The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

‘How can I learn from AlphaZero’s games, aren’t they too advanced for me?’ many club players asked Matthew Sadler after reading his and Natasha Regan’s groundbreaking Game Changer. Here is the answer: you may not be able to replicate their dazzling deep calculations, but every chess player, from club level up, can improve their game by using engines. You will probably be surprised, there is so much more your engine can do for you than just checking and calculating variations!

In this thought-provoking new book, based on many years of working with the world’s best chess software, Sadler presents a unique set of methods to work out using your engine. He shows how in your opening preparation, instead of sifting through masses of computer analysis you should play matches against your engine. He also explains how to train your early middlegame play, the conversion of advantages, your positional play, and your defence. And of course: how to analyse your own games.

These generic training methods Sadler supplements with concrete middlegame and opening tools. He explains how the top engines tackle crucial middlegame themes such as entrenched pieces, whole board play, ‘attacking rhythm’, exchanging pieces, the march of the Rook’s pawn, queen versus pieces, and many others. He also opens your eyes to typical scenarios that the engines found and fine-tuned in popular openings such as the King’s Indian, the Grünfeld, the Slav, the French and the Sicilian.

Sadler illustrates his lessons with a collection of fantastic games, explained with his trademark enthusiasm. For the first time the superhuman powers of the chess engine have been decoded to the benefit of all players, in a rich and highly instructive book.

1139432107
The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

‘How can I learn from AlphaZero’s games, aren’t they too advanced for me?’ many club players asked Matthew Sadler after reading his and Natasha Regan’s groundbreaking Game Changer. Here is the answer: you may not be able to replicate their dazzling deep calculations, but every chess player, from club level up, can improve their game by using engines. You will probably be surprised, there is so much more your engine can do for you than just checking and calculating variations!

In this thought-provoking new book, based on many years of working with the world’s best chess software, Sadler presents a unique set of methods to work out using your engine. He shows how in your opening preparation, instead of sifting through masses of computer analysis you should play matches against your engine. He also explains how to train your early middlegame play, the conversion of advantages, your positional play, and your defence. And of course: how to analyse your own games.

These generic training methods Sadler supplements with concrete middlegame and opening tools. He explains how the top engines tackle crucial middlegame themes such as entrenched pieces, whole board play, ‘attacking rhythm’, exchanging pieces, the march of the Rook’s pawn, queen versus pieces, and many others. He also opens your eyes to typical scenarios that the engines found and fine-tuned in popular openings such as the King’s Indian, the Grünfeld, the Slav, the French and the Sicilian.

Sadler illustrates his lessons with a collection of fantastic games, explained with his trademark enthusiasm. For the first time the superhuman powers of the chess engine have been decoded to the benefit of all players, in a rich and highly instructive book.

19.49 In Stock
The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

by Matthew Sadler
The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement: Chess Engine Training Methods, Opening Strategies & Middlegame Techniques

by Matthew Sadler

eBook

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Overview

‘How can I learn from AlphaZero’s games, aren’t they too advanced for me?’ many club players asked Matthew Sadler after reading his and Natasha Regan’s groundbreaking Game Changer. Here is the answer: you may not be able to replicate their dazzling deep calculations, but every chess player, from club level up, can improve their game by using engines. You will probably be surprised, there is so much more your engine can do for you than just checking and calculating variations!

In this thought-provoking new book, based on many years of working with the world’s best chess software, Sadler presents a unique set of methods to work out using your engine. He shows how in your opening preparation, instead of sifting through masses of computer analysis you should play matches against your engine. He also explains how to train your early middlegame play, the conversion of advantages, your positional play, and your defence. And of course: how to analyse your own games.

These generic training methods Sadler supplements with concrete middlegame and opening tools. He explains how the top engines tackle crucial middlegame themes such as entrenched pieces, whole board play, ‘attacking rhythm’, exchanging pieces, the march of the Rook’s pawn, queen versus pieces, and many others. He also opens your eyes to typical scenarios that the engines found and fine-tuned in popular openings such as the King’s Indian, the Grünfeld, the Slav, the French and the Sicilian.

Sadler illustrates his lessons with a collection of fantastic games, explained with his trademark enthusiasm. For the first time the superhuman powers of the chess engine have been decoded to the benefit of all players, in a rich and highly instructive book.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9789056919849
Publisher: Continental Sales, Inc.
Publication date: 11/13/2021
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 496
File size: 40 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Matthew Sadler (1974) is a Grandmaster and a former British Champion. He has been writing the famous ‘Sadler on Books’ column for New In Chess magazine for many years. With his co-author Natasha Regan, Sadler twice won the prestigious English Chess Federation Book of the Year Award. In 2016 for ‘Chess for Life’ and in 2019 for their worldwide bestseller Game Changer: AlphaZero’s Groundbreaking Chess Strategies and the Promise of AI.

Table of Contents

Explanation of symbols 6

Introduction 7

Part I 11

Chapter 1 Chess Engines 101 12

Chapter 2 Technical notes 26

Chapter 3 Training with engines 30

Part II 69

Chapter 4 Introduction to themes 70

Chapter 5 Introduction to opening themes 73

Chapter 6 Defend like an engine 80

Chapter 7 Attacking rhythm 130

Chapter 8 Entrenched pieces 146

Chapter 9 Exchanging active pieces to leave the opponent with passive ones 177

Chapter 10 French structures 192

Chapter 11 March of the rook's pawn 205

Chapter 12 Engine sacrifices 230

Chapter 13 The king 308

Chapter 14 Whole board play 346

Chapter 15 Conversion by transposing to a position with opposite-coloured bishops 418

Chapter 16 Developing major pieces by giving away the pawn(s) in front of them 440

Chapter 17 Invading through the channel the opponent opened 451

Chapter 18 Queen vs pieces 465

Chapter 19 Rook on the third 484

Chapter 20 The King's Indian opposite wing pawn storm 510

Chapter 21 Engine evaluations 524

Chapter 22 Conclusion 529

Index of opening themes 553

Index of middlegame themes 554

Index of openings 555

Index of engines 556

Index of names 558

Bibliography 560

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