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BCM Chess Book Reviews : November 2007Return to the BCM Review Index
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The book begins with a recap of world championship history, placing heavy emphasis on the tradition for the reigning champion (particularly Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik) to enjoy a political advantage over his rivals. There is a distinct anti-Russian feel about this chapter; some of it may be true but one wonders whether the aforementioned champions were quite as Machiavellian as Topalov and his co-author would have us believe. When the book gets down to the Elista match, we have to relive the accusations concerning what Kramnik was up to in the rest room. The book fails to make these accusations any more credible and in places it resorts to tabloid-style presentation (there are a number of photos and cartoons of toilets). One thing we can refute outright: Topalov, on losing the match, makes the following prediction: “Kramnik... most probably will not play at the next world championship in Mexico... I can’t confirm this 100% but I am almost certain.” Well, you got that one wrong, Vesko. Perhaps you ought to lighten up and let your chess pieces do the talking. That said, the book makes for an interesting read though the world has moved on remarkably quickly since Elista and it suddenly seems a long time ago and slightly irrelevant. JS.
Nigel Davies recently produced an excellent repertoire DVD on the Pirc (which overlaps very little with my book The Pirc in Black and White despite appearing around the same time). The five-hour 1...d6 Universal completes the repertoire by treating all of White’s first moves apart from 1 e4. Davies’s great experience in these lines shows in the coherence of the choices, and in many cunning move-order tricks, always clearly explained. He meets 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 3 d5 (recommended for White in Palliser’s Play 1 d4!) with 3...g6!? 4 Nc3 Nd7 5 e4 a5!?, which often results in a ‘supercharged’ King’s Indian with ...f5 played before ...Nf6. I’m less convinced by his analysis of 3 Nf3 e4 4 Ng5 f5 5 Nc3 Be7 6 Nh3 Nf6 7 g3 c6 8 Bg2 d5!?, though Black has good alternatives to this central thrust. The lines 1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c4 Bg7 4 Nc3 Bg4, and 4 g3 c5 give Black dynamic play without much risk, and should come as a nasty surprise to White players at club level. The same is true of 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 d6 3 g3 f5, making this a very practical and attractive repertoire with relatively little memorisation of theory needed. If White plays the critical e2-e4 on move 2 or 3, however, you have to turn to the companion DVD The Pirc Defence. Review by James Vigus.
The Budapest Gambit (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5!?) has always been popular as a surprise weapon for Black at club (and now internet) level. You may not see it at Linares or Wijk aan Zee but lesser grandmasters are not averse to its charms. The author is a Ukrainian grandmaster who himself uses it in tournament, Vladimir Epishin, former coach to Karpov, is a Budapest exponent, while such stars as Spassky and Svidler have been known to employ it. This is first major work on the opening for some time and of considerable interest. JS.
Moldovan grandmaster Victor Bologan is one of those very strong Eastern European players not as well known in the West as he should be. 52 of his best games, deeply annotated are presented here. Bologan, however aims at more than just a collection of “chocolates”, enjoyable as that may be. He wants to show the evolution of his chessplaying strength through the influence of his various trainers and how lessons may be learnt from each game and tournament. The events of his personal life are interwoven throughout the 52 games. All in all, the reader can follow how Bologan became a world-class grandmaster. In his forward Garry Kasparov writes: “This is a book that ought to be read by every chess player who is serious about continuing to mature as a player”. This reviewer can only endorse those sentiments. Review by Ray Edwards.
An instant book of the Mexico tournament, which hit the streets almost as soon as the garland was placed round Vishy’s shoulders. But speed of production shows all too clearly. The first 65 pages are devoted to previous championships but seem to have been lifted from Ray Keene’s previous instant world championship book on Kramnik versus Leko, complete with weird interpolated numbers (which turn out to be the previous book’s page numbers) and other strangely inappropriate symbols. The games from the 2007 event are typeset in a different style and lightly annotated. One wonders whether there is still any point in people producing these instant books; probably better to wait to see if Quality Chess follow up their excellent San LuBs 2005 with Mexico City 2007. JS.
The diligent Kent author deals with topics like The Seventh Rank, The Outpost and The Open File, Planning on a Grand Scale, as exemplified by the greatest players of the 20th century. As always with Everyman, the book is neat and well presented. BC.
This is a ‘hard-hitting chess opening repertoire for Black (a review of the author’s complementary repertoire for White appears in the July 2007 issue, p365). Against 1 e4, the repertoire is built round 1...e5, with the Schliemann Gambit (3...f5 4 Nc3 fxe4 5 Nxe4 Nf6 6 Qe2) being one example of the piratical ideas for Black, and the Albin Counter Gambit (1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5) being another against 1 d4. Each of these systems fills around 40% of the book. Of course, that leaves a lot of other openings but Davies has plenty of muscular suggestions if Black wants to (as he puts it) ‘fight the stodge’ (the Two Knights’ Defence against 3 Bc4 lines and an early f7-f5 push against the ‘mother of all stodge’ English and Reti). As always with Davies, it is sensible, readable stuff, and it is educational to read the ‘instructions on the bottle’ even if you’ve no intention of ‘taking the medicine’. JS.
Well on its way to its 100th issue, the Dutch theory journal edited by Genna Sosonko maintains its usual impressive standard with contributions from over 40 authors (including Nick Pert, Simon Williams, Richard Palliser, Miso Cebalo, Valery Bronznik, Bogdan Lalic and José Vilela). Variations include Sicilian (Najdorf, Rauzer, Rossolimo, Taimanov, Alapin, Sveshnikov), Pirc Defence, French Defence (Steinitz, Winawer, Tarrasch), Caro-Kann (Panov), Scandinavian, Alekhine Defence, Petroff Defence, Ruy Lopez (Berlin, Siesta, Marshall Attack), Two Knights Defence, Slav Defence (Marshall Gambit), Catalan Opening, Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Nimzo-Indian, Queen’s Indian Defence, Grünfeld, King’s Indian Defence, Benoni, Blumenfeld Gambit... in fact, there is something about nearly every opening that one can think of. JS.
This wonderful tournament book, with notes by Marco and Schlechter, has been translated from German by chessplayer Robert Sherwood and edited by Dale Brandreth with analytical corrections verified by ‘Rybka’. The background to the great event with 21 competitors, and won by Rubinstein ahead of Maroczy, Leonhardt, Nimzowitsch, Schlechter, Duras, Teichmann (mortally ill Chigorin was only 18th, Janowski 15th), is covered over pp iv-xxii and followed by fine round-by-round summaries and the 210 games with notes. Connoisseurs of the game will appreciate Marco’s insight and humour. Review by Bernard Cafferty.
This complete run of seven issues was published quarterly in Chicago by C. C. Moore from October 1879 to April 1881. He was assisted by Sam Loyd, GH Mackenzie and James Mason. It contained articles, games, problems and news from across the USA. JS.
A misnomer of a title as the occasional publication produced by means of very old technology (look at the awful diagrams and variable density of the print) was called The Chess Student’s Quarterly. Cordingley’s main aim was to quote games and annotations which did not duplicate material in BCM and CHESS, Sutton Coldfield. One speculates over copyright considerations, but the ‘international’ production certainly opened the eyes of British amateurs. The photo reprint also contains Ken Whyld’s booklet on the Bronstein-Boleslavsky match of 1950, again with note by various authorities: W Winter, Kostich, Vukovic, as well as Bronstein and Boleslavsky themselves. A non sequitur supplement of depictions of famous chess players on pp567-569 is puzzling. Review by Bernard Cafferty.
This volume includes biographies of Hromadka, Szen and W Lewis, Forgotten Chess Tournaments of Munich 1886 and Zoppot 1937, Showalter versus Albin 1894, correspondence chess in Singapore 1900-1902, Women’s Chess: Mrs Showalter vs Mrs Worrall 1894, chess research, Chess Miscellany no.301-325, book reviews. JS.
A new translation of Die Praxis Meines System is to be welcomed as the 1936 translation into English by Julius du Mont, former BCM editor, left something to be desired, as has been commented on from time to time. A postscript by Jacob Aagaard and John Shaw enhances this definitive version by pointing out some salient points that the great man passed over and the occasional oversight. Review by Bernard Cafferty.
This two-DVD video set has footage of Miles beating Karpov in the 1983 Master Game, Speelman beating Kasparov in a 1989 TV game and (on the second disk) Short’s two wins against Kasparov from another 1987 TV show (those were the days!). The Miles-Karpov footage is a little disappointing in that Ray Keene has to overdub the original German commentary, and we don’t see much of the players; the footage consists mainly of pieces moving around on screen. But overall this offering is still entertaining and nostalgic, and a salutary reminder of the lamentably chess-free zone which is modern British television. JS.
A well-presented little book which delivers what it says on the cover. It works it way from the absolute basics – K+Q versus K – to more complex endings, e.g. R+P versus B+P. It would make a good textbook for a junior or intermediate player to work through. JS.
Two virtually languageless works from Hungary with solutions at the back. BC.
A neatly produced historical romp from Shatranj and Greco to Kasparov and Kramnik with solutions at the back and an index of players. BC.
Daniel King is an ideal presenter of video chess material, as exemplified in the previous four volumes in this entertaining series. This time he turns his attention to the pawns – strong and weak, passed and isolated: all the usual themes are explored and presented in a visually exciting way. Six hours of video material. JS.
Nigel Davies delivers four hours of video material on the Accelerated Dragon and along the way dispels various myths that attach to it. For one thing, it usually works out very differently from a regular Dragon and, for another, the Maroczy Bind is not as binding as we old-timers used to think. JS.
ChessCafe’s calendar includes births and deaths of the most important chessplayers, plus games, problems, pictures and a monthly chronicle of chess events from the past. JS.
