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Football and Chess: Tactics; Strategy; Beauty
By Adam Wells
Hardinge Simpole, December 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1843821861

One rather shop-worn phrase that football commentators are prone to come out with, especially when they are viewing a match where neither side has scored and where few chances to score have been created overall, is ‘It is like a game of chess’.  In other words, it is a dull, drawish game that is without interest.  Perhaps Adam Wells’ book will go some way to convincing such pundits that a mating attack by Alekhine, Tal or Shirov can be as spectacular as a goal by Wayne Rooney.  We can always hope.

The aim of Well’s book is to explore the relationship between football and chess, to draw out significant analogies.  It is clear that both games involve attack and defence (in some sense) and that each one emphasises the importance of the centre (or the midfield) and the initiative (the capacity to make threats, ball possession).  That old football cliche to the effect that a side has to score when they are on top is matched by Steinitz’s imperative that when you have the advantage you must either use it and attack, or forfeit it.

What may surprise some is that strategic and tactical understanding has evolved in a similar fashion in both games.  At first, football teams adopted the so-called ‘Pyramid’ formation: two in defence, three in midfield, five in attack; just as, during the Romantic period in chess, players thought mainly of gambit, sacrifice and attack.  Gradually, though, a more defensive, positional, counter-attacking approach took hold, perhaps best epitomised by the ‘catenaccio’ system, which to all intents and purposes is a form of prophylaxis.  Here, Wells’ section entitled ‘Stretch and Compress’ reminded me of Sergey Makarichev’s musings on the origin of the Hedgehog (quoted on page 39 of Revolution in the ‘70s by Garry Kasparov), one of the distinctive opening systems of modern chess:

Elsewhere, Wells ranges widely and discusses some of the psychological factors important to both games (creativity, concentration, emotional control, etc.) and aesthetics, at one point comparing a move by Mikhail Tal to a pass by Ronaldinho (!).

Football and Chess: Tactics; Strategy; Beauty is a fascinating book, though you also probably need to have a strong interest in football, and in particular in football tactics, to get the most out of it.  If you want a straight introduction to football tactics, Jonathan Wilson’s recent Inverting the Pyramid (2009) is strongly recommended.

Play 1.b3!
By Ilya Odessky
New In Chess, November 2008
ISBN-13: 978-9056912567

Ilya Odessky’s book is an ode to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, ‘a Friend for Life’, to quote its subtitle. It is also, in more than a few passages, something of a lament; a tone of playful pessimism pervades much of it. The author seems to regard an opening (or 1.b3 in particular) as akin to a football team that you’ve followed since a boy, or a wife that you don’t want to or cannot divorce. You are honour-bound to give your support and you absorb the small hurts because, just occasionally, there are resplendent moments of joy.

By no means is this a typical opening book, as the chapter titles alone make clear. Just to give three examples: ‘Wanderer, There is No Path Through’ is chapter 2 and it is concerned with a promising variation which, apparently, leads only to equality; ‘Don’t Interfere’, chapter 7, is a rubbishing of the Dutch: the title is a riff on Petrosian’s remark that ‘if your opponent wants to play the Dutch Defence, you shouldn’t try to prevent him’; and the 14th chapter is entitled ‘Casus’, a Latin term which refers to ‘an action, outwardly appearing criminal, but which is free of any element of blame’. It is about a principled yet trappy variation where Black frequently comes to harm.

Rather than presenting an exhaustive survey of Black’s possible responses to 1.b3, Odessky examines closely a number of key variations and positions. One chapter looks at the fashionable line 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bd6!? (intending …0-0, …Re8 and …Bf8); another explores the curious Litus Gambit (1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4 3.f3 Bh5 4.e4!?). Two chapters provide a substantial examination of the Nimzowitsch Attack (1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bb5). There are three chapters focusing on Petrosian’s experiences with 1.b3, and these are undoubtedly the most fascinating part of the book.

Odessky is a genuinely engaging and entertaining writer and Steve Giddins’ smooth translation ably captures his mock-melancholic voice. As an introduction to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, this book could hardly be bettered; yet the author also has many interesting things to say about positional play, chess strategy and simply playing good chess. And ultimately, the book is as much about these matters as the opening which, we are made to understand, has been the bane and joy of the author’s chess career (‘Don’t Grieve!’ is the title of the last chapter, incidentally: don’t!).

Zuke 'Em: The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionised
By David Rudel
Thinkers’ Press, June 2008
ISBN-13: 978-1888710359

Typically, the Colle-Zukertort arises after the sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3, though naturally this move order may vary. Once White's queen's bishop is developed on b2, the 'Horwitz Bishops' - to employ Nimzowitsch's term - will exert sustained pressure both in the centre and on Black's kingside. It is a simple yet elegant system and, as David Rudel shows in this excellent book, it should not be underestimated. Rudel demonstrates that White has promising play against the Bogolyubov Defence (where Black goes … Nc6 and … Bd6) and the Classical Variation (where Black's king's bishop is developed on … e7), as well as against various minor or less frequently played defences. Against the Classical Variation, Rudel presents an attacking scheme of Kovacevic's that is rather neat. It involves a rook lift (Re1-e3) and the transfer of the queen to the kingside by g3 and Qf1-h3; and it was played in Kovacevic-Farago, Hastings 1982-1983, if
you'd like to play it through from an online database. One wonders whether Kovacevic's inspiration was Fischer's 21.Qf1!? from his first game against Larsen at Santa Monica 1966, though the idea wasn't successful there, of course.

Rudel's consideration of deviations from the above sequence (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3), the so-called 'anti-Colles', is impressively detailed overall; and naturally he looks at deviations that might arise from a different move order, such as 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Bg4 or 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Bf5 or 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5. However, it is not quite exhaustive. One would be interested to have the author’s suggestions as to how a Zukertort player might meet the Polish Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b5!?) or an Old Indian set-up, where the … d6/… e5 pawn chain might make a quite effective bulwark against the Bb2.

Zuke 'Em: The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionised is a book with many virtues: it is lucid and rigorous and interactive and authoritative and engaging. Its lucidity is most apparent in the way the author organises his material; most chapters begin with a 'Familiarization' section - a gentle introduction to its main themes - after which the teddy bears are taken away and we get down to brass tacks. Rudel deals rigorously and methodically with almost every plan or option for Black, and almost every way of implementing that option. Each option is dealt with by explanation, on the whole - the emphasis throughout is on understanding - but is supported by games and analysis where appropriate. Rudel's explanations are 'interactive' in that he has a gift for provoking questions in the reader (this reader, anyway) and anticipating them in the text. He will often make a complicated statement or point and then 'unpack it', explaining it more fully. We respect this
author in part because of this Socratic style of exposition, and in part from the fact that he has played the Colle-Zukertort for 15 years or so: this book is the distillation of much thought and experience. Rudel also uses statistical data incisively and well, and will often tell the reader how frequently a line has been played and how successful it has been. Finally, the book is written in an engaging, conversational prose style with quirky touches of humour. In particular, Rudel’s remark that Richard Palliser's book on the Colle, given its downbeat tone, was 'the chess equivalent of Ecclesiastes' raised a smile. Well, at least it doesn't bear comparison with Job...

There are a few typos in the text, but the meaning can be gleaned in virtually every case except one: the note to Black's 13th move on page 155 makes no sense, as 15 … Bf6 is an illegal move. (My guess, for what it is worth, is that 15 … Bxf1 16.Qxd5 Ba6 17. Rxe7+ is intended instead.)

The bibliography is fairly comprehensive, but it omits to mention two works of value. Colle, London and Blackmar Diemer Systems by Tim Harding (1979) has a substantial section on the Colle-Zukertort and, though the book is now out of print, it is not perhaps out of date. Theory advances slowly in the queen’s pawn openings; and Harding was and still is an excellent writer and researcher. Valery Bronznik’s The Colle-Koltanowski System (2004) is of interest to Colle-Zukertort players for at least three reasons. First, for its useful discussion of various anti-Colle lines. Second, for its detailed analysis of the consequences of 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.0-0!? c4 6.Be2, should White wish to delay the decision of whether to play 5.b3 or 5.c3 for a move or so. (And why might White want to do this? Well, on studying Rudel’s book, White may wonder whether he can profitably avoid the underrated 5.b3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+!? by first playing 5.0-0.)
Third, paradoxical though it may seem given his book’s title, Bronznik does give the occasional Colle-Zukertort line. In particular, he provides a deep analysis of the game Yusupov-Anand, Linares 1991, an engrossing struggle between two world-class players. Anand was clearly lost in that game, though he managed to scrape a win in the end.

To pronounce a critical judgement on the book under review: Zuke 'Em: The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionised is an excellent, well-nigh essential introduction to a sound and straightforward opening system that provides the first player with promising attacking possibilities and good prospects of an advantage. David Rudel's book is clearly the fruit of much eunoia (thank you, Christian Bok) and it will undoubtedly be the cause of plenty of eunoia in other chess players' games: make sure you are one of them. And it has a brilliant cover.

To end, and as a small bonus, here are pointers to a couple of online resources:

David Rudel maintains a forum about the Colle-Zukertort at www.zuke-dukes.com/forum; as well as discussions of the opening, there is a database of games beginning 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3… where Black adopts a KID set-up.

A few of David Rudel's articles are on the web, and as a preface to his book I would recommend especially the introductory 'Four Keys to the Colle-Zukertort':

http://www.chessville.com/instruction/Openings/FourKeystotheColle-Zukertort.htm

Incidentally, this article is a good showcase of Rudel's prose style, with its felicitous mix of humour and rigour.

The Black Lion: The Chess Predator's Choice Against Both 1.e4 and 1.d4
By Jerry van Rekom and Leo Jansen
New in Chess, December 2008
ISBN-13: 978-9056912574

The Black Lion, so-called, is an opening that can be played against virtually any White first move (1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4…) and it has been named in part as a nod to Leo Jansen, the co-author who has been its champion for many years. Also, the name seems appropriate because as a quiet system which disguises an aggressive intent, it is rather like a lazy beast of prey.

Typically, the Black Lion (so-called) arises after the moves 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7, followed by 4…e5. Black can play 3…e5 immediately incidentally, to rule out 4.f4, and this option is covered in Chapter 5, which is here entitled ‘The Lion’s Yawn’.

There is plenty to admire about this book. The prose is engaging and it is clear that the authors have a real enthusiasm for the opening, and a deep understanding of it. Also, the analysis is substantial and thorough and often original. It is plain that there are sharp and interesting possibilities for each side, such as Shirov’s 4.Nf3 e5 5.g4!? or (for Black) the Palatnik Gambit, which arises after 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 exd4 7.Qxd4 d5! However, lines where White plays 1.d4 and follows up with 2.c4 are not analysed at all; there is a solitary game where co-author Jerry van Rekom faces this move order (on pages 27-29), and it has quite a neat finish, but that is about it. So a reader would not be well-prepared, or feel especially confident, when playing the Black Lion (so-called) against 1.d4 after reading the book.

On a more fundamental level, you may end the book feeling rather as the children in Whistle Down the Wind felt, when they realised that it was not Jesus in their barn but just a fellow who looked like him. Let me explain.

The most commonly played moves (after 3…Nbd7) are 4.Nf3 e5 and they are examined in Chapters 3 and 4, entitled ‘The Lion’s Claw’ and ‘The Lion’s Roar’ respectively, as well as in part of Chapter 6, here called ‘The Lion’s Mouth’. Now despite the relentless reference to a certain feline creature, it might occur to you that this sequence of moves simply leads to the Hanham Variation of the Philidor Defence, and I would be inclined to agree. The authors would argue, though, that what distinguishes the Black Lion, so-called, from the Hanham Variation of the Philidor is a plan involving a regrouping of forces on the kingside and a possible attack there. After playing …Be7, …c6 and …Qc7, Black will follow up with … h6 and …g5 if allowed. The queen’s knight will then go to …f4 (via …f8 and …g6), the king’s rook to …g8, and so on.

The problem for the authors is that this kind of regrouping has been seen before, and in the Hanham Variation, so it is not actually distinctive or new. See, for example, the game Yates-Marco, The Hague 1921:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.O-O h6 7.Be3 Ngf6 8.Bb3 Qc7 9.Nd2 g5 10.a4 Nf8 11.a5 Ng6 12.Re1 Nf4 13.f3 Rg8 14.Nf1 Be6 15.Ng3 Qd7 16.d5 Bh3 17.gxh3 Qxh3 18.Qd2 N6h5 19.Qf2 g4 20.Kh1 gxf3 21.Rg1 Bh4 22.Bxf4 exf4 23.Nxh5 Bxf2 24.Rxg8+ Ke7 25.Nxf4 Qh4 26.Rg7 Kf8 27.Rxf7+ Kxf7 28.dxc6+ Kg7 29.Ne6+ Kh8 30.Nd5 bxc6 0-1

One has to conclude that this ‘new’ opening (The Black Lion, so-called) amounts to little more than a re-branding, a re-branding which is relentless (as in the chapter titles) and after a while somewhat tiresome. Indeed, one could go further and say that bringing together the Hanham Variation of the Philidor Defence and the Old Indian, and treating them collectively as a universal system versus 1.e4 and 1.d4, is an enterprise that is at once spurious and absurd. There are similarities, granted, but there are similarities too between the Pirc and the King’s Indian. Would it make sense to regard these two openings as one universal system because they both involve a king's fianchetto and an advance in the centre with ...e5 or ...c5? Clearly not.

The Black Lion is an interesting, thought-provoking opening book which will equip you with a little-known, under-regarded yet worthwhile defence against 1.e4. However, most of the time the Black Lion, so-called, looks like the Hanham Variation of the Philidor Defence.

The Easiest Sicilian
By Atanas Kolev and Trajko Nedev
Chess Stars, April 2008
ISBN-13: 978-9548782661

This is an excellent guide to the Sveshnikov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5), an ultra-sharp system where Black’s active centralized pieces tend to generate an initiative strong enough to compensate for any structural weaknesses.

The authors aim to present a complete Black repertoire following 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 and they examine just three anti-Sicilian lines: the Rossolimo (3.Bb5), against which they recommend 3…Nf6; 3.c3, which pretty much transposes straight into the Alapin; and finally the so-called anti-Sveshnikov: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5, etc. Black gets good positions in each case and their recommendation against the Rossolimo is particularly interesting, accompanied as it is by much original analysis.

Barring early deviations (such as 6.Nf5 or 7.Nd5), White has two main options when faced with the Sveshnikov. There is the positional approach where (following 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5) White plays 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3, aiming to keep a hold on d5 following Nc2-e3. Then there is another, more direct approach: White plays 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6, which can lead to immense complications after (say) 12.Qh5 Rg8 or 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5!? On the whole, the play is more complex and exciting – for both sides - in this latter line. Black is holding his own at the minute in both.

One attractive feature of the Sveshnikov is that Black often has the opportunity to attack on the kingside, which is unusual in other variations of the Sicilian. And, in general, king safety is a big concern for White. Black usually has open lines on the kingside (the g-file), the queenside (the c-file and more often than not the b-file) and a pawn majority in the centre (especially after …fxe4 and …f5, in the line following 11…Be6 above) and is generally able to create threats against the White king, wherever it is placed.

There is a nineteenth century feel to a lot of the lines in the Sveshnikov – and though not a gambit, it is certainly a gamble. Black lives or dies by his ability to keep his initiative going; little wonder, then, that creative players like Shirov and Topalov have been drawn to it.

Kolev and Nedev provide a thorough coverage of Black’s various possibilities and they adopt the same user-friendly format as in The Petrosian System Against the QID. To recap, ‘Quick Repertoire’ gives the gist of a particular line, while ‘Step by Step’ puts flesh on the bones, adding deep and significant analytical detail. Unlike the previously reviewed book, though, there are a good number of complete illustrative games here.

International Chess Congress, London 1922
Edited by David Regis
Hardinge Simpole, January 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1843821755

London 1922 was the first tournament that Capablanca entered as world champion, and he came first with 13 points out of 15, one and a half points ahead of Alekhine, his future challenger.  They were the only two players to remain unbeaten: the difference between them being that Alekhine allowed seven draws to Capablanca’s four.  At this time, Alekhine was not quite the ruthless killer that he became; against Maroczy, for example, he lost control of a much better position and was lucky to escape with a draw.  In round 10, though, he did produce what was probably the best game of the tournament:

Alekhine-Yates
London, 1922

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 c6 8. Qc2 Re8 9. Bd3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nd5 11. Ne4

Later, Alekhine took to playing this move in a similar position, after taking on e7.  In the position after 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7, he would play 11.Ne4, as for example in the game Alekhine-Treybal, Baden-Baden 1925.

11...f5?! The disruptive 11...Qa5+! is the best move here, while this move – weakening e5 and downgrading the ...Bc8 – is certainly among the worst.

12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Ned2 Perhaps envisioning Nc4-e5 at some point. 13...b5?! Another bad move: the scope of the ...Bc8 is reduced still further and the c5 square is made weak.  But even after 13...N5b6 14.Bb3 a5 15.a3 Kh8 (to prepare ...e5; also, Qxf5 was threatened) 16.O-O g6 (16...e5 17.Qxf5 Nc5 18.Qxe5 wins) 17.e4 White is in control of the game.

14. Bxd5 cxd5 15. O-O a5 16. Nb3 Once this knight is exchanged for Black’s knight on ...d7, White’s king’s knight will be able to occupy e5 with impunity.  Incidentally, I would suggest that Alekhine’s note to White’s fifteenth move is in error here; he surely meant to say ‘the e5 square’ rather than ‘the same square’ (meaning, I think, c5).

16...a4 17. Nc5 Nxc5 18. Qxc5 Qxc5 19. Rxc5 b4 20. Rfc1 Ba6 21. Ne5 Black cannot contest the c-file: 21...Rec8 22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 (22...Bxc8 23.Nc6) 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.Nc6 wins material through the twin threats of 25.Nxb4 and 25.Ne7+.

21...Reb8 22. f3! So the king can be introduced into the attack. 22...b3 23. A3 Naturally, White keeps the queenside files closed.

23...h6 In order to give the king some freedom.  Black cannot contest the seventh rank: 23...Ra7? 24.Nc6 wins the exchange, while 23...Rb7? 24.Rc8+ checkmates.  And nor can Black challenge White’s control of the c-file: 23...Rc8 24.Rxc8+ Rxc8 (24...Bxc8 25.Rc7!) 25.Rxc8+ Bxc8 26.Nd3! and 27.Nc5 will win either the ...a4 or the ...e6 pawn.

24. Kf2 Kh7 25. h4! To secure the king’s position when it reaches f4; the advance ...g7-g5 is deterred. 25...Rf8 26. Kg3 Rfb8 Black can only wait and hope.  If 26...g5 (to prevent a later Kf4) 27.hxg5 hxg5 28.Rh1+ Kg8 (28...Kg7 29.Rc7+ Kf6 30.Rh6 checkmate) 29.Ng6! wins, for example: a) 29...Rf6 30.Rh8+ or b) 29...Rfc8 30.Ne7+ or c) 29...Rfe8 30.Rc7! with 31.Rh8 checkmate to follow.

27. Rc7 Bb5 28. R1c5 Ba6 29. R5c6 Re8 30. Kf4 An interesting moment: White has four pieces (including the Kf4) poised to attack the Black king.  For defence, Black has just the lone rook on ...e8. 30...Kg8 31. h5 Bf1 32. g3 Ba6 33. Rf7 Now Black can play neither 33...Rac8? 34.Rxa6 nor 33...Rec8 34.Rxe6 (intending Rg6), while 33...Rf8 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Rxe6 drops a pawn.  So it is inevitable that White will play Rcc7, doubling rooks along the seventh rank, with a consequent increase in pressure.

33...Kh7 34. Rcc7 Rg8 35. Nd7! Threatening Nf6+. 35...Kh8 36. Nf6! Naturally, if the Knight is taken, checkmate follows with Rh7. 36...Rgf8

Now, after many preparatory manoeuvres, there follows a winning combination. 37. Rxg7! Rxf6 38. Ke5!

As with many of Alekhine’s combinations, there is a quiet yet deadly move to end.  Should Black move or defend the rook (38...Rff8 or 38...Raf8), checkmate follows with 39.Rh7+ Kg8 40.Rcg7.  Therefore the rook is lost.  Black resigned. 1-0 A near-perfect game on Alekhine’s part.

Now back to the book.  David Regis has compiled (his word, which is altogether too modest a description of his endeavour, in my view) much interesting material from a diverse range of sources, and he has thereby brought the London 1922 tournament to life.  All of the games from the Masters’ tournament are given, the vast majority annotated by Maroczy, but there are notes also by Capablanca, Alekhine, Tartakower and others.  Along with the famous games (Atkins versus Capablanca, Reti versus Znosko-Borovsky, etc.) there are many lesser-known gems, with one being Wahltuch-Euwe.  There are a goodly number of diagrams per game and the games are well-indexed by opening and players involved (game).  There are also a small selection of games from subsidiary events (such as the Major Open and the Women’s tournaments) and a full list of tournament tables.

Capablanca’s articles from The Times are a highlight and assembled here are his preview of the congress, his round-by round summaries of the play and a review or overview of the congress to end.  There is also an interview with Capablanca, carried out on the eve of the tournament.  As well as this, Vidmar’s account of how he came to resign against Capablanca remains quite touching.

There are eye-witness accounts of the play from chess enthusiasts and those less enamoured by the spectacle on show.  Included also are a few letters to The Times, including one from a writer who bemoans the fact that Capablanca and Alekhine’s play is not as blessed with genius as Zukertort’s when in his heyday, at the London tournament of 1883.  Clearly, Flaubert missed a trick by not including MODERN CHESS as an entry in his Dictionary of Received Ideas: Thunder against it!

Overall, International Chess Congress, London 1922 is an excellent, substantial record of an important tournament.

Botvinnik - Smyslov
Three World Chess Championship Matches: 1954, 1957, 1958
By Mikhail Botvinnik
Translated by Steve Giddins
New In Chess, July 2009
ISBN: 978-9056912710

A book that does exactly what it says on the cover; it presents all the games from the three world championship matches that Botvinnik and Smyslov contested in the 1950s.  The first match, in 1954, ended all square at 12 points apiece, so Botvinnik retained the title.  Smyslov won by a margin of three points in 1957, but Botvinnik as ousted title-holder exercised his right (according to the rules in force at the time) to a return match.  This duly took place a year later and was won by Botvinnik, with Smyslov trailing two points behind.  So Botvinnik regained the world championship and saw off Smyslov’s challenge for good.

There are 69 games here, all told, and overall the score is 35-34 in Smyslov’s favour.  It seems therefore a little unfair that he reigned as world champion for just one year!

All of the games are genuine struggles, except for three: the 19th, 21st and 22nd games of the 1957 match (these were all drawn in 15 moves or less).  In the Foreword, Smyslov writes of his great rival that ‘whilst we had differing views on certain aspects of chess, we both looked on the game not merely as a sporting competition, but also as an art, and tried at the board to create finished works of art’.  And indeed many of the games are masterpieces.

Botvinnik annotates all the games of the 1954 and 1958 matches, and some games of the 1957 match.  His annotations are pretty much top-notch: self-critical, appreciative of his opponent, logical and perspicuous and instructive.  Other games from the 1957 match have annotations by Smyslov, Ragozin and others.  Steve Giddins’ translation is smooth and clear.  

Also included in the book is some opening analysis from Botvinnik’s notebooks of 1957 and 1958, and a ‘plan of preparation’ for the 1957 match.  These notebook excerpts are laced with judgements of others’ games and ideas, as well as self-critical comments, and included here (on page 177) is the faulty analysis that eventually emerged in Botvinnik-Fischer, Varna 1962 (where Botvinnik’s play was refuted by Fischer’s 17…Qxf4!).

World-class games, annotated on the whole by one of the chess greats, important background documents … it is difficult to see how this book could be improved.  As far as chess literature is concerned, it must be called a classic.