Mastering Positional Sacrifices A Practical Guide to a Vital Skill in Chess

“There’s a lot of great chess in this book. The author has also achieved his aim of treating a difficult subject in a logical and well-structured way. But what really appeals to me is van Delft’s style of writing. There are many strong players who excel at writing or talking about chess, but not all of them understand how their readers or viewers might learn. He is at pains to differentiate between material which provides specific lessons you can employ in your own games and more difficult material which might serve as an inspiration. Although the intent is serious, his approach is warm, friendly and encouraging. Enjoy your chess and don’t be afraid to try out new ideas: this is how you improve. He comes across to me as, above all, an excellent teacher. I look forward to reading whatever he writes about in future. This is yet another outstanding book from New in Chess in what has been an exceptional year for chess literature. Very highly recommended: I’m sure you’ll find it both enjoyable and instructive.” Richard James, British Chess News
“It’s a grandmaster-level skill explained in a comprehensible and readable fashion. I liked this book very much. The ideas are logically structured, the text is clear and light on long vari-ations, which makes it easy to read without a board, and the theme is an interesting one, which inevitably means that the selection of games is very entertaining.“ Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, co-author of ‘Game Changer’
“Most chess players are too materialistic. So Merijn van Delft masterfully discusses a vital topic to bring your chess to the next level. It is very valuable that he has included exercises to test your new skills directly.” Grandmaster Karsten Müller
“The question of when to sacrifice material is never easy but here is a practical guide. The intended audience is above beginner and I would say any club player would benefit from the author’s passion for the subject. The themes that are covered involves things like exchange sacrifices where the aim to not to win material but dominate certain squares, boost an attack and other positional ideas. Van Delft expertly expands on the subject to make it sound extremely interesting and as a potential way to improve your rating overnight. I really like the book because it offers insight with excellent examples and enough explanation to enable the reader to improve. This will have a major impact on your positional progress.” International Master Gary Lane, Chess Moves Magazine
“The material has been carefully selected and structured, with conclusions at the end of each part. There are many fascinating games, and I saw examples I was familiar with as well as a lot of new and unknown material. This book is a testimony to the author’s enthusiasm, his professionalism and his passion for chess. Recommended!” International Master Herman Grooten, Schaaksite