Charles Hertan to speak at the BCC on Forcing Moves - This Tuesday

The Boylston Chess Club Presents:

“Forcing Chess Moves

- The Key to Winning Calculating!”
FM Charles Hertan

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 7 pm

Boylston Chess Club, 240B Elm Street, Suite B9, Somerville, MA

Charles Hertan will talk about and demonstrate the ideas, concepts and approaches to tactical calculation that he has discoved and written about in his new book: “Forcing Chess, Moves, The Key to Better Calculation” (New in Chess Press, 2008.)

GM Joel Benjamin wrote the forward and he says this about Charles’ tactical approach:“… The beauty of Hertan’s achievement lies in the quality of both the positions selected, and the analysis. While the examples of each ‘computer eyes’ theme will interest even the strongest master, they are explained and analyzed at a level which unlocks their mysteries for even the average club player. Beyond this, the text is liberally spiced with Hertan’s pithy, and often humorous, commentary. Entertainment, and very likely enlightenment, awaits.”

So, come, listen and learn a new approach to calculating that very well may make you a better player!

Charles Hertan is originally from New Jersey. He received his chess "education" playing in New York tournaments during the Fischer boom. He became a master at age 19, and received his FM title and Senior Master rating soon afterward. Charles moved to the Boston area in 1984 and became a fixture in New England tournaments for 16 years, before moving to Western Mass. and retiring from active play. His titles include Massachusetts champion, 2-time New England open winner, 2-time Eastern Class Championship winner, and firsts in several International events including the New York March International in 1986. He has played most of the top American players of the 1970's through 90's including Dzindhichasvili, Alburt, Benjamin, Rohde, Fedorowicz, Ibragimov, both Ivanovs, and many others, and managing the occasional win or draw against many of them. He began the research for my book “Forcing Chess Moves” in 1994. He has also edited a book of poetry and is currently researching a book on Men and Trauma recovery.

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Free to BCC Member$10 to Non –Members

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Refreshments will be served.

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Books will be available for purchase at the lecture.

For More Information:Chris Chase: Chris@sixty-four.com, 617-417-8800. Web: Boylstonchessclub.org

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hertan at New in Chess

Why is it that your brain so often refuses to consider winning chess tactics?

Every chess fan marvels at the wonderful combinations with which famous masters win games. How do they find those fantastic moves? Do they have a special vision? And why do computers outwit us tactically?

This rich book on chess tactics proposes a revolutionary method for finding winning moves. Charles Hertan has made an astonishing discovery: the failure to consider key moves is often due to human bias. Your brain tends to disregard many winning moves because they are counter-intuitive or look unnatural.

We can no longer deny it, computers outdo us humans when it comes to tactical vision and brute force calculation. So why not learn from them? Charles Hertan’s radically different approach is: use COMPUTER EYES and always look for the most forcing
move first!

By studying forcing sequences according to Hertan’s method
you will:
-- develop analytical precision
-- improve your tactical vision
-- overcome human bias and staleness
-- enjoy the calculation of difficult positions.
In short: by recognizing moves that matter, you will win more games!

Charles Hertan is a FIDE master from Massachusetts with several decades of experience as a chess coach. Instead of rehashing the usual classic examples he has unearthed hundreds of instructive combinations which appear here for the first time in print.

Joel Benjamin, from the Introduction:
"By organizing and explaining the nature of great chess moves Hertan has brought us all closer to being able to find them."

Danny King, The Guardian:
"Hertan encourages us to think with 'computer eyes', by first examining all the forcing moves (checks, captures, threats), no matter how daft they seem. Why? Not because forcing moves are always the best, but when they do work, they tend to work better and quicker than non-forcing options."

Marsh Towers Chess Reviews:
"Hertan develops the reader's skills methodically, thus enabling each tactical lesson to be learned and absorbed properly."

Erik Bouwmans, Schaaknieuws:
"Entertaining and instructive (..) you simply cannot stop looking."

Dr Erik Rausch, Rochade Europa:
"An intensive training course for advanced players to improve their tactical vision and calculation (..) You will increase your tactical striking powers a lot."

Chess Horizons:
"This book deserves the highest of recommendations."

British Chess Magazine:
"This weighty tome is all about improving your tactical play."

Cor Jansen, Provinciaalse Zeeuwse Courant:
"Thrilling, instructive and witty. Right on target."

Steve Goldberg, ChessCafe:
"When the clock is ticking away, and you have too many viable candidate moves to choose from, remember Hertan's advice."

Francesco Benetti, Torre & Cavallo:
"Complete and entertaining."

Carl Portman, FOCUS Magazine:
"A super book."

Harold Dondis, The Boston Globe:
"The categories in this book are quite unusual."

Mark Weeks, About.com:
"Develops creative, little explored ideas about how to improve your tactical vision (..) with outstanding positions from master practice."

IM John Donaldson, Jeremy Silman.com:
"A superior combination book."

Stephen Dann, Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
"The price is low for a volume with so many pages and so much content."