Cyrus Lakdawala on the training that took him from 1700 to 2597, and what he then passed on to his students. Published by Popular Chess in 2025. Hardcover, 368 pages. Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open champion and a six-time state champion who has been teaching for over forty years.
He is explicit that this is not an autobiography and not a best-games collection, but a set of training techniques. The fourteen chapters are organized around the practical problems that cost players points: complacency and overconfidence, facing much stronger opponents, getting the opening right, assessing positions objectively, must-win games, recovering after a bad stretch, opening ambushes, neutralizing wild opponents and winning a won game. Indexes of openings and of games are included.
Best for: ambitious club and tournament players working on the practical side. Intermediate and up.