Schacksnack

IM Thomas Engqvist provides a detailed review of the third and final book in Alexander Kotov’s influential chess training trilogy, Train Like a Grandmaster (Batsford, 1981). This work follows on from Think Like a Grandmaster (1971) and Play Like a Grandmaster (1978), forming a coherent framework for structured chess improvement.

In this video, we examine Kotov’s broader approach to chess training and how it complements earlier ideas in the trilogy. Particular attention is given to the organisation of chess study across the three critical phases of the game: opening, middlegame, and endgame.

Key themes include:

How should one effectively train openings, middlegames, and endgames? Why is annotating your own games essential for improvement? What can we learn from the history of chess development and its classical masters? How do thinkers such as Philidor, Steinitz, Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch, Réti, Capablanca Alekhine, Botvinnik and Bronstein shape our understanding of chess philosophy? What role did the Soviet chess school play in systematising training methods and typical positions?

This review places Kotov’s ideas within a broader historical and philosophical context, making it particularly relevant for active chess players, coaches, and serious students of the game.

Chess training is not only about calculation, but also about structure, understanding, and historical awareness. Kotov’s work continues to offer valuable perspectives on how to think, study, and improve.