Chess Improvement

An instructive and comprehensive guide that sets out how the application of growth mindset principles can accelerate chess improvement. 21st century knowledge about skills development and expertise requires us to keep such mystical notions as fixed 'talent' in perspective, and to emphasise instead the dynamic and malleable nature of these concepts. Nowhere is this more apparent than in chess, where many gifted players fall prey to plausible but self-defeating beliefs and practices - and thereby fail to achieve the levels their 'natural' abilities predicted. Happily, however, the reverse can be true too; through learned dispositions such as grit, risk-taking, strategic thinking and a capacity for sheer hard work, players of apparently modest abilities can achieve impressive results. Blending both theory and practice and the distinct but complementary skills of two authors - an academic (and amateur chess player) and a highly-regarded England Chess Olympiad coach (and grandmaster) - this book establishes a template for chess improvement which will be invaluable for any aspirational chess player or coach. Drawing heavily on extensive interviews conducted with members of England's medal-winning elite squad of players, Chess Improvement establishes a bridge between what the authors know about talent development from academic research and the practical wisdom of experienced chess players and coaches.