The Tarrasch Formula - Softcover

Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch was the first to formulate and express the rule that "If one piece is badly placed, your whole game is bad." The genius of this phrase lies in its simplicity as well as its correctness. Properly applied, it is a significant addition to Stenitz's theory. On the basis of this single axiom, various types of positions can be studied where the difference in force between the two sides is defined only by the difference in location between corresponding pieces. Applying the Tarrasch Formula in this way develops and builds chess theory by emphasizing the interrelationship between the location of a piece and its real power. Examine any modern text book of chess strategy and you will see its lasting value. The Tarrasch Formula is a fundamental and unifying principle that embraces familiar core concepts such as "good/bad bishop," "advantage of opposite color bishops in the attack" (and vice versa), and so forth. 
Playing steadily to reduce the power of a single enemy piece, to "turn down volume" until its normal voice become only a whisper, can provide enough advantage to win the game. Why? Because it is functionally the same as winning a piece. Every chess player loves to have an extra piece. 

Thinking of strategy in this way is a very useful part of your chess planning. It offers a straightforward and effective method for improving your chess decision-making and move selection, as demonstrated in the games collected for this book. 

International Grandmaster Sam Palatnik is co-author (with GM Lev Alburt) of three volumes in the best -selling "Comprehensive Chess Course" series. Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player, and The King in Jeopardy. 

National Master Mark Ishee is the author of Evans Gambit Games, and has written articles for numerous chess publications including Chess Life, School Mates and Inside Chess. 

I was born in Odessa, Ukraine, home to a fair share of chess grandmasters. There, I started attending chess classes at the age of 9, and I was hooked. Chess opened a whole new world for me. My favourite metaphor, which I believe to be true, is that chess is a model of life.  At the board, you can be creative, daring, and even whimsical.
Off the board, chess was a vehicle for me to escape the Soviet reality. While international travel was restricted to most people, chess allowed me to see the world, meet many interesting people and overcome obstacles.
My chess career was on the rise, and in 1978 I became and International Chess Grandmaster (back when there were only a bit over 100 of us). From that point on, I have won over a dozen class A tournaments, traveled all over the world, until I finally decided to become a coach.
Back in Ukraine, I have earned the title of Emeritus coach of Ukraine, trained numerous famous grandmasters and coached both world and Olympic teams.
In 1994, my family and I moved to the United States. Ever since, I have been training players of all levels (from grandmasters to scholastic players). I have also written several best selling chess books. Now, I am also one of the official USCF coaches for the US Youth players at the Scholastic World Championships, and have also been a coach to the US Olympic Chess Team.
Currently, I reside in Bethesda, MD, very close to Washington, DC and Baltimore areas. Here, I work as an associate director for University of Maryland's at Baltimore County (UMBC) chess team, the strongest collegiate team in the United States, comprised of 4 grandmasters per academic year. I also represent Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) as the Greater Mid Atlantic region coordinator. In this capacity, we organize the Greater Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Championships, and hope to conduct more events in the future.
In my spare time, I give private lessons at my residence, conduct chess camps for scholastic players, and continue to write books.