A GMs IMPORTANT ADVICE

Surya Shekhar Ganguly
I got to know Jacob's chess skills and understanding after our game in the Politiken Cup in 20 1 0.
I had won that game from a seemingly equal position. As I was having dinner later that evening,
he came to my table and started explaining where I had gone wrong and how I could have
improved. My first thought was: "Wait a minute, didn't I just beat this guy today?" However, as
I kept listening to him, I realized that he had a good understanding of chess and I liked the way
he studied a player. Our days of working together had begun!
Jacob was impressed with my tactical skills but he wasn't particularly impressed with my positional
play. Therefore he sent me lots of books to read on positional chess, written by him as well as by
various other authors. More importantly, he sent me strategic positions to solve and increased the
level of the positions gradually. Soon I got addicted to these positions and books.
Jacob's examples in this book are mostly taken from recent games and are analysed in depth with
crystal-dear explanations, which will help readers improve their understanding of the games
andpositions. I have also annotated a few games from my recent tournaments. These games are
based on subtle positional ideas rather than sharp tactics and so are suitable for this book. I hope
the readers will enjoy them.
Solving the positions Jacob showed me has improved my understanding of chess strategy a great
deal. Likewise, I am sure the readers will also benefit immensely from the games and exercises