Chess Generalship, Vol. I. Grand Reconnaissance

"Chess Generalship, Vol. I: Grand Reconnaissance" by Franklin K. Young is a book that looks closely at the similarities between chess and how battles are fought, written long ago. It treats chess as more than just a game, seeing it as a way to train your mind and build skills in leading and planning, much like what generals do. Young believes chess is a useful tool for soldiers and thinkers. The book starts by saying that knowing how to play chess well is key for leading in the military because the thinking skills are alike. Young stresses the need to plan carefully and make smart choices based on truly knowing the game. He suggests it's important to know what you can't do and to use what you learn about your enemy to your benefit, which sets the stage for deeply exploring both chess and battle plans in the rest of the book. This start points to the helpful ideas and real plans people can expect to find as they read on.