Book Recap #33- Think Like a Super GM and Strategic Chess Exercises: 2 Great Books for Intermediate Level and Up (with Dr. Michael Franco)

The book review series Chess Books Recaptured is back to discuss a couple of great puzzle books with a strategic orientation. 1) First up, we discuss a lesser-known but excellent collection of puzzles and insightful analysis, Strategic Chess Exercises by GM Emanuel Bricard. Following that, we discuss one of the most (rightfully) acclaimed books of recent years, Think Like a Super GM by Phillip Hurtado and GM Michael Adams. Because these are both reasonably advanced books, we also share some similarly-spirited recommendations for lower-rated players. Joining me for it all, is returning guest, Dr. Michael Franco (NoseKnowsAll) who is a Software Engineer and fast-improving amateur player, who is active in various online chess communities.  

Timestamps of books and topics discussed are below. 

Spotify playlist for other book reviews:

https://spotify.link/Sx2hLmiTiDb

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Among countless other instructive courses, Strategic Chess Exercises is available via Chessable:

https://www.chessable.com/strategic-chess-exercises/course/16565/

0:00- For what levels are these books best suited? 

0:03- Why does Michael love the book Strategic Chess Exercises ? What is its format?  

Mentioned: Available on Chessable and Amazon, Michael’s appearance on Chess Journeys (Episode 102)

14:00- What are my quibbles about this high-quality book? 

20:00- We discuss Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Phillip Hurtado 

Mentioned: Thought and Choice in Chess by de Groot, GM Jesse Kraai’s Video Review of Think Like a Super GM, My written review of Think Like a Super GM 

35:00- Any quibbles with Think Like a Super GM?

39:00- Conclusions from and comparison between the 2 books. 

47:00- We suggest similar books to these two that are accessible for players rated below 1500. 

Mentioned: Evaluate like a GM, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook, Power of Pawns, Simple Chess, Mastering Chess Strategy, Winning Chess Strategy 

52:00- We finish up by discussing Michael’s next chess books and tournaments. 

Mentioned: Small Steps to Giant Improvement 

Contact Michael via Lichess:

https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll

Pre-order Perpetual Chess Improvement here (or wait for it to be available in other formats!) 

https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PPCN7OZTKJU6&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1695235338&s=books&sprefix=perpetual+chess+improvement%2Cstripbooks%2C79&sr=1-1

If you would like to volunteer to potentially co-host a book discussion, you can do so via the form here:

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