In this video, I explain why Training for the Tournament Player (Batsford, 1993), written and edited by Mark Dvoretsky and Artur Yusupov, is a book that every serious chess player should consider owning.
The book also contains chapters by Mikhail Shereshevsky, Alexey Kosikov and Grigory Kaidanov, bringing together several important perspectives on chess improvement and the training methods of the Russian chess school.
I personally gained an enormous amount from this book when I studied it extensively during the 1990s.
Its lessons have stayed with me, and I believe its approach to chess training remains highly valuable today.
What makes this book so important?
Across its eight chapters, the book explores fundamental principles of effective chess improvement, including:
♟️ Analysing your own games and those of others — learning how to study games systematically and extract the most valuable lessons from them.
♟️ Studying classical games and chess literature — understanding why the great games of the past and the books that explain them are essential tools for long-term improvement.
♟️ Evaluating positions and planning in the middlegame — developing a deeper understanding of positional judgement, strategic decisions and the formulation of plans.
♟️ Learning how to train effectively — discovering the principles and methods used to develop promising players within the Russian chess school.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its insight into a training tradition that became more accessible to Western players following the end of the Cold War. Rather than offering quick fixes or superficial advice, it presents a structured and thoughtful approach to developing genuine chess understanding.
In my view, if you are serious about improving your chess, this is a book that deserves a place in your library. Without it, you are missing out on a valuable resource for organising your own training in a systematic and professional manner.
Whether you are an ambitious tournament player, an experienced competitor or a dedicated student of the game, Training for the Tournament Player offers ideas that can help you take your chess development to a deeper level.




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