Product reviews for Chess Improvement

Well written and rigorously researched, Chess Improvement shares valuable insights and is often very funny. By interviewing England's leading chess players, Barry Hymer and Peter Wells help readers to understand what it takes to become a top chess player: how they studied, the steps in their chess development, and most of all their mindset. In doing so, both authors - one an amateur and the other a professional player - make sense of their enduring fascination with the game and learn how, even after many decades of involvement in the chess world, they can continue to learn and improve. 

The real-life stories of the players and the authors are examined through the lens of educational and psychological theories, in particular the growth mindset. As a player and coach, I share many of the experiences considered in the book and I can relate to much of the material. The interviewed players reveal different paths to improvement (even if they all, to some extent, share the growth mindset). These differing paths are dissected and discussed thoughtfully and carefully with caveats and consideration.