Chess Imbalances – a GM Guide by Mauricio Flores Rios Material imbalances are a fundamental part of almost every chess game, yet have not received much attention in chess literature.

Chess Imbalances

In this illuminating book, GM Mauricio Flores Rios breaks down this universal topic into categories such as bishop vs knight, opposite-coloured bishops, possessing and playing against

the bishop pair, and various scenarios with a queen or rook being traded for a number of pieces.

With well-chosen examples, insightful commentary and exercises to test your newfound understanding of all types of material imbalance, this book is an essential tool for chess improvement.

Mauricio Flores Rios is a grandmaster and former member of the Chilean national team, who now lives and works in the USA. His previous book,

Chess Structures – A Grandmaster Guide, was acclaimed by readers and reviewers.

A Grandmaster Guide

The book you hold in your hands has been almost nine years in the making – an unbelievably long but exciting journey, which started in late 2015.

The positive reception to my first book Chess Structures – A Grandmaster Guide was, quite frankly, overwhelming. Just six months after its publication, I was asking myself:

is there going to be a next book? Although many encouraged me throughout the years to simply write a second volume to Chess Structures (which I may write someday!),

Chess Imbalances

I felt there was an even greater need for a different topic. Having just written a book on how to dissect chess positions based on their pawn structure, I wanted to add more color into these

evaluations, and I felt the best way to do that would be adding another dimension of analysis: the material on the board.

This is why I embarked on my quest to write Chess Imbalances – A Grandmaster Guide, which in my view is the most comprehensive book yet on how to conduct positions with each material

imbalance you are likely to encounter in chess.

Mauricio Flores Rios

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