IM Timothy Taylor is one of the more entertaining chess authors at the moment. He has a knack of connecting with regular players, which he ascribes to the fact that he too “is in the trenches, battling through modern chess as it is actually played.” But it is more than that; he knows how to tell a story and he candidly shares his anecdotes even when things haven’t gone his way.
Throughout the book Taylor draws upon his personal experiences to offer useful advice on improving your results and overall understanding of chess. He emphasizes the practical aspects of chess and examines such subjects as the critical move, opening preparation, the endgame and the clock, winning a won game, and more.
Those who remember Taylor’s “True Combat” column at jeremysilman.com will be pleased to know that “every game in this book is new,” though the themes might remain the same. A couple of the games in this collection were published in the April-June 2007 issue of Chess Horizons; however, the analysis has been considerably updated and expanded in the book.
You can download an excerpt from the publisher’s website here.