We are extorted in many books by many luminaries that we have to conceive the "right plan" and this almost gives the impression that just one plan is needed per game. That this is manifestly not true is demonstrated by this new BATSFORD book by the ex-world champion, Anatoly Karpov together with co-author Anatoly Matsukevich, a well respected Russian chess writer. Their overall recommendation is to search for the right plan at any position, bearing in mind the current advantages and disadvantages using the structural clues that are there to plan and employ the correct continuation. As one would expect from a world champion of Karpov's positional technique, this has very little to do with tactical motives except when a combinational resource is the correct punch line following a positional manoeuvre. The contents of the book are broken down into seven maim chapters being: Chapter One. With the Sources. Chapter Two. Evaluating a position. Reference Points. Chapter Three. The attractiveness of a concrete goal. Chapter Four. Reference point - Open Lines. Chapter Five. Pawn Structure. Weak and strong squares. Chapter Six. The centre and space. Chapter Seven. The most important law of chess. Do I hear you saying "So what? That is what I would expect of a book around this subject." However, it is the contents of each chapter that set this book aside from any run-of-the-mill book on this particular subject. For instance Chapter Five deals with: Closed centre. Mobile centre. Open centre. Static centre. Dynamic centre. Again, "So what?" Now comes the real worth of this publication. Up to now I have not been a big fan of Karpov's annotations. In most cases I have found his notes to be very dry and not providing a great insight into the underlying reasons for certain moves, or indeed an examination of alternative possibilities. Here I found a transformation. His notes are to the point and his explanations are concise without being too flowery. How this has been achieved is difficult to pin-point. Certainly the material he is dealing with is very much his forté and his choice of examples is excellent. He is not afraid of quoting old games that exemplify the subject matter. So often, nowadays, authors favour modern games, when older examples may make the point more succinctly. It is always difficult to determine in cases of co-authorship, which of the partners is responsible for particular in-put, and this book is no exception. No matter how it was achieved, the result is very palatable and provides a method that I would like to see continued. Some examples of of extracts from the book are included HERE which I hope will illustrate the points I have made above. A theme running through the book and appearing in many examples is the use of restraint of the opponents pieces. Karpov was a particular exponent of this strategy and it will prove to be very fruitful to study such examples and explanations. The whole of Chapter Seven is taken up with this subject and the author(s) set out seven bases for restriction :- "The mobility of a chess piece is restricted, if: 1) it's occupied with the defence of another piece or an important square. 2) it's tied down, i.e. it's covering a valuable piece or important square. 3) another piece or important square is simultaneously under threat 4) by moving it unfavourably, it destroys a connection that has been established on the board (blocks another piece's line of action, takes an essential square away from it or so on) 5) the square to which it would move if attacked is attacked by enemy pieces ...... 6) ....or occupied or blockaded by another piece your own or enemy pieces. 7) it's path is obstructed by your own or enemy pieces." In recent months, BATSFORD have published three important books, this being the third. Students of the game are well advised to look at these and determine which (or all) will forward their knowledge of the game. "Find the Right Plan" contains 246 pages and the recommended price is £14.99. Bill Frost June 2010
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