CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 October 2003
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33n.elburg@consunet.nl
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
Garri Kasparow Meine grossen Vorkämpfe
Die bedeutendsten partien der schachweltmeister
1 Wilhelm Steinitz,Emanuel Lasker und die ersten
inoffiziellen weltmeister.
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
245 pages
Euro 29.95
ISBN 3-283-00470-6
In hardcover!
The first German translation of Kasparov’s magnificent written My great predecessors that we reviewed last month on our web side, interesting enough there are some slight differences in this German translation, as this book from Olms only covers till Emanuel Lasker but I must say Olms is planning a ambitious five volume where Everyman is doing it all with three heavy weights.
Pleasant to mention in this Olms work is the extra Chess CD with all the games from Steinitz,Lasker,Philidor, de La Bourdonnais, Staunton,Anderssen and Morphy.
Included in this ChessBase made CD is a interesting collection avi files from Kasparov where he is discussing in a interview his upcoming book on the predecessors where Kasparov interestingly claims that I am probably the greatest Fischer expert of this moment, and I am sure that Karpov would have won from Fischer!
Specially included in this Olms edition are the extra photographs from the above mentioned pre war world champions which are not covered in the Everyman work.
Conclusion: When we compare these editions with the Everyman’s editions than I must say that Olms is with it’s planed five volume maybe a little to expensive, even that Olms makes it up to the readers with some extra’s as a extra chess CD and some photo’s but I believe the main choice to go for this book is simple the choice of language.
Red Letters by Sergey Grodzensky & Tim Harding
The correspondence chess championships of the Soviet Union
2003
Chess Mail
http://www.chessmail.com
160 pages
Price Euro 25.00
ISBN 0-9538536-5-9
Red Letters is the fascinating story from the two chess authors Sergey Grodzensky & Tim Harding about the unbelievable search of the lost games from the Soviet Correspondence Chess championships.
Many famous chess players have competed in these 21 USSR outstanding correspondence finals, such as well known correspondence chess world champions Ragozin, Estrin,Umansky and Sanakoev. But also in the book are forgotten correspondence players like the famous theoretician Veniamin Sozin 1896-1956 after whom a stillpopular line of the Sicilian defence is named. How many of us have ever seen his astounding win against the great Ragozin played in the tournament of masters in 1937?
Or the story about the chess master Pyotr Vasilievich Dubinin (1909-1983} who was forced to become a worker at the age of fourteen but managed to reach the highest level of chess over the board and by correspondence? Among his opponents in over the board were great players such as Botvinnik, Smyslov, Petrosian and Keres.
In this book you shall find a collection of over 80 of these so special played correspondence games which all have been selected carefully by the chess historian Sergey Grodzensky who, by the way, even knew many personalities in this book personally. That makes a work like this so unique. It is not spoiled by computer-generated analyses but has nice to the point and if possible original analyses from the players themselves.
It is one of those chess books where the chess players speak for themselves. Both authors haveavoided the temptation to update all the theory but kept the work in the context of that so special red curtain time.
Originally this work was planned as a chess CD. If we take a close look at the included free CD ROM that is specially developed by Harding, I would like to scall it a small but well-made Russian Mega correspondence CD. It has, for example, all the original notes from Sergey Grodzensky in the so pleasant readable pdf file but be aware they are in the Russian language; a large to access html file where you shall find a collection of numerous photographs which Harding found were not of that quality to be included in the printed book.
But the best part is, of course, the databases that cover together over 4500 games, where 998 of them include excellent annotations!
Personally I believe this CD is already worth the money you pay for this red book!
Included in this book is a excellent collection of 28 photographs and I would like to end with the remark that this book is certainly one of the best works that was ever written about correspondence chess!
Conclusion: One of the most interesting chess books ever written about correspondence chess!
Secrets of opening surprises by Jeroen Bosch
2003
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com
E-mail nic@newinchess.com
207 pages
Price
ISBN 90-5691-098-1
Secrets of opening surprises is a nice collection of eighteen of beat original openings lines from the Dutch chess master Jeroen Bosch that are all pleasantly divided in different thematic lines as for example the amusing left {hook} pawn on a3.
Where it does not makes much differences if it is the Pirc {1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7}5.a3 the Sicilian {1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 }5.a3 or the four Knights {1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3. 4.Nf3 Nf6} with 5.a3!? you only have to touch your pawn at a2 and move it to a3.
The whole idea behind this move order is very simple but effective white simple says I want to see your plans and even in some lines as the Pirc it is even very dangerous for black, because he is suddenly forced to search for a good alternative, seen the normal 5…c5 is no option at all seen 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.b4! where black is suddenly forced to go back where he came from.
Many of these ideas are not new as Gunsberg line with 4.a3 was already mentioned in the good old Bilguer so we can not really speak about secrets but more from keen played openings ideas!
Interesting enough these openings surveys are besides the gambit line against the French the so called Wing gambit are all very reliable and you don’t have to worry in these surveys from, where are all my pawns?
Originally these surveys where all written by Jeroen Bosch for New in Chess magazine and there flashing year books but these “secrets “ have been extensively updated for this surprising well made New in Chess openings book.
Of course you shall find surveys that nearly nobody dears to plays as the move from Alapin in the Dutch with 1.d4 f5 2.Qd3!? but please be aware the statistics are around 50% so that is certainly worth a try!
Interesting to mention is that New in Chess invites you to send your best SOS idea from this book where the winner judged by Jeroen Bosch will receive 250 Euro and the winning game will appear in there New in Chess publications.
Conclusion: A trilling collection openings surveys!
The reliable past by Genna Sosonko
2003
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com
E-mail nic@newinchess.com
205 pages
Price Euro 21.95
ISBN 90-5691-114-7
As in ‘Russian Silhouettes” the reader is invited to share the memorises and thoughts of a creative chess artist who has the unique talent to create unbelievable atmospheres of great chess players from today and yesterday where it is difficult to say if it is pure chess journalistic or modern literature.
Sosonoko’s portraits as “The cat that walked himself” with the intruding story of the mad Tony Miles is razor sharp and offers the reader more background information about Miles than his own biography that is compiled by Geoff Lawton, but sometimes as a born optimist where he discusses the ups and downs from Jan Timman Sosonko is simple to kind, the reader can feel between the lines the close friendship of these two phenomenal chess players.
No than I prefer the tragically story from Eduard Gufeld “Death of a salesman” where Sosonko explains how Gufeld wrote his highly rewarded chess books, in olden time he wrote his article’s and game commentaries on carbon paper and could write a book in a few days.
Included throw this book is a collection of a small 40 photos where it is great to see the seventeen year old Anatoly Lutikov in his first Leningrad championship of 1950,Luka Anatoly Lutikov 1933 – 1989 a chessmaster with a intends love for the vodka bottle.
Apart from the article about The professor which was first published in Dutch under the title Max Euwe 1901 – 1981 and A born optimist first published in the Russian chess magazine 64,all other remaining stories have been published before in there New in Chess magazines.
Conclusion: One of those chess books that you can not put down!
Essential chess sacrifices by David LeMoir
2003
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
212 pages
Price $ 24.95
ISBN 1-904600-03-4
David LeMoir has managed to compile a outstanding collection sacrifices where each chapter is devoted to one type of sacrifice starting with sacrifices on b5 and slowly moving to the other side of the board and ending with the famous double bishop sacrifice that can even end in a beautiful Greek gift better known as the famous Lasker Bauer combination.
Each chapter of this book is devoted to one type of sacrifice with an excellent explanation of all necessarily game factors where the author is not satisfied with a simple exercises but prefers to work with complete and well illustrated game examples pleasantly divided in eighteen different chapters, and ends with the instructive chapter" How to play successful piece sacrifices"!
I am sure when a reader works throw these fascinating sacrifices he or she will develop a natural feeling for these fascinating combinations as or example “The Multi-Faceted Knight Leap” where white can learn to sacrifice his knight on d5 but be care try not to get mesmerized by the multiplicity of white wins that are nearly all covered in this section!
I would like to end with the wise advise from LeMoir; The job is not complete until the defender resigns!
Conclusion: A very fine work to get involved with sacrificing!
Lessons in Chess Strategy by Valeri Beim
2003
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
176 pages
Price $ 19.95
ISBN 1-901983-93-5
Lessons in Chess Strategy is an intense follow up from Beim first work o this subject his highly interesting “Chess Recipes from the Grandmaster Kitchen “where the author focused on different methods of chess thinking.
In this brand new work Valeri Beim digs a little deeper in this subject and concentrates on various principles relating to the game of chess and where you have the opportunity to study various pawn structures and positions with a fixed material balance as well special strategy techniques that can be learned at the following chapters as Geometry of the chess board, Isolated centre passed pawn, Space advantage ,Zugzwang, Bishop-pair, Symmetrical pawn structures and at last the most difficult chapter the so called Static dynamic features
where the author focuses on different advantage taken from some excellent analysed games running from classic to modern
all in the belief if you want to learn than do it only with the best players of the world.
Included in this book is a massive collection of 124 exercises covered with detailed solutions but be aware this is no easy walk throw but it is one of those chess books where you have to go for from begin to end!
Conclusion: A book with a high instructive value!
100 easy checkmates by Larry Evans
2003
Cardoza Publishing
http://www.cardozapub.com
144 pages
Price $9.95
ISBN 58042-121-0
These 100 easy checkmates from one and two moves are an excellent introduction from the American Grandmaster Larry Evans in to the world of checkmates.
All the compositions in this book are real tournament games that took place after 2000 so you don’t have to be afraid to see the same classics over and over again, even that the first mate of castling took place between Morphy and his father Alonzo Morphy,but also the game between Emanuel Lasker and Sir George Thomas at the London chess club of 1912 are between the amassing mating examples of this book.
Between the lucky ones who could announce mate in one are players as Kasparov, Korchnoi and Adams so it is maybe a matter of luck from the strongest player?
Conclusion: A fine work for beginners of chess to learn the so important basic patterns!
Easy endgame strategies by Bill Robertie
2003
Cardoza Publishing
http://www.cardozapub.com
320 pages
Price $14.95
ISBN 58042-121-0
A collection endgame positions from the backgammon expert and speed chess champion Bill Robertie who prefers to write chess books without any references to the games and no bibliography to check his “instructive” examples.
No please give me the endgame book from Sherwin that we had last month on our web side because it is 100 times better written than this superficial work from Robertie.
Conclusion: Sorry no recommendation!
Survive & Beat annoying chess openings by Eric Schiller & John Watson
2003
Cardoza Publishing
http://www.cardozapub.com
266 pages
Price $17.95
ISBN 58042-073-7
Eric Schiller has written a unbelievable amount of chess books and between them there where many disappointing works but this latest work from Eric is really Schiller on his best with a collection amusing open lines as the Konikowski variation {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 d5!?},sharp black lines in the Italian game, the Calabrese counter gambit {1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 f5} or as with black you are well prepared if somebody plays the crazy Schuelze Muller gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5? Nxe5 4.d4 where there is even a rumour that the great Pillsbury has once even fallen in to it.
But of course there are also serious openings as the Italian game with the Evans and Möller attack, lines that are still especially popular among club players.
Interesting to mention in this work is the cooperation from the great John Watson even it is not clear how both authors have divided there work for this book but anyway Shiller has managed to make a jump forwards in chess writing.
Unfortunately the authors are not always accurate with taking over material from other sources as the only move 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.d4 Qf6! Is not mentioned or over seen from Tony Kosten latest Latvian gambit book, so the Latvian gambit player does not have to fear the lines from Schiller & Watson!
{Also 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qf7 6.Ne3 c6 7.d3 exd3 8.Bxd3 d5 9.0-0 Bc5 10.Na4 Bd6 11.c4 Ne7 12.12.Nc3 0-0! keeps black going!
Included throw this book are summary lines which reminds us as at the classic openings lines from 100 years ago but than with out ant references to the games so they are only useful for stupid memorizing but not or a exact opinion.
Conclusion: Certainly one of the better books from Schiller!
Killer chess tactics by Keene,Schiller & Shamkovich
2003
Cardoza Publishing
http://www.cardozapub.com
416 pages
Price $ 24.95
ISBN 1-58042-111-3
Killer chess books is the latest bargain from Cardoza publishing where you get the updated book World champion Tactics from Leonard Shamkovich &Eric Schiller {After Schiller updated with some Accomplishments and contributions of the 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik} en a revised and updated version of World Champion Combinations by Raymond Keene and Eric Schiller.
The collection world champions games is not wrong but can not stand up for example against Kasparov’s My great predecessors.
For example compare Schiller’s Reti – Alekhine Baden Baden Baden 1925 game with Kasparov’s notes or from Hubner his CD about Alekhine.
The move 27.Bf3! simple saves the game and this was easy to find for the authors if they did a little research or used a chess engine as Fritz8.
Even the full solutions from the exercises could not impress me if I may compare it with Lessons in Chess Strategy from Valeri Beim.
Conclusion: Enough interesting world championships games and exciting exercises but the analyses to the games are not from a very high level.
Gambit chess openings by Eric Schiller
2003
Cardoza Publishing
http://www.cardozapub.com
784 pages
Price $24.95
ISBN 1-58042-057-5
When I finished my review from the above mentioned book this terrible heavy weight from at least 1.6 kilo from Eric Schiller with a collection of gambits and well exactly 900 gambits,250 complete games and 2000 opening references to games dropped in with a blow at my front door.
This book covers nearly every played gambit line with name and first moves but unfortunately does not always cover game references to these gambits, as for example when we look at the Stummer gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 Nxg4 3.e4 d6 4.Be2 Nf6 5.Nc3 called after the German gambit expert Kurt Stummer who was by the way not allowed to play chess from his wife for over the 30 years which forced him to put his chess pieces for a very long time away so long till his wife passed away, than Kurt started to play gambit lines in a unbelievable way sometimes up to 100 correspondence games at one time, but back to the book Schiller gives now as statement of the position : A very solid approach for white, which doesn’t get enough for the pawn. A strong centre, yes but only the normal single tempo edge in development.
Analysis of this line was present above in the main discussion of the Gibbins – wiedenhagen gambit. Impression : Black looks a bit better. Popularity : Few dare to play it.
Or the Oshima defence 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 e5 where Shiller thinks that the chances are about equal
but again Schiller gives no examples but prefers to work with only a taste, in his introduction “How to use this book he simple suggest to choose the gambits and go for individual books or online sources of the openings. Remember you only get a taste of each gambit in this book, there is always a lot more to learn.
Indeed and if you want to learn in this book go for the 250 complete games but I don’t understand why Schiller did not include more example games between these mass of pages! Or why not a extra Chess CD with some extra gambit games?
Included is a excellent index of gambit names and index of openings moves from nearly 20 pages.
Interesting to mention is that updates to the gambit list shall be published at http://www.chesscity.com.
Conclusion: A interesting collection gambit lines but for my taste not detailed enough!
Gambit play sacrificing in the opening by Angus Dunnington
2003
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
128 pages
Price $ 19.95
ISBN 1-85744-334-9
Gambit play sacrificing is no collection latest gambits but more a introduction to attract the reader to sacrifice some pawns in de opening.
The material is explained at a collection of a small 35 model games where the author digs in
all kind of attacking techniques as open lines, outposts, disruption and structures all brought in a very enjoyable way of understanding.
For new comers it is all chess magic but the more experience reader shall find some well known classics as Schulten – Morphy from 1857, Rosanes – Anderssen and Anderssen – Dufresne from 1852 have been published many times before but still stand for the important key aspects of successful gambit play.
Even that this book is no openings book there are some lines as the French with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bd3 with the lovely Milner Barry gambit game Trunov – Bessonov USSR 1982 is still very interesting for upcoming gambit players!
Conclusion: A enjoyable read on gambits!
English …e5 by Alex Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik
2003
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
208 pages
Price $ 19.95
ISBN 1-85744-339-X
The English opening is related with the Englishman Howard Staunton,who even played it six times against St.Amant in there 1843 match.
Nowadays theoretical variations have largely superseded the strategic ideas in the opening so you could get the feeling that we don’t realy play chess but only run after the variations and this latest work from the two Russian chess masters Raetsky & Chetverik is a fine example of this all.
The whole English opening with 1….e5 is covered at the hand of a compressive collection of 80 heavily analysed games where I sometimes even could count around 15 games or clipping from games that are extra included and it is clear this results in a unbelievable amount of material.
The material is based on part one white plays an early Nf3 {With the Three and Four knights }, part two with white plays an early g3 {Reserved Dragon,Keres system fianchetto variation and closed variation} and part three with al kind of other systems where black goes for a early f5.
Interesting enough both authors have managed to put quite some text in to it so you don’t have to be afraid that they only compressed the games with one or other database program,but on the other hand this book it is not so rich with words as for example Carsten Hansen work on the English opening!
Unfortunately it is not always easy to find your way throw this mass of material but if you wan tot keep abreast of latest developments in the English opening than you must certainly go for this in-depth study work from Alex Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik!
Conclusion: A very compressive study of the English opening!
Chess CD's
Hiarcs 9
2003
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 49.99
System requirements Pentium 200,32 MB RAM,Windows98,ME,XP,2000 & CD ROM.
Hiarcs stands for higher intelligence auto response chess system where the author Mark Uniacke has successful managed in this last release to put a lot of extra’s in this engine as for example a improved search function where it is now possible to access positions by using new positional criteria as typical pawn structures.
And this results in a program that understands more about pawn structures than any other chess program that I ever had on my computer.
For example the endgame position from the game Gurevich – Krasenkow from Jakarta 1996
where Hiarcs has no problem at all to find the saving move {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Bg4 8.Be3 Nfd7 9.Qb3 Nb6 10.Rd1 Bxf3 11.gxf3 e6 12.h4 Nc6 13.e5 h5 14.Bg2 Ne7 15.Bg5 Qd7 16.f4 c6 17.Ne4 Qc7 18.Bf3 Nbd5 19.Rd2 Nf5 20.Rg1 Rfd8 21.Bxh5 gxh5 22.Qf3 Kf8 23.Qxh5 Nde7 24.Qh7 Ng6 25.Bf6 Bxf6 26.Rxg6 Bg7 27.Rxg7 Nxg7 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Qxg7 Rg8 30.Qf6+ Kf8 31.f5 exf5 32.Ng5 Qe7 33.Qxf5 Ke8 34.Kf1 Rh8 35.Re2 Rxh4 36.e6 f6 37.Ne4 Rh1+ 38.Kg2 Rh6 39.Re3 Rd8 40.Rg3 Kf8 41.Qf4 Qh7 42.Rg4 Rxd4 43.Nxf6 Rxf4 44.Nxh7+ Rxh7 45.Rxf4+ Ke7 46.Rf7+ Rxf7 47.exf7 Kxf7 48.Kf3 Ke6 on a 2000 mhz machine,where good old Fritz8 only wants to play for a very long time 48…a5.
Please also see Informator 68 game 421.
When I tested Hiarcs 9 in the famous middle game position between Botvinnik & Capablanca from the AVRO match of 1938 it is impressive that Hiarcs plays directly the amassing 30.Ba3!!
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Ne2 b6 10.0-0 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.a4 Rfe8 14.Qd3 c4 15.Qc2 Nb8 16.Rae1 Nc6 17.Ng3 Na5 18.f3 Nb3 19.e4 Qxa4 20.e5 Nd7 21.Qf2 g6 22.f4 f5 23.exf6 Nxf6 24.f5 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Re8 26.Re6 Rxe6 27.fxe6 Kg7 28.Qf4 Qe8 29.Qe5 Qe7 30.Ba3
Where Botvinnik later disclosed that he could not calculate the entire combination but he thought to have at least a perpetual check, other engines as Fritz8 finds this move after a long search too but not so direct to the point as the new Hiarcs 9.
The opening book from Hiarcs 9 is not made by chess professional but by a computer expert
and well by Eric Hallsworth which is doing this for years but if I may say honestly it does not impress me at all,
I prefeer simple the good old Fritz Power book.
Included is of course the Fritz8 interface, photo- realistic 3 D boards in various designs, access to the ChessBase internet server ”Playchess.com”{Free for 12 months} and a database with 500.000 games.
Conclusion: My first impression that Hiarcs9 is not so fast as Fritz even on a fast computer but strange Hiarcs 9 finds mates earlier!
ChessBase magazine issue 95
August
2003
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Price Euro 19,90 per issue
Annual subscription costs Euro 99,70
This latest ChessBase magazine is good for exactly 1567 entries where 1563 of them are games and where 400 of these games are excellent analysed.
All tournaments are provided with database texts including additional background information as the Budapest Hunguest Hotel a category XVII (Elo average 2663) that was impressively won by Nigel Short.
Other files are: Theory section English A33 {1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e6 6.a3 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 b6 & 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Bc5 which are both covered by GM Zoltan Ribli}, Modern Benoni A65 { 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Bf4 a6 8.Nf3 b5 9.Qe2 by Albert Kapengut}, Alekhine’s Defence B03 {1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Bg5 by Jerzy Konikowski}Pirc Defence B07 {1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Qd2 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 Nh5 by Sergey Erenburg},Sicilian B30 {1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6 by GM Boris Avrukh}, French Defence C11 {1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 a6!? By GM Alex Finkel}, Nimzo-Indian E36/37 {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.Qxc3 by GM Vital Golod},C80 {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4!? The move from Lasker! By GM Victor Mikhalevski.
Strategy by GM Peter Wells,Endgame by GM Karsten Müller,Tactics by Valery Atlas and at last the 6279 game file from the tele chess file.The reader hall find between the games seven interesting reports as the new chess friend.com tournaments.
Besides all these heavy loaded files there are also the well known multimedia reports which are good for over the 357 MB and covering interesting avi files from players as Zurab Asmaiparashvili,Pia Cramling and Almira Skipchenko.
Conclusion: A top made chess CD that offers more information than any other printed book or chess magazine!
ChessBase Magazine extra issue 95
September 2003
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99
ChessBase magazine extra is good for exactly 22007 games {All without comments} covering Besancon ABC till Villa de Albox 2003.
Usually there are always no comments to the games but in this collection I found a small 11 games that cover comments from Atalik,Macieja & Arizmendi.
The multimedia files go first to the lovely place Dresden where Garry Kasparov gave a simultaneous exhibition in the beautiful Pillnitz castle, unfortunately the links are missing in this text file but when you simple click on the CD with the avi files {291 MB}where you can see and hear the great Kasparov talking about his book My Great Predecessors but also the players meeting in Istanbul,this time a good working multimedia report and there open letter with unacceptable playing conditions.
Conclusion: A lot of games and two interesting multimedia files!
Albin Countergambit by Luc Henris
2003
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 19.99
System requirements 32 MB RAM Windows 95,98,2000,ME,XP
The Albin counter gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 is not a opening that a GM shall easy consider even that Alekhine played it once against the great Emanuel Lasker during the tournament of St Petersburg 1914.
Recently even a special thematic tournament was organised by the chess club Staunton from the Dutch city of Groningen, where some strong players as van de Wiel and Tiviakov could be found between the list of players.
A unique opportunity to see strong players handling the black side of this so exciting opening!
This latest ChessBase trainings CD is a n excellent coverage of this opening where you get the feeling that every game that is ever played is on this CD!
Anyway I found on this CD 3636 games if I may include the 29 introduction texts and around 152 annotations to these games where 95 of the are annotated by the Belgium chess master Luc Henris him self.
Conclusion: A very compressive presentation of the Albin Counter gambit that is certainly
not only interesting for local club players!
Deadly threats by George Renko
2003
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 24.99
System requirements: Pentium,32 MB RAM,Windows 95/98/2000,ME/XP
On this CD from George Renko I found a large collection of around 2500 tactical exercises where the different themes are all nicely sorted.
There is a mass of material and I enjoyed the instructive solutions that are extra included when you click on notation and table of your ChessBase product.
Unfortunately the whole file from George has some disturbing sides as the author is not very precise in spellings of names from the players and often does not give any game references to the exercises.
Conclusion: A large file but it misses the finishing touch!
ChessBase Monograph
John Donaldson Two Masters From Seattle
2003
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 24.99
System requirements: Pentium,32 MB RAM,Windows 95/98/2000,ME/XP
The first ChessBase monograph that does not cover world champions but two chess masters
from Seattle that originally was published some time ago as “Elmars Zemgalis {GM without a Title} and “Olaf Ulvestad”{an American original} have been captured by ChessBase full in this well made Chess CD.
Besides the games from Zemgalis {189 games where 37 are analysed} & Ulvestad {336 games where 40 are analysed} there are excellent written biographical text files from both players where it is interesting to mention that Zemgalis played it to chess tournaments as the Klaus Junge Memorial from 1946.
Ulvestad is more known as the inventor of a interesting line in the Italian game with the Two Knights defence {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 b5!?} where Ulvestad analysed his ingenious move in Chess Review 1941 but when you go throw his personal games { A match with David Bronstein! 1-1} and text files I only can say a extraordinary chess master who was forced to live out his years in the soldiers home in Retsil,Washington where he passed nearly forgotten away on August 24, 2000.
Included on this CD is Ulvestad’s authentic report about the famous USSR – USA match of 1946 but not his analyses from the famous Chess Review article.
Conclusion: A very interesting made chess CD!
Chess Magazines
British Chess Magazine No. 9
Volume 123
September 2003
Price: £3.25
E-mail: BCMChess@compuserve.com
http://www.bcmchess.co.uk
Starting with Dortmund 2003 where Anand had a dreadful start,Leko failed to win a game and the outsider 31 year old GM Victor Bologan managed to play the tournament of his life;
Flear on the future where BCM interviewed the English grandmaster and French resident Glenn Flear; The British champonship where a 26 year old grandmaster Abhijit Kunte came saw and won the 10.000 winner’s cheque!
In chess questions answered Gary Lane covers some openings where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.{ 1.f4 g5 2.fxg5 h6} & {1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qe6?!}
And News in Brief, Reviews and new books, Spot the continuation,Biel 2003 {A one horse race from the amassing Alexander Morozevich, North Sea Cup, Letters to the editor, Endgame studies and not to forget a awful lot of games!!
Conclusion: Really a lot of latest chess information!
ChessMail issue 6/2003
http://www.chessmail.com
E-mail editor@chessmail.com
Chess Mail Limited, 26 Coolamber Park
Dublin 16 Ireland
Basic Subscription 40 Euros.
{For eight issues.}
This latest issue of ChessMail starts with a excellent article from Tim Harding on Several twists in ICCF election saga; Ivan Bottlik writes on GM Paul Benko’s postal chess career
{Yes this is the man who beaten Robert Fischer at the Interzonal of Portoroz 1958!}
The first Slav cup team tournament,Classic games scores recovered; Two more ICCF officials groups decided; Endgame clinic by Sam Collins; Readers games {Where Mike Read and Tim Harding Harding discuss a Marshall game with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3 Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2 Re6 18.a4 f5 19.Qf1 Qh5 20.f4 bxa4 21.Rxa4 Rfe8 22.Qf2 g5 23.Rxa6 gxf4 24.gxf4 Kh8 25.Bxd5 cxd5 26.Nf1 Rg8 27.Ng3 Qe8!
CC records and curiosities [part 4] Champions League news;The CFC championship and developments at CFC;ICCF tournament result service; Books etc.
Conclusion: Always good for a super collection correspondence games!