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Book Reviews page 3
Chess Secrets: The Giants of Power Play
By Neil McDonald
Everyman Chess, September 2009
ISBN: 9781857445978
This is another impressive work by Neil McDonald, brimming with all of his love and enthusiasm for the game. In a way, the Chess Secrets series from Everyman Chess is midway between a textbook, albeit a somewhat free-ranging one, and a player’s (or rather players’) games collection. Here, we have a slue of ‘power play’ stars on the same bill: 88 games from the likes of Morphy, Alekhine, Bronstein, Geller and, the baby of the bunch and the current world number two, Topalov. A festival line-up to vie with the best, you’ll surely agree.
McDonald adds value to this line-up by noting affinities between these five great players, drawing out common themes that arise in their games (e.g. the use of the queen in attack) and noting points of influence (for example, ‘In the footsteps of Morphy‘ is the title given to Bronstein’s famous game versus Rojahn at the Moscow Olympiad, 1956).
The chief characteristic of the ‘power play’ style is dynamism, coupled with a wily use of psychology and a willingness to take risks. It leads to games where tactics and creativity often predominate; as McDonald puts it, this style ‘is full of profound, unexpected ideas and stresses the human side of the game’. That there’s a fuzzy demarcation point between a ‘power play’ style and an attacking style of play should be self-evident; and the three players who feature in the Great Attackers title in this series (written by Colin Crouch) could probably appear here too.
Along with many classic games, and quite a number of lesser-known gems, there’s the surprising, ‘you have no right to expect this’ content that McDonald always seems to deliver.
With this in mind, let me draw your attention, in particular, to the essay on the Morphy-Harrwitz match of 1858, in the chapter dealing with the psychological aspects of preparation; it takes up all of pages 191-199. Morphy lost the opening two games of that match, but he had the nous to tailor his play in later games so as to accentuate his own strengths, whilst also exposing his opponent’s shortcomings. Or, at any rate, making Harrwitz feel very uncomfortable indeed. McDonald annotates the first four games of the match and he shows how Morphy turned around 0-2 to 2-2, and eventually got to 5-2 with one draw, which is how the match ended when Harrwitz threw in the towel. Perhaps Fischer, in part, had this debacle against Harrwitz in mind when he wrote that ‘in a set match, Morphy would beat anybody alive today’.
In the same chapter, McDonald gives a fascinating account of how Alekhine beat Capablanca in the 1927 World Championship match, at a time when the latter was considered to be invincible. Incidentally, Fischer was less enamoured of the fourth World Chess Champion, the only other player here who made his top ten. Fischer’s appraisal of Alekhine is amusing, overall, and I’ve always relished the remark that ‘it is hard to find mistakes in his game, but in a sense his whole method of play was a mistake.’ Fischer displays a visceral repulsion here, almost, to Alekhine’s approach to chess.
Chess Secrets: The Giants of Power Play ably merits an enthusiastic thumbs-up. You only have to look at the quintet of players on show to know that you are going to be royally entertained, and Neil McDonald’s writing is engaging and accessible yet has real substance too. One neat, snazzy characteristic he has, as Master of Ceremonies: all the points he makes in the text are validated and complemented by the selected games.
By Neil McDonald
Everyman Chess, September 2009
ISBN: 9781857445978
This is another impressive work by Neil McDonald, brimming with all of his love and enthusiasm for the game. In a way, the Chess Secrets series from Everyman Chess is midway between a textbook, albeit a somewhat free-
McDonald adds value to this line-
The chief characteristic of the ‘power play’ style is dynamism, coupled with a wily use of psychology and a willingness to take risks. It leads to games where tactics and creativity often predominate; as McDonald puts it, this style ‘is full of profound, unexpected ideas and stresses the human side of the game’. That there’s a fuzzy demarcation point between a ‘power play’ style and an attacking style of play should be self-
Along with many classic games, and quite a number of lesser-
With this in mind, let me draw your attention, in particular, to the essay on the Morphy-
In the same chapter, McDonald gives a fascinating account of how Alekhine beat Capablanca in the 1927 World Championship match, at a time when the latter was considered to be invincible. Incidentally, Fischer was less enamoured of the fourth World Chess Champion, the only other player here who made his top ten. Fischer’s appraisal of Alekhine is amusing, overall, and I’ve always relished the remark that ‘it is hard to find mistakes in his game, but in a sense his whole method of play was a mistake.’ Fischer displays a visceral repulsion here, almost, to Alekhine’s approach to chess.
Chess Secrets: The Giants of Power Play ably merits an enthusiastic thumbs-
The Ruy Lopez Revisited
Offbeat Weapons & Unexplored Resources
By Ivan Sokolov
New In Chess, 2009
ISBN: 978-9056912970
In this book, Sokolov examines six defences to the Ruy Lopez, all except one involving a third move that isn’t 3…a6. So there is a deviation from the main lines at the earliest possible opportunity; you don’t even have to know the Exchange Variation (3…a6 4.Bxc6) to play most of these beauties.
The defences examined are the Jaenisch Gambit (3…f5), the Cozio Variation (3…Nge7), the Smyslov Variation (3…g6), Bird’s Defence (3…Nd4) and the Classical Variation (3…Bc5). There is also the exception noted above, namely the Delayed Jaenisch Gambit (3…a6 4.Ba4 f5), and Sokolov begins his analysis of this line from the position following these moves, which is another way of saying that he doesn’t himself recommend a line versus 4.Bxc6; you’ll have to look elsewhere for that.
Note that Sokolov doesn’t consider 3…Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4: the ‘Berlin Wall’ has ceased to be a sideline. He does, however, look at the move order 3…Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 in his treatment of the Classical Variation.
Throughout, Sokolov’s analysis is thorough, rigorous and frequently original; he suggests many improvements on previous play. His evaluations strike one as reliable and trustworthy and objective. Here is a quick and dirty survey of his conclusions:
Offbeat Weapons & Unexplored Resources
By Ivan Sokolov
New In Chess, 2009
ISBN: 978-
In this book, Sokolov examines six defences to the Ruy Lopez, all except one involving a third move that isn’t 3…a6. So there is a deviation from the main lines at the earliest possible opportunity; you don’t even have to know the Exchange Variation (3…a6 4.Bxc6) to play most of these beauties.
The defences examined are the Jaenisch Gambit (3…f5), the Cozio Variation (3…Nge7), the Smyslov Variation (3…g6), Bird’s Defence (3…Nd4) and the Classical Variation (3…Bc5). There is also the exception noted above, namely the Delayed Jaenisch Gambit (3…a6 4.Ba4 f5), and Sokolov begins his analysis of this line from the position following these moves, which is another way of saying that he doesn’t himself recommend a line versus 4.Bxc6; you’ll have to look elsewhere for that.
Note that Sokolov doesn’t consider 3…Nf6 4.0-
Throughout, Sokolov’s analysis is thorough, rigorous and frequently original; he suggests many improvements on previous play. His evaluations strike one as reliable and trustworthy and objective. Here is a quick and dirty survey of his conclusions:
The Delayed Jaenisch Gambit is a basket case. If you want to write a suicide note to your opponent, play it. Otherwise, avoid like the plague.
The Cozio Variation doesn’t equalise; Black winds up in a passive position and White gets a small but enduring advantage. Yet Larsen has played it often in the past, and it’s always tempting to follow in the footsteps of a great player…
The Classical Variation should give White a slight edge, but several double-edged possibilities exist for Black. It is a good practical try.
The Smyslov Variation is solid and sound, and is a good way of reaching the Steinitz Deferred (4.c3 a6 5.Ba4 d6 6.d4 Bd7, etc.). Sokolov highlights 4.d4 exd4 5.c3!? as a gambit worthy of attention (5.Bg5 is usual).
The Jaenisch Gambit is aggressive and stands up to scrutiny. It hits.
The Bird’s Defence is another thumbs-up; it too is aggressive, leads to complicated positions and is well worth trying.
One admirable thing about Sokolov as an analyst is that he doesn’t pretend all is rosy when it’s not; he gives a warts-
A further thing that Sokolov has going for him is that he has played all of these, except for the Delayed Jaenisch Gambit, and so has experience of handling them in practical play. On my understanding, though, he currently plays only the Jaenisch (e.g. he used it against Adams and Jones in the Staunton Memorial, 2009) and the Bird’s (there’s a 2009 game of his versus Efimenko here as well) which tells you something. These are the ones to go for if you’re looking to win with Black.
The Ruy Lopez Revisited is a high-
The New Sicilian Dragon
By Simon Williams
Everyman Chess, June 2009
ISBN 9781857446159
In this book Simon Williams presents a defence to 1.e4 based on what he calls the 'Dragadorf', a Dragon/Najdorf hybrid that was used by Botvinnik and Reshevsky in the past. Among its current adherents are various British GMs (Chris Ward, Gawain Jones, Williams himself), as well as such free spirits as the American GM Sergey Kudrin. Black will fianchetto his king's bishop as in the normal Dragon (and to be clear it should be said that Williams begins his book from the position arising after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6) but he will follow up with a speedy queenside expansion by ...a6 and ...b5.
One promising plan for White is to play a speedy Bh6 in response, for example: 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 a6 8.Bc4! Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Bh6! as in Stein-Veresov, 1963. This is game 2 in the book and White won in 42 moves; the punctuation is Williams' own, by the way. Or White can go 8.Qd2 (instead of 8.Bc4 as played by Stein) Nbd7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bh6, a line covered in the whole of chapter 3.
The refinement of delaying the move …Bf8-g7, thereby saving a tempo should White play Bh6 or making this move innocuous, naturally suggests itself. And Williams covers this possibility, which he christens the Accelerated Dragadorf, in chapter 5. One player who treats the line this way, incidentally, is Kudrin; there are a couple of his games in this chapter, and 3 in the book overall.
Most of the book concerns itself with the Dragadorf versus the Yugoslav plan of 6.Be3 followed by f3 and Qd2, etc. (chapters 1-4), but later chapters (6 and 7) cover the Classical (6.Be2), the Levenfish (6.f4), the Fianchetto (6.g3) and various odds and ends. Against almost all of these latter systems, Williams is able to make the Dragadorf policy of a swift …a6 and …b5 work. A mosaic of 62 annotated games (4 of them the author’s own) forms the picture; it is all quite comprehensive. All in all, the Dragadorf pretty much holds its own, though it is sorely tested at certain points.
As a writer, Williams’ prose is engaging and conversational, but he can be rigorous and methodical when needed. He begins each chapter by outlining the plans available to Black and then summarises the key findings at the end. And naturally there are pointers to correct play in the notes to the games too; all very helpful and useful.
Indeed, I for one cannot really find fault with Williams' pioneering work. If you are looking for a Sicilian line that is dynamic and fluid yet still offers plenty of scope for independent research and innovation, The New Sicilian Dragon is prescribed.
By Simon Williams
Everyman Chess, June 2009
ISBN 9781857446159
In this book Simon Williams presents a defence to 1.e4 based on what he calls the 'Dragadorf', a Dragon/Najdorf hybrid that was used by Botvinnik and Reshevsky in the past. Among its current adherents are various British GMs (Chris Ward, Gawain Jones, Williams himself), as well as such free spirits as the American GM Sergey Kudrin. Black will fianchetto his king's bishop as in the normal Dragon (and to be clear it should be said that Williams begins his book from the position arising after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6) but he will follow up with a speedy queenside expansion by ...a6 and ...b5.
One promising plan for White is to play a speedy Bh6 in response, for example: 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 a6 8.Bc4! Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Bh6! as in Stein-
Indeed, I for one cannot really find fault with Williams' pioneering work. If you are looking for a Sicilian line that is dynamic and fluid yet still offers plenty of scope for independent research and innovation, The New Sicilian Dragon is prescribed.
The Scotch Game for White
By Vladimir Barsky
Chess Stars, December 2009
ISBN-13: 978-9548782739
Those who don’t have the time or the energy to learn all there is to know about the Ruy Lopez (and who does?) might wish to turn their attention toward the Scotch Game.
The Scotch Game (arising after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4) offers White many advantages: a natural development of his forces, an early spatial superiority and greater central control. Before Kasparov employed the opening, most authorities (such as, for example, Paul Keres) held that 3.d4 opened up the position too early, needlessly dissipating the tension; 3.Bb5 was much the preferred move. But take a look at some of the players who have adopted the Scotch in recent years: Ivanchuk, Radjabov, Morozevich and – the latest recruit, under Kasparov’s tutelage – Carlsen. Not the kind of customers who’d readily seek out a simple position, gladly settle for a draw or play an innocuous opening. It is only because the Scotch, while solid, has a real drop of poison that such super-GMs choose to play it.
Just study Vladimir Barsky’s excellent book and you will be sure to agree with this assessment. There is full, comprehensive coverage of Black’s options and against the main one (4 … Nf6) the author gives three lines:
· Mieses’ 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5, very much favoured by Kasparov
· 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5 7.e5, a sharp line involving a pawn sacrifice
· And finally 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5 7.0-0, with a slightly better endgame for White in prospect
Don’t be surprised, incidentally, if Soloviov’s 12.Nxg7! (on page 68) leads to the permanent abandonment of Steinitz’s 4 … Qh4. Gutman’s magisterial 4 … Qh4 in the Scotch (2001) makes no mention of this move (see page 239 of that book), and it seems a genuinely significant discovery.
The Scotch Game for White is a good, solid survey of an opening that has been played at the highest level but is still underestimated.
By Vladimir Barsky
Chess Stars, December 2009
ISBN-
Those who don’t have the time or the energy to learn all there is to know about the Ruy Lopez (and who does?) might wish to turn their attention toward the Scotch Game.
The Scotch Game (arising after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4) offers White many advantages: a natural development of his forces, an early spatial superiority and greater central control. Before Kasparov employed the opening, most authorities (such as, for example, Paul Keres) held that 3.d4 opened up the position too early, needlessly dissipating the tension; 3.Bb5 was much the preferred move. But take a look at some of the players who have adopted the Scotch in recent years: Ivanchuk, Radjabov, Morozevich and – the latest recruit, under Kasparov’s tutelage – Carlsen. Not the kind of customers who’d readily seek out a simple position, gladly settle for a draw or play an innocuous opening. It is only because the Scotch, while solid, has a real drop of poison that such super-
· Mieses’ 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5, very much favoured by Kasparov
· 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5 7.e5, a sharp line involving a pawn sacrifice
· And finally 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5 7.0-
The Scotch Game for White is a good, solid survey of an opening that has been played at the highest level but is still underestimated.
Find the Right Plan with Anatoly Karpov
By Anatoly Karpov and Anatoly Matsukevich
Translated by Sarah Hurst
Batsford, March 2010
ISBN: 9-781-9063-8868-3
In this book, the authors address two related questions: ‘How should you evaluate a position?’ and ‘How should you form and implement a plan?’
The first chapter surveys the development of thinking on chess strategy and planning up until the contribution of Steinitz, yet no further. Although Steinitz’s games and writings were clearly the key event, they were hardly the terminus. There are plenty of modern as well as classic games throughout the book, including a few from Nimzowitsch (e.g. on pages 226-229). Who was he?
Chapter two then gives seven ‘reference points’ or touchstones crucial to evaluating any chess position, factors such as pawn structure, the presence of open lines, the centre and space, etc. The authors then apply these factors to about 10 positions, the two most recent taken from the Kramnik-Leko world championship match in 2004. This makes for some instructive examples of strategic thinking in action.
Later chapters examine each ‘reference point’ in turn and in more detail, with the seventh and last chapter, ‘The most important law of chess’, being the most substantial (111 pages!) and the best. The law in question is an imperative: Restrict the mobility of your opponent’s pieces. There are 72 studies for solving in this chapter, all based around the notions of domination and restriction: a tough and demanding but rewarding course.
Though lacking the depth of Dvoretsky’s various works and indeed John Watson’s Secrets of Chess Strategy (2004), this book does achieve pretty much what it says on the cover: it will show you how to evaluate a position correctly and help you to decide on the right plan to follow. It is also an enjoyable and instructive read, if sometimes a little superficial.
By Anatoly Karpov and Anatoly Matsukevich
Translated by Sarah Hurst
Batsford, March 2010
ISBN: 9-
In this book, the authors address two related questions: ‘How should you evaluate a position?’ and ‘How should you form and implement a plan?’
The first chapter surveys the development of thinking on chess strategy and planning up until the contribution of Steinitz, yet no further. Although Steinitz’s games and writings were clearly the key event, they were hardly the terminus. There are plenty of modern as well as classic games throughout the book, including a few from Nimzowitsch (e.g. on pages 226-
Chapter two then gives seven ‘reference points’ or touchstones crucial to evaluating any chess position, factors such as pawn structure, the presence of open lines, the centre and space, etc. The authors then apply these factors to about 10 positions, the two most recent taken from the Kramnik-
Later chapters examine each ‘reference point’ in turn and in more detail, with the seventh and last chapter, ‘The most important law of chess’, being the most substantial (111 pages!) and the best. The law in question is an imperative: Restrict the mobility of your opponent’s pieces. There are 72 studies for solving in this chapter, all based around the notions of domination and restriction: a tough and demanding but rewarding course.
Though lacking the depth of Dvoretsky’s various works and indeed John Watson’s
Chicago 1926 and Lake Hopatcong 1926 Chess Tournaments
By Robert Sherwood
Edited by Dale Brandreth
Caissa Editions, 2009
ISBN: 0939433680
This terrific book tells the tale of two tournaments.
Lake Hopatcong took place in July and it was won by Capablanca in comfortable fashion. He was in the lead after the second round and never faltered. As the then world champion exited stage right, the remaining competitors – Kupchik, Maroczy, Marshall and Edward Lasker – trooped (or perhaps better, ‘trouped’) towards the windy city. There is no evidence that they performed The Comedy of Errors en route mind.
In the absence of a dominating figure, Chicago was a quite different tournament. It sported a larger field (thirteen players in total) and was a much more closely contested affair. Maroczy led for most of it, but he was overtaken by Torre towards the end; and then Marshall, always in the reckoning, pipped them both to the post. The final standings were Marshall 8.5, Maroczy and Torre 8, etc.
About fifteen (by my reckoning) games from the Chicago tournament have incomplete scores, but only four are severely effected. By ‘severely effected’ I mean that we are given the opening moves only, so that whatever character the game later assumed has been lost.
Capablanca was in good form at Lake Hopatcong and played some fine, even classic games but it is the minor skirmishes (such as the astounding, not to say crazy combination inaugurated by 26.Rxh7 in Fink-Kupchik: who was this guy by name of Fink? ) and the marginal stories that the book really comes alive.
Maroczy got the better of Marshall at Lake Hopatcong (1.5 out of 2, each competitor playing the other twice there) but at Chicago Marshall got his revenge in a very fine game indeed. The contrast between Marshall’s pugnacious approach and Maroczy’s classy technique (seen to best advantage in the wins versus Banks, Kashdan and Factor at Chicago) made for some interesting clashes of style.
Another fascinating contrast is seen when we consider Torre and Kashdan, who were by a sizable margin the youngest players competing at Chicago. Both men were twenty years of age, and in fact were born within four days of each other. Torre’s career came to a virtual end with this tournament, despite his immense talent. Whereas Kashdan went on to enjoy a distinguished career, performing well in international tournaments and helping the USA to several Olympiad wins. Before Reshevsky and Fine got good, he was the leading American player. Fate can be both cruel and kind.
Sherwood’s annotations are excellent: perspicacious and fully detailed and not fooled or cowed by reputation. His notes to the round twelve encounter between Capablanca and Edward Lasker is a case in point in this regard: he tells it like it is. Above all, his notes possess or approach objectivity, which is what one wants most of all. There is an immensely rich amount of material for study here, both in the games and in Sherwood’s notes.
For the rest, this is a hardback of sturdy red cloth, attractively produced, with plenty of diagrams throughout, often three or four to a page. It is a magic carpet of a book.
By Robert Sherwood
Edited by Dale Brandreth
Caissa Editions, 2009
ISBN: 0939433680
This terrific book tells the tale of two tournaments.
Lake Hopatcong took place in July and it was won by Capablanca in comfortable fashion. He was in the lead after the second round and never faltered. As the then world champion exited stage right, the remaining competitors – Kupchik, Maroczy, Marshall and Edward Lasker – trooped (or perhaps better, ‘trouped’) towards the windy city. There is no evidence that they performed The Comedy of Errors en route mind.
In the absence of a dominating figure, Chicago was a quite different tournament. It sported a larger field (thirteen players in total) and was a much more closely contested affair. Maroczy led for most of it, but he was overtaken by Torre towards the end; and then Marshall, always in the reckoning, pipped them both to the post. The final standings were Marshall 8.5, Maroczy and Torre 8, etc.
About fifteen (by my reckoning) games from the Chicago tournament have incomplete scores, but only four are severely effected. By ‘severely effected’ I mean that we are given the opening moves only, so that whatever character the game later assumed has been lost.
Capablanca was in good form at Lake Hopatcong and played some fine, even classic games but it is the minor skirmishes (such as the astounding, not to say crazy combination inaugurated by 26.Rxh7 in Fink-
Another fascinating contrast is seen when we consider Torre and Kashdan, who were by a sizable margin the youngest players competing at Chicago. Both men were twenty years of age, and in fact were born within four days of each other. Torre’s career came to a virtual end with this tournament, despite his immense talent. Whereas Kashdan went on to enjoy a distinguished career, performing well in international tournaments and helping the USA to several Olympiad wins. Before Reshevsky and Fine got good, he was the leading American player. Fate can be both cruel and kind.
Sherwood’s annotations are excellent: perspicacious and fully detailed and not fooled or cowed by reputation. His notes to the round twelve encounter between Capablanca and Edward Lasker is a case in point in this regard: he tells it like it is. Above all, his notes possess or approach objectivity, which is what one wants most of all. There is an immensely rich amount of material for study here, both in the games and in Sherwood’s notes.
For the rest, this is a hardback of sturdy red cloth, attractively produced, with plenty of diagrams throughout, often three or four to a page. It is a magic carpet of a book.
Developing Chess Talent
By Karel van Delft and Merijn van Delft
Foreword by Artur Yusupov
KVDC, 2010
ISBN: 9789079760022
There are three main strands to this rich and rewarding book.
First of all, ‘Coaching’, a section concerned with such issues as goal-setting (here the SMART acronym was present in substance, if not in letter), the creation of a meaningful training programme and the development of cognitive skills and aptitudes such as concentration, creativity and thinking in general. Naturally, there is also a metacognitive aspect to all of this, concerned with how you manage your thinking during a game or, indeed, your own study and training. And this too was addressed.
The second section, ‘Training’, was very much focused on the nuts and bolts of any particular training plan. It covered the content of what was to be taught (strategy, the endgame, etc.), the method through which it was to be delivered (e.g. a game quiz along the lines of ‘How Good is Your Chess?’), the tools and resources to be used and much else. Fundamental questions such as how long a training session should last, and how frequently such sessions should occur, were also explored. This was another very thorough presentation.
The final substantive section of the book was ‘Organization and Communication’, and at first sight it seems rather set apart from the other two. But there is undoubtedly a connection: if you develop the talents of young chess players, you need also to create arenas in which they can compete and shine. Without a vibrant chess culture, it all becomes a rather marginal enterprise. The authors, together with Cees Visser, established the SBSA (in English, the 'Foundation for the Promotion of Chess in Apeldoorn') in 1998; and it is a very successful chess organisation. Some of the questions addressed in this section were: What should you do to attract sponsors? How do you organise events such as tournaments and chess festivals? What is the best way to communicate with the media and with your core audience, i.e. chessplayers?
Following these three main strands, which together make up the bulk of the book, there are five interviews, the interviewees including Bronstein and Timman, and a set of appendices. Some of these appendices, such as the ‘list of psychological tips’ (in a question and answer format), were quite as interesting as the main body of the book. There is an ‘analysis questionnaire’ here, consisting of some 56 (!) self-evaluative questions to ask yourself after every game.
This is not a chess textbook as such, though it would undoubtedly be useful to an individual wanting to seriously and systematically improve his or her game. I would recommend Developing Chess Talent especially to chess coaches and teachers and to all involved in junior chess; and to anyone involved in an organisation that promotes chess. Though much of the material is specific to the SBSA, it could easily be adapted I feel. Indeed, the Manchester Chess Federation itself could well find the book useful.
More details about Developing Chess Talent, including a chapter excerpt, can be found at the following website:
http://www.chesstalent.com
By Karel van Delft and Merijn van Delft
Foreword by Artur Yusupov
KVDC, 2010
ISBN: 9789079760022
There are three main strands to this rich and rewarding book.
First of all, ‘Coaching’, a section concerned with such issues as goal-
The final substantive section of the book was ‘Organization and Communication’, and at first sight it seems rather set apart from the other two. But there is undoubtedly a connection: if you develop the talents of young chess players, you need also to create arenas in which they can compete and shine. Without a vibrant chess culture, it all becomes a rather marginal enterprise. The authors, together with Cees Visser, established the SBSA (in English, the 'Foundation for the Promotion of Chess in Apeldoorn') in 1998; and it is a very successful chess organisation. Some of the questions addressed in this section were: What should you do to attract sponsors? How do you organise events such as tournaments and chess festivals? What is the best way to communicate with the media and with your core audience, i.e. chessplayers?
Following these three main strands, which together make up the bulk of the book, there are five interviews, the interviewees including Bronstein and Timman, and a set of appendices. Some of these appendices, such as the ‘list of psychological tips’ (in a question and answer format), were quite as interesting as the main body of the book. There is an ‘analysis questionnaire’ here, consisting of some 56 (!) self-
More details about Developing Chess Talent, including a chapter excerpt, can be found at the following website:
http://www.chesstalent.com
The King's Indian: A Complete Black Repertoire
By Victor Bologan
Chess Stars, June 2009
ISBN-13: 978-9548782715
In his introduction Bologan describes the King's Indian Defence as ‘probably the most romantic response to 1.d4’ and when one considers the legacy of great games played with the opening, and the roll call of great players who have championed it (Fischer, Kasparov, Bronstein, Geller, Stein…), this characterisation can hardly be challenged. Bologan looks at the opening from Black’s viewpoint and his survey is focused yet thorough.
The main emphasis is on White’s principal systems:
· Averbakh’s Variation: against which Bologan recommends 6…h6 7.Be3 c5 and 6…Na6, Glek’s relatively recent invention.
· The Samisch Attack: where the pawn sacrifice 5…0-0 6.Be3 c5 gets the nod from Bologan, and naturally the alternatives 6.Bg5 and 6.Nge2 are covered too.
· The Fianchetto System: here Bologan plumbs for Panno’s 6…Nc6.
· The Four Pawns Attack & The Classical Variation: against both of which Bologan pretty much follows the mainlines.
And other more minor lines (e.g. Smyslov’s system with an early Bg5, 5.Bd3 and Makagonov’s 5.h3) are adequately covered too.
According to Bologan’s vision, the King's Indian is a dynamic, counter-attacking opening that is yet fundamentally sound. In this, he has been heavily influenced by Zigurds Lanka, his long-time coach; and the book is, appropriately enough, dedicated to Lanka. Bologan concedes that certain lines remain problematical and that his book ‘does not contain all the answers to every question.’ Even so, he trusts in the resources at Black’s disposal.
Bologan’s discussions of the various lines give valuable insights into the nature of the King's Indian and his assessments are authoritative. This fine book gives comprehensive coverage of an opening that approaches the status of a creation myth.
A supplement to the book, covering the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0–0 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5 9.exd5, can be downloaded from this webpage:
http://www.chess-stars.com .
By Victor Bologan
Chess Stars, June 2009
ISBN-
In his introduction Bologan describes the King's Indian Defence as ‘probably the most romantic response to 1.d4’ and when one considers the legacy of great games played with the opening, and the roll call of great players who have championed it (Fischer, Kasparov, Bronstein, Geller, Stein…), this characterisation can hardly be challenged. Bologan looks at the opening from Black’s viewpoint and his survey is focused yet thorough.
The main emphasis is on White’s principal systems:
· Averbakh’s Variation: against which Bologan recommends 6…h6 7.Be3 c5 and 6…Na6, Glek’s relatively recent invention.
· The Samisch Attack: where the pawn sacrifice 5…0-
· The Fianchetto System: here Bologan plumbs for Panno’s 6…Nc6.
· The Four Pawns Attack & The Classical Variation: against both of which Bologan pretty much follows the mainlines.
And other more minor lines (e.g. Smyslov’s system with an early Bg5, 5.Bd3 and Makagonov’s 5.h3) are adequately covered too.
According to Bologan’s vision, the King's Indian is a dynamic, counter-
Bologan’s discussions of the various lines give valuable insights into the nature of the King's Indian and his assessments are authoritative. This fine book gives comprehensive coverage of an opening that approaches the status of a creation myth.
A supplement to the book, covering the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0–0 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5 9.exd5, can be downloaded from this webpage:
Learn Chess Quick
By Brian Byfield and Alan Orpin
Illustrated by Gray Jolliffe
Batsford, March 2010
ISBN: 9781906388669
This is a clear and straightforward and often times witty introduction to the game of chess.
It is written for adults, though the cover and general appearance of the book might suggest otherwise. Certain allusions in the simplified and highly readable text (which might also be seen as misleading, with regard to the book’s intended readership) and certain of Gray Jolliffe’s illustrations make this clear.
In one cartoon a suitor appeals to a maiden: ‘I may not be a pawn forever – I could become a knight.’ The maiden, evidently unimpressed, replies: ‘Or a queen.’ A child may not quite get this joke. Again, there is a cartoon in the chapter on checkmate where a naked king is chained in a dungeon and at the mercy of a dominatrix with a whip (his speech bubble: ‘I like this game. It’s dangerous.’). And this cartoon, too, may not be easily appreciated by a child.
We are told how the pieces move and capture, what check and checkmate and stalemate are, how to write out the moves in algebraic notation (but not in descriptive, that’s apparently gone by the wayside); pretty much all the basics. There is a clear and careful explanation of the en passant rule. Some simple tactics (the fork, discovered check, double attack, etc.) are covered too, together with a few simple openings and tactical puzzles. Nothing too complicated, mind.
For someone who simply wants to learn the rules of chess and get a grasp of what the game is all about, this is a fun and relatively painless first port of call. When someone (but a grown-up!) asks you for an easy and simple guide to chess, this is one book to recommend.
By Brian Byfield and Alan Orpin
Illustrated by Gray Jolliffe
Batsford, March 2010
ISBN: 9781906388669
This is a clear and straightforward and often times witty introduction to the game of chess.
It is written for adults, though the cover and general appearance of the book might suggest otherwise. Certain allusions in the simplified and highly readable text (which might also be seen as misleading, with regard to the book’s intended readership) and certain of Gray Jolliffe’s illustrations make this clear.
In one cartoon a suitor appeals to a maiden: ‘I may not be a pawn forever – I could become a knight.’ The maiden, evidently unimpressed, replies: ‘Or a queen.’ A child may not quite get this joke. Again, there is a cartoon in the chapter on checkmate where a naked king is chained in a dungeon and at the mercy of a dominatrix with a whip (his speech bubble: ‘I like this game. It’s dangerous.’). And this cartoon, too, may not be easily appreciated by a child.
We are told how the pieces move and capture, what check and checkmate and stalemate are, how to write out the moves in algebraic notation (but not in descriptive, that’s apparently gone by the wayside); pretty much all the basics. There is a clear and careful explanation of the en passant rule. Some simple tactics (the fork, discovered check, double attack, etc.) are covered too, together with a few simple openings and tactical puzzles. Nothing too complicated, mind.
For someone who simply wants to learn the rules of chess and get a grasp of what the game is all about, this is a fun and relatively painless first port of call. When someone (but a grown-
New In Chess: The First 25 Years
Edited by Steve Giddins
New In Chess, 2009
ISBN: 9789056912963
An impressive sample of writings from New in Chess, without question the world’s best chess magazine.
The selection covers the magazine’s first quarter century (1984-2009) and it includes interviews with many of the most prominent players of the period: Kasparov, Karpov, Kramnik, Anand, Toplalov and Morozevich among them. There are interviews too with some of the greats of the game: Bronstein and Botvinnik, Spassky and Fischer (on the occasion of his comeback match in 1992). The interviews are invariably conducted by the perceptive Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam. Of the other articles, two of my favourites were Sosonko’s memoir of Mikhail Tal, ‘My Misha’, (collected also in his Russian Silhouettes) and Timman’s memoir of Tony Miles. Sosonko’s obituary of Miles is not included here, but it can be found in his The Reliable Past.
Perhaps there might have been more annotated games, since these have always been a staple of the magazine, but what there is here is of the highest quality: Nunn’s annotations to his best game, the win versus Beliavsky at Wijk aan Zee 1985; Kasparov-Topalov Wijk aan Zee 1999, maybe the best game of chess ever played, annotated by Dokhoian, Kasparov’s second; and the Ivanchuk-Shirov game where the astounding move 21.Qg7!! was played, the queen moving to a vacant square to sacrifice herself. A highly unusual kind of move.
Timman's article on Magnus Carlsen's endgame technique is the best 'purely chess' article, among the tournament reports (one by Miles) and the historical articles about chess personalities. As one would expect from Timman, his article is insightful, incisive and instructive.
All in all, this is an excellent showcase of New in Chess magazine and an entertaining volume in its own right.
Edited by Steve Giddins
New In Chess, 2009
ISBN: 9789056912963
An impressive sample of writings from New in Chess, without question the world’s best chess magazine.
The selection covers the magazine’s first quarter century (1984-
Perhaps there might have been more annotated games, since these have always been a staple of the magazine, but what there is here is of the highest quality: Nunn’s annotations to his best game, the win versus Beliavsky at Wijk aan Zee 1985; Kasparov-
All in all, this is an excellent showcase of New in Chess magazine and an entertaining volume in its own right.
Studying Chess Made Easy
By Andrew Soltis
Batsford, April 2010
ISBN: 9-781-9063-8867-6
For ambitious club players especially, this is an invaluable book.
Soltis sets out to answer the question, 'How can you best and most effectively study chess?' He devotes some chapters to specific topics such as how to approach the opening and the endgame; how to learn from master games; how best to go about improving your calculation of variations and, of course, acquiring the concomitant skill of accurately evaluating the various visualised position(s). Also, he addresses issues around just choosing a move, which one would have thought would be quite simple… though it rarely is.
It is the more general chapters that are the most interesting though, as these reveal the author’s pedagogical approach. He believes that learning is best when it is hands-on (practical and involving play and competition in some form); and that to be effective it must be involving: fun and fascinating for the learner. It is in the nature of chess, according to Soltis, that most learning must take place independently and that information is often absorbed subliminally. On reflection, this is hardly surprising, since any one aspect of chess will necessarily touch on others.
There are many practical suggestions throughout the book, ideas for things to do (methods and procedures) that will certainly make you a better player. Some are quite obvious and you may have done them or something similar already, while others you’ll have wished you had thought of before.
S tudying Chess Made Easy is a very interesting book, written in Soltis’s characteristically engaging and accessible prose. If you are at all serious about improving your game, you're sure to find it useful.
By Andrew Soltis
Batsford, April 2010
ISBN: 9-
For ambitious club players especially, this is an invaluable book.
Soltis sets out to answer the question, 'How can you best and most effectively study chess?' He devotes some chapters to specific topics such as how to approach the opening and the endgame; how to learn from master games; how best to go about improving your calculation of variations and, of course, acquiring the concomitant skill of accurately evaluating the various visualised position(s). Also, he addresses issues around just choosing a move, which one would have thought would be quite simple… though it rarely is.
It is the more general chapters that are the most interesting though, as these reveal the author’s pedagogical approach. He believes that learning is best when it is hands-
There are many practical suggestions throughout the book, ideas for things to do (methods and procedures) that will certainly make you a better player. Some are quite obvious and you may have done them or something similar already, while others you’ll have wished you had thought of before.
S
Mastering Positional Chess
By Daniel Naroditsky
New In Chess, 2010
ISBN: 9789056913106
It seems that chess authors, like police officers and prime ministers, are becoming younger: Daniel Naroditsky is just 14. He has already achieved much in the game, though, winning the world junior championship in 2007. With this book, Naroditsky shows himself to be an accomplished author: his prose is engaging and insightful and enjoyable to read too.
The best way to describe the book, perhaps, is to say that it is as though Daniel were explaining to a friend (you, the reader) what he has learned most about positional play, the lessons that he has truly taken to heart. That is the predominant feeling: a generous and unpatronising sharing of knowledge.
There are six chapters and the topics covered are prophylaxis (our old friend), defending inferior positions, building and dismantling fortresses, the positional sacrifice, manoeuvring and ‘paralysis in the middlegame’. By this last topic Naroditsky apparently means zugzwang, but also bind play: the restraint and suffocation of opportunity. Prophylaxis with teeth, you might say.
Each chapter ends with a summary of its key points, including plenty of practical advice, and there are also a few exercises following to keep your grey matter ticking over. We are given a good number of mainly modern games and positions, rather than the usual tired examples (or classics as they are sometimes called), with a fair number of them Daniel’s own. As you might imagine, Naroditsky’s annotations are especially candid and lucid when he comes to commentate on his own games.
All told, this is an instructional work of astonishing maturity and insight and it is certain to increase your understanding of positional play.
By Daniel Naroditsky
New In Chess, 2010
ISBN: 9789056913106
It seems that chess authors, like police officers and prime ministers, are becoming younger: Daniel Naroditsky is just 14. He has already achieved much in the game, though, winning the world junior championship in 2007. With this book, Naroditsky shows himself to be an accomplished author: his prose is engaging and insightful and enjoyable to read too.
The best way to describe the book, perhaps, is to say that it is as though Daniel were explaining to a friend (you, the reader) what he has learned most about positional play, the lessons that he has truly taken to heart. That is the predominant feeling: a generous and unpatronising sharing of knowledge.
There are six chapters and the topics covered are prophylaxis (our old friend), defending inferior positions, building and dismantling fortresses, the positional sacrifice, manoeuvring and ‘paralysis in the middlegame’. By this last topic Naroditsky apparently means zugzwang, but also bind play: the restraint and suffocation of opportunity. Prophylaxis with teeth, you might say.
Each chapter ends with a summary of its key points, including plenty of practical advice, and there are also a few exercises following to keep your grey matter ticking over. We are given a good number of mainly modern games and positions, rather than the usual tired examples (or classics as they are sometimes called), with a fair number of them Daniel’s own. As you might imagine, Naroditsky’s annotations are especially candid and lucid when he comes to commentate on his own games.
All told, this is an instructional work of astonishing maturity and insight and it is certain to increase your understanding of positional play.
Isaac Kashdan, American Chess Grandmaster
A Career Summary with 757 Games
By Peter P. Lahde
McFarland, 2009
ISBN: 9780786432967
This brobdingnagian book, measuring about 18cm by 26cm and bound in sturdy green cloth, is a fitting monument to Isaac Kashdan (1905-1985), one of the greats of American chess.
The first part of the book gives a detailed outline of Kashdan’s career, and it is clear that he was at his very peak during the 1930s. Between 1931 and 1933 he met Alekhine seven times in serious competition, this at a time when the then world champion was virtually irresistible. Kashdan, for the most part, resisted; he lost only once, at Pasadena 1932, the rest of the games being drawn. That the United States came first at the Olympiads held at Prague 1931, Folkestone 1933 and Stockholm 1937 is due in no small measure to Kashdan. His percentage scores for these three events look mightily impressive even now; respectively he scored 70.6 %, 71.4% and 87.5% (!).
After retiring from active play, Kashdan continued to be involved in chess. He directed the Piatigorsky Cup tournaments held in 1963 and 1966, and he edited the two very fine books dedicated to these events. Later, he ran the Lone Pine tournaments from 1971 to 1981, and he found time in between all this to write a regular chess column, as well as reporting on the Spassky-Fischer match in 1972.
As for the games, they reveal Kashdan to be a player with an attractive positional style, excellent endgame technique and an eye for a combination as and when needs be (as his beautiful win versus Stahlberg at Hamburg 1930 makes plain). A fair number of the games are annotated by Kashdan, and one can learn much from his pragmatic and methodical approach to the game.
There are, to my mind, errors in the scores of two of the games:
· Flohr’s queen is en prise in the final position of game 219, because he actually played 32…Qd7, rather than 32…Nf5 as given.
· Game 246 is a Kashdan-Marshall game that I wasn’t able to locate in any online database. However, it asks you to believe that Marshall would place a rook en prise (29…Ra8) and that Kashdan would decline to take it. My suggestion is that 29.Rac5 was played, instead of 29.Rcc5 as given.
Finally, a significant error in annotation: in game 200, the note to Black’s 68th move should actually follow Black’s 70th move. It makes no sense otherwise! Quite a significant game, this one (versus Alekhine at Bled 1931); and Kashdan should definitely have won it.
But do not let these three nitpicking excursions lead you to doubt the stature of the author’s achievement. In such a vast undertaking, some few errors will naturally creep in. My main impulse is simply to admire. What a wonderful book! Thank you, Mr. Lahde.
A Career Summary with 757 Games
By Peter P. Lahde
McFarland, 2009
ISBN: 9780786432967
This brobdingnagian book, measuring about 18cm by 26cm and bound in sturdy green cloth, is a fitting monument to Isaac Kashdan (1905-
The first part of the book gives a detailed outline of Kashdan’s career, and it is clear that he was at his very peak during the 1930s. Between 1931 and 1933 he met Alekhine seven times in serious competition, this at a time when the then world champion was virtually irresistible. Kashdan, for the most part, resisted; he lost only once, at Pasadena 1932, the rest of the games being drawn. That the United States came first at the Olympiads held at Prague 1931, Folkestone 1933 and Stockholm 1937 is due in no small measure to Kashdan. His percentage scores for these three events look mightily impressive even now; respectively he scored 70.6 %, 71.4% and 87.5% (!).
After retiring from active play, Kashdan continued to be involved in chess. He directed the Piatigorsky Cup tournaments held in 1963 and 1966, and he edited the two very fine books dedicated to these events. Later, he ran the Lone Pine tournaments from 1971 to 1981, and he found time in between all this to write a regular chess column, as well as reporting on the Spassky-
As for the games, they reveal Kashdan to be a player with an attractive positional style, excellent endgame technique and an eye for a combination as and when needs be (as his beautiful win versus Stahlberg at Hamburg 1930 makes plain). A fair number of the games are annotated by Kashdan, and one can learn much from his pragmatic and methodical approach to the game.
There are, to my mind, errors in the scores of two of the games:
· Flohr’s queen is en prise in the final position of game 219, because he actually played 32…Qd7, rather than 32…Nf5 as given.
· Game 246 is a Kashdan-
Finally, a significant error in annotation: in game 200, the note to Black’s 68th move should actually follow Black’s 70th move. It makes no sense otherwise! Quite a significant game, this one (versus Alekhine at Bled 1931); and Kashdan should definitely have won it.
But do not let these three nitpicking excursions lead you to doubt the stature of the author’s achievement. In such a vast undertaking, some few errors will naturally creep in. My main impulse is simply to admire. What a wonderful book! Thank you, Mr. Lahde.
How to Win at Chess - Quickly!
By Simon Williams
Everyman Chess, May 2010
ISBN: 9781857446319
There is a double (or a triple) virtue to be found in Simon Williams’ latest offering.
In the palm of the first hand, we are given lots of advice about how to bring about jildy victories in our own games and, equally importantly, how not to fall victim to a blitzkrieg ourselves. Some of the sins covered by Williams are neglect of development, rash pawn-grabbing and failure to take account of the opponent’s plans. While he advises that you are more likely to deliver an early KO if you play actively, sharply and with purpose, and make use of the odd gambit (chapter 4 is, in fact, entitled ‘Gambit Play’). And the morals at the end of each game, pithy homilies to take to heart, are an attractive feature of the book.
Now to address virtue number two: in the palm of the other hand, we have the games themselves. Of the 50 miniature games given here, virtually all were modern examples and very few were known to me. Their number included 11 of Williams’ own games, incidentally, and he wasn’t always on the winning side. The best thing about miniature games is that, almost by their very nature, they involve tactics and combinations in some form. Opponents don’t generally resign on move 24 because they’re a pawn down. In this regard, all the games were enjoyable and entertaining to play through, and there were some real beauties, with game 16, Adorjan-Kudrin New York 1987, being the best of the bunch for me. Though we are given only half the number as in P.H. Clarke’s classic collection ( 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures), the games and annotations are of a commensurate quality.
How to Win at Chess - Quickly! is a book that manages to instruct and delight in equal measure and, if you must have a third reason to seek out and read the book, let me give it to you. It is that, as a writer, Williams has a prose style that is bright and engaging, conversational and sonsy, and duly appreciative too of the chess riches that he places before his readers.
By Simon Williams
Everyman Chess, May 2010
ISBN: 9781857446319
There is a double (or a triple) virtue to be found in Simon Williams’ latest offering.
In the palm of the first hand, we are given lots of advice about how to bring about jildy victories in our own games and, equally importantly, how not to fall victim to a blitzkrieg ourselves. Some of the sins covered by Williams are neglect of development, rash pawn-
Now to address virtue number two: in the palm of the other hand, we have the games themselves. Of the 50 miniature games given here, virtually all were modern examples and very few were known to me. Their number included 11 of Williams’ own games, incidentally, and he wasn’t always on the winning side. The best thing about miniature games is that, almost by their very nature, they involve tactics and combinations in some form. Opponents don’t generally resign on move 24 because they’re a pawn down. In this regard, all the games were enjoyable and entertaining to play through, and there were some real beauties, with game 16, Adorjan-
How to Win at Chess -
Frank Marshall, United States Chess Champion
A Biography with 220 Games
By Andy Soltis
McFarland, 1993
ISBN 978-0-89950-887-0
This is one of Soltis’s finest books – and that is saying quite something.
The biographical component of the book is almost wholly taken up with Marshall’s chess career, which spanned close to half a century, from the late nineteenth century to the early 1940s. On reflection, this emphasis seems quite apt; for chess was so much a part of the man’s life.
During Marshall’s career, he competed with success in international tournaments, almost always appearing amongst the prize-winners. His fifth place at St. Petersburg 1914 led to him (along with the other four finalists) being described as a ‘grandmaster’, the first time the title was used. So he was a founding member of the club as far as chess’s greatest honour is concerned.
In matches, he certainly won way more than he lost, but it has to be said that when he came up against significant opposition he was often convincingly defeated. Tarrasch slaughtered him in 1905, Lasker smashed his head in in the 1907 World Championship match and Capablanca took no prisoners in their 1909 debacle.
As against this, one should note that when the USA team ran rampant at the Olympiads in the 1930s (picking up gold medals at Prague 1931, Folkestone 1933, Warsaw 1933 and Stockholm 1937) it was Marshall who held the position of captain; it was he who steered the ship of state home toward victory.
There are some terrific games here and Soltis’s annotations are never less than entertaining and insightful. We are shown a supremely practical player who was always combative and who could find resources in positions that most others would have given up as lost (hence his reputation as a swindler). While tactics were evidently Marshall’s forte, he was also a fine endgame player as (e.g.) his game against Teichmann at San Sebastian 1911 (game 109) makes plain.
Although often found to be wanting against the very best - as the three match defeats highlighted above indicate - Marshall set off a lot of fireworks on the chessboard. His faults - he speculated too much, many of his attacks were not quite completely sound – were noble ones. And on his day he could be devastating, no matter the strength of the opposition, and the victory over Tarrasch at St. Petersburg 1914 (game 132) is very lovely indeed.
Marshall lost to Capablanca in 1918, in the game where he essayed his famous gambit against the Ruy Lopez, but many of us will be grateful that he took the risk. He put a scare into the Cuban, that’s for sure, and the gambit (Marshall’s greatest achievement in the openings) is doing good business even today.
The book could have done with an index of games or players, or a fuller index (the name ‘Levitsky’ is absent, which is unforgivable: that famous game, played at Breslau 1912, is number 121) but other than that it is beyond criticism.
A Biography with 220 Games
By Andy Soltis
McFarland, 1993
ISBN 978-
This is one of Soltis’s finest books – and that is saying quite something.
The biographical component of the book is almost wholly taken up with Marshall’s chess career, which spanned close to half a century, from the late nineteenth century to the early 1940s. On reflection, this emphasis seems quite apt; for chess was so much a part of the man’s life.
During Marshall’s career, he competed with success in international tournaments, almost always appearing amongst the prize-
In matches, he certainly won way more than he lost, but it has to be said that when he came up against significant opposition he was often convincingly defeated. Tarrasch slaughtered him in 1905, Lasker smashed his head in in the 1907 World Championship match and Capablanca took no prisoners in their 1909 debacle.
As against this, one should note that when the USA team ran rampant at the Olympiads in the 1930s (picking up gold medals at Prague 1931, Folkestone 1933, Warsaw 1933 and Stockholm 1937) it was Marshall who held the position of captain; it was he who steered the ship of state home toward victory.
There are some terrific games here and Soltis’s annotations are never less than entertaining and insightful. We are shown a supremely practical player who was always combative and who could find resources in positions that most others would have given up as lost (hence his reputation as a swindler). While tactics were evidently Marshall’s forte, he was also a fine endgame player as (e.g.) his game against Teichmann at San Sebastian 1911 (game 109) makes plain.
Although often found to be wanting against the very best -
Marshall lost to Capablanca in 1918, in the game where he essayed his famous gambit against the Ruy Lopez, but many of us will be grateful that he took the risk. He put a scare into the Cuban, that’s for sure, and the gambit (Marshall’s greatest achievement in the openings) is doing good business even today.
The book could have done with an index of games or players, or a fuller index (the name ‘Levitsky’ is absent, which is unforgivable: that famous game, played at Breslau 1912, is number 121) but other than that it is beyond criticism.
I Play Against Pieces
By Svetozar Gligoric
Translated by Biljana and Zoran Ilic
Batsford, 2002
ISBN: 9-780-7134-8770-1
Not just another games collection, by any means, since Gligoric was such a classy and forceful positional player in his prime, and his star continued to shine bright thereafter.
This book collects together some 130 of his best games, arranged by opening, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find another 130 of his games of a commensurate quality. For Gligoric has been a prolific player and a very successful one; and certainly he is the best Yugoslavian (and Serbian) player of all time.
Most of the games are long positional affairs, culminating in an ending rather than a direct attack on the king. Typically, the material balance will be equal (or as near as damn it) all the way through, and the opponent will have made no gross errors, yet Gligoric’s powerful positional play will carry the day. Such games (one unassuming example is game 41, versus Filip at Zagreb 1965) are as impressive in their way as games full of spectacular combinations and sacrifices. They are extremely instructive as well.
The import of the title, incidentally, is that Gligoric was primarily interested in the logic of the game of chess rather than the psychology of the opponent. He played the board, and the pieces, rather than the man. Undoubtedly, he was a sportsman as well as one of the leading grandmasters of his era.
With this fine book, which includes as well a ‘chess autobiography’ (sketchy but intriguing, it reads sometimes like a CV) and an account of some of Gligoric’s contributions to opening theory (and, in particular, to the theory of his beloved King’s Indian Defence) we have a fitting monument to his considerable achievements.
Here is the game Gligoric-Filip, Zagreb 1965, which I mention above, with some brief notes:
By Svetozar Gligoric
Translated by Biljana and Zoran Ilic
Batsford, 2002
ISBN: 9-
Not just another games collection, by any means, since Gligoric was such a classy and forceful positional player in his prime, and his star continued to shine bright thereafter.
This book collects together some 130 of his best games, arranged by opening, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find another 130 of his games of a commensurate quality. For Gligoric has been a prolific player and a very successful one; and certainly he is the best Yugoslavian (and Serbian) player of all time.
Most of the games are long positional affairs, culminating in an ending rather than a direct attack on the king. Typically, the material balance will be equal (or as near as damn it) all the way through, and the opponent will have made no gross errors, yet Gligoric’s powerful positional play will carry the day. Such games (one unassuming example is game 41, versus Filip at Zagreb 1965) are as impressive in their way as games full of spectacular combinations and sacrifices. They are extremely instructive as well.
The import of the title, incidentally, is that Gligoric was primarily interested in the logic of the game of chess rather than the psychology of the opponent. He played the board, and the pieces, rather than the man. Undoubtedly, he was a sportsman as well as one of the leading grandmasters of his era.
With this fine book, which includes as well a ‘chess autobiography’ (sketchy but intriguing, it reads sometimes like a CV) and an account of some of Gligoric’s contributions to opening theory (and, in particular, to the theory of his beloved King’s Indian Defence) we have a fitting monument to his considerable achievements.
Here is the game Gligoric-
Carlsbad International Chess Tournament 1929
By Aron Nimzovich
Translated by Jim Marfia
Dover Publications, 2004
ISBN-13: 978-0486439426
Nimzowitsch (I prefer this spelling) took first place at Carlsbad 1929, ahead of a strong field that included Capablanca and Rubinstein, but it did not earn him a shot at the World Championship. Instead, Alekhine’s challenger later that year was Bogoljubow, who came eighth at Carlsbad, some 3.5 points behind the winner. This clearly rankled with Nimzowitsch, and it undoubtedly provided one of the motives for writing the book under review, which was originally published in Russia in 1931; in it, he makes quite a forceful pitch for being the most deserving challenger to Alekhine’s crown.
It should be noted also that Nimzowitsch beat Bogoljubow at Carlsbad, their encounter yielding a fine strategic victory that shared the prize for the best played game (Euwe’s flawed win against Thomas was the other game, incidentally: see below). If anything, this must have added petrol to the fire, rubbed salt into the wounds… choose your metaphor. He was not a happy bunny.
Of the 231 games played at Carlsbad , Nimzowitsch has selected 30 and arranged them by player. One would have liked to see more, but the games as given are top-notch. Nimzowitsch, as the winner, has 7 games; Capablanca and Spielmann, equal second, have 5 games apiece; Rubinstein, who finished in fourth place, has been given 3 games; the other prizewinners have 6 games between them; and, to end, there are 4 games to represent the non-prizewinners (those placed ninth to twenty-second). Among this last quartet of games is a win by Samisch (against Grunfeld) which picked up the First Brilliancy Prize.
Nimzowitsch’s annotations are lively and entertaining, appreciative and instructive; yet also abrasive at times. And it seems appropriate at this point to praise Jim Marfia’s terrific translation, which manages to bring the author’s personality fully to life.
In his notes to the aforementioned Thomas–Euwe game, Nimzowitsch overlooks that after 22.Qxa2 axb3 White has the resource 23.Rxc5! turning the tables (see page 123). But this looks to be his only error in analysis. The move is mentioned by Euwe himself, incidentally, in From My Games 1920-1937 and so is not a ‘find’. Few would consider Euwe’s effort one of the two best played games in the tournament, anyway: Capablanca-Treybal, for one, was a much better game, pretty much a masterpiece.
One especially fascinating feature of the book lies in Nimzowitsch’s impressions of his contemporaries. His introductory remarks in the chapter on Rubinstein are heartfelt and genuinely moving, and bear comparison with Reti’s portrait of the same player in Modern Ideas in Chess. While his description of Vidmar’s style, a player for whom he apparently had a high regard, is insightful and eye-opening (see pages 108 and 111-112). He describes Vidmar’s chess as a blend of method and naiveté. Spielmann had publicly expressed his admiration for My System and Nimzowitsch writes of this established master and colleague almost as though he were his student. That is to say, he is just a little bit patronising. There is a sense, also, in which Nimzowitsch
seems to feel almost as though he can appropriate some of Spielmann’s victories as his own, because they were achieved using his ideas (prophylaxis, blockade, centralization). Granted, the man wanted to promote his strategic vision of chess, but this was maybe the wrong way to go about it. Anyway, it is easy to see how Nimzowitsch could rub people the wrong way!
Anything by Nimzowitsch is worth reading and, as I hope I’ve made plain, this is a fascinating book for all sorts of reasons.
By Aron Nimzovich
Translated by Jim Marfia
Dover Publications, 2004
ISBN-
Nimzowitsch (I prefer this spelling) took first place at Carlsbad 1929, ahead of a strong field that included Capablanca and Rubinstein, but it did not earn him a shot at the World Championship. Instead, Alekhine’s challenger later that year was Bogoljubow, who came eighth at Carlsbad, some 3.5 points behind the winner. This clearly rankled with Nimzowitsch, and it undoubtedly provided one of the motives for writing the book under review, which was originally published in Russia in 1931; in it, he makes quite a forceful pitch for being the most deserving challenger to Alekhine’s crown.
It should be noted also that Nimzowitsch beat Bogoljubow at Carlsbad, their encounter yielding a fine strategic victory that shared the prize for the best played game (Euwe’s flawed win against Thomas was the other game, incidentally: see below). If anything, this must have added petrol to the fire, rubbed salt into the wounds… choose your metaphor. He was not a happy bunny.
Of the 231 games played at Carlsbad , Nimzowitsch has selected 30 and arranged them by player. One would have liked to see more, but the games as given are top-
Nimzowitsch’s annotations are lively and entertaining, appreciative and instructive; yet also abrasive at times. And it seems appropriate at this point to praise Jim Marfia’s terrific translation, which manages to bring the author’s personality fully to life.
In his notes to the aforementioned Thomas–Euwe game, Nimzowitsch overlooks that after 22.Qxa2 axb3 White has the resource 23.Rxc5! turning the tables (see page 123). But this looks to be his only error in analysis. The move is mentioned by Euwe himself, incidentally, in From My Games 1920-
One especially fascinating feature of the book lies in Nimzowitsch’s impressions of his contemporaries. His introductory remarks in the chapter on Rubinstein are heartfelt and genuinely moving, and bear comparison with Reti’s portrait of the same player in Modern Ideas in Chess. While his description of Vidmar’s style, a player for whom he apparently had a high regard, is insightful and eye-
seems to feel almost as though he can appropriate some of Spielmann’s victories as his own, because they were achieved using his ideas (prophylaxis, blockade, centralization). Granted, the man wanted to promote his strategic vision of chess, but this was maybe the wrong way to go about it. Anyway, it is easy to see how Nimzowitsch could rub people the wrong way!
Anything by Nimzowitsch is worth reading and, as I hope I’ve made plain, this is a fascinating book for all sorts of reasons.
