What it teaches
Before My System, strategy was taught mostly as a set of rules inherited from Steinitz and Tarrasch. Aron Nimzowitsch, a leading player of the 1920s and a founder of the hypermodern school, broke the subject into named, teachable elements and gave players a vocabulary they still use a century later. Open files and the seventh rank, the passed pawn and its blockade, pawn chains and where to attack them, centralization, overprotection of key points and prophylaxis (stopping your opponent's plans before they start) all get systematic treatment.
The first half builds the elements one at a time; the second shows them working together in "positional play." Nimzowitsch writes with wit, ego and a love of provocation, which makes the book as entertaining as it is influential.
Who it's for
Club players from about 1400 upward who are ready to think about plans, not just tactics. Beginners will find it heavy going, and some examples are dense, but no strategy book has had more influence.
How to get the most from it
Read it slowly with a board, one chapter per week, and try to spot each element in your own games before moving on. Choose a modern edition in algebraic notation; several good translations exist.
Key takeaways
- Blockade passed pawns with a piece, ideally a knight, directly in front of them.
- Prophylaxis, stopping your opponent's plan first, is as important as pursuing your own.
- Attack a pawn chain at its base, not at its head.
- Overprotect key central points so your pieces gain strength from defending them.
Read next
For a modern, easier path into the same ideas, try How to Reassess Your Chess or Simple Chess. For the thinking of Nimzowitsch's great predecessor, read Lasker's Manual of Chess.
