The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know
Willemze (Thomas)
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Back Cover Blurb

  1. In chess, as in repair or construction jobs in and around the house, you will not get very far without the right equipment. If you want to win more games you simply need the right tools.
  2. Unfortunately, most amateur chess players have no toolbox to speak of. What's more, they don't even know which tools they actually need. Or what tools are available. In fact, if a chess hardware store would exist, most amateur chess players would be clueless what to ask for.
  3. International Master and experienced chess trainer Thomas Willemze is the handyman you are looking for. He tells you which are the most urgent problems that need fixing.
  4. In his no-nonsense guide, he presents essential techniques on how to mobilize your pieces in order to gain the upper hand.
  5. The Chess Toobox teaches you how to
    → conquer an open file,
    → eliminate an important defender,
    → lift a blockade,
    → get rid of an inferior piece,
    → exploit the 7th rank,
    → simplify your position (why and how),
    → fight for entrance squares
    → and much more.
  6. To make you feel comfortable and let you get used to these essential techniques, the author gives lots of fascinating examples and hundreds of instructive exercises. He even teaches you how to think outside your toolbox!
  7. Thomas Willemze: is an International Master from Holland. He is an experienced trainer of amateur players and has been the National Youth Coach of the Dutch Chess Federation.

Contents
    Introduction – 7
    Foreword by International Master John Watson – 9
  1. Exchange your way to victory – 11
    1. Five powerful weapons – 13
  2. Part II Unleash your rooks – 47
    1. Exploiting the 7th rank – 50
    2. Entering the 7th rank – 75
    3. Conquering the open file – 88
    4. Opening and closing files – 105
  3. Attack and defence – 134
    1. The Greek Gift – 140
    2. Lasker's double bishop sacrifice – 166
    3. Fighting for the entrance square – 189
  4. Getting ready to use your new tools – 213
    1. Winning with the Isolated Queen’s Pawn (IQP) – 215
    2. Fighting the IQP1 – 248
  5. Solutions to exercises
    • Chapter 1: Five powerful weapons - 286
    • Chapter 2: Exploiting the 7th rank – 300
    • Chapter 3: Entering the 7th rank – 309
    • Chapter 4: Conquering the open file – 316
    • Chapter 5: Opening and closing files – 325
    • Chapter 6: The Greek Gift – 335
    • Chapter 7: Lasker's double bishop sacrifice – 345
    • Chapter 8: Fighting for the entrance square – 358
    • Chapter 9: Winning with the IQP – 371
    • Chapter 10: Fighting the IQP – 383

    Bibliography – 392
    Index of players – 393

Book Comment

New in Chess (20 Aug. 2018)



"Willemze (Thomas) - The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know"

Source: Willemze (Thomas) - The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know


Randomly exchanging pieces usually only benefits the opponent for two reasons:-
  1. Every exchange improves the opponent’s recapturing piece
  2. The easiest exchanges are your active pieces for the opponent’s passive ones.
So, only exchange a piece for a good reason. These include:-
  1. Simplification
  2. Getting rid of an inferior piece
  3. Eliminating an important defender
  4. Changing the structure
  5. Lifting a blockade



Text Colour Conventions (see disclaimer)
  1. Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2023
  2. Mauve: Text by correspondent(s) or other author(s); © the author(s)



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