Good planning is central to good chess. A plan gives meaning to manoeuvres and tactical devices, forming a coherent whole that brings us closer to our goals. The modern understanding of chess planning has evolved considerably since the days of the "grand plan", whereby a player might even try to map out the whole course of the game. Nowadays, top-class players appreciate that the opponent's ideas also deserve respect, and our own plans must take them into account too. Modern grandmasters plan with great purpose but also flexibly, ready to adjust or even change direction completely when the situation demands it.

Grivas provides 75 superb practical examples where it is important to make the right plan. Once the critical position is reached, he guides you through the options and challenges you to find the right path. Detailed solutions are provided, with a full discussion of the pros and cons of the various options.

Grandmaster Efstratios Grivas lives in Athens and is also an International Arbiter and Organizer. He has represented his country on a great many occasions, winning an individual gold medal at the 1989 European Team Championship and an individual silver medal at the 1998 Olympiad. He is a FIDE Senior Trainer and an experienced writer. This is his sixth book for Gambit.

Download a pdf file with a sample from the book.

Gambit books by Grivas: A Complete Guide to the Grivas Sicilian, Beating the Fianchetto Defences, Chess College 1: Strategy, Chess College 2: Pawn Play, Chess College 3: Technique, Modern Chess Planning.

"An excellent training source for players in the 1500-2200 range. ... I find it very useful for getting younger players to consider the position as a whole before rushing to judgement about particular details" - GM Jonathan Rowson, New-in-Chess

"A very good idea. I suspect you WILL discover the kinds of mistakes you are making in your planning as well as how to make better plans... at least the solutions seem to indicate this." - Bob Long, www.chessco.com

"It is well known, that one of the most practiced training methods, is that of analysing common and crucial positions and finding ways forward. With this book, you will discover where you stand with regard to this very important part of chess, in addition to gaining some valuable insights from an experienced player, and trainer. ... A nice job indeed!" - John Lee Shaw, www.chessgateway.com

"An excellent training course in planning. Highly recommended." - Paul Dunn, Australian Chess magazine

"A variation of Euwe's Judgement and Planning in Chess... here the reader is asked to discover the best plan, in return for which points are awarded. An exceptional book for junior organisers and chess coaches." - Bab Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad

"Some books just work; they do exactly what they set out to do. Efstratios Grivas's Modern Chess Planning is one of them. While there are many competent instructional books on the market, few are so good they make you say 'wow' or earn an unqualified endorsement. But I must admit I am quite enthusiastic about Modern Chess Planning ... This book is not only 'a practical training course in logical chess,' it's a training course in confident chess. Anyone in the intended audience (1500-2200) has experienced the frustration of looking at a position and not knowing what to do. Obviously, one can look for tactics, but what limits one's understanding, if not success, is not seeing what plans are available - or, if they're seen, knowing which one to choose. The more one gets it right, though, the more confident one becomes. The best tests not only test what you know, they challenge you to prove you know more than you thought you did. Modern Chess Planning does that. It's not an easy book; I doubt many players can skim the choices and do well. But if you put in the time, it will deepen your understanding of the planning process, and strengthen your ability to make plans yourself. ... This is a book I intend to recommend highly, to use with my students and to refer to again. For anyone serious about recognizing and developing good plans, Modern Chess Planning ought to be on their 'must buy' list." - David Kaufman, www.chesscafe.com

"Grandmaster Efstratios Grivas provides the reader in his latest Gambit book with a exciting collection of 75 practical examples where the reader is invited to find the correct plan of play. Grivas does not leave you alone with a complicated position but he guides the reader with a clear explained selection of possibilities. After the test the reader must take a good look at the solutions: it is all very well explained by the great chess teacher Efstratios Grivas! Conclusion: A fine test book on logical planning!" - John Elburg, chessbooks.nl

"The experience gained from working on the wide range of positions included will be sure to develop a more professional approach towards planning in chess as well as significantly help the reader find the best plans faster in his or her own games. Highly recommended." - Andy May, nsgchess.com

"The reader is presented with a short verbal summary of the main characteristics of the given position, and is asked to choose the best plan from three suggestions, all of which are at first sight plausible continuations. In order to find the best plan the reader must first delve more deeply into the position. Solutions are given at the back of the book, with points awarded for the different possibilities. There is also a chart at the end of the book on which you can record your points for each position, and convince yourself that you really are GM material! ... Have a go yourself. I think that you will find it a worthwhile experience." - Alan Sutton, En Passant

" The Greek GM, who has become a regular for the Gambit team, presents 75 tests, 50 of them derived from his own games. Each test has one page and a key position with a diagram. A prose overview is given and then three choices are offered. ... The back of the book offers not only detailed solutions but also what was wrong with the alternatives. Modern Chess Planning offers the aspiring student an excellent opportunity to improve their planing ability through active study." - IM John Donaldson, www.jeremysilman.com