What it teaches
The strategy volume of Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess series explains how to think when there's no immediate tactic. It covers pawn structure and weak squares, good and bad bishops, knights and their outposts, open files, space, the value of the initiative, and how to put these ideas together into a plan. Each concept is illustrated with examples from master games and followed by test positions.
Seirawan's tone is friendly and encouraging, and he often explains ideas through the story of how he learned them himself, which makes abstract concepts easier to grasp.
Who it's for
Newer players and developing club players up to about 1400 who have tackled basic tactics and want to understand strategy without wading through a dense classic.
How to get the most from it
After each chapter, play a few slow games and try to apply that one concept, such as putting a knight on an outpost or trading your bad bishop. Then check the test positions again a week later.
Key takeaways
- A plan should come from features of the position, not from hope.
- Bishops blocked by their own pawns are "bad"; trade them or free them.
- Knights thrive on outposts that pawns can't attack.
- The initiative is worth fighting for, even at a small material cost.
Read next
Continue with Simple Chess and then How to Reassess Your Chess. The earlier volumes, Play Winning Chess and Winning Chess Tactics, round out the series.
