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Chessville
Advertise to Single insert:
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Editor's Note: I have been unable to contact Mr. Kennedy to correct further this review. However, due to the importance of the book itself, I felt it my responsibility to present you with what we have so far. My comments are included below, in blue text and italicized, to show you just what I've gone through with Mr. Kennedy over this review. There are rumors, unconfirmed, that he's locked up in his basement, logged into the Internet Chess Club, endlessly playing game after game with the black pieces, and aborting all those not beginning 1.e4. If anyone out there knows Rick, and is able to make contact with him, please throw some cold water in his face, and unplug his PC. Thanks!
[Editor’s Note: Rick, I think Chessville readers will want to see more of the “big picture” than this in a review. Thanks.]
John Watson + The French [Editor’s Note: Very funny. Who? What? Where? When? Why?] John Watson1 + The French2 = Buy This Book Now3 1- Award winning author (and International Master) of many fine chess books, including, but not limited to: Mastering the Chess Openings, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2; Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances Since Nimzowitsch; Chess Strategy in Action; Play the French, 1st Ed., 2nd Ed., 3rd Ed.; Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (with Eric Schiller); a ground-breaking and still sought-after 5-book set on the English Opening; another masterpiece on the Chigorin Defence… 2- This is not your father’s French Defense. It is a Dangerous Weapon!4 Watson has 6 recommended lines for White, and 8 recommended lines for Black. They’re all a kick in the head – for your opponent. You’ve been coming to Watson for years for more ideas in the French: here they are. 3- There are 320 well laid-out pages of material, an average of two diagrams per page, very readable, as one expects from Everyman Chess. The analysis is comprehensive, yet accessible, as one expects from John Watson. You can either play or face these lines, but for sure they will be appearing at your club or next tournament very soon! 4- From the Preface by John Emms - The original concept behind Dangerous Weapons5 was to take a major chess opening and to approach it in a completely different way: to concentrate on variations that are ambitious, sharp, innovative, disruptive, tricky, enjoyable to analyze; ones not already weighed down by mountains of theory, and ones unfairly ignored or discredited. 5- More from the Preface – a Dangerous Weapon6 fits into one or more of these overlapping categories:
6- Throughout the book a firing cannon icon signals where the Dangerous Weapon has had its effect; an icon of a lightning bolt cautions the player to beware of danger; a graphic of rolling dice indicates more risky play; and an open book clues the reader in to a transposition of lines. Each Weapon7 Watson presents is rated according to Difficulty (to play), Attacking Nature, Positional/Strategic Nature, Risk, Reward, and Theoretical Depth. 7- From the Introduction – I have suggested opening variations that, with two exceptions, have very little theory attached to them. As far as I can see, none of them allow your opponent an easy way to advantage, and none are unsound. I should add that the proposed lines do not overlap with those previously given in my Play the French books, indeed, I have included variations that I have misassessed or skipped over in the past. [Editor’s Note: You left out “Where?” wise guy.] John Watson + The French = Buy This Book Now From the Chessville Chess Store The End [Editor’s Note: It is clear that our reviewer has been overcome by the magnificence of John Watson’s Dangerous Weapons: The French, and we wish Rick a speedy recovery. As an addendum, we include the lines Watson discusses: Systems for White: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Be3 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qh5 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Qg4 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Qf3 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.Nb3 Systems for Black: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nc6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 cxd4 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 h6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Bf8 aka 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Ng8 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nh6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 h6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 a6
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6]
A note from the Publisher: Almost all of the notes in this review attributed to the Editor were in fact written by the review's author, Rick Kennedy, and are an integral part of the review. It was written with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, as they say. I take credit only for expanding on the introductory paragraph, to help "set up" the review. I hope you didn't need this disclaimer, and enjoyed the review.
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