Giving up material is one of the most difficult decisions a chess player has to take. But the reality is that winning a game very often requires you to make that choice. The nagging question is always: what about my compensation? The old school used to relate compensation to ‘correctness’. A sacrifice was correct if the material was swiftly returned, if possible with interest. Generations of chess players spent lots of time counting, quantifying the static value of their pieces almost by reflex. In this book, Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic teaches you how to look beyond the material balance when you evaluate positions. With many instructive fragments he shows how the actual value of your pieces fluctuates during the game, depending on many non-material factors. Some of those factors are space-related, such as mobility, harmony, outposts, weaknesses, structures, squares, files and diagonals. Other factors are related to time, and to the way the moves unfold: tempo, initiative, a threat, an attack. Modern club players need to be able to suppress their need for immediate gratification. In order to gain the upper hand you often have to live with uncertain compensation. With the help of many fascinating examples, Kuljasevic teaches you the essential skill of taking calculated risks. After studying Beyond Material, winning games by sacrificing material will become second nature to you. "A fascinating effort that deserves a wide audience. One of the best books I have read this year." -- John Donaldson, International Master "This book will take intermediate players to a new dimension of chess understanding and practical performance. As you read Beyond Material it feels as if Kuljasevic was next to you as a coach. The examples in the book are not geared to impress you, but to help you become a better chess player. This book does a great service to players with a positional oriented solid style. The author shows how to grow to a more dynamic/flexible approach to chess." -- Miguel Ararat "An enjoyable and thought-provoking read, quite different from more 'normal' chess book fare. It's a super piece of work, and an excellent take on a neglected area of the game." -- Ian Marks ― Chess Scotland "I like the author's style. There is enough material here to keep even the keenest of chess students busy for some time and it definitely has the potential to change the way a player thinks. A very good book. It provides a plethora of excellent material, which is both entertaining and instructive, while remaining fully accessible to club players." -- Sean Marsh ― CHESS Monthly "Interesting, well thought-out and pleasantly written. A book with a clever structure, richly illustrated with game examples and analysis, which I highly recommend to all serious tournament players." -- Florian Jacobs Davorin Kuljasevic is an International Grandmaster born in Croatia. He graduated from Texas Tech University and played in USCL 2007 and 2008 for Dallas Destiny, the team that became US champion in both these years. He is an experienced coach and a winner of many tournaments.