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BCM Chess Book Reviews : June 2007Return to the BCM Review Index
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Who could forget Topalov’s onslaught against
the elite at the FIDE World Championship tournament in 2005? With imaginative
play, often reaching deep into the endgame, he defeated Anand, Morozevich,
Leko, Kasimzhanov, Adams and Polgar; only second-placed Svidler could
take two draws off the new champion. Since these players too fought hard,
San Luis banished fears of a ‘draw death’ in the wake of the
Kramnik-Leko match. Now the Israelis Gershon, a grandmaster and software
engineer, and Nor, a chess trainer, have provided a fitting memorial to
this tournament. In his preface, Topalov himself praises their ‘detailed
and objective analysis’ of every game. Then Nigel Short contributes
a few pages of pertinent rant against FIDE, and Mihail Marin reflects
on Topalov’s success. The authors complete the introductory material
with pen-portraits of the players, and a fascinating account of their
previous encounters, reminiscent of Gligoric’s introduction to his
Fischer-Spassky match book (1972). There is also a convincing refutation
of accusations that Topalov was receiving computer help.
The game annotations are magnificent, drawing
on previous annotators’ comments, but constantly correcting and surpassing
these. (My one complaint is the lack of a bibliography.) Even Kasparov’s
notes are proved fallible. But not only do the authors present the necessary
rigorous variations: equally importantly they comment on positional plans
and psychological factors, in clear and witty prose. The result is highly
instructive.
The authors have clearly done a lot of hard work,
which spans contributions to Sicilian theory, and revelations in tricky
endgames. The frequent colour photos and diagrams are the icing on the
cake, making the volume excellent value. Your bookshelf cannot do without
it. Review by James Vigus.
John Watson’s name is synonymous with top quality, and with the
French Defence, and this latest volume covers 14 separate lines, six for
White and eight for Black. Offerings for White include 6 Be3 against
the McCutcheon, a line which undoubtedly merits the adjective “dangerous”,
Hebden’s old favourite 4 e5 c5 5 Qg4 against the Winawer (also
Larsen’s 4 exd5 exd5 5 Qf3), and two 3...Nf6 Tarrasch
sidelines. Choices for Black include two 3...Nc6 variations, two
3...h6 variations (both against 3 Nc3 and 3 Nd2 respectively),
plus the “original” Winawer (4 e5 c5 5 a3 cxd4!?) and a sideline
against the Advance. All are presented with the enthusiasm and erudition
that Watson always brings to his writings about the French Defence.
Naturally, all such lines come with a health warning
attached. If you want tried and tested, rock-solid respectable lines,
then the Dangerous Weapons series is not for you. However, if you
are looking for unusual but underestimated sidelines, then this is just
what you will find here. Many of the lines are better than their reputations.
3 Nc3 Nc6, for example, has been played successfully in
recent games by Lithuanian grandmaster Eduardas Rozentalis.
In these days of such voluminous opening theory,
escaping from mainstream systems is increasingly attractive to many players
below super-GM level, and this is certainly a volume that offers much
food for thought. Highly recommended. Review by Steve Giddins.
This is the story of Eugene Ernest Colman (1878-1964), a name which,
if known at all to chessplayers, will be from an opening variation named
after him. The Colman Variation of the Two Knight’s Defence is characterised
by the move 8...Rb8 (after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4
Nf6 4 Ng5 d5 5 exd5 Na5 6 Bb5+ c6 7 dxc6 bxc6
8 Qf3) but the most remarkable thing about it were the circumstances
under which it was first analysed. During WWII Colman was interned in
Changi Civilian Internees Camp in Singapore and his opening analysis helped
take his (and his fellow prisoners’) mind off the horrors of the
prison. There was much more to Colman’s life than this (as Bruce
Hayden’s fulsome obituary in the October 1964 issue of BCM
will also attest) and his Romanian biographer has done an exceptionally
fine job of piecing together the various strands of Colman’s life.
The book is lavishly sprinkled with biographical material and pictures
of many other chessplayers of the early part of the 20th century. Part
two of the book consists of some games of Colman (plus other Singapore-based
players). A splendid effort. JS.
The first volume of this work, covering openings after 1 e4, was reviewed
in the December 2006 issue of the magazine. This volume covers 1 d4.
The two-volume series is not intended to cover all openings, but most
major opening complexes are dealt with. Section One of the new volume
covers the Queen’s Gambit Declined, while Section Two covers the
Indian Defences. Watson concentrates more on words than variations, so
the book deals more with the fundamental principles of each opening described,
providing some background on history and development. The target audience
for the book is probably around club player level, or perhaps players
who are evaluating or seeking to change their opening repertoire. JS.
Shirov presents six of his games in the Slav
and eight in the Semi-Slav, with both colours. He revises his notes to
a few older games familiar from his Fire on Board books, but most
of the material comes from the past two or three years. A leading exponent
of these openings, Shirov offers many insights into top-level preparation.
His middlegame explanations are also very good, delivered laconically
in fluent (if heavily-accented) English, and he sometimes becomes animated
as he suddenly spots a new idea. He notably pronounces the line 1 d4 d5
2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 6 Ne5
to be in ‘serious crisis’ owing to Kramnik’s 6...e6 7 f3
c5 8 e4 Bg6. This pessimism was induced by the impotence of his
9 d5 against Gelfand (Moscow 2006, just before Shirov recorded the DVD
in November); but as I write, Aronian has just ground Kramnik down in
the ending after 9 Be3, so 6 Ne5 lives to fight another
day. The comments to Fressinet-Shirov (2006) are the best I have seen
on this trendy line (4 e3 Bf5 5 Nc3 e6 6 Nh4), while
in the Anti-Meran (1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3
e6 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Qc2 Bd6), Shirov thrashes Fressinet
again with the typically ferocious 7 g4, to which two further games are
devoted. Totalling 5 hours 20 minutes, this DVD-ROM is of both theoretical
and entertainment value. Review by James Vigus.
A collection of games played by Bob Wade, the New Zealand-born doyen
of English chess. The book consists of 27 games mainly annotated by Wade
himself, followed by another 213 unannotated games in chronological order.
There is also a series of positions drawn from some of these games and
a short appendix giving tournament results and crosstables from some of
the more prominent events in which he has participated. Rather disappointing:
it could do with some verbal tributes, reminiscences, photos, etc. JS.
This is a book of multiple choice tests in which you are challenged to
select a specific a good plan. There are 75 tests in all, one to a (large
format page), with the initial moves of the game and then a diagram. The
author then outlines the position and sketches three possible plans of
which you must select one. The second part of the book consists of detailed
solutions, telling how many points you are awarded for your selection.
JS.
This is a Black repertoire book for the Caro-Kann, hence it does not
provide comprehensive coverage of all lines. After 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3
dxe4 4 Nxe4, the author plumps for 4...Bf5 and there is
no coverage of the equally popular 4…Nd7. In the Panov-Botvinnik
Attack (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4 Nf6 5 Nc3), the
chosen line is 5...Nc6, and against the Advanced Variation (1 e4
c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5), the recommended line is the relatively unusual 3…c5.
All White tries against the Caro are covered, including the King’s
Indian Attack. Jovanka Houska has assembled a repertoire which is designed
to help Black play for a win and not just a draw. It is a thoughtful and
enjoyable read. JS.
BCM readers will be familiar with James Vigus as a regular in-depth
reviewer of chess books, so will not be surprised to find that he goes
into considerable depth in his examination of the Pirc Defence. It is
not a repertoire book, so the author investigates all lines of the Pirc,
ranging from the Austrian Attack to minor lines. There is a particularly
interesting introductory chapter in which Vigus discusses such issues
as why the 2700+ elite do not usually defend the Pirc, and what he makes
of repertoire books against the Pirc. Overall, this is a book to be highly
recommended for the thoroughness of coverage without ever detracting from
the readability which is typical of Everyman’s opening books. JS.
This slim but well-presented book was written by a 24-year-old German
IM making his authorial debut for the publisher. He provides plenty of
textual suggestions in this well-translated and readable work and, though
it lacks a detailed index, it is reasonably easy to find your way round
the different variations via the contents pages. JS.
This well laid out, large-format book is a bright and breezy primer on
tactics for the elementary player. There are plenty of examples and tests,
making it ideal material for the younger or inexperienced player. JS.
The latest issue covers September-December 2006 and contains 432 annotated
games. The career biography in this issue is of Boris Gelfand, and the
best game from the previous issue, as voted for by eminent grandmasters
is Kramnik-Bruzón from the Turin Olympiad. JS.
This autobiography was first published in 1988 and tells the story of
a down-and-out alcoholic who managed to transfer his obsessive addiction
to the bottle to a similar devotion to chess and thereby turn his life
around. Healy’s chess achievements seem exaggerated but there is
no doubting his remarkable powers of self-expression in a work which has
drawn wide praise from the likes of Harold Pinter. JS.
These
CD-ROMs contain the text of the most recent editions of the one-volume
Small ECO, and Volumes A and B of ECO respectively, and finally Kramnik’s
games culled from the pages of Informator. They come in four different
formats (ChessBase CBH, PGN, Chess Assistant and Informator Reader), with
around 1,500 database entries with figurine annotations. JS.
This disk provides seven hours of video repertoire material on all lines
of the Pirc Defence. It is well-presented and organised into lectures
of about 20-25 minutes each on each line, based on the analysis of specific
games. Nigel Davies’ delivery is assured and professional, with plenty
for the viewer to absorb and consider. JS.
This DVD-ROM presents four hours of video repertoire material on the
Czech Benoni (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e5 4 Nc3 d6 5 e4, with
Martin concentrating on the continuation 5...Nbd7). Andy Martin
is the ideal presenter: articulate, knowledgeable, and so relaxed it’s
hard to believe he is not doing it off the cuff. Highly recommended. JS.
Another excellent video disk, with nearly six hours’ worth of video
presentations about how to play the opening, with Daniel King extolling
the virtues of grabbing the initiative via discussions of various games,
including (most insightfully) his own. Highly entertaining and educational,
and pitched at players from the intermediate level up to advanced standard.
JS.
This is a welcome reissue of a book published by Everyman in 2000. Our
original review was published in the
April 2000 issue of BCM. It is an excellent book and very good
value for money, particularly since it is now £2 cheaper than it
was seven years ago. JS.
Karyakin, Carlsen, van Wely and Navara, Kasimdzhanov and Shirov are amongst
the presenters of video analysis on the latest issue of CBM. Plus all
the usual features. JS.
