How to Become a Candidate Master

This How to Become a Candidate Master is an English-language paperback chess book that shows ambitious club players how to move from everyday practical play toward Candidate Master strength. Rather than offering abstract theory, it uses real amateur games to focus on the decisions, mistakes and turning points that actually matter at the board.

Written by Alex Dunne, the book takes you through more than 50 practical games and explains how to improve in every phase of the game: the opening, middlegame and endgame. The emphasis is on clear, usable guidance, including when to activate your pieces and how to spot and punish an opponent’s errors.

What the book covers

This title is aimed at players who want to build practical strength through study, not shortcuts. It is based on real amateur games, so the lessons come from situations club players will recognise over the board. The result is a structured guide to learning from experience and improving your play step by step.

Inside the book

• analysis of more than 50 practical games
• coverage of the opening, middlegame and endgame
• guidance on activating your pieces at the right moment
• methods for recognising and punishing opponent mistakes
• material based on real amateur games

This is the expanded and revised edition of a classic book first published in 1992 under the same title.

Edition details

• Language: English
• Format: paperback
• Pages: 256
• Author: Alex Dunne
• Edition: expanded and revised