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BCM Chess Book Reviews : February 2002

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Lilienthal’s Hundred Best Games by Andor Lilienthal (Edited by George Négyesi), Caissa, 237 pages, £14.99.

Best game collections are an important part of chess literature and it is therefore good to see an eminent master make his contribution at the grand age of 90. Lilienthal was one of the world’s best players in the late 1930 and 1940s. He had an attractive style and produced a number of fine games against leading players. Examples of his prowess will be found in this month’s Spot the Continuation [printed magazine only - ed].
    The book has a sub-title: “Champions’ Friend, Friendship’s Champion”. The preface written by Peter Szilágyi goes to great lengths to establish that all the world champions are his personal friends. I am sure Lilienthal is an affable, friendly man and good company, but the point is overdone. Botvinnik for one was not impressed and Lilienthal has written that he did not like the champion: it is difficult to think of two men more different in temperament and character. Szilágyi also records Lilienthal playing a card trick on Karpov, “but in the end he (Karpov) forgave him”. Forgiveness is not an aspect of Karpov’s character for which he is renowned. One would much prefer to have read more about the legendary masters Lilienthal played – Lasker and Capablanca to name but two.
    The games are well annotated, mostly by Lilienthal. I particularly liked his comments introducing an epic 65-move battle with Levenfish in 1937: “... analysing it for the first time, it is difficult for me to find my bearings, considering that I am 90 years old. Nevertheless I have a try at it”. Bravo!
    Unfortunately the English translation is very poor. The following extract would not win a Plain English prize: “From the new comers style, for example, inseparable was the claim of improvisation as well as the undertaking of such difficult positions from which the disentanglement is promised by the better ability to struggle, but to this tactics a constant inner urge is required.” There are also numerous misprints. Masculine personal pronouns are applied to Vera Menchik, a surprising error in view of the references to Lilienthal as “a favourite of the weaker sex”. The volume is clearly printed, but the small book size means that the game pages appear very cramped. A valuable book then, but one which could have been much better. Review by Ray Edwards.
 

Opening for White According to Kramnik Vol. 3 by Alexander Khalifman, Chess Stars, 297 pages, £15.50.

BCM This is the third in a projected four-volume series of books examining Kramnik’s white repertoire. As before, the book does not simply look at Kramnik’s own games, but uses his approach to various lines as the main starting point. This volume covers the so-called ‘Maroczy System’ (1 Nf3 c5 2 c4 g6 3 e4), English with 1...c5, Modern Defence (1 Nf3 g6 or 1...d6), Dutch Defence (1 Nf3 f5 2 c4 Nf6 3 g3), plus others such as 1 Nf3 b6 and 1 Nf3 b5. The translation is fairly good, and production very acceptable. Annotation consists more of text than variations (though there are plenty of the latter). Khalifman is an assiduous, sober analyst, and his concentration on the ideas behind the moves and implications of particular pawn structures will repay close study by the serious student of the opening.
 


 

An Explosive Chess Opening Repertoire for Black by Jouni Yrjölä and Jussi Tella, Gambit, 272 pages, £15.99.

The gist of this repertoire book is 1...d6 against everything. Obviously this means there is a fair helping of Pirc Defence theory between the covers. Against the Austrian Attack the Finnish authors recommend 5...c5, against the Classical Pirc they go for 6...Bg4. Against 1 d4 the recommendations go into less orthodox territory with such recommendations as 1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 Bg4 and 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5, which have been popular with English grandmasters Hodgson and Speelman respectively. So there is a compromise between mainstream theory and time-saving corner-cutting. The reviewer is not sure that any of the systems chosen truly live up to the adjective ‘explosive’, but there is some excellently prepared material here, and the book is well-indexed as is the norm with Gambit Publications.



 
 

Excelling at Chess by Jacob Aagaard, Everyman, 190 pages, £16.99.

Often the reviewer starts off by trying to pigeon-hole a book, e.g. “this is another book about psychology”, and it is perfectly appropriate to do so in order to guide the prospective reader. This particular book is harder to categorise. It is a collection of diverse chapters on various aspects of the game on which the author, a Danish IM, has original views. It is perhaps easiest to make a comparison and say that, in shape and feel, it is very like Jonathan Rowson’s The Seven Deadly Chess Sins. In fact, the latter book is listed, with very favourable comments, in Aagaard’s unusually detailed and thoughtful bibliography at the beginning of the book. Like Rowson, Aagaard has a strong academic background and a lively mind. He finds it hard keeping to one topic for very long, but moves from anecdote to opinion to example in a continuous stream of consciousness. Some might find this maddening, and it is probably a matter of personal taste, but the author is a particularly original and engaging writer and somehow maintains the reader’s interest throughout. Aagaard is strong on the importance of coaching and learning, and provides much practical advice on all-round preparation, good books to read, and how to make best use of computer programs in improving your game.



 

Alekhine’s Defence by Nigel Davies, Everyman, 158 pages, £14.99.

It is a true chess mystery as to why Alekhine’s Defence has not become more popular than it has, bearing in mind Fischer’s successful adoption of it in game 12 of the 1972 Reykjavik match, and its good percentage score on big databases. That’s the gist of author GM Nigel Davies’ argument in his introduction, and it would be hard to disagree with him, especially in club chess, where the Alekhine can be a fearsome weapon in the hands of an aggressive counter-puncher. The book is set out in Everyman’s familiar game-by-game style. It is not intended to be a complete work on the defence but is nevertheless an admirable and up-to-date first primer on this interesting system against 1 e4. Perhaps not surprisingly there is nothing about 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 b5!? 4 Bxb5 c5!? which was sprung on the reviewer a few years ago. I shall obviously have to consult Gary ‘Chess Questions Answered’ Lane...


 
 

Interview with a Grandmaster by Aaron & Claire Summerscale, Everyman, 144 pages, £14.99.

The singular title is a bit misleading: nine well-known players are interviewed here, amongst them Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Alexander Khalifman and Sofia Polgar. The bulk of the book consists of chatty and informative interviews, by two well-informed authors who obviously know their subjects well, but there are also favourite games chosen and/or annotated by the interviewees to enjoy.

Multiple Choice Chess by Graeme Buckley, Everyman, 160 pages, £14.99.

The author has selected 22 games, mainly from the last few years, and invites the reader to select one of (normally) four moves at each turn. Points are awarded depending on choice and an assessment of the reader’s strength given. Good fun!








 

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