Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov wrote a book, and what a book!
The best chess coach in the world was known as Mark Dvoretski and one of his best students was Arthur Yusupov, and if they get together can you imagine the amount of knowledge they can print in a book? You really don't have to imagine it, as technique for the tournament player is a book of both, and you really have to read it.
If you want to become a tournament player, you need to have read at least one book by these amazing theorists who changed the rules of the game by unlocking the secrets of learning systems in USSR chess.
Table of Contents
Who were Mark Dvoretsky and Arthur Yusupov?
Mark Dvoretsky was a Russian chess player who stood out as a trainer and writer.
Among his most important achievements we can mention that he was champion of Moscow in 1973, as well as reaching the fifth place in the national championship of the USSR in 1970, but one of his most important achievements was to obtain the first place in Wijk aan Zee in 1975.
As a trainer he was considered the best in the world until his death for having transformed strong club players (2100 ELO points) to grandmasters, among his students are at least 4 youth champions.
Arthur Yusupov is a German player of Russian origin, he is also a trainer and writer like his mentor.
Among his most important achievements is having been junior world champion in 1977, he won many competitions with the USSR and is one of the best players of the 80s. By 1987 he was the third best ranked player in the chess world.
It should also be mentioned that he finished in 2nd place in the USSR national championship in 1979, years later he won the title of national champion of Germany in 2005 in Altenkirchen, and the same year he also won the European championship in rapid in Basel.
What is tournament player technique about?
Technique for the tournament player is a book focused on what a competitive chess player should know in order to achieve victory. This is a book that has been divided into 4 phases which are as follows:
1. Endgame theory.
2. Analysis of endgames.
3. Technique.
4. Students' work.
The book is structured on the basis of theory and examination, as it has different diagrams or exercises that are very good to test what you have read the chapters, this is a very educational material for any player.
Characteristics of the book
Technique for the tournament player is a book that can be recommended to any player who needs new concepts and requires technique in all phases of the game, this is a practical book with a lot of utility, that is why here I leave its characteristics:
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Notation: Algebraic.
- Focus: Technique, theory, manual, exercises.
IMPORTANT: That the book made by Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov is easy to read does not mean that it has no depth or that you can not really get benefits from it, simply reading it facilitates understanding, and what happens in many cases is that when you fail to understand a book is simply left aside.
Benefits of reading Technique for the Tournament Player by Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov
A manual for a chess player who enjoys competition can bring many benefits and this is the case of Technique for the Tournament Player, which seeks not only to support but to reinforce issues that often arise in tournaments, and that is why I mention below the benefits of this book:
- The diagrammatic problems are perfect for study or training (technical improvement).
- The explanations of a master like Dvoretsky are what every beginner needs to understand a book of high caliber.
- The structure of the book is ideal for training or general study of the concepts you are trying to understand (theory and then diagrams or exercises).
Disadvantages of Technique for the Tournament Player
Finding any disadvantage in the book technique for the tournament player, has been quite difficult, however, after having read it I can only find a couple of constructive criticisms from an objective and accurate point of view.
- A book created by such well known and technically sound chess players, one would expect to see more games from them.
- The games in general may be very old.
IMPORTANT: It is difficult to acquire any book by Mark Dvoretski nowadays, in general they are all out of print, and this one is no exception, I could not find any real negative points, as a professional like Mark has not left a single fault in this book.
Strategically or tactically is a book that will help you grow?
Strategically technique for the tournament player is a wonderful book, since by reinforcing the theory of endgames a positional player will surely be able to swim in the ocean that this phase of the game represents for many chess players.
That is why, in my personal opinion, this is a book that focuses on strategy and that a player who reads this material will be enriched and trained in a style worthy of Vladimir Kramnik or Anatoly Karpov.
This may seem exaggerated, however, having a coach like Mark or Arthur, anything is possible and even more so when they have left a legacy in chess material and that technique for the tournament player is only the beginning of it.
Other books by Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov.
As is well known, Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov at a certain point in their career, stopped competing to dedicate themselves to imparting knowledge and forming a chess school, with that, came many collaborations that many chess players are happy with, such as the following:
- Elite Training
- Opening Preparation
- Secrets of chess training
In retrospect, the combination of incredible players and extraordinary coaches, has as a result nothing less than a book that should be part of your chess library, since Mark Dvoretski and Arthur Yusupov are considered some of the best coaches in the history of chess and even created their own school where world elite players such as Peter Svidler have emerged.
Technique for the tournament player is only 10% of their knowledge and that is why it is also necessary to read other books in which they have collaborated, because this would form an unstoppable player. If you liked this post, check our full blog!
