by Mark Dvoretsky, 419pp. (2008 REI)

It is very important for the practical player to train his or her ability, understand when to rely on intuition, rules of thumb and more general positional considerations, when to try to solve the problems by calculating variations to the end, and how to manage time to avoid time pressure. With these goals in mind, Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual delivers a lot of excellent, high quality training material and many exercises. The author discusses every problem from the perspective of the practical player, gives many general guidelines and investigates psychological aspects in depth.

This book takes its place next to the author's classic work on endings, Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual, as being one of the great chess books of the modern era, a book from which the serious  student may take his or her knowledge and understanding of complex middlegame ideas to the next level.

"Very good stuff! ... There is a shocking amount of rich material in this book ... Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual is a magnificent piece of work ... Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual gets my highest recommendation for those 2200 and above." - From Jeremy Silman's review at JeremySilman.com

"Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual is, in short, a godsend, and a must for every grandmaster and every aspiring grandmaster (still young – under 40?), with high hopes and ambitions ... This high-octane, excellent instructional material is nicely enhanced by the author’s erudition and wit. All this is presented in a very well designed format, making Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual a true gem!" - From GM Lev Alburt's review at ChessCafe.com

"Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual is a very impressive book of extraordinary depth. Very strong players will benefit the most from the material given. Lesser mortals will still find plenty of interest; beginners should definitely look elsewhere.

"Production values are up to the usual high standard set by Russell Enterprises. Despite the high page count and paperback binding, the spine shows no sign of strain despite frequent use. The layout is very clear and event though there are far more variations than the average chess book, they are reasonably easier to navigate. A bibliography would have been useful, given the number of sources used and quoted.

"Established Dvoretsky fans will definitely enjoy this volume; it might even be his best to date." - From the review by Sean Marsh at MarshTowers.com

"Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual by the noted trainer and writer IM Mark Dvoretsky is likely to be one of the most useful works ever published for the player who wants to improve." John Donaldson at JeremySilman.com 

Here's what they had to say about Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual:

"Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual ... may well be the chess book of the year... [It] comes close to an ultimate one-volume manual on the endgame." Lubomir Kavalek in his chess column of December 1, 2003 in the Washington Post.

2003 Book of the Year - JeremySilman.com

2003 Book of the Year - Seagaard Chess Reviews: "This is an extraordinary good chess book. To call this the best book on endgames ever written seems to be an opinion shared by almost all reviewers and commentators. And I must say that I am not to disagree." Erik Sobjerg

"Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual is quite simply a masterpiece of research and insight. It is a tremendous contribution to endgame literature, certainly the most important one in many years, and destined to be a classic of the literature (if it isn't already one). The famous trainer Mark Dvoretsky has put together a vast number of examples that he has not only collected, but analysed and tested with some of the world's strongest players. This is a particularly important book from the standpoint of clarifying, correcting, and extending the theory of endings. Most of all, Dvoretsky's analysis is staggering in its depth and accuracy." John Watson, reviewing DEM at The Week In Chess

"In this great work he has collected more than one thousand examples, presenting almost all the modern theory on this phase of the game...Many consider Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual the best endgame book ever published to date." Spanish GM Jesus de la Villa in his book 100 Endgames You Must Know

"Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual is one of the best chess books ever written from the standpoint of usefulness to the chessplayer." GM Victor Bologan in his book Victor Bologan: Selected Games 1985-2004