Tournament Battleplan

"In this review, the book *Tournament Battleplan* by Daniel Gormally, an English grandmaster who has authored several books, is discussed. This is a recent book from March 2024 and addresses precisely what the title suggests: the best plan for tackling a tournament. It provides very informative content for anyone who enjoys participating in tournaments but still wonders how to best prepare and what important aspects to focus on. The book covers various aspects that are not commonly found in other chess books. It is published by Thinkers Publishing. Structure The book consists of a great many chapters, no less than 23 (+ a bonus chapter). The six main themes, which are distributed over these chapters, cover, among other things, technical aspects of chess. For example, how to secure the full point when you have a better or winning position. This is a skill that is important for every serious chess player. One of the other six themes is tournament preparation and what you should focus on to be optimally prepared. Opening theory is also a component that belongs to a tournament ""battleplan."" Consider keeping up with new trends discovered by super engines or mastering those sneaky variations that may be slightly weaker but can be very tricky if you are not well prepared. Another crucial theme is the physical condition of a chess player. A good condition is particularly important during tournaments and long games. Practical matters that come with chess tournaments are also addressed. Things you would like to have managed if you were a professional, such as booking hotels and travel. Lastly, personal examples from the author's tournament experiences are highlighted. Examples There were plenty of tips that I found very interesting. Issues that you normally wouldn't quickly consider to play a role in successfully running a tournament. The average chess player will primarily focus on choosing the right place to sleep or checking their openings when preparing for a tournament. However, many more examples of preparation are highlighted in this book. For instance, keeping physical condition up, or ensuring you are mentally strong so you don't ""tilt"" easily. An example where many chess players struggle and could really work on from beginner to top grandmaster is the ability to objectively assess the situation during a game. When is it important to attack fully, and when is it wise to play patiently? This, of course, comes with experience, but being aware of how important this assessment ability is, is already a first step in improvement. Mr. Gormally also provides an example game with the thought process during those crucial moments when players must make choices and assess the situation. A fragment of this is shown below. Final Verdict - 5 Stars For the chess player who wants to read something different from a standard openings book, this is extremely interesting. There are countless examples and themes on important matters related to chess tournaments, and each of these topics is accompanied by example games, allowing the reader to get a better understanding. What's also nice is that it keeps the reader's attention. It's not just 350 pages of information; there are also exciting games interspersed throughout. What makes this book a real recommendation is that it is suitable for a broad audience. Anyone who participates in tournaments can apply this information. Given that so many aspects of chess games and tournaments are important, it is a considerable task to cover everything in one book. Nevertheless, author Daniel Gormally has succeeded in incorporating as much as possible into his book. Therefore, this book is highly recommended! IM Sam Baselmans www.schaaksite.nl 30.06.2024"