Break the Rules! : A Modern Look at Chess Strategy

Neil McDonald studies the key components of successful rule-breaking in chess. He examines how to avoid stereotypical thinking, how to exploit typical thinking patterns, and how to win with unexpected ideas.

As we progress as chess players we quickly learn a set of guidelines which help us to formulate plans, develop typical strategies and recognize key tactics. However, chess is not an easy game, with fixed ''rules'' that can be applied to every single position. In fact, blindly following such rules proves to be counterproductive and prevents a player from moving on to the next level, whereas knowing when to ''break'' these rules is precisely the skill which separates the best from the rest. In this instructive book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald studies in depth the key components of successful rule-breaking in chess. Drawing upon his own experience and using illuminating examples from modern grandmaster chess, McDonald examines how to avoid stereotypical thinking, how to exploit typical thinking patterns, and how to confuse and beat opponents with surprising ideas.