The Chess Toolbox

In chess, as in repair or construction jobs, you will not get very far without the right equipment. If you want to win more games you simply need the right tools. 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. If a chess hardware store would exist, most amateur chess players would be clueless what to ask for.

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. In his no-nonsense guide, Willemze presents essential techniques on how to mobilize your pieces in order to gain the upper hand.

The Chess Toolbox teaches you how to:

• conquer an open file
• eliminate an important defender
• lift a blockade
• get rid of an inferior piece
• exploit the 7^th rank
• simplify your position (why and how)
• fight for entrance squares

and much more.

In order 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!

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.

The various parts of the book are all about piece coordination (..) It’s obviously written by a teacher who really wants his students to fully understand the subject matter. This book is highly valuable for both self-improvers and trainers. I, for one, am certainly going to use it in my trainings. -- Bram Klapwijk, Schaaksite

In order to significantly improve your play, it’s necessary to employ these tools in practice. The book’s 281 exercises offer you the chance to do so, and are essential to go through if you want to get full value from this work. They are also full of interesting content, which makes studying more enjoyable. Thomas Willemze has made a unique and thoughtful contribution to the literature of chess improvement, as well as contributing new insights into several areas of the game. His writing is clear and uncluttered, with a consistent focus on the practical player’s needs. I can’t think of another book that would be more helpful to the average player who is intent upon improving his chess. -- International Master John Watson, author of Chess Strategy in Action

A very good book, with an abundance of fine material and excellent advice. A treasure trove of instructional material. -- Sean Marsh, CHESS Magazine (UK)

A truly superb learning guide for club players. The book offers a lucid and engaging introduction to a set of tactical and strategical motifs that the author — a professional trainer and a former National Youth Coach of the Dutch Chess Federation — considers most important for the amateur player: a toolbox, just like the title says. -- Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, Award-winning author of Chess for Life