THE SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS (Jonathan Rowson)

208 pages (248 mm by 172 mm)

Here you can download a sample from the book

Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning signs better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological pitfalls: thinking (unnecessary or erroneous); blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution); wanting (too much concern with the result of the game); materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors); egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas); perfectionism (running short of time, trying too hard); looseness ("losing the plot", drifting, poor concentration).

Jonathan Rowson became Scotland's third grandmaster in late 1999, within months of graduating from Oxford University. He was runner-up in the 1997 European Junior Championship, Scottish Champion in 1999, 2001 and 2004, winner of the Canadian Open in 2000, winner of the Hastings Premier 2003/2004, and British Champion in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he won the British Championship for an extraordinary third year in succession.

Gambit books by Jonathan Rowson: Understanding the Grünfeld, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, and Chess for Zebras.