How To Play Combinative Chess by A.A. Krotov

Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov, born in 1913, entered the ranks of the U.S.S.R.’s foremost players in bold fashion after steadily mounting the classification ladder. He became a First Category player in 1934, and in 1938 he won the title of Master and qualified for the U.S.S.R. Championship. He was the hero of the 11th U.S.S.R. Championship (1939), and his performance was duly recognised when he was awarded the title of Grandmaster (the third to receive the title; the first being Botvinnik in 1935 and the second Levenfish in 1937).

His main characteristic of play was his fine feeling for the initiative. One of his notable traits was objectivity in appraising his own play, along with an attentive and critical attitude towards his shortcomings. By studying his mistakes, he repeatedly turned to the games of the great masters. In doing so, he broadened his horizon and overcame his predilection for purely tactical lines.

During the war years, he worked as an engineer at a factory in Moscow. In 1944, he was decorated with the Order of Lenin for his excellent work.

In the 16th U.S.S.R. Championship, he tied for first place with Bronstein and scored good results in the Moscow vs Budapest match in 1949. Gaining general recognition, Grandmaster Kotov emerged as one of the leading players in the world. He registered victories in the international tournament at Venice in 1950 and in the Stockholm Interzonal Tournament of 1952, where he scored 16 out of 20, outstripping Petrosian and Taimanov, who tied for second and third places.

Like Chigorin, Alexander Kotov had no use for draws without a struggle. He sought and found concealed possibilities in every position.

Alexander Kotov wrote a number of chess books. Among the most famous are Think Like a Grandmaster and Play Like a Grandmaster. He was also the co-author of The Soviet School of Chess.

A chess book based on A.A. Krotov’s works.

You can get the book here and here

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