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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!

ISBN: 978-1-906552-20-6 - 240 pages - Published 28 May 2010

Reviews

"Quality Chess also published some of the Soviet classic chess books, recommended for tournament players... Another valuable book is Soviet Chess Strategy by Alexey Suetin, one of the best Soviet theoreticians. He was a long-time coach of the world champion Tigran Petrosian, and guided Vasyl Ivanchuk at the beginning of his career. It is a beautiful treatise on modern strategy and tactics."
GM Lubomir Kavalek, Huffington Post

"[The book examines] key principles of strategy, tactics and middlegame positions. It is entitled Soviet Chess Strategy, and even though the Soviet Union hasn’t existed for the last two decades, it provides a synopsis of important ideas that dominated much of 20th century chess. The book brings together different pieces of Alexey Suetin’s writings, providing insights into one of the greatest coaches of the Soviet era. A strong player in his own right, Suetin served as a coach and mentor to a generation of powerful Soviet players. He died in 2001.

The Soviets were dominant in world chess for decades, and their contribution to strategy is undisputed. As the publishers of the book declare: 'It is not too late to become a pupil in the Soviet chess school!'"
Cecil Rosner, Winnipeg Free Press

"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