How to Play Dynamic Chess

Chess is fundamentally a dynamic game. Each move changes the situation and the possibilities for both sides. The scope and value of pieces can change radically during the course of a game. The current generation of supergrandmasters play unrelentingly dynamic chess, but a great deal of chess literature still deals with chess as if it were a predominantly static game. Much of our understanding of the game is based around traditional rules of thumb that might work well 'on average' or in 'typical' situations. But these rules may not equip us at all well in the specific and sometimes exceptional situations that we face in our games. In this book, Valeri Beim explains how to factor in dynamic considerations, and weigh initiative and time against material and other static factors. This is a practical account by an experienced trainer and battle-hardened competitor, geared towards the needs of players looking to improve their results.

Valeri Beim is a grandmaster who lives in Austria. He has won numerous tournaments and plays in the Austrian and German leagues. For many years he was the head trainer at the chess school in Odessa, and he was also the trainer of the Israeli Olympiad team.