Magnus Carlsen - The Chess DNA of a Genius

Since there is already so much literature about Magnus Carlsen, one wonders why the author added yet another book. – Because he found it extremely interesting to look at the strategic play of a genius through the lens of the so-called 'model of the four types of players'. And as a result, he actually managed to illustrate both the outstanding strengths and the universality of the 16th world champion.

But even if the reader isn't necessarily interested in this approach, he might as well consider the book an extremely useful 'textbook on strategy' given how instructive Magnus Carlsen's games are. Because according to his style, he masters many strategically indispensable and effective methods (for example active prophylaxis, strategic pressure play, etc.) like no other.

In order to go deeper, the author has formulated numerous clear and meaningful rules of thumb on the various topics. However, he does not fail to point out that in chess, knowing this or that rule by heart is not the most important thing. Rather, it's crucial to train your intuition to recognize as reliably as possible when you are dealing with a standard case and when with an exception. And since Magnus Carlsen's skills can also be described as absolutely brilliant in this respect, it goes without saying that any reader who delves a little deeper into Carlsen's games can learn a great deal about the subtleties of chess from one of the greatest players of all time.

Each chapter is rounded off with topic-related exercises. And practical QR codes make it easier to work directly on your smartphone whenever there's no board at hand.
 

Excerpt