Mastering Chess Strategy | Johan Hellsten

“Mastering Chess Strategy” won the ChessCafe Book of the Year (2009) and the British Chess Federation (BCF) Book of the Year (2009).

This outstanding book is a product of his years of work as a full-time chess teacher. It is designed as part of a structured training programme to improve strategic thinking. Hellsten focuses on a wide range of key subjects and provides a basic foundation for strategic play. He emphasises an understanding of strategic principles rather than memorisation.

• Ideally suited to intermediate and advanced players wishing to deepen their strategic understanding. Players rated Elo 1600 and above will particularly enjoy this book.
• Learn the basic foundations of strategy in all three phases of chess: the opening, middlegame and endgame
• An excellent resource for teachers and trainers 
• 300+ annotated games and examples
• Study and appreciate games from various styles and eras
• Practical advice for applying strategic concepts
• Clear explanations and concise notations
• Exercises and quizzes to test your understanding  
• A comprehensive guide for chess strategy

Reader’s Reviews:

To fully benefit from this book, it's essential to take your time and work through each example game along with the associated problem sets. The book effectively illustrates a variety of midgame strategic concepts and piece-specific strategies. 

Johan Hellsten's entire series excels at presenting challenging ideas in an easily understandable manner. However, readers must invest effort to maximize their learning from the material - K Host

Reflecting the sentiments of other reviewers, this book serves as an exceptional resource for enhancing your middlegame understanding. It features high-quality examples accompanied by just the right level of analysis, offering excellent coverage of the topic. I highly recommend it for intermediate chess players aiming to elevate their game – JLO

About the Author:

Johan Hellsten (born 25 December 1975) is a Swedish chess Grandmaster. He was the Swedish Chess Champion in 2006. Born in 1975, Hellsten earned his international master title in 1995 and his Grandmaster title in 2004. In 2006, he won the Swedish Chess Championship. He played for Sweden in the Chess Olympiads of 1996, 2004 and 2006 and in the European Team Chess Championships of 1997, 2003 and 2005. As of the July 2020 rating FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2550, making him the No. 4 ranked Swedish player, though he is inactive.

Other Details:

Paperback
Pages: 496
Dimensions: 17.8 x 3.2 x 26cm
ISBN-13: 9781857446487