THE SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS (Jonathan Rowson)
208 pages
(248 mm by 172 mm).
£16.99/$24.95/€26,50
Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often
we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we
commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions
about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning
signs better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson
investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players
sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological
pitfalls: thinking (unnecessary or erroneous); blinking (missing opportunities;
lack of resolution); wanting (too much concern with the result of the game);
materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors); egoism (insufficient
awareness of the opponent and his ideas); perfectionism (running short of time,
trying too hard); looseness ("losing the plot", drifting, poor
concentration).
Jonathan Rowson became Scotland's third grandmaster
in late 1999, within months of graduating from Oxford University. He was
runner-up in the 1997 European Junior Championship, Scottish Champion in 1999,
2001 and 2004, winner of the Canadian Open in 2000, winner of the Hastings
Premier 2003/2004, and British Champion in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he won the
British Championship for an extraordinary third year in succession.
Gambit books by Jonathan Rowson: Understanding the Grünfeld, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, and Chess for Zebras.
Download a pdf file with a
sample from the book.
"Overall, the book is written in an engaging,
conversational, highly readable and occasionally digressive prose style that is
very appealing; Rowson is a chess writer who can actually write." - Paul
Kane, www.compulsivereader.com/html/
"Whenever two large groups argue over a subject so
intensely, that subject MUST be interesting and thought provoking... The
Seven Deadly Chess Sins is a fascinating, original, insightful work by the
most promising young chess writer out there. It's well worth owning (in fact, I
consider it a MUST own!), and contains a bounty of knowledge that will improve
your game at the cellular level if the Zen gene is a dominant one in
you...Quite simply, THE SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS is one of the best chessbooks
to come out in many, many years." - Jeremy Silman, SILMAN REVIEWS
"Jonathan Rowson is to be congratulated on producing a book
of such intellectual depth... I have now identified my sins and hopefully I
will now become a better player." - Alan Sutton, EN PASSANT
"He has broken ranks by writing about playing chess as it
actually is rather than it ought to be and should be greatly commended for
this. This is a book which, in contrast to the vast majority of its brethren, I
will continue to visit and revisit" - GM Jon Speelman, THE INDEPENDENT
"Jonathan Rowson's psychological and philosophical musings
called "The Seven Deadly Chess Sins" makes splendid reading and certainly helps
those chessplayers who think too much during the games, or miss opportunities,
or are too greedy, or don't pay attention to material, or refuse to see another
human across the chessboard, or try to be too perfect or drift while
concentrating. Or all of the above" - GM Lubosh Kavalek, WASHINGTON
POST
"...easily the leading book on chess psychology, by far the
most useful one, very possibly a classic..." - John Watson, TWIC
"... could well prove to be a leading contender for chess
book of the year and may prove the most original work of its genre since
Nimzowitsch's 'My System' appeared more than 70 years ago" - J J Walsh,
IRISH TIMES
"Thought provoking and interesting" - Alan Borwell,
SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENCE CHESS
"Sensational. A most thought-provoking work which looks at
the psychological aspects of troublesome chess... we have doubled our usual
order" - Bob Long, CHESSCO
"Rowson himself notes that the book can be viewed as intense
or evangelical. I found it absorbing. Bob Long at Chessco expects this title to
be so popular he wrote on his web-site that he's ordering 50 at a time" -
Mark Donlan, CHESS HORIZONS
"Throughout the writing and the chosen examples, one is
struck by the originality of the work. This is not your typical middlegame book
that tosses out typical rules or concepts, illustrates them with cut-and-dried
examples that can be found in other similar works, and then repeats the concept
ad nauseum. Instead we get quotes from the likes of Kierkegaard, Simon and
Garfunkel, Seneca, Oscar Wilde, Deng Ming Dao, William Blake, and the fictional
character Yoda - as well as better known chess practitioners like Kasparov,
Larsen, Korchnoi, Miles, and Hodgson.......a feast of chess philosophy" -
Randy Bauer, RANDY'S REVIEWS
"GM Jonathan Rowson's The Seven Deadly Chess Sins
shows how a much deeper understanding of oneself can help enormously to
eliminate certain common causes of error" - GM Paul Motwani, THE
SCOTSMAN
"The examples are very well chosen and do emphasise well,
in a way which readers can easily empathise with, as to how a certain sin can
easily lead to ruin in a game or as to how useful a certain remedy is" -
Richard Palliser, BCF CHESS MOVES
"This book is on a similar level to Alex Yermolinsky's The Road to Chess Improvement... surely destined to
be a best seller" - Danny Gormally, WEEKEND CHESS MAGAZINE
"Having read a couple of chess psychology books I can safely
say this one really strikes a chord... a brilliant book" - Monroe
Morrison, OPEN FILE
"I found the writing very personal and easy to read. If you
read this book from cover to cover you will learn a lot about yourself and,
hopefully, will improve your chess at the same time. Very Highly Recommended."
- Paul Dunn, AUSTRALIAN CHESS FORUM
"GM Rowson offers homely tips mixed with philosophic
musings... a stimulating read" - Leonard Barden, EVENING STANDARD
"The book is written in a pleasantly entertaining manner, so
that one can describe this well-worth-reading book as an all-round success." -
Schachmarkt
"You need no previous knowledge of psychology to profit from
this book. I recommend the book to players over 1750." - Helmut Conrady,
Rochade |
