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This reference book ought to be in the library of all chess players who chess seriously, or even casually! It contains every move of every game played in the history of world chess championship competitions. Here is the whole sweep of championship play from the first match between Louis de Labourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell in 1834 to the 1998 match between Anatoly Karpov and Viswanathan Anand. 1375 games are included. A bibliography and indices of ECO classifications, openings (descriptive classification), and players and opponents complete this treasury.
World championships did not become official in the chess world until 1886. Before then, matches between the world's strongest players were considered the arena through which players made and maintained their reputations. Gelo describes three periods in world championship play.
The first, 1834-1865, includes matches between Labourdonnais and McDonnell, matches played by Howard Staunton, the victory of Adolf Anderssen in the first international tournament in London in 1851, the victories of Paul Morphy in Europe, and Anderssen's reemergence after Morphy's retirement. These players did not gain the title "World Champion," but were regarded as the world's strongest players in their times.
The second period of championship play (1866-1947) begins with the defeat of Anderssen by Wilhelm Steinmetz in London in 1866. Steinmetz became the first official world champion in 1886 by defeating Johannes Zukertort. Steinmetz himself invented the title! He was preeminent for twenty-eight years. Great stars in the chess world competed this period: Emmanuel Lasker, Jose Capablanca, Alexanderr Alekhine, and Max Euwe. The title stood vacant in 1947 due to the death of the reigning champion, Alekhine.
The third period, extending to the present, began with the reestablishment of the World Championship title under the control of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). This began with the Haue-Moscow Championship Tournament in 1948. Here the games of Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Fischer, Karpov, and Kasparov are the focus.
All games in the book follow a consistent format. They are in algebraic notation, a diagram is given for each game illustrating a critical or important point in the contest, and the games are presented without annotations.
This book is a fitting tribute to those who have competed for the title "World Champion" of chess and is an impressive historical record of this competition. It is an outstanding reference book but will also delight those who dip into its games to relive the triumphs-and the disappointments-of those who vied for this revered title.
Chess players at all levels will benefit from this book. Here is a fine collection of more than two-thousand games won in thirteen moves or fewer and arranged according to openings. FIDE Master Burgess compactly annotates these little gems, clearly exposing the pitfalls and traps in chess openings. The result is a comprehensive guide to sharpen recognition of when an opponent goes wrong and to enable one to take advantage of tactical and strategic miscues to move in to victory.
Here is the theory behind this approach. Burgess asserts that "experts agree that a major factor in successful chess-playing is the ability to recognize patterns." This helps one both to analyze a position, but also to suggest ideas that have not crossed the opponent's mind. On the other side of the board, one may wander into a blunder because an important pattern is not recognized. So, says Burgess, "the conclusion must be that increasing the number of patterns you recognize will mean an increase in your chess-playing ability." The value of his book is, then, to be a resource for combinations that can emerge from hundreds of traps and patterns as well to expose the patterns of blunders. One learns from the mistakes of others in order to avoid them one's self.
The six chapters cover numerous openings. These are: Flank Openings, Miscellaneous Queen's Pawn Openings, Semi-Open Games, Open Games, Queen Gambit and Queen's Pawn Game, and Indian Defences. A helpful Index of Variations concludes the book. The arrangement of openings roughly follows the order of the ECO codes.
The author suggests that the book is useful in several ways. If you study the games for the openings you play, you can avoid the pitfalls while trying to steer your opponent into them. This kind of study provides a sense for the main tactics involved in your openings.
Second, one can study the openings related to the openings one uses in order to gain a wider vision of the tactical themes that relate to the early stages of a game and which may also be adaptable for the types of positions you encounter.
Third, one can use this book for enjoyment. One may be amused at the blunders one encounters-even from grandmasters. Burgess says that "after a bad loss, you may also find some solace in the fact that others, including strong grandmasters, have suffered even worse misfortunes."
This book orients us to opening tactical strategies-what to do and what to avoid in the wide range of openings a player encounters. It provides opportunity for playing through games to gain an overview of general principles. Those who play casually will simply enjoy dipping into this splendid collection of short victories to be instructed and challenged-as well as to be amazed and amused!
Key features:Game Collection. Audience: Beginner to Club Player
We're always fascinated by the "quick knockout"! How was it done? What were the keys? Can I do it too?
This book by Grandmaster and twice British Champion, Julian Hodgson, is written for the beginning to club player. The examples all show how traps in the openings can result in won games or in a significant advantage as one moves into the middle and end games. The author succeeds in his goal of making the book "educational, enjoyable, and entertaining."
The ten chapters are devoted to common openings from the 1 e4 e5 Openings through the Giucco Piano, Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Defence, Anti-Sicilians, Pirc/Modern Defence, French Defence, Caro-Kann Defence, to Modern Black Defences to 1 d4 and Classical Black Defences to 1 d4. Hodgson introduces each chapter with comments on the openings from which the knockouts arise. This approach provides an array of openings from which to choose and also shows us some of the pitfalls that arise early in games-in all openings. An index at the end of the book shows exactly what openings are covered where in the book.
But Hodgson warns that playing for a cheap trick trap is usually not a good policy. Instead, "the traps that you set [for] your opponent should arise from playing good moves rather than hoping that your opponent will make a stupid mistake. But you should be ever alert to exploit any opportunity that may arise." Good advice!
This book will certainly sharpen the eyes of players to be on the look out for opportunities to set patterns that can bring positive results as well as to be wary of the kinds of traps into which one can easily fall. So a good acquaintance with the games here will bring excellent benefits and even some "knockouts"!
Donald K. McKim
Germantown, Tennessee
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