EXCELLING AT POSITIONAL CHESS is the sequel to author Jacob Aagard’s earlier work, the well-regarded EXCELLING AT CHESS (click to see Watson’s review of this book). The current book differs markedly from its predecessor in that about two thirds of it is devoted to 108 exercises and solutions aimed at improving the students’ command of positional chess.

While the preceding six chapters are of interest, it is the exercises that are the heart of the book. The examples are well chosen and in many cases not so clear cut, which make them excellent training material. For example in an early exercise – Miles-Kortchnoi, Lugano 1989 – Viktor’s sharp play creates a position in which it is very difficult to determine whether Black is actually better (Kortchnoi calls it unclear in Chess Informant) and yet when you see how he handles the situation the logic behind his play is crystal clear.

The solutions are well explained and the players in the exercises are of a high enough caliber that more detailed explanation can often be hunted down if desired. I have no doubt that players in the 2000-2500 range can derive great benefit from working their way through this material in this book.

Click to see Silman’s review of this book.

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