by Alexey Suetin, 240pp. (Quality Chess, 2010)

Read an excerpt here

The Soviet Union is history, but its influence on chess is still strong in the 21st century, as a glance at the rating list proves.

The late Alexey Suetin was perfectly qualified to reveal the strategic secrets of the Soviet chess school. Suetin was a strong grandmaster and for many years one of the most respected coaches in Moscow – he guided the ultimate strategist, Tigran Petrosian, to the World Championship, and numbered Vassily Ivanchuk among his many other pupils.

Soviet Chess Strategy is a collection of Suetin’s finest writing. Suetin instructs the reader on all the key aspects of strategic play, including the centre, dynamism, accurate evaluation, attack and defence, and the relationship between strategy and tactics. It is not too late to become a pupil in the Soviet chess school!

"Suetin was a very strong chess player in the 1960s - likely one of the top 25 in the world - but was overshadowed by his more famous peers. Fortunately Suetin had other talents to fall back on... Suetin was also a talented writer ... This collection of writings, skillfully edited by IM Ilya Odessky and translated by John Sugden, is a meaty tome ... Suetin died in 2001, and likely much of the material in this book was written much earlier, but it still has a fresh and modern feel to it. Soviet Chess Strategy is full of interesting stories and instructive examples. Highly Recommended" - IM John Donaldson