The chess instruction establishment claims that all you need to do is concentrate on the characteristics of a position. Stick to some rules of thumb and good moves will pop up more or less automatically.

But that is not how it works, finds International Master Willy Hendriks. Chess players, both weak and strong, don’t first make a plan before looking at candidate moves. Trial and error is a very common and in fact highly effective way to get to the best move.

In his journey into the chess-playing mind, Hendriks uses recent scientific insights in the working of our brain. He raises a number of intriguing questions:

• Can you, too (whether you are talented or not), become a grandmaster?
• Why does a chess trainer’s advice often sound like a horoscope?
• Can you find strong moves by ticking off a to-do list?
• Is it possible to reach master level without ever making a plan?

Presents a wealth of valuable, no-nonsense training material. In this refreshing, entertaining and highly instructive book, Willy Hendriks shows how you can travel light on the road to chess improvement!

Content:
007 Preface

009 On the exercises

011 Acknowledgements

Chapter 1
013 Exercises

014 First move, then plan, then judge

Chapter 2
021 Exercises

022 Look and you will see versus trial and error

Chapter 3
029 Exercises

031 My most beautiful move

Chapter 4
040 Exercises

042 Recognizing the similar

Chapter 5
048 In search for the master's understanding - back to De Groot

Chapter 6
053 Exercises

056 Pattern-like knowledge

Chapter 7
065 Exercises

066 If White advances with g4, block his aggression with ...g5

Chapter 8
073 Breaking news: knights are superior to bishops

Chapter 9
077 Exercises

078 Free Advice

Chapter 10
088 Protocol versus content

Chapter 11
093 Exercises

094 The particular and the general

Chapter 12
099 Exercises

101 Big plan, small plan or no plan at all

Chapter 13
111 Exercises

113 Seeing combinations and making plans

Chapter 14
121 Exercises

122 Watch out, it's a critical moment

Chapter 15
127 Chance in chess

Chapter 16
135 Exercises

136 The sadistic exam

Chapter 17
143 Exercises

144 It plays chess in me

Chapter 18
155 Exercises

157 Trust your chess module

Chapter 19
167 Exercises

168 Quantity is a quality too

Chapter 20
177 Exercises

179 The human standard

Chapter 21
187 Exercises

188 The chess nurture assumption

Chapter 22
193 Exercises

194 The scientific scruples of the chess trainer

Chapter 23
201 Exercises

202 Quality

Chapter 24
217 Exercises

218 Expectations

Chapter 25
224 Exercises

226 Strategic exercises

Chapter 26
235 Exercises

236 Random puzzling

Chapter 27
243 Exercises

244 Conclusions

251 Index of Names

254 Bibliography