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BCM Chess Book Reviews : April 2003Return to the BCM Review Index
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Alexei Shirov is one of the most entertaining chess players in the world.
On his day he is a threat to anyone, except perhaps Garry Kasparov who
has beaten him so many times. But Shirov was more than a match for Kasparovs
nemesis Kramnik in 1998 when the two were playing a qualifier for a world
championship match that never happened. Sergei Soloviov has put together
a thorough biographical work featuring 100 games played and won by Shirov
between 1990 and 2002. As well as showing fire on board (the
title of Shirovs 1997 chess autobiography), Shirov is quite fiery
off it, with a turbulent private life, outspoken ideas for the restructuring
of chess, and a restlessness which has taken him from Riga to Spain to
Poland and then back to Riga (though he retains his Spanish citizenship
and registration). This book has some biographical information and a good
selection of high-quality photos. As well as games edited by the author,
there are annotations from other grandmasters such as Khalifman, Speelman,
Motwani, Sakaev, Yudasin and Shipov. An impressive and interesting work.
I wish I had been able to read this book when, as a promising junior,
my reaction to a loss was usually to blame my opening choice and learn
yet another new line, so that I ended up with an inconsistent repertoire
of dubious sidelines. As Giddins says: young and ambitious players
should be prepared to get stuck into main-line openings early in their
careers. There is no point wasting ones formative years on an unsound
or dubious opening, which one will be forced to jettison as soon as one
starts meeting strong opposition on a regular basis. This is typical
of the common-sense advice throughout the book. Giddins recommends a narrow
rather than a wide repertoire, fidelity to ones favourite openings,
and sensitivity to move-order issues. In balanced fashion he also discusses
the attraction and danger of universal systems, and the use
and abuse of computers. One of many helpful suggestions is that
it is useful to keep two separate databases: a large one to enable preparation
for individual opponents, and, to avoid information overload, a small
one consisting exclusively of top-level games for training purposes. Well-written
and spiced with relevant examples including analysis of a few grandmasters
repertoires this book will be of practical help to most players.
Review by James Vigus.
A superb record of a years worth of chess, all in one top-quality
hardbound volume, complete with comprehensive index. Hundreds of annotated
games, problems, studies, articles on openings, strategy and chess history.
Cover shown is a mock-up - actual cover is in a burgundy red. Check
out our full range of bound volumes here.
IM Simon Williams is one of the most enthusiastic adherents of the Classical
Dutch and here explains the workings of his favourite opening, which provides
Black with a complete repertoire against 1 d4. Few opponents will be ready
to take on the Classical Dutch, since it has received little attention
in chess literature in recent decades. Williams shows how Black can obtain
counter-chances against each of Whites main options. He also provides
recommendations against all of Whites alternative approaches against
the Dutch, including a variety of sharp possibilities after 1 d4 f5. It
is certainly a system with great fluidity. Black can play Dutch-style
lines against 1 d4, 1 Nf3 and 1 c4 although the strategy has to be varied
depending on Whites approach. Williams book is particularly
good at dealing with these sidelines.
It was an excellent idea on the part of the publishers to commission
a book on the growth of chess in China. The author was the first Chinese
player to beat a grandmaster (Donner in 1978) and has since become a leading
national coach. Wenzhe presents lots of interesting examples of play by
modern Chinese players, liberally spiced with anecdotes, background on
the players and narrative about the rise of chess in that part of the
world. He gives quite a lot of detail about the organisation of chess
in China which may or may not be of interest to the general reader.
But the provocative claim inherent in the title
(and the sub-title the unique approach, training methods
and secrets) that China has somehow generated a new school
of chess, based on the art of thinking seems rather far-fetched.
Certainly they have generated lots of excellent chess players by pumping
in lots of resources, organising efficiently and stimulating interest,
for which Wenzhe and his fellow administrators deserve high praise. But
the facts as laid out are decidedly selective. It hardly mentions the
gulf that still subsists between the top Chinese male players and the
super-grandmasters at the top of the current world rating list. As for
womens chess: no mention at all of one Polgar sisters 1996
defeat of Chinas top female player, or of the other Polgar sister
universally acclaimed as the strongest female chess player who has ever
lived. So it doesnt live up to the hype and you wont necessarily
find any astounding revelations between the covers; but you will still
find quite a lot of well-played and well-annotated chess games.
This book presents fundamental and familiar checkmating motifs, starting
with the beloved back rank mate via the Greek Gift to killer pawns. At
the end of each chapter there are a few examples of the genre to test
your newly-acquired skill. The material is well chosen and bang up to
date to the end of 2002, and the book is a good choice for elementary
players wishing to brush up their tactics, or those who cannot get enough
Spot The Continuation type material.
This book is designed for those who have just about mastered the moves
and can read chess notation, and introduces them to what club players
generally refer to as cheapoes. Well, you have to learn the
cheap stuff before graduating on to more expensive tactical
tricks, and this is as good a place as any to start. Four exercise positions
appear at the top of each and you have to train yourself not to peek at
the answers at the bottom of the same page before deciding on what you
think the best move is.
The reprints of this periodical are now approaching the present day quite
rapidly. It includes games played by James T Sherwin in his US college
days. He is still as active as ever on this side of the Atlantic, some
53 years later. Santasiere provides the flowery and quote-littered notes
to the Botvinnik-Bronstein match.
The aim of Laskers new periodical, based in New York, was to reproduce
classical games, annotations, problems, endings, etc, so as to provide
amusement. There is no general chess news, but many of the games
are liberally annotated by leading players. The sad death of Pillsbury
is marked by the inclusion of several of his games annotated by the likes
of Lasker, Steinitz, Tarrasch and Schiffers. Meaty stuff in chess terms,
but the book is rather thin for the price.
A close-printed hotch-potch of everything happening in chess during the period in question, with a bias towards the minutiae of club chess but not neglecting the doings of the top players.
Another volume of the lively, gossipy British chess periodical. Lots of detailed news items about British clubs as well as many overseas chess events, with many minor but interesting games that may not be found on databases. A ripe source for chess researchers.
As the name suggests, the Franco-Benoni (1 e4 e6 2 d4 c5) is a cross
between the French and the Benoni, and has been championed by Barcza and
Larsen. The author claims it can be used as a universal black defence
against 1 e4, 1 d4 or 1 c4 and as such would suit the one-size-fits-all
approach of many players who want to cut down on opening study. Is it
that simple? Well, not quite. You may need supplementary openings if,
for example, the game starts 1 d4 e6 and your opponent plays 2 c4 (the
author goes for the Nimzo-Indian or the Dutch). A look at the bibliography,
with references to opening books on the c3 Sicilian, English Opening (and
Defence), Benoni, etc, gives a clue to related openings into which the
Franco-Benoni can transpose. But dont be put off. The disk has a
database of 13,000 plus games (800 annotated). The texts cover the basic
ideas and patterns. It also includes an openings tree and 37 training
positions.
As well as the latest batch of games (1,460, of which 500 are annotated),
there are features on the Grand Prix Attack and the Jänisch Gambit,
the endgame (by Hecht) and tactics (by Atlas). There are two video features:
there is coverage of the Bled Olympiad and an interview with Ray Keene,
mainly talking about Fritz and computer chess.