Garry Kasparov on Fischer : My Great Predecessors, Part IV

From Mark Weeks,
Your Guide to Chess.
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The Bottom Line

(March 2005) 'Garry Kasparov on Fischer : My Great Predecessors, Part IV' by Garry Kasparov with the participation of Dmitry Plisetsky [translated by Ken Neat]; Everyman Chess; January 2005; 496 pages. • The 13th World Chess Champion writes about the 11th Champion and three other Western stars. Since volumes II & III of the Predecessors series dealt with the 'Rise of the Soviet Chess Empire' (our phrase, not Kasparov's), volume IV could be subtitled the 'Fall of the Empire'. • Contains 107 games, thoroughly annotated.

Pros	Kasparov was criticized for ignoring Reshevsky and Fine in vol.II; the slight has been corrected Fischer's career is covered in more detail than the other champions in the series Many long quotes from other top Soviet players, like Botvinnik, the patriarch of the Soviet school Vol.IV is the first in the series to include a bibliography
Cons	Kasparov uses a different measure on Fischer than on his other predecessors (might be under 'Pro') A recurrent pro-Soviet, anti-Western sentiment raises questions about Kasparov's objectivity Some of the speculation on Fischer's motives could have been omitted Whose photo is on the dust jacket?

Description

Introduction : Stars of the West
Ch.1 : Sammy Reshevsky (with a section on Reuben Fine), Miguel Najdorf, and Bent Larsen
Ch.2 : Bobby Fischer (World Champion 1972-1975)
Appendices : Bibliography, index of players, index of openings by name and ECO code.
Reshevsky (gms.1-23, 3 by Fine), Najdorf (24-32), Larsen (33-49), Fischer (50-107, 2 by others)

Guide Review - Garry Kasparov on Fischer : My Great Predecessors, Part IV

In contrast to previous volumes in Kasparov's 'Predecessors' series, each of which discussed at least two World Champions, the fourth book is devoted to a single champion. Fischer and Kasparov are the top candidates for best player of all time. Fischer will never write about Kasparov, but it doesn't matter; here we have Kasparov writing about Fischer. It's a pity that the two players never met over the board. • In volume III, Kasparov wrote chapters on Petrosian and Spassky, but here he has written the equivalent of an entire book on Fischer. In spite of the fact that the careers of both Petrosian and Spassky started before Fischer's and ended after, there are more pages and games on Fischer than on Petrosian and Spassky combined. This makes the book a full biography and a detailed analysis of the most enigmatic player of all time. In addition to this wonderful biography, there is an entire chapter on three other outstanding players. • Kasparov, as obsessed by Fischer as everyone else is, has written a book which is unique and unprecedented in the literature about Fischer. He has tried to go inside Fischer's head in a way that everyone else is afraid to do and it's a courageous effort. Considering all the slanderous comments that Fischer has made about Kasparov, we find the Fischer material remarkably fair and balanced. • Most of our Pros, Cons, and Guide Review comments for Part I (linked under 'Suggested Reading') apply equally to Part IV.

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