Judgment and Planning in Chess - Tapa blanda

This is a basic book that teaches strategic planning in chess. It is a book that an entire generation of aspiring chess players studied and read, but seems to be nearly forgotten today. Written by a former Chess Champion of the world, this book has as its basis an entirely novel idea which will help players over a real difficulty. Many books have been written on the openings, some knowledge of which is essential to those who wish to enjoy their chess by playing it well. But after eight to fifteen moves or so the book on openings must of necessity break off, and the student is left with the intimation that the position in question is even, or that White or Black stands slightly better. This book is concerned with the game from then on. The author studies a number of orthodox openings and position from the point where the opening stage has come to an end. He describes the characteristics of the position reached, shows why one or the other side stands better, and gives a thoroughly practical demonstration of the means by which the game can be brought to its logical conclusion.

Max Euwe was born on May 20, 1901 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He has long been regarded as almost an accidental world champion. This has resulted in a controversy that is still being debated today: Was Euwe really the strongest player in the world when he won the world championship in 1935? Regardless of that issue, Euwe was certainly the most active and prolific writer about the game. He was never a professional player. He had a real job. He was a math professor. After retirement he became a chess official. He was president of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978. This was during the Cold War and Euwe had to make many difficult decisions for the good of chess. It was absolutely, definitely because of Euwe that Bobby Fischer got to sit down at the board to play a match for the World Chess Championship. Fischer had been disqualified many times along the way, the first time being when he refused to play in the US Championship that was a necessary preliminary to the World Chess Championship competition. Thus, Euwe had to walk the thin tightrope between getting Fischer to play while not causing the Spassky and the Soviets to refuse to compete because of favoritism shown to Fischer. Euwe died on November 26, 1981 in his native Amsterdam at age 80.