Understanding Before Moving

Although my first book in this new series was well received, it turned out that a new updated and revised edition would not be an unnecessary luxury.

This was partly due to the fact that it did not seem a bad idea to add more comments to a sub-variant in the Italian Game, the Max Lange Attack, which had received little attention in the first edition, but could be further explored. That has happened in this edition. Furthermore, it turned out from practice that the part in the Ruy Lopez where White can choose to close the center with d4-d5 needed further explanation. This closed position with a pawn chain arisen in the center, as we know that from the King’s Indian Defense, contains some hidden secrets that could be explored a little more. That is why I have compiled several extra pages in which the most important strategic (and also tactical) details of this type of positions are presented. Of course, two model games had to be added for both colors. These have now become the games Sutovsky – Stefanova, Hoogeveen 2015 (for White) and Bruzon Batista – Morozevich, Biel 2006 (for Black), which I have provided with a broad analysis and will be added right behind this strategic overview.

Because this book has also become available on the internet platform chessable.com, it seemed a good idea to generate some extra exercises on top. These should of course not be missing in the printed edition. Since in the original version mainly the tactics were dominant, I have now chosen to split the chapter with the exercises into two parts:

• Section 1: Tactical exercises
• Section 2: Strategic exercises I offer sixteen extra exercises, divided in both sections and adding more than 80 pages to the previous edition. 

All in all, with this new edition, I hope to have fulfilled the expectations raised in some reviews. I wish the reader a lot of reading and playing fun while working through this book! Herman Grooten, December 2020.

International Master Herman Grooten has over 35 years' experience as a professional chess trainer, with many pupils becoming world's leading players, such as GM Loek Van Wely, GM Benjamin Bok, GM Robin Swinkels etc. He wrote several books, all of hem received a world wide great acclaim. This is his fourth book, the first fully revised and extended edition of the 16 volumes that will be published over the next 8 years.