Chess Strategy

Edward LaskerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 503K words
Chapters: 51

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker. Author: Lasker, Edward, 1885-1981. Language: English. Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure. Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

Edward Lasker's Chess Strategy is a classic strategic tutorial for club-level players. Unlike reference books that focus on opening variations, it centers on the long-term elements of the board: coordination of pieces, identification of weak squares, contest for open files, pawn structure, and king safety. Lasker excels at teaching concepts through complete games, helping readers understand "why this move" in concrete positions rather than memorizing moves. The book discusses general principles of chess thinking at length and poses some challenge for those who have just learned the rules; precisely for this reason, it suits readers who can already play a full game independently and wish to move from "knowing how to move" to "knowing how to think." When reading, keep a board at hand, play through each game move by move, and compare the book's strategic judgments with your own game reviews—the gains will be far greater than a single read-through. As a public-domain e-book, it is easy to search and revisit, making it a long-term strategic reference to keep close at hand.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Amateur players who know the rules and can complete a full game independently
Club-level enthusiasts who want to move from memorizing lines to understanding positions
Chess teachers who need to systematically organize strategic concepts
Readers who enjoy learning thinking through complete games

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners who have not yet mastered moves and basic rules
Quick-reference readers who only want opening variations and short move tables
Casual readers who do not intend to set up a board and only want to skim

Reading tips

Set up a physical board, play through the games move by move, judge the position as you go, then compare with the commentary.
After each chapter, review one of your recent games to test whether the book's strategic principles apply.
First read through for principles, then read again by topic, organizing concepts such as weak squares and open files.
For complex games, analyze a few moves yourself before reading the author's conclusion to train independent judgment.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone who cannot play chess at all?

No. The book assumes readers already know moves, captures, checkmate, and other basic rules and can complete a full game independently. Complete beginners should start with introductory material, then return to this book for strategic content.

Do I need a chessboard to read this book?

Strongly recommended. The book teaches strategic concepts through complete games, and following the text only in your head can be confusing. Playing through move by move on a board makes piece coordination and positional changes much clearer and the understanding more solid.

How does it differ from opening-repertoire chess books?

Opening books focus on specific variations and move memorization; this book focuses on long-term strategic principles such as weak squares, open files, pawn structure, and piece coordination. It does not provide quick-reference move tables but trains the way readers judge positions.

Any practical advice for reading the e-book edition?

First read through to grasp the overall framework, then read closely chapter by chapter by topic. The e-book is easy to search for terms and revisit games; use it with a board and record how positions from your own games compare with the book's principles.

Comments

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About the author

Edward Lasker Author · German-American · 1885–1981

Edward Lasker (1885–1981) was a German-American chess and Go player and writer. Born in Kempen, Prussia (now in Poland), he moved to the United States in 1914. He won the U.S. Open Chess Championship five times and was awarded the International Master title in 1963, achievements that ran parallel to his writing. His chess books are known for their textbook clarity. His representative works, Chess Strategy and Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership, systematically explain opening principles, middlegame planning and endgame technique, and also cover winning methods in checkers. They have long been regarded in the English-speaking world as introductory and advanced reading for learning the game, influencing generations of British and American players; a Polish translation, Szachy i Warcaby: Droga do mistrzostwa, also exists. Public information is limited, and the details of his life survive mainly alongside his chess writing.