a quite small book, both in terms of size (pocket format) and number of pages. The Swedish edition has just under 140 pages (excluding the foreword, table of contents etc.). So it would be naive to think that the book covers everything you need to know about middle games. Rather, it should be seen as an introduction to middle game analysis and strategic planning.

The book has four chapters that cover various middle game themes:
  1. Attacking the king (Kotov)
  2. Defending difficult positions (Keres)
  3. Central pawn formations (Kotov)
  4. The art of analysis (Keres)
Each chapter begins with a short presentation of the main principles that the authors want to focus on, and continues with a number of games to illustrate the main points. The games are well annotated and at times quite heavy on the analysis. This is especially the case in the final chapter. While the chapter title indicates that the theme is chess analysis in general, this is not the case. Rather, Keres focuses on the specific art of analyzing adjourned games. Of course, his approach can be applied to more general analysis, but that is not really the aim of the chapter. In Keres words:

"My examples above are not intended to provide any systematic guidelines for how to analyze an adjourned game. I have only wanted to demonstrate the work that awaits a chess master at home when his game has been adjourned."
(Swedish edition, p. 146, my translation)

In contrast to modern middle game books, the description of principles and methods are quite limited. The few principles that are mentioned will be well-known to most players beyond the basic level. Some examples: Attack if you have an advantage, play on the flanks if the center is closed, look for counterplay in worse positions. In other words, this should not be your go-to book for general advice on middle games.

The main selling point of the book is the analyses and annotations, and mainly the chapters by Keres. In his review of the book, Jeremy Silman mentions these two chapters as the reason that this book is a "must buy". Especially the final chapter has been lauded by several people, including translator/editor of the English edition Harry Golombek:

"It is the final chapter which I believe the reader will find most difficult to comprehend and yet most rewarding to study. It (...) reveals how a master's mind works and how a chess-player should set about the task of analysing any given position. (...) One can marvel at the collossal thoroughness with which Keres treats his analyses, without necessarily wishing to emulate him. And yet something of the spirit with which he approaches the game of chess will communicate itself to the reader if he is prepared to work through the examples with Keres as his guide."
(Editorial foreword, English edition, p. 10)

To summarize, this is not a book that you simply read and gather general advice. You can of course do that, but if you want to get something out of it, you should be prepared to play through the games and analyze alongside the authors. So perhaps it should be seen as a workbook rather than just a textbook.

Who should read this book?

This is a book for chess enthusiasts of all levels. The back cover of the Swedish edition states that the book can be read by anyone from beginners to elite players. Some parts are rather basic (e.g. chapter 1), and some parts are very advanced (e.g. chapter 4). But there is something for everyone here. If you are prepared to put in some work, you will surely be able to get something out of this book.

About this book

Author:Paul Keres & Alexander Kotov
Title:The art of the middle game (swe: Konsten att vinna i schack)
Type of book:Middlegame
Level:Any
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