Rating: 
Summary: Best strategy book since "My System"
Review: This is the best chess strategy book you can find. I read it when I was a beginner and re-read it 2 times since then, and as I grew in chess strength I discovered new meanings to author's comments and new subtleties of the positions examined, things that I didn't understand before seemed logical and clear the next time I read it. The book presents a thorough and comprehensive examination of important positional concepts, such as the value and placement of pieces, exchanges of material, importance of the centre, flank attacks, dynamical strategy, and how tactical ideas are connected to positional elements. The games examined are carefully chosen for appropriateness and comments and explanations are clear and meaningful. Read this book and watch your rating climb up!
Rating:
Summary: Best One-volume strategy book
Review: This is the best one-volume strategy book on the market for all players below the USCF 2000 (Expert) level rating.It contains virtually all of the information contained in other classic, highly-recommended texts such as ; My System (Nimzovich), Chess Praxis (Nimzovich), The Game of Chess (Tarrasch), and The Middlegame (Books 1 & 2 by Euwe). The major difference between Pachman's book and the others is that it is the most modern, concise, and highly readable. Some of the other titles are quite verbose and occaisionally stray from the main lesson being presented. In short, this book contains nearly everything an aspiring chessplayer needs to know about strategy to become a strong player. Another bonus, as with all books from Dover, is the price tag. Dollar for Dollar, you would be hard-pressed to find a better value anywhere!
Rating: 
Summary: Solid
Review: When I first picked up this book I was coming in with the knowledge that the book thrived on it's eloquent writing style, and clear definitions. That pretty much sums up this book by Pachman. Most chess books are naturally dense. It is a fact that when you try to explain in words your plans in a chess game, someone, somewhere will find it hard to comprehend. But despite this against him, Pachman wrote a book that was not too difficult for ANYONE to understand. (I tested this by having my son read it, he is a Class D player.) This book isn't filled with interesting positions or mind-boggling concepts for the advanced player. But if you are reading chess books as a novice player, looking to grasp a few "cool" ideas, this is a great book for you. (It lost one star from me for it's simplicity; but if you are a Class C or below, this is a 5 star.) [This book could raise a Class C and below's ELO by 100-150 points if studied well enough.]
Rating:
Summary: Solid
Review: When I first picked up this book I was coming in with the knowledge that the book thrived on it's eloquent writing style, and clear definitions. That pretty much sums up this book by Pachman. Most chess books are naturally dense. It is a fact that when you try to explain in words your plans in a chess game, someone, somewhere will find it hard to comprehend. But despite this against him, Pachman wrote a book that was not too difficult for ANYONE to understand. (I tested this by having my son read it, he is a Class D player.) This book isn't filled with interesting positions or mind-boggling concepts for the advanced player. But if you are reading chess books as a novice player, looking to grasp a few "cool" ideas, this is a great book for you. (It lost one star from me for it's simplicity; but if you are a Class C or below, this is a 5 star.) [This book could raise a Class C and below's ELO by 100-150 points if studied well enough.]
| 
