What it teaches
Soviet grandmaster Alexander Kotov set out to describe how strong players actually think, and his answers shaped chess training for decades. The heart of the book is the method of candidate moves: list the serious options first, then analyze each one, branch by branch, building a "tree of analysis" rather than jumping back and forth. Kotov also covers positional assessment, planning and the practical side of play in tournaments.
He also described a now-famous trap: spending a long time analyzing, finding nothing clear, then playing a completely different move on impulse. Players still call it the "Kotov syndrome."
Who it's for
Serious club and tournament players, roughly 1600 and up. Some modern coaches argue the tree method is too rigid, but the core discipline of choosing candidates and calculating cleanly is as valuable as ever.
How to get the most from it
Do the analysis exercises without moving the pieces, then check yourself on a board or engine. Practice the candidate-move habit in slow games first; it feels unnatural until it becomes automatic.
Key takeaways
- List your candidate moves before analyzing any of them.
- Analyze each line once, clearly, instead of jumping back and forth.
- Beware the Kotov syndrome: don't play an unanalyzed move after a long think.
- Good calculation rests on good judgment about which moves are worth checking.
Read next
Pair it with Forcing Chess Moves to widen your candidates, and see modern grandmaster thinking in Positional Decision Making in Chess.
