There are many authors out there but only one Danny Gormally. The former English Olympiad team member, with a peak rating of 2573 FIDE, examines topics not normally covered in chess books that some readers, especially younger ones, might not appreciate. That said, there is no denying he is an entertaining and instructive writer when it concerns matters on the chess board.
This latest book by Gormally is yet another good read which is full of instructive tips and insights that are presented in a colorful fashion. Adult players rated from 1800 on up will find Tournament Battle Plan: Outprepare Your Opponent helpful.
IM John Donaldson
There have been plenty of chess books that have been published which have tried to give practical advice and tips for tournament players, so the genre is hardly new. However given the changes in the chess world over the last few years I feel that we badly need an update.
The pandemic giving rise to vastly underrated junior and amateur players. Online chess taking a much more prominent role. Accusations of cheating making the headlines. Social media being used as a tool to educate the chess masses. All these have lead to a different landscape, but some things stay the same. The player who is willing to analyze and work on chess harder than the rest will still separate his or herself from their peers.
In my view, at least 90 percent of success in tournament play will come down to how good your calculation and analysis is. Because that is the bread and butter of tournament play. This is what I will try to get across in this book, that a chess player will often stand or fall on the quality of analysis and I will discuss the positive and negative role that working with computers has on a players overall strength.
I will also try to explain why my chess fell into a torpor because of an over reliance on computers and how I have recently come to realize that technical deficiencies have often held me back from reaching the higher echelons of the game. And in doing so, and looking at the chess world and trying to explain it from my point of view while following my own progress and that of others I will try to put together a tournament battle plan.
Daniel Gormally
