Willy Hendriks – författare

The rivalry between William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort, the world's strongest chess players in the late nineteenth century, became so fierce that it was named The Ink War. They fought their battle on the chessboard and in various chess magazines and columns. It was not only about who was the strongest player but also about who had the best ideas on how to play the game. After his bestseller Move First, Think Later and his much-acclaimed second book, On the Origin of Good Moves, IM Willy Hendriks once again offers his unique perspective in a well-researched story that continues to captivate until the tragic outcome. The Ink War gives a beautiful impression of the 19th-century chess world and the birth of modern chess.

WINNER: English Chess Federation (ECF) Book of the Year 2012 AwardRUNNER-UP: ChessCafe.com Book of the Year 20123rd Edition - with a new epilogue: 'The Discussion Continues'The chess instruction establishment claims that all you need to do is concentrate on the characteristics of a position. Stick to some rules of thumb and good moves will pop up more or less automatically.But that is not how it works, finds International Master Willy Hendriks. Chess players, both weak and strong, don’t first make a plan before looking at candidate moves. Trial and error is a very common and in fact highly effective way to get to the best move.In his journey into the chess-playing mind, Hendriks uses recent scientific insights in the working of our brain. He raises a number of intriguing questions:• Can you, too (whether you are talented or not), become a grandmaster?• Why does a chess trainer’s advice often sound like a horoscope?• Can you find strong moves by ticking off a to-do list?• Is it possible to reach master level without ever making a plan?Presents a wealth of valuable, no-nonsense training material. In this refreshing, entertaining and highly instructive book, Willy Hendriks shows how you can travel light on the road to chess improvement!

In der Schachlehre wird allgemein behauptet, dass man sich nur auf die Merkmale einer Stellung zu konzentrieren braucht. Bei Beachtung einiger Faustregeln wird man mehr oder weniger automatisch gute Züge produzieren.So läuft die Sache aber nicht, wie der internationale Meister Willy Hendriks feststellt.Weder schwache noch starke Spieler schmieden zuerst einen Plan, bevor sie Kandidatenzüge betrachten.Die Trial-and-Error-Methode ist eine sehr gebräuchliche und in der Tat sehr effektive Weise, den besten Zug zu finden.Auf seiner Reise in den Schachspielerverstand bedient sich Hendriks jüngster wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse über das Funktionieren des Gehirns.Er wirft einige interessante Fragen auf:* Kann jeder (ob talentiert oder nicht) Großmeister werden?* Warum klingt der Rat eines Schachtrainers häufig wie ein Horoskop?* Kann man starke Züge finden, indem man eine To-do-Liste abarbeitet?* Kann man Meisterstärke erreichen, ohne jemals einen Plan ausgearbeitet zu haben?In diesem erfrischenden, unterhaltsamen und äußerst lehrreichen Buch zeigt Willy Hendriks, wie man den Weg zur schachlichen Verbesserung mit wenig Gepäck beschreiten kann!Enthält eine Fülle von wertvollem Trainingsmaterial.

The way a beginner develops into a strong chess player closely resembles the progress of the game of chess itself. This popular idea is the reason why many renowned chess instructors such as former World Champions Garry Kasparov and Max Euwe, emphasize the importance of studying the history of chess.Willy Hendriks agrees that there is much to be learned from the pioneers of our game. He challenges, however, the conventional view on what the stages in the advancement of chess actually have been. Among the various articles of faith that Hendriks questions is Wilhelm Steinitz's reputation as the discoverer of the laws of positional chess.In The Origin of Good Moves Hendriks undertakes a groundbreaking investigative journey into the history of chess. He explains what actually happened, creates fresh perspectives, finds new heroes, and reveals the real driving force behind improvement in chess: evolution.This thought-provoking book is full of beautiful and instructive ‘new’ material from the old days. With plenty of exercises, the reader is invited to put themselves in the shoes of the old masters. Never before has the study of the history of chess been so entertaining and rewarding.