I really improved after reading this book. I read this book on a plane ride to California (from Buffalo) and during my trip (4 days). I finished it a couple days after returning (about a week and a half total on the book).

I did not have a board, but I visualized the board from the diagram as there were enough for me to do so. I enjoyed the examples and thought they were very useful in teaching the material.

In any case, a couple weeks later, I won the Under 1600 section of the New York State Chess Championship. I'm not saying that this book was the only reason for doing this, but I learned much and was inspired by the positional play in all of the examples I read.

My only criticism is that there wasn't enough analysis behind some of the moves where the author makes a statement such as "and of course move x was terrible" and doesn't explain it. However, in my specific case, this was good, as I couldn't really analyze too many variations anyway, and instead was able to get the ideas behind the strategies explained.

I highly recommend this book as well as "Chess Tactics for the tournament Player" by the same author.

I disagree most ardently with the reviewer who gave one-star and claimed this book was misleading. I am a chess instructor and have found this book to be outstanding. Perhaps the other reviewer is used to Kotov or Timman or Igor Stohl; it is true, that this book by Alburt is not a book like that. But this book is magical and wonderful for several reasons. First, the instructive examples are absolutely wonderful. They seem very carefully chosen to illustrate the theme, and Alburt's comments are not extensive, but they constantly reiterate the theme to be followed. Deep study of these examples will pay huge dividends for your chess. For instance, just look at the first game, Alatortsev v. Levenfish. Not only is the good/bad bishop theme perfectly shown, but we see how that factor influences the endgame, and how the advantage of the good bishop is translated into a superior endgame. Second, the book is superbly produced. The paper is thick and strong, and so is the binding. It is true that there is quite a bit of blank space in the book, but I think this is a strength of the book. I have my students write notes and questions in the book, and there is plenty of room to do this. Other books have more text and variations, and I have found that students get bogged down in Kotov-like treatises. But with this book, they are filling up the margins with their comments and questions, they end up with a superior understanding of the straetgic theme being discussed, they know how the theme works in a practical setting, and they are truly progressing. Finally, I would like to address the other reviewer's point avout the title of the book being misleading. I disagree completely, as I think this book is in fact the ultimate book of strategy for the tournament player. "Tournament players" to me means the masses of players at tournaments. Those are the people who most need a practical guide such as this to show them how to implement crucial themes of strategy in their games. I have found that works like My System and Pawn Power in Chess are too abstract or unique to impart much practical working knowledge to the "tournament" player. This book by Alburt is of far more value to players than those books, even though they are of course classics. Many students get frustrated with the density of most chess books. It is valuable for a book to teach you without holding your hand. I have found that this book, and the companion books on Tactics, King in Jeopardy, 300 position pocket book, and Just the Facts, teach you, but make you learn for yourself too. THAT is the key--the knowledge in this book becomes the living property of the student, if he uses this book correctly. I love this book.

There is something special about these books. It's not just the paper and production, which is probably the best in all of chess publishing, and it's not just the crystal clear instruction. More than that, it seems somehow that Alburt understands exactly how to teach an aspiring chess player. Alburt knows that the player must feel he is progressing through a book. How often have you spent two hours on a single page of Dvoretsky and felt that you were getting nowhere? (Not to say that Dvoretsky books are not great, because they are. The point is that those books are aimed at a very advanced player; these are aimed more at typical club players). With this Alburt book on Strategy, you will feel that you are learning, and that you are plowing through the book. His books are long in pages, leaving plenty of room on pages for your own notes or thoughts. The examples are very well chosen to inculcate core concepts into your head. This sounds trite, but there is really something here in that regard; Alburt knows how to pick examples that will provide maximum instruction. Most importantly, as I go through this book, I am having fun. It never goes over your head. There are variations placed at precisely the rights spots. Having fun going through a chess book is very key, since many of us have a very up and down relationship with chess. Sometimes is seems to hard to improve, and thus becomes less fun. If I had to sumamrize this Strategy book and all the other books of the Alburt series, I would say that they are fun, and you will ENJOY chess working through them. Is there a higher compliment than that?

This book is very readable- it uses puzzles and a few complete games to canvas basic principles of opening, middle and endgame play. For players under 1200 ELO.

I am a very visual learner. Apparently, so are Russian children. This book is written in the manner that Russian children are taught: a chessboard is laid down, pieces placed, and a question posed, say, checkmate in two. Your job is to figure out how to get there. In the book, the first half is composed of pages of such diagrams, each geared towards either explaining visually how a piece moves, its value in trade, its best positions, etc. It is a great way to learn the game.
The book starts off slowly, explaining how the game works. You then work through various parts of the game: openings, middle moves, and closings. This game really helped me to develop a solid opening.
I have always had trouble with the middle game; this book gives the basics for that. The second volume gives a much more in-depth treatment of the game; openings, closings, and middle game strategy. But this is the book to get for a new player, or for one who always seems to get beaten. I started out losing to the computer on its easiest level, now I still lose, but at least I understand why, heh heh. Seriously, it is written in an understandable manner, and if you're a visual learner, the problem sets are really worthwhile.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Okay, before I read this I stunk at chess. I was getting beaten by a 12 year old and my cousin was champion of the family. The only thing I knew was piece movement, not the true intricate workings of the board and pieces, or how many points each piece was worth, or ways to checkmate a king. After reading this book, I beat my cousin in chess, whereas I hadn't before that time. What does that tell you?

As a fellow gay Jew, I was very interested in reading these short stories. And I was not disappointed. Each story was so well-written and really hit home. The impact of the Holocaust on our generation is not to be underestimated and as a gay Jewish man, this seems all that more powerful. The most moving story was that of Great Aunt Rose (ironically I also had a Great Aunt Rose). That reallz made me think, espeiallz how Raphael says that Americans always want to analyze. I really thought that the story written for class was so wonderful. Imagine my surprise when Rose is just devastated.

Snippets of day to day life, told from the viewpoint of being both Gay & Jewish, with which any Gay man can identify regardless of his religion. Enlightening for anyone Jewish who believes Gays must be different from straights; comforting in its affirmaton that we are not unique in our feelings.

to the Game of Chess. Suggests and offers examples, to practice on your computer, of basic mates and elementary endgames. The book is written in a friendly style that is unlikely to intimidate one new to Chess. As such the book is suitable for individuals with no prior knowledge of the game and particularly appropriate when included with the gift of a chess computer (or chess software) to such an individual.

Unfortunately I was disappointed. I was looking for something that built on and expanded Julio Kaplan's "How to Get the Most from Your Chess Computer" RHM Press 1980. For a (more) rigorous examination of how computers play chess and advanced methods of employing the computer to improve your game I highly recommend Kaplan's work.

This book is good for beginners and intermediate players. It doesn't give you 101 chess opening but it can lead you to more than 101 opening. The author summarizes opening ideas and clarifies middle-game stretegies. It might be better if you buy this book accompanied with a good chess-opening book, then read opening tactics and compare to this book.

This is volume 2 in Lev Alburt's series, and is layed out in easy-to-follow puzzle format with many diagrams. This is a great second book for a beginner who already knows the moves and a few basic concepts and wishes to improve further.

It's probably the quickest way to learn chess, and the right way to do it. Very pleasing to read and full of "Chessercizes" that help you test your understanding of the presented material. This volume enhances your knowledge of the game not through boring opening memorization but through tactics and tactical devices that can be applied to any game at anytime. won't believe how it will improve your game and playing style as well as your appreciation for the fine art of chess.

This is certainly one of the few chess books that can actually help you improve your game. Alburt defected to the U.S. from Russia in the 1970's and became 3 time U.S. champion. This is not a puzzle book- its more like a chess workshop at the expert 2000 elo level. Contains several of Alburt's games- highly recommended. Much of the book is spent on deep analysis of an isolated queen pawn position.

This is one of the few chess books that can actually help you improve your game. Alburt defected to the U.S. from Russia in the 1970's and became 3 time U.S. champion. This is not a puzzle book- its more like a chess workshop at the expert 2000 elo level.

Let's get one thing straght about this series by Alburt et al: it's not stellar in any way and certainly contains no scintillating discovery of a new method. There is one thing which does shine through these books: the hype is unsurpassed! The authors cannot contain themselves long enough in the pages before splashing someone's biography complete with their availability for lessons, their rates, their 'phone numbers and what they had for dinner last night! (just keeeedink!;-). People, I already BOUGHT the book, I don't require commercials while reading it. This was a disconcerting aspect of reading it.

On the other hand, it does contain the necessary material for the student to play the endgame at a reasonably high level of understanding. The layout is good and color is used to good effect to highlight important points. It would have received a fourth start but I don't think it's worth the price they're asking. A better book at a better price for beginners would be Silman's Endgame book, check it out.

I've read several endgame books, but none have the outstanding clarity and wit of this entertaining volume. Alburt starts with fundamental concepts of king and pawn endgames (opposition, triangulation, zugzwang, etc) and proceeds to more complex endgame situations.

One gets the feeling this will become a classic endgame text.

After reading the section on rook and pawn endgames I was in a game with a complex endgame where all the relevant principles applied. The clarity of presentation meant that it was easy to recall under combat conditions!

First of all, if things haven't changed that much by the time Amazon.com releases my review, and if this paucity of reviewers is any indicator of chesslovers interested in studying the endgame, I find it rather alarming that there are only FIVE reviews of this book!! With that said, and since I have carefully studied this book at TWO different periods in the past 365 days (May-August, 2000 [3 months] and January-March, 2001 [2 months]) I feel it necessary to present to Amazon.com my review of "Just The Facts". In the time before May, 2000, I spent at least two and half years straight studying the middlegame. My skill and knowledge increased, but not as much as when I studied this book!! Endgame knowledge is very necessary!!! What made it so easy for me to become eager to read this book was that I saw one phrase in the description on the back of the book: "endgame knowledge is IMMUTABLE." It's unchangeable!! That means that for all the volatility of the opening (which is where the majority of chessplayers direct their study attention) and the middlegame, [if and] when that chess game you're playing reaches the endgame, a great amount of guesswork concerning what plan and moves should be made has been eliminated (due to the immutability of the endgame principles). The key is that you have to know the principles. Once that word "immutable" sinks in, that should tell you that you don't have to go searching for any other endgame books to read to try to further enhance and improve your endgame skill; the way you tend to do when you study the middlegame and the openings. I really enjoyed studying through this book and I'll probably do it again at some time in the next three years. Going over this book again and again doesn't at all mean that it's difficult. This book is very easy and very enjoyable to study through. It is even attractive to the eye. You should keep a notebook on the endgame patterns and their page numbers while studying this book. You should also keep notes on the endgame material classifications (such as a "rook-and-knight-versus-rook-and-bishop" endgame) and their page numbers. My only complaint (and I'll admit it is trifling) is that there's no page number reference to the "blue bullets" (Alburt calls them "breakouts") of endgame tips; once you've read the whole book, it would be helpful to "review-at-a-glance" these tidbits of information just to help keep these tips fresh in your memory. (so I've taped my own page reference to the back inside cover of my book!) I have great confidence that using the knowledge of THIS endgame book (the "end-all" of all other endgame books) will increase your chess rating by a massive percentage. The only other thing I can think of to enhance your endgame play after reading this book is to see such APPLICATIONS of these principles in master games such as in "Extreme Chess" (Alekhine and Euwe-1935 and 1937 and Fischer and Spassky-1972)and in Pal Benko's "Endgame Lab" which appears in the monthly magazine, "Chess Life". ...And of course actually playing chess over the board over and over again, notating your whole game so you can review it (whether you win or lose).

Well, what can I say. I am extremely disappointed and really upset. I want my money back. !!!They ripped me off!!!. I bought this book because Lev Borodovsky is the Chairman of the GARP, but unfortunately he didn't write the book. He didn't developed any theme. He is just a seller who recommends the purchase of the book. He plays a decoy role. It's a dishonest attitude towards the readers and risk management professionals. The professional's handbook of financial risk is no more than a dictionary, a big dictionary on risk management. As a reader said: a summary. There is NO huge and depth development of each subject. In this handbook the themes are presented in a simply and tiny way

One reader said, this book is for consumers who work in the field of financial risk management. Well, I work as a professional risk management consultant and derivatives lecturer. So, I can use this book as a simple dictionary. It doesn't add anything. I prefer Risk Management by Michel Crouhy as a better professional handbook on risk management. With respect to VaR, Jorion's Value at Risk is tremendously and immensely much better.

The second theme: Measuring volatility, ARCH models and GARCH specifically are terribly bad developed, pitiable and vague. There is no useful application. A great, objective, practical discussion on GARCH, estimating volatility and correlations are discussed in Options, Futures & other derivatives by John C. Hull. Believe it or not.!! Every book must have a balance between a theoretical and practical content, let's say 50-50. Borodovsky's Financial risk management has a 90% conceptual (not theoretical) and 10% practical. When I say practical, I mean effortless and unclear exercises, not professional solved cases and applications of the real world. Back testing and stress testing themes present a deficient, incomplete and poor development. A Montecarlo simulation very unsatisfactory and pathetic.

The professional's handbook of Financial risk management is a rip-off. Definitely a rip-off!!!. This book should cost $40.00 dollars. It's just a dictionary. It deserves 2 star.

I used this book extensively for the Financial Risk Management exam and I am pleased to say passed and am a certified FRM now. The contents of the book cover the syllabus of the exam well.

As the previous reviewers have mentioned, this book is most useful for consumers who work in the field of Financial risk management. I however am studying a course in this field at University and what i can say is that this book as bumped up my essay grades.

The reference books i work with aren't as comprehensive, upto-date or as well researched as this book. If you want great examples, useful figures and information this is where you should look.

If you're a student and have alot of spare cash then this is for you, alternatively as reviewers who work in this field have said- its worth the money. Be warned that although the lay-out is logical and well presented, it isn't in large fonts with pictures and colours like most college text books.

This book is a good bridge between absolute beginner's and someone finding other chess books over their heads. It has hundreds of problems to solve and emphasizes practical endgames that any player will encounter regularly. It has helped me improve tactically and in my endgames. This improvement is slowly helping me understand how to plan in unclear positions. It has also helped in seeing opponents threats before it is too late.

If you find that most chess books are interesting to read but have not made much of a difference in your playing strength then you might try this one and go back to the others later.

The last section of the book is very inspiring on where to go to improve after you master the material in this book.

Enjoy!

I loved this book. I recomend this book series to anyone that wants to improve or just for light entertainment. I am a very series chess player and have improved greatly with this book and the others in the series. GM Alburt teaches something, I don't think anyone has mastered to teach what the actual student really wants to learn.Alburt explains how to draw a completly hopeless game, Sac major pieces for mates in a couple or so. Just stuff ohter books fail to teach you. There is this one postion I loved. A mate in 3 for white. I figuired it out, The answer was sacking a queen for a pawn, the idea was, if the pawn didn't tkae, it would be forced mate in 1 or 2. If he took, samething. Just postions like that, make you aw and ew. And you will find out that when the Brain see's stuff like that, It will quickly be fasinatated by what it just saw and obsorb it automatically! This book and the the rest of the series has really really helped mee to impove my game *ALOT*

I have been playing chess for 30 years. I wish I had this book 30 years ago. This is a simple, clear introduction to the game of chess.

The authors have based this series of books on the teachings of the Soviet school of chess. There are twelve lesssons in this book, teaching about a different piece or concept. The beauty of this book is that it breaks down chess into small, manageable parts, and covers all the basics of the game.

The lessons progress from the easiest piece (the pawn) to the king, checkmate, stalemate, en passant, and castling. The idea that you learn to play a game with just pawns first, then pawns, bishops and rooks, not only lets students learn the simpler pieces first, but also shows that chess can be played without moving the queen all the time, a good lesson for beginners. Also, there are several simple drills to help players visualize the chessboard, a key skill in becoming a good player.

I am using this text for teaching students new to the game, and so far the results are encouraging. This book is worth every penny I paid for it.

I thought the book was both educational and interesting. I've gone through the book over a dozen times in the last three months as well as using ChessbaseLite to test myself on these same 300 positions. The positions definitely cover a great deal of topics: elementary tactics, endgames, calculation techniques (when to stop), quiet moves, and so on. I've definitely got my money's worth. HOWEVER, I gave the book 3 stars for two reasons. First, I resented the subtitle's "Most Important Positions" - it is a crude marketing gimmick that implies that you're getting something that you aren't going to get elsewhere and that there is something unique in the book's arrangement - there isn't. This is a tactics book and if you already own a few, don't worry that you're missing some "Russian chess secret" contained here. Second, other reviewers have gone way overboard in praising this book as though it were a comprehensive organized chess guide: it isn't. It is a solid tactics book you don't really need if you have a few already.

This is a very good book of tactical positions. It has the advantage over some of its competitors (depending on your strength) of offering some analysis of its positions in words, and also of presenting the positions without clues to their solution -- if you don't want them (if you do, you can look on the facing page). Unfortunately, the cover of the book is such an embarrassment that one does not want to be seen with it in public. I cut the cover off of my copy, lest observers conclude that I imagine studying chess is a way to get laid.

The correlations between these positions and in the actual game is uncanny. If we were to pick the 300 most practical and most useful tools in chess, at least 90% of the diagrams from this book would fit the category. This is one book and it will not teach you absolutely everything about the middle game, so I would suggest not to place unrealistic expectations on the material. If you want to know everything about chess then I suggest you buy Fritz 7.0 and analyze everything about chess in your leisure time. You just might find that it is impossible to do so in your lifetime, therefore the most effective way to study could be a mixture of both memorization, knowing certain solid positions and finding correlations. If there is one book out of the Lev Alburt Chess Course I would buy again, it would be Chess Training Pocket Book.