The Seven Deadly Chess Sins

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 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.

He focuses on several underlying psychological pitfalls:

• Thinking (unneceessary 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); and
• Looseness ("losing the plot"; drifting; poor concentration).

A great book for readers interested in understanding why they sometimes make the mistakes that frustrate their efforts