Tragikomödien im
endspiel by Mark Dvoretsky
2010
www.jussupow.de
303 pages
Price €24,90
ISBN 978-3-933365-18-7
The books from GM Mark Dvoretsky belong for many to the absolute top of
chess trainings and his latest endgame book,Tragikomödien im
Endspeil is a fine follow up from his impressive
book “Die
Endspieluniversität”.
Dvoretsky handles in nine instructive chapters,all major endgame
techniques as the king in endgames, powerful pawns, tactical motifs,
exchanges & endgame manoeuvres, drawing techniques etc.
Seldom I have seen a endgame book that is so readable as this well
filled hard cover endgame book!
Mark Dvoretsky explains in these 300 pages positions of material
balances, that you will reach in many of your games!
In endgames it is important to learn how you can cut of the enemy king
and a fine eample is the latest game P.Smirnov – O.Korneev,Ekaterinburg
1997,White Ka6,Pawns: a2,b2,and b3
Black: Rook e4 and King h2.
As Dvoretsky instructively explains 51.Kb5 Re2 52.a4 is good for a draw.
But white played 51.a4?? and after 51….Rb4 we have a classical cut of
king position.
In rook endings it is important to retain full control of the important
squares and Dvoretsky’s examples are uncountable.
It is interesting to mention that the word Bodycheck made it into the
German endgame books,but it is all a matter of king activity,as we can
see in the following example:
Black: Kb4 pawn f7
White:Ke4 pawn f2 Now 61.Kd4 wins but not 61.Ke5.
Yes with Dvoretsky it looks all so easy!
John Nunn once wrote that the endgame is the part of chess which most
clearly distinguishes the master from the amateur.
Conclusion: It is not easy to find a
more instructive endgame book!
Studien für
praktiker by Mark Dvoretsky
2009
www.jussupow.de
255pages
Price €21,90
ISBN 978-3-933365-14-9
The first chess compositions are so old as the game itself, and this
book from GM Mark and Dvoretsky and the famous Oleg Pervakov is a
master piece on chess problems and studies.
Again a beautiful printed book,hard cover and printed on the finest
paper that you can imagine for a chess book,this all holds a
fascinating collection studies that are waiting to be solved.
Between the mass of compositions I found studies from players as
Alexander Morozevich,
yes he composed this only one,at the young age of 16.
Between the list of composer I found studies from players as
Akopian,Shirov,Nunn and the Dutch Jan Timman.
But the pearls of chess come the great composers as O Frink 1923,White:
King c3,Bishop Bh3,pawn h2
Black: Kf2
White wins with the unbelievable move 1.Bd7!!
Pleasant to mention are also the master pieces from Oleg Pervakov who
belongs to one of the best composers in the world of chess compositions.
Conclusion: Facinating!
1.d4 volume two by
Boris Avrukh
2010
Quality Chess
614 pages
Price €29,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-33-6
GM Boris Avrukh from Israel provides the reader with a impressive move
to move repertoire book on the good old move 1.d4.
If you like to move your white bishop on g2 than this book could be the
perfect choice for you.
On the King’s Indian Avrukh prefers lines like these: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6
3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d6 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Nf3 and after,6…0-0 7.0-0 Bg4 8.d5 Na5
9.Nd2 c5,and now Avrukh goes for the flexiable 10.Qc2.
The author has on every move from black a strong answer and the white
player does not have to fear unexplored lines,for example on the Snake
Benoni he comes after the moves;
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Bg2 Bc7 8.d6
Ba5 9.Nh3 Nc6 10.0-0 Re8 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd5 h6 13.Nf4 Qf6 14.Be3 Nd4
15.a3 Bb6 16.Rc1 Rb8 with the strong 17.Qd3!
And now it is difficult to find a reasonable move for black.
Fans of the Budapest gambit have to take care of the move: 1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bf4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.e3 Ngxe5 8.Nxe5
Nxe5 9.Be2 b6 10.0-0 Bxd2 11.Qxd2 Bb7 12.c5 bxc5 13.Qa5 Ng6 14.Bg3!
Avrukh writes; I found this ‘novelty’ and than discovered it has been
played in one e-mail game.In my opinion it is a serious improvement
over previous over the bord play.
For all lovers of the Leningrad dutch,Avrukh goes for a set-up with
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3,as Stefan Kinderman
wrote in his work on the Leningrad System:
This system involving the fianchetto of the Queen’s bishop is a
populair choice for lovers of quiet positional play.
But the move 6.b3 is a very flexible way to meet the Leningrad!
A very strong repertoire book!
Die Englische
Eröffnung Band Eins by Mihail Marin
2009
Quality Chess
482 pages
Price €29,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-24-4
The Romanian crack GM Mihail Marin comes with unbelievable heavy
weight, where Marin explains with move to move annotations his
favourite repertoire lines of the English Opening.
Repertoire books always a matter of taste but what Marin offers the
reader here in these 482 pages is more than impressive!
Covered are the following lines: 1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg2
Bc5 5. Nf3 Karpov Variation, 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bb4 5.Nd5
Rossolimo Variation in the back hand, 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 Botvinnik system,1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 various
lines, 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Reversed Dragon,1.c4
e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6 4.d4 Keres Variation and all kind of various side
lines as 1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 f5 6.e4 Nf6 7.Nge2 0-0
8.0-0 c6 9.exf5 gxf5 10.d4 Na6 11.b3 Ng4?! The last move is by the way
a invention of Marin but as he honestly explaines he is not very proud
of it after 13.d5!N white stands much better.
Throw the book I found many novelties as 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6
4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 Be6 7.d3 Qd7 8.Nd5 h5 9.h4 Nd8 10.d4 Nc6
11.dxe5!N The following leads to
11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.d5 Bg4 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.0-0 Ne7 with a even position.
Going throw this book is a great pleasure and even in the complicated
Botvinnik System I could not get lost in the lines of moves, all long
index variations are now and than repeated as for example the following
one: 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.d3 0-0
8.0-0 Be6 9.Nd5 Qd7 10.Be3 f5 11.Qd2 Rf7 12.f3 Raf8 13.Rac1 Nc8 14.b3
Nb6 15.a4 Nd4 16.Bxd4!N and this move is again one of the many
novelties you will find in this book!
Many games come from Marin himself and that makes this book very
special!
Included is a bibliography and a clear index of variation to find your
way throw this well written heavy weight!
Conclusion: One of the best books that
I have ever seen on the English Opening!
The giant chess puzzle book by Zenon Franco
2010
Gambit
Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
288 pages
Price $ 26,95
ISBN 978-1-906454-20-3
Puzzle books are fun specially this one from GM Zenon Franco who
has managed to put together a fascinating collection together
from 1001 puzzles, where the difficulty lays between easy and very
difficult.
Chapter one deals with the main tactical ideas, Chapter two holds 120
warming-up exercises for club players, Chapter three holds 100 puzzles
on the attack, Chapter four holds 200 exercises and are all
between level 1 to 4.
Chapter five provides the first of three batches of the test positions,
Chapter six is called Defence and Counterattack.
Chapter sevens is entitled ‘Mundo Latino’and holds 90 puzzles,
including 40 with hints, these puzzles are taken from games by Latin
players, both European and American.
Chapter eight holds some fine selftests, Chapter nine holds 90 endgame
puzzles, and at last the most difficult one Chapter eleven with 81
puzzles of level 5 and beyond yes the one for
the grandmaster between us!
For the good order chapter ten holds tests and answers here you can do
your warming up for Chapter eleven!
Puzzle books are great fun specially with the unique material from
Zenon Franco,where the most of these exercises have never seen print
before!
Conclusion: Highly enjoyable!
British
Chess Magazine No.3
Volume
130
March
2010
Price: £4,05
This issue starts with Corus where Magnus Carlsen justified his
status as the world’s highest rated player and a fine 10.000
Euros first price money! This coverage of Ian Rogers is good for 18
pages of text!
The remaining pages of this magazine go to Gibtelecom masters where
John Saunders is responsible for on the spot coverage.
Please see how Alexandra Kosteniuk mixed up lines against Duhayon but
still managed to win!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6
8.Qf3 Be7 9.Bd3 h6 10.Ne4 Nd5 11.c3? Black played 11…Nf4? John
Saunders gives 11…Bh4!?
But in my database I found: Facchetti,Gianni - Pelagatti,Alessandro
[C58]
ch ITA (11), 2006
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6
8.Qf3 h6 9.Ne4 Nd5 10.Bd3 Be7 11.c3 0-0 12.0-0 f5 13.Ng3 e4 14.Nxe4
fxe4 15.Qxe4 Bf5 16.Qd4 c5 17.Qe5 Bxd3 18.Re1 Bf6 19.Qe6+ Kh8 20.b4
cxb4 21.cxb4 Nxb4 22.Ba3 Re8 23.Qxe8+ Qxe8 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.Nc3 Nc2
26.Rb1 Nxa3 27.Rc1 Nc2 28.h3 Bxc3 29.dxc3 Re1+ 30.Rxe1 Nxe1 31.f4 Nc2
32.Kf2 Nc4 33.g4 Kg8 34.Kf3 Kf7 35.a4 Ke6 36.h4 Kd5 37.g5 h5 38.Kf2 g6
39.Kf3 a5 40.f5 Bxf5 41.Kf4 Nb2 42.Kf3 Nxa4 43.Ke2 Nxc3+ 44.Kd2 Ne4+
45.Kd3 Nd4 46.Ke3 a4 47.Kf4 a3 48.Ke3 a2 49.Kd3 a1Q 50.Ke3 Qc3+ 51.Kf4
Qf3# 0-1
Other readable contributions are,Games Department, Quotes and Querties,
Endgame Studies, Forthcoming events, Reviews and New Books etc.
Conclusion: One of the
best!
Heroes of classical
chess by Craig Pritchett
2009
Everyman
Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
224 pages
Price €19,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-619-7
The international master Craig Pritchett describes in this book of
chess secrets five of his great chess heroes, Rubenstein, Smyslov,
Fischer, Anand and Carlsen.
Pritchett really digs in these games and explains with readable words
the techniques and how these players, did manage to become such great
players.
But first some words from Pritchett: Informed and full of surprises
Fischer’s chess was also
built from blocks of continues play.Having learned the game at the age
of 6,his early passion for chess was nurtured from that point on within
the Brooklyn Chess Club and by a series of adult mentors, including the
Brooklyn Club’s President,Carmine Negro.Fischer’s played widely
in junior and adult events,until in 1956-58 he suddenly jumped
dramatically in playing strength.
In the summer of 1956,aged 13,Fischer won the US Junior
Championship.
Invited to play against some of the strongest US players later that
year in the Rosenwald Cup in New York,he finished only eighth, but won
sensationally against Donald Byrne in a game that later became
known as the “Game of the Century”.
Interviewing Fischer for Chess Life & Review shortly after he
became World Champion in 1972,Svetozar Gligoric expressed admiration
for the ‘new way Fischer handled the opening in the final,21st game of
the match. Fischer confessed dead plan that he actually “found the
idea….in Anderssen’s book {Gottschall’s 1912 collection of Anderssen’s
games}…it’s the way they used to play in the old days.”
Fischer was one of the first modern players to properly investigate,
appreciate and adapt some of the great weapons of the past for
up-to-date contemporary combat.
The material is based on 35 deeply analysed games where some pages as
Carlsen – Topalov,Sofia 2009 is good for six pages of text.
Carlsen’s all-round classical style seems to be good against Topalov.At
any rate,he has beaten the Bulgarian on several occasions.
Included is a index of openings,index of players and a very interesting
bibliography!
Conclusion: This book is certainly
more than a great games collection!
Play the Ponziani by Dave Taylor &
Keith Hayward
2009
Everyman
Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
301 pages
Price €19,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-620-3
The Ponziani Opening goes back to the Italian Law lecturer and priest
Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani {1719-1796} who wrote extensively about it
in
his forgotten book IIGuioco Incomparibile Degli Scacchi of 1769.
Interesting to mention is that Howard Staunton wrote in his famous
Handbook,over 150 years ago about it: that it would someday attain a
much higher opening lore!
It seems that time has now come with this impressive move to move heavy
weight from Taylor and Hayward.
Wilhelm Steinitz favoured the move 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6
and now white has a choice between sharp or quieter play with the moves
5.Bb5 and 5.d3!?
After 5.Bb5 Ne7 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.0-0 black has the choice out five
different moves7…e4,7…Bd7,7…Be6,7…Bf5 and 7…a6.Interesting to mention
is that 7…h5!? Was an imaginative idea from Startostits –
Schlindwein,German League 2004.
It is nearly unbelievable but the most openings books as for example
Nigel Davies his Play 1.e4 e5, only cover one model game with the
Ponziani!
Top players as Chigorin,Steinitz,Maroczy,Tartakower and Euwe have
played and studied the Ponziani.Alexhine played it as a young boy and
this game is covered between the illustrated games of this book:
Alekhine,Alexander - Isakov,K [C44]
Moscow Club (Spring) Moscow, 1907
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6 5.Bb5 Nge7 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.0-0 Bd7
8.d4 e4 9.Nfd2 f5 10.Nb3 Ne5 11.Nc5 c6 12.Be2 Bc8 13.Be3 b5 14.Qa5 Nc4
15.Bxc4 Qxc4 16.Nd2 Qd5 17.a4 Ng6 18.f3 Bxc5 19.dxc5 Qd3 20.Bg5 h6
21.Nxe4 hxg5 22.Nd6+ Kd7 23.Rad1 Qe3+ 24.Kh1 Qf4 25.g3 Qxa4 26.Nxb5+
1-0.
Fred Reinfeld wrote about this game in his book,100 instructive games
of Alekhine:
Why Alekhine should have played this discredited opening {which,by the
way, never appears in his later games}remains a psychological riddle
till we recall that the Ponziani had been a great favourite of his idol
Tschigorin.
All together there are 23 illustrated games in this book,the theory
sections are intensively covered in twelve heavy loaded sections where
you can find hundreds of extra Ponziani games between the lines.
Personally I enjoyed chapter nine very much where black goes for a
early 3..f5!?
As the authors write: A risky move advocated by Domenico Lorenzo
Ponziani himself where his efforts were focused on this …f5 variation
which bears his name: the Ponziani Counter Gambit.
White has two good replies: he can capture the pawn for counter the
flank move with a centre break.
I would like to end with a fine example of Ponziani power: Fouchet,Guy
- Volpi,Davide,Italy corr, 1992
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nxe5 d6 7.Bb5+ c6
8.dxc6 Qb6 9.cxb7+ Kd8 10.Nxf7+ Kc7 11.bxa8N+ 1-0,yes unbelievable for
a correspondence game.
Chapter twelve holds some interesting second moves alternatives as the
Latvian Gambit, one of Hayward other specialities.
Included is a impressive, two and a half page bibliography.
Conclusion: Buy this book if you are
searching for new dynamic openings play!
Mastering positional
chess by Daniel Naroditsky
2010
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
236 pages
Price € 19,95
ISBN:
978-90-5691-295-6
Mastering Positional Chess is written by the fourteen year old American
chess prodigy Daniel Naroditsky,the young author started writing this
book when he realized his lack of positional understanding.
So far no book on chess has a younger author than this one,Aturo Pomar
wrote his Mis Cincuenta Partidas con Maestros in 1945 and Bobby
Fischer’s Games of chess came out in 1959.
We must realize that Naroditsky started writing this book when he was
ten years old,and I must admit I have seen better books on positional
chess but never one which is so clear to understandable as this
one from Naroditsky!
Maybe we can say if the books from Aagaard and Dvoretsky are to
complicated for you try this one from Naroditsky!
It is clear a 14 year old is telling things easier than a grown up does.
But first some words from Naroditsky after the moves:1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6
3.Nc3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.Nge2 e5 7.0-0 Na6 8.Rfe1 c6 9.h3 Tfe8
10.Bg5 h6?!
It’s hard to believe that this complexly natural move is a mistake.The
problem is that after
Be3,it will be very difficult for black to achieve any kind of
counterplay.vWhite will play g3-g4 and Ng3,and black will find
himself totally cramped.
In order to get somewhere, black needed to act quickly. This could only
be accomplished by the active 10…exd4! Instead, the move mentioned by
ChessBase {I’m not sure who the commentators are,but my guess is that
the annotations given in ChessNase are the ones that where made in the
tournament bulletin}
The material from Naroditsky is divided in to the following chapters:
Prophylaxis, Defence in worse positions, Building and breaking
fortresses, Positional sacrifice, Paralysis in the middlegame and
Manoeuvring plus some exercises to see if you have understood the
Naroditsky techniques.
Conclusion: A very easy to understand
strategy book!
New In Chess: The
First 25 Years edited by Steve Giddins
2009
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
398 pages
Price $29,95
ISBN:
978-90-5691-296-3
New in Chess celebrates it’s 25 year anniversary with this impressive
anthology of the best from the New In Chess Magazines.
I remember when Wim Andriessen started his “Schaak Bulletin” back in
1960s and thanks to players as Jan Hein Donner and Jan Timman it
became a great success.
The first issues if this magazine are now highly wanted under chess
collectors, but that is a other story, of a magazine that later grow
out to became the best chess magazine in the world
The success of New in Chess lays in the secret that it is read by
amateur and chess professional, all throw the world from Iceland to
China.
The English Steve Giddins has compiled an anthology of the most
interesting contributions as the inimitable Tigran Petrosian, where Jan
Timman pays tribute with a wonderful game annotation,which is good for
seven pages of text,yes that where the days with Jan Timman on his best!
But there are also a lot of fun contributions as the one from Dirk Jan
ten Geuzendam on Tim Krabbe,King of chess curiosities.
Or Seek,and thou shall find,which holds the unorthodox explorations of
Rolf Martens.
But my favorite is They’ll do it every time,in the footsteps of
Icelandic citizen Bobby Fischer by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam.
Saemi Palsson,Fischer’s bodyguard in 1972 tells: Bobby never paid me
anything either,not in ’72 and not now.My wife once asked him about
that and he said he had to think about himself.
Conclusion: A fascinating
read!
