Judgement and planning

Some books "fly under the radar" and do not get the same attention as the evergreen classics. But sometimes, there is gold in old mines. And I found a little golden nugget while shopping for used books. A book written for amateurs, by (arguably) the best amateur of all time; former world champion Max Euwe. Sounds promising, right?

If you like these reviews, please consider supporting my work. Visit my patreon page for details.
Become a Patron!

What can you expect from this book?

In my previous review of Chess Fundamentals, said that few world champions have written books for beginners and intermediate players. Capablanca is, of course, one exception. And another is Max Euwe.

Euwe is not the most well-known world champion. He was in his prime in the 1930s and 1940s, most notably in 1935 when he dethroned none other than the great Alexander Alekhine. Although many have suggested that Alekhine only lost because of heavy use of alcohol, beating him is no small feat (regardless of how drunk he may have been).

Apart from becoming world champion Euwe also was the FIDE president, but he was also a prolific writer. He has written about 20 "ordinary" books in addition to a vast number of booklets on opening theory. Among his most well-known books are the ones he has written with Walter Meiden, notably Chess Master vs Chess Amateur, which I have listed as one of my favorite books. That was my first book by Euwe, and the very reason Euwe appeared on my radar at all. And after reading Judgment and planning in chess, I am convinced that Euwe was just a fantastic writer. I'll get back to this.

As the title suggests, this book is written about how to assess a chess position and form a plan. In the introduction, Euwe himself describes the book in the following way.

The forming of a judgment, and the making of a plan, are the topics to be dealt with in this book. They form for the beginner, the bridge, that takes him across to those higher regions where not impulse but reason determines the choice of a move without, however, minimising the significance of what we call 'intuition'.

The book is structured around game analyses. Euwe opens each chapter by briefly explaining the topic at hand, and then he dives into some games that illustrates the points he wants to make. The games are presented in a similar way throughout the book: The first few opening moves are given without comment. He then presents a diagram of the position and breaks it down for the reader. He gives his assessment of the position, and explains why one side (if any) is better. He then describes the proper plan - usually for the stronger side. He stops at one or two points further down the road and repeats the process. Most games are concluded with a short summary and important learning points. This is a point that I really like. 

Altogether, the book covers 55 games and 170 diagrams. All the games are annotated in detail, with a fair bit of analysis in critical positions. If you want to download the pgn files for the games, or just play through them electronically, you can find a collection on chessgames.com.

The book has ten chapters which cover various topics:

1. First steps in Judging and Planning (An introduction to positional evaluation and planning)
2. Pawn Majority on the Queen's side
3. The Queen's side Attack
4. Knight against 'bad' Bishop
5. Weakening the King's side
6. The Attack on the King's field
7. Weak Pawns
8. 'Strong Squares'
9. Open Files
10. Illustrative Games

The chapters build on each other, and Euwe gives plenty of references to chapters and games that have been presented earlier in the book. The examples illustrate the concepts well, and the annotations are very clear and informative. I like how Euwe manages to explain his ideas briefly and to the point. Let me give you one example. This is his description of the concept of "strong squares" which, by the way, was new to me:

1. The square must be safe from attack by hostile pawns.
2. It must be near the enemy position.
3. It must be possible to bring to bear sufficient force on the square in question, so as to lead sooner or later to its effective occupation.

Now, you may think that he is simply describing an outpost. But this is not necessarily so. Remember that an outpost, as defined by Nimzowitsch, is a square that is defended by a pawn. A "strong square" could be defended by a pawn, but it doesn't have to be. Furthermore, it is not necessarily the same as a "weak square" (for the opponent), as that is usually a square in (and not simply near) their position. Let's take a look at an example.

The white knight is on a strong square,
but it's not an outpost.

Another thing I like is that Euwe "admits" that chess cannot be reduced to simple principles that always apply. This is where the final chapter (illustrative games) come in. Here, the themes are not as clear as in the examples, but no less instructive. As indicated in my review of Chess Fundamentals, I have started to use annotated master games for practicing game analysis. I have used the final chapter for this, and think this is an excellent way to engage with the material and test yourself to see what you have learned. As indicated above, the aim of this book is to enhance your positional understanding. But, as Euwe points out, the book will only get you halfway there:

It does not grow of itself but must be developed by the process of drawing conclusions in practical play. It represents the increasing ability to form a judgment on any position whatever without going into the details of exact calculation.

Altogether, I think this book provides an excellent foundation for developing positional understanding and the ability to correctly assess a position and develop a plan. I learned a bit from the book and enjoyed reading it very much.

Note: The book is in descriptive notation, which can be a turn-off for many people. There is an algebraic version, but it can be hard to get. But why not just learn descriptive?

Who should read this book?

Although the introduction of the book suggests that this is a book for beginners. I don't know how Euwe would define a 'beginner', but I think this is a book mainly for intermediate players. I wouldn't necessarily discourage beginners from reading it, but it may be a bit challenging for players with a strength below 1200. I think players with a strength in the 1400-1700 range will get the most out of this book. So if you're in that category, I suggest you read it!

About this book

Author:	Max Euwe
Title:	Judgment and planning in chess
Type of book:	Middlegame, Strategy
Level:	Beginner/Intermediate