In August 2008 Andres D. Hortillosa entered the New England Masters. It was a brave choice for an unrated player to compete in such a tough event, but it proved to be an inspired decision; he exceeded all expectations and was rewarded with a FIDE international rating of 2199. This, however, was no overnight success; it was the result of systematic work. How did he achieve such outstanding improvement? The answer lies in this book.

Hortillosa believes that a chessplayer can improve at any age as long as he or she is inspired with the right attitude and enabled with the right thinking processes. In this original and thoughtprovoking book, Hortillosa explains his ever-evolving system of chess improvement. He discusses in detail methods of preparation, how to get the best out of all the available sources, and numerous over-the-board techniques such as capitalizing on mistakes, eliminating blunders, sticking to plans and minimizing harmful bias.

His system works and now he is divulging his secrets. You might be a young, teenage or adult player, but if you are serious about improving your chess this book is for you.

• A clear study plan to improve your chess
• How to sharpen over-the-board techniques
• Excellent guidance on how to train with books and software

Andres D. Hortillosa was a member of the United States All-Army Chess Team ten times. He earned graduate degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration and is currently a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a columnist for chessville.com, one of the most popular online chess magazines.

Content:
004 Bibliography

007 Acknowledgments

009 Introduction

014 1 My First Breakthrough Year

031 2 2008: The Birth of the Chess Thinking Process

069 3 New England Masters

129 4 Pan-American Continental Championship

137 5 Mid-America Open

144 6 North American FIDE Invitational

168 Conclusion

170 Index of Openings

171 Index of Games