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.
"An extremely interesting book. It's a real page-turner because Willy Hendricks has a pleasantly light touch and a cool sense of humor. You can't help but learn a lot from this book."
"Lots of interesting ideas and positions are put into a different light, leading to new discoveries. Hendriks' tendency to look at established opinion from a new perspective is refreshing and delightful."
"Goes right in somewhere very near the top of my favorite chess books of all time. I found it well researched, endlessly fascinating, always thought-provoking, often digressive, sometimes provocative and sometimes extremely funny. If you have any interest at all in the development of chess ideas this will be an essential purchase. If you want to improve your rating you'll find a lot of inspiring suggestions. It's certainly a book I'll return to over and over again."
"It's a little surprise that evolution is the driving force behind improvement in chess, but along the way, as well as pulling a few punches, Hendriks presents a large amount of often beautiful and still very instructive material."
