Anyone familiar with "The Complete Manual of Positional Chess" by Sakaev & Landa?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for books that I can study to improve my positional game. The problem I have is, often an engine or book will tell me what the best move is, but they do not explain why it is the best move.

I found the two books linked below, and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if they're just another set of puzzles, or if they actually explain the reasoning behind the moves?

Thanks in advance!

Complete Volume of Positional Chess Volume 1

Complete Volume of Positional Chess Volume 2

These books are very valuable. The authors state that they are for first category players (1800-2000) but the translator has given the 2000-2200 figure. The introduction in the sample pages are very informative.

One should study tactics a lot before studying positional play.

@low_hanging_fruit -

With all due respect.  Those books are written for class A level players and above and, on the basis of your current rating, will in all probability be over your head...

Better to start with books more appropriate to your level....and work your way up from there...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Good Positional Chess, Planning & Strategy Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-positional-chess-planning-strategy

this is also good stuff...

https://simplifychess.com/homepage/strategy.html

Thank you all for your responses and for your recommendations! I did not realize these were all so far out of my league

What about for someone of my rating? My blitz rating here is 1500+ and puzzles rating 2300+ (currently)? 

The target audience for the books might be 1800/2000+, but (imo) much of the material covered isn't new at that level.

I think anyone can read these and learn some things to apply in their games. I don't think a 1200 level player will be able to grasp everything immediately, but some of it really is essential to improve at that level.

Most of the subjects are briefly addressed in a paragraph or two, then a few example games (classic and modern) highlight a handful of related moves. It's probably the moves without explanations that won't help the lower level players.

I doubt many players 2000+ frequently reference the books, but would think a lower level player would benefit from it for years to come.

Look the table of contents and decide for yourself.

I am basically looking for books that can help me elevate my positional understanding, since when I play I usually just play tactically and using simple positional concepts, like outposts. What I lack is a deep level of understanding. 

I have Silman's Reassess book, but I didn't find it as helpful as I thought I would. I also own the first of Yusupov's books, but they cover a wide ground, so it's not necessarily helpful for purely positional aspects of the game. 

I haven't read a single book on positional play. 

Really you just have to know the principles of positional play to truly understand it.

Here are some good principles: 

Positional Chess- Is when you find a piece in your camp and move it to a better square(once you do this you improve the position of your piece) this is especially important if you improve the position of your worst placed piece.

The ultimate purpose of positional chess is to make sure all your pieces are ready for all of the following: attack, defence, to controll key squares, to protect your king, to have more space and more avaliable moves than your opponent, and to prepare to get into a suitable middlegame position. 

This is one of the keys to strategy in chess: "In positions, where nothing else needs to be considerded. one should indentify one's worst-placed piece and bring it to a more active square."

Here are the 7 key principles of positinal chess:
1. Improve the positions of all your pieces(Develop your pieces to good/active squares, like a rook to an open file, a knight in the center of the board uncontested, and a bishop on a long diagnol to gain more activity or gain more control of the key squares.)

2.Make good pawn structures(Make favourable pawn structures: Pawn structures give your pieces the advantage with space, protection, mobility and the ability attack the king and open up lines. What you are suppose to do is make sure that you are making moves that are strenghthening you position but also making it harder for the other person's position simutanteously. Now sometimes it is not a good idea to overextend or to try to expose your opponent. What you want to do is wait for your opponent to make a mistake and only then capatalize on it, and that is where tactics comes from, but I will talk about that later. 

3. Restrict your opponents pieces- Use your pawns and pieces to protect and control valuable squares so your opponent cannot occupy them. Usually in a lot of positions a good thing to remember is to prevent your opponent from doing useful moves, and if you do that it allows you to continue your plans fluently and allows you to have lesser counterplay chances for your opponent. (Examples of htis could be in an endgame when you could prevent a knight or a rook from coming to a certain square to protect or aid a passed pawn, and if this would happen you could come back with better chances to attack and win the weak passed pawn since it cannot go to the square your prevented them from going to. 

4. Neutralize your opponents plans- It is good to understand what your opponent is doing and this is another key about what positional play  is about. Understanding what your opponent is doing is very important! Be constantly scanning the position to see what he is doing. Even if you are winning in the game, have a constant notice of what the opponent is doing and make sure that you can stay at least 2-3 moves ahead of what he is doing and if you are not ahead of him, at least make sure you are not behind him in terms of knowing what he is doing and vice versa.

5. Accumulate Small advantages- You need to understand how to grind small advantages like making a passed pawn, or getting 1 pawn and then understanding how to keep that winning pawn and win out the endgame with just that 1 pawn advantage. You have to also know how to grind out the endgame and see what are the best moves you can play so once you play them it makes it easier for you, but at the same time also harder for your opponent(whether you are attacking and defending, or he is attacking and defending) Acumulating small advantages is much more of an intermediate skill and higher(like from 1400-2800+) however if you find how to do it with some skill in the lower levels, it will help tremendously.

6.Convert Temporary Advantages into permanent advantages- Like I said before if you convert advantages such as a passed pawn, a winning endgame, a good attack or a better position, then you can change that advatage into a winning adbantage, you just have to figure it out by understanding and experience and then once you do you will understand how to go about the position and win the next time.

7. Don't Rush- Even the Top Grandmaster's have to take significant time to do the good moves they need to. They take hours and hours just for like 5-20 moves. Taking your time is very important, and it is very important to understand what is needed to be done In each different position as 99% of the time, positions will not be repeated, and because of this that means you need to understand the game, and understanding and concentrations comes by spending a lot of time in your positions and not rushing. More often then not, if you are rushing you probably are making a lot of blunders. So it is very important you are taking your time and you are concentrating to get the good results that you need. Usually more time= better results, that's what I've found and if it worked for me(or just any player) it will also work for you as well, I have no doubt of it.

I know some of these principles may look elementary or obvious, but they are building blocks @Iggy82

Also for the OP hopefully these principles are helpful to you the more...

Now of course there are more principles and a lot of things that may seemed to be left out, but here are the things you need to learn and master as much a possible as these are the building blocks.

Again hopefully this was helpful for the OP and for someone along this forum...

Also before you have that down packed you must have the beginning principles and play downpacked, such as this:

Beginners/Intermediate Advice.

Stop playing blitz, and bullet. Play longer time controls of at least G45, or longer. 
Follow Opening Principles:
Control the center.
Develop minor pieces toward the center.
Castle.
Connect your rooks.
Study tactics...tactics...tactics. One of my favorite quotes is this: "Until you reach Master, your first name is tactics, your middle name is tactics, and your last name is tactics”.
Double Check your moves. Before making a move, ask yourself: "Are my pieces safe?"
After your opponent moves, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"
Analyze your games WITHOUT a chess engine, then have someone stronger go over the games, or post them online for review.
DO NOT memorize openings. Learn and understand the pawn structure, and piece placement for the opening you wish to learn.
Learn Basics Mates:
K vs. KQ
K vs. KR
K vs. KRR
Learn Basic King and Pawn endings.
KP vs. K
Opposition

Volume 1 ToC

Vol 2 ToC

As you can see, some topics only 2-3 pages (including games) and some 10 or more.

Thanks for the numbered tips there, but if deep chess understanding could just be obtained from reading bullet points, it would be a far easier game than it is. 

And thanks for providing the TOC from the books, but I already looked at the contents (and more) on Amazon, multiple times. I obviously wasn't asking about what the books contain, but rather how good they are and for what level player. 

Obviously...I wasn't aware that I was addressing your questions.

The Forums are fall all people @PerpetuallyPinned, sure it is for the OP but it can also be used for other members.

This journey is about learning and growing continually with others, not just with the OP.

for all people...

Obviously, I was aware of that.

Thanks for the thoughtful advice and principles.

@PerpetuallyPinned, lol

Yeah man no problem...

We just got to keep spreading the knowledge and aiding as many people as possible!

OK, anyway back to the relevant question asked at the top: has anyone actually read/worked with Sakaev-Landa books, who can provide some meaningful insight into how good and useful they are, and particularly whether they would be helpful for someone of intermediate to advanced strength? And plz no talking points about useless concepts or TOC screenshots. Thanks!

How good and useful are the books?

How do you measure goodness and usefulness?

I've already commented on how useful I think they could be to someone below the ratings suggested.

I guess, for goodness, I give it a 5 (scale of 1 to 10)

Please, start your own forum if you wish to control what others say.