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CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 December 2007
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.
Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg

Chess Books

Vishy's Victory by IGM Raymond Keene
2007
Impala Press
http://www.impalapublications.com/
215 pages
Price $41,95
ISBN 978-095553555-0

Grandmaster Raymond Keene has managed to release with in a few weeks after the Mexico World Championship a 246 page tournament book with all the games, plus exciting eye witness reports on the spot from chess companion Julian Simple, these reports are the high lights of this book because it provides the reader with readable and less known background information.
The analyses from Keene in this book are no deep move to move analyses but easy to read game annotations and in some games the reader has even to do with nearly no annotations to the games at all,but dear reader there are always the exciting eye witness reports from Julian Simple!
But there is a well written 61 page chapter from Raymond Keene on the world chess champions, a contribution on drug tests and a conclusion of this World Championship.
One thing is certain Vishy Anand is the one and absolute best chess player of the world and we can include him in the list of players as for example Morphy,Steinitz,Fischer and Kasparov.
Interesting to mention is that Anand had to face the Marshall attack three times over and every time he had a other answer waiting for his opponent.
Against Aronian he played the brilliant 16.Kf2 at least after Marin in the latest ChessBase Magazine, Anand,Viswanathan (2792) - Aronian,Levon (2750)World Championship Mexico City.
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.Re2 Bg4 14.f3 Bf5 15.g3 Qc7 16.Kf2 Qd7 17.Bxd5 cxd5 18.Nd2 Bd3 19.Re3 Bg6 20.Nf1 a5 21.a3 ½-½
After the game he said that 16.Kf2 was a relatively obscure idea!
Indeed the white king's position is much weaker than in the normal lines.
Type setting of this book has been done in high rapid speed by the Fide Master Steve Giddins.
Conclusion: Buy it for the eye witness reports!

The endgame by Marat Makarov
2007
Chess Stars
180 pages
Price €23,50
ISBN 978-954-8782-63-0

The Russian Grandmaster Marat Makarov presents in this 180 page endgame all basic endgame information and more for players who like to improve in a very practical way of understanding there endgame skills.
All material is divided in to eight readable chapters and well: Chapter one King and Pawn Endings, Chapter two Knight and Pawn Endings, Chapter three Bishop and Pawn Endings,Chapter four, Bishop against Knight, Chapter five Rook against Light Pieces, Chapter six, Rook Endings, Chapter seven, Rook and Light Piece against Rook,Chapter eight Queen and Pawn Endings plus a three page epilogue.
Complex as many endgame positions are knight and pawn against knight specially with minimal material left on the board.
A fine practical example in this book is the endgame position between Miroshnicenko and J.Polgar,Ohrid 2001.
White: Kf2 Knight e3
Black: Kc5,Knight b3 and pawn on a5.
It looks that white should be able to hold the position, but that proved quite difficult in practice.
1.Ke2 Kd4 2.Nf5+ Kc3 3.Kd1 a4 4.Nd6 Kd3 5.Nb5 Kc4 6.Na3+ Kc3 7.Nb5?
White was losing after 7.Nb1+ Kb2,as well s following 7.Ke1 Nc5 8.Kd1 [Or 8.Nb5+ Kc4 9.Na3 Kb3 10.Nb5 Ne4! 11.Kd1 Kb2 12.Ke1 Nc3}8…Kb2 9.Nc4+ Kb3 10.Nd2+ Kc3 11.Nb1+ {The king and pawn ending is lost for white after 11.Kc1 Nb3 12.Nxb3 axb3}11..Kb2 12.Nd2 Ne4! 13.Nc4+ Kc3 14.Na3 Kb3 15.Nc2 Kb2 16.Ne3 Nd6 17.Nc2 Nc4.
It seems that white would save the game with 7.Ke2 Nc5 8.Nb5+ Kc4 9.Na3 Kb3 10.Nb5 Kb4 {That is an moment contrary to the line with 7.Ke1,here white can counter 10…Ne4 with 11.Kd3}11.Nd4 Kc4 12.Nc2 Kc3 13.Kd1 {It is bad for white to play 13.Na3 Ne4 14.Kd1 Kb3 15.Nc2 Kb2 16.Ne3 Nd6.}13…Nb3 {Or 13…Kb2 14.Kd2}14.Na3 Nd4 15.Nb1+! {White avoids the trap-he loses after 15.Kc1,because of 15…Kb3 16.Nb1 Nf3} 15…Kb2 16.Nd2 Nf5 17.Nc4+ Kc3 18.Nd2 Ng3 19.Kc1 Ne2+ 20.Kd1 Nf4 21.Ne4+ Kb2 22.Nd6 and it is far from clear how black can improve his position. It is quite possible that the readers should better analyze these positions thoroughly in order to make some general assumptions.
After we have seen all these variations in short, there apperars a feeling that practically every position includes some fine point in it. That should be hardly surprising, because the king and pawn endings, are something like pure mathematics.
7…Kb4 8.Nc7 a3 9.Nd5+ Kb2 12.Nb4 Nc5 13.Kd2 Kb3 14.Nc2 a2 15.Na1+ Kb2 16.Kd1 Nb3 and white resigned.
Marat Makarov is a Grandmaster and he has been practicing as a coach for more than 20 years. Among his pupils is the USSR and Russian champion WGM Julia Demina.
Makarov has included around 300 endgame positions mainly based on practical positions but there are some famous studies from de Lasa,Keidanz Philidor etc.
Included are some instructive pawn less endings so this easy to handle endgame book can help you to save or win a lot of endgame positions!
But unfortunately there is no game index.
Conclusion: Small but very instructive written endgame book!


Grandmaster Secrets
Winning quickly at chess by John Nunn
2007
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
255 pages
Price € 24,95
ISBN 978-1-904600-89-3

Winning Quickly at Chess is a unbelievable update from Nunn’s 1999 work, 101 Brilliant Chess Miniatures, that Gambit published back in 1999.
In this expanded edition are not only 24 extra new games included,all played between 1999 and 2007,but there is also a brand new introduction, which includes eight lightly analysed short games, as for example the King’s Gambit game with the moves : 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 h5 6.Bc4 Nh6 7.d4 Qf6 8.0-0 Qxh4 9.Rxf4 Bd6 10.Nf3 Qg3 11.e5 Be7 12.Nh2 Qh4 13.Nc3 Bd8 14.Ne4 Nc6 15.Nf3 gxf3 16.Rxh4 Bxh4 17.Qxf3 Nxd4 18.Qxh5 Ndf5 19.Bxh6 d5 20.Bxd5 Rxh6 21.Qxf7+ Kd8 22.Qf8+ 1-0
Now, Nunn invites you to think when this game was played?1850? 1860?,perhaps? Actually, it was Mark Hebden – Jon Benjamin,’Chess for Peace’Londin 1987.
Nunn writes: Although Black was doubtless well aware of the fundamental concepts of opening play, he nevertheless contravened them at all most every turn. This enables us to make an important point: it is not enough to be aware of the principles of openings play, you also have to put them into practice in your games.
So the introduction of 16 pages is truly super written specially when we compare it with the four and a half page of Nunn’s original work.
But there is more, Nunn has updated a lot of openings notes plus as he says a considerable number of analytical corrections to the notes of the first 101 games.
But also the layout of the book has been expanded which gave Nunn the opportunity to include more diagrams and text, and this all makes this book very readable.
All games in this book cover games between players with an ELO of at least 2500 so there is not much difference in strength it is more a matter as Nunn describes it as the seven most common errors, so it is very important to take time for the introduction!
The variety of motifs in this 125 games are well mixed so you don’t have to fear for a lot of games with the same kind of sacrifice.
One of my favourite games in this book is Jan Timman – Garry Kasparov,Linares 1992,where the note 23.Bxd3 {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Qd2 f5 9.0-0-0 Nd7 10.Bd3 Nc5 11.Bc2 a6 12.Nge2 b5 13.b4 Nd7 14.cxb5 axb5 15.Nxb5 Rxa2 16.Nec3 Ra8 17.Kb2 Ndf6 18.Na7 fxe4 19.Nc6 Qd7 20.g4 Nf4 21.g5 N6xd5 22.Nxd5 Nd3+} gets nearly a full page of text!
In big lines Nunn assesses the position 23.Kb1 Rxf3 24.Rhf1 Kh8 25.Qc3 Rxf1 26.Rxf1 Ba6! 27.Rd1 Bb5 28.Na5 Rc8 as somewhat in Black’s favour.
He has three pawns for the piece and his advanced knight is like a bone in White’s throat! {Nunn}
All together this game is excellent analysed by John Nunn with three pages of full text!
Included is an contents,preface and players index.
Conclusion: John Nunn has entered with this book a new kind of update with his mass of diagrams and spacious layout!

50 Ways to win at chess by Steve Giddins
2007
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
173 pages
Price € 23,45
ISBN 978-1-904600-85-5

The English FIDE Master Steve Giddins provides the reader with a selection of 50 careful selected and well analysed games, based on different winning strategies, as attacking weak colour complexes or the technique of two weaknesses.
In big lines this material is packed in seven chapters: Attack and defence, Opening play, Structures, Thematic endings, Other aspects of strategy, Endgame themes and Psychology in action.
This book deals with a lot of material that did get no of not enough attention in his sequel work 50 Essential Chess Lessons which is an excellent introduction from Giddins on techniques, but here in this new book he digs simple way deeper in other chess techniques but also psychological issues, as for example if you are in the situation that you need a win to fulfil a title norm.
A fine example of writing is game 34 between Bobby Fischer and Wolfgang Uhlmann,of Buenos Aires 1960,where Giddins handles and explains a classic struggle between bishop and knight.
This is one of Fischer’s losses with the French Winawer variation, a line which gave him in the begin of his career a lot of problems.
But first some words from Giddins after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4: Fischer himself declared that he did not believe the Winawer to be sound,”because it is anti-positional and weakens the kingside”,
By anti-positional, he meant that black establishes his central pawns on light squares, and than exchanges off his dark-squared bishop. This leaves his dark squares very weak, and it is true that many games have been lost by black in such positions as a result of the white queen’s bishop slicing through black’s position, often along the a3-f8 diagonal.
I love the comments from Giddins to this game but it is a pity he did not discuss the move 21.fxg5!{4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.a4 Nbc6 8.Nf3 Bd7 9.Qd2 Qa5 10.Bd3 c4 11.Be2 f6 12.Ba3 Ng6 13.0-0 0-0-0 14.Bd6 Nce7 15.Nh4 Rde8 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.h3 Nf5 19.Bh2 g5 20.f4 Nd6 21.Bf3}
Uhlmann him self came after the game with the idea 21…Ne4 22.Qf4 or 22.Qe3 but for the interested reader please see the ChessBase CD on Robert Fischer.
A other classic golden game is the one between David Bronstein and Hugh Alexander,of Hastings 1953/54 where Bronstein went for the Staunton Gambit!
The comments to this game are again very instructive specially the notes to the pure queen ending which are good for nearly three and a half pages of instructive text. For the good order all notes to this game are good for five pages of text.
In big lines most games are from the modern era but dear reader I love the classics but a modern example is the one between Magnus Carlsen and Giovanni Vescovi,Wijk aan Zee 2006 and good for four pages of {instructive} text.
I would like to end with the correspondence game Alexei Sokolsky against N.P.Andreev,USSR correspondence 1960-63,where white went for he pet line the Sokolsky opening 1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 d5 3.e3 e6 4.b5 c5 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.c4 Nbd7 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.a4 Bb7 10.a5 dxc4 11.Na3 Rc8 12.Nxc4 Bb8 13.d3 Qe7 14.e4 Rfd8 15.Qb3 Ne8 16.Nfd2 Bc7 17.f4 Kh8 18.axb6 axb6 19.Ra7 Rb8 20.e5 Nf8 21.Bf3 Bxf3 22.Rxf3 Rd7 23.Ne4 Ng6 24.g3 Qd8 25.Ra1 Ne7 26.g4 Nd5 27.Raf1 Qh4 28.Rg3 Rbd8 29.f5 exf5 30.Rxf5 Kg8 31.Bc1 Qe7 32.Bg5 f6 33.Rgf3 fxg5 34.e6 Nef6 35.exd7 Kh8 36.Nxg5 Rxd7 37.Ne4 h6 38.g5 Nxe4 39.dxe4 Qxe4 40.Qd3 Qd4+ 41.Kh1 Ne7 42.Rf8+ Ng8 43.Qxd4 Rxd4 44.R3f7 Bd6 45.Nxd6 Rd1+ 46.Rf1 Rxd6 47.Re1 1-0
The comments are much more instructive {three pages of text} than the original notes from Sokolsky in his small but famous book Die Eróffnung 1.b2-b4! from Das Schach Archiv 1964.
Conclusion: A very instructive written chess book!


The Caro-Kann by Peter Wells
2007
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
111pages
Price € 24,95
ISBN 978-1-904600-61-9

The Caro-Kann has gained great favour by many strong chess player and when we compare this latest book from GM Peter Wells, with some older works on the Caro-Kann you will be impressed with all the latest developments that you shall find between these 175 well filled pages.
There have been some excellent releases on the Caro-Kann Advanced and Panov Attack by Karpov & Podgaets Batsford 2006,but there is at this moment not one book that gives such an excellent coverage of all lines as this new book from Wells.
Of course there is a chance that your favourite pet line is not mentioned in this but I believe that Wells has managed in big lines to cover a compressive overview of material based for both sides of the board.
I am aware of the book from Jovanka Houska Play the Caro-Kann but that is only a repertoire book.
As I said all major lines get a important turn from Wells but I would like to start with a over view of the index: first chapter one Main line with the move 4…Bf5,chapter two with Main line 4…Nd7,chapter three Main line 4…Nf6,Chapter four with the Advanced Variation:Sharp lines and black’s early alternatives,chapter five,Advanced Variation: Short System and other modern threatments, chapter six Panov – Botvinnik Attack and 2.c4 and at last chapter seven with miscellaneous systems as the exchange variation,the move 2.Nc3,and at last the Gambit system with 3.f3.
All material is packed in 25 model games included with practical conclusions of every important line,included the Larsen Bronstein system with 4…Nf6 5.Nxf6 exf6!
A interesting suggestion from Emms is 6.Bc4 Qe7!? 7.Qe2 Be6! 8.Bb3 Nd7 and waht do you think about the alternatives: 8….a5 or 8….Na6?!
Exciting is 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Ng5 !? a move that was virtually until about 20 years ago but now the first choice of many top players.
Sharp is 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 c5 7.h4!?h5! 8.Nf4 Bh7 9.Nxh5
The main move but Wells also suggests 9.g5!
An intriguing attempt to eschew the pawn and regain the initiative {Wells}
Included is a nearly four page introduction, index of variations but unfortunately no bibliography.
Conclusion: Extremely interesting!



Starting out: Classical Sicilian by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
176 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-537-4

The Russian duo Raetsky & Chetverik dig in this latest starting out book in the Classical Sicilian with lines as the Boleslavsky 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2,The sharp 6.Bc4,The Sozin Attack,The Velimovic Attack,The Richter Rauzer,The traditional 6…e6 7.Qd2 Be7,Modern lines with 7…a6 and some rare 6th moves as the English attack, white fianchettoes and other.
All this material is brought together in 35 model games all in the scope easy to read and easy to understand.
Of course it is not possible for both author to cover for example every possible line of the The Velimovic Attack as for example Mikhail Golubev did in his book,Sicilian Sozin Gambit 2001.
But in big lines it is a nice book to get involved with all these kind of fascinating lines.
It is interesting to see how Shabalov handles the Botvinnik system: Ni,Hua (2533) - Shabalov,A (2624) [B63]
Qingdao 2002,1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 h6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.0-0-0 a6 10.Kb1 Bd7 11.f4 Qb6 12.Nf3 0-0-0 13.Bc4 Kb8 14.Bb3 Bc8 15.Rhf1 h5 16.g3 Qc5 17.Nh4 b5 18.f5 Bh6 19.Qe2 Be3 20.fxe6 fxe6 21.Ng6 Rhe8 22.e5 f5 23.exd6 Bd4 24.Qxh5 a5 25.a4 Bxc3 26.bxc3 bxa4 27.Bxa4 Rd7 28.Bxc6 Qxc6 29.Ne5 Qb5+ 30.Kc1 Qxe5 31.Qxe8 Qxc3 32.Rfe1 f4 33.Qh5 Qa3+ 34.Kd2 Rxd6+ 35.Ke2 Qe3+ 36.Kf1 Ba6+ 37.Rd3 Bxd3+ 38.cxd3 Qxd3+ 39.Kg2 fxg3 40.hxg3 Qd5+ 41.Qxd5 exd5 42.Ra1 Ra6 43.Rd1 a4 44.Rxd5 a3 45.Rd1 Kb7 46.Kf3 Ra4 47.Ke3 ½-½
But Raetsky & Chetverik missed here the move 20.e5! Nxe5 21.Ne4 Qb6 22.Nxd6 Rxd6 23.Rxd6 Qxd6 24.Qxe3 Rd8 25.a3 and black’s pawn position is like Stonehenge!
My favourite line stays: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qe2 0-0 9.0-0-0 a6 10.Bb3 Qc7 11.g4 Nd7 12.g5 Nc5 13.Rhg1 b5 14.Nxc6 Nxb3+ 15.axb3 Qxc6 16.Qh5 b4 17.Bd4,Howell – Wahls Gausdal 1986,game 22 of this book!
Included are theoretical conclusions and a bibliography!
Conclusion:A fine introduction in to the world of the world of the Classical Sicilian!


The complete chess workout by Richard Palliser
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
316 pages
Price $29,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-532-9

This test your brain book holds 1200 puzzles all compiled by the International master Richard Pallister.
The material is all taken from real played games and where it is difficult to find a classic game!A Hugh amount of material comes from the last years included 585 of then from the year 2007!
So you are insured with material that has seen no publication before! You shall find overloaded positions, tricky endgame positions and all kind of attacks.Now and than you face fascinating positions as the game between F.N.Stephenson – D.Spence,Middlesbrough 1999,where white played a fascinating breakthrough with his Bishop at a6!
Please see game position 799 but 40 years earlier the white player was also in Middlesbrough where he won a brilliant pawn endgame! Position 800 of this book.{Black Kb6,pawns c4,b4 White Kc2,d5 d2 and e3}
Doing tactics is an excellent way to develop your tactical skills but as we can learn from Palliser it also improves your clock handling!
The author writes :Spending as little as 10-15 minutes a day on one’s tactical ability can reap dividends.Think we can all agree with that!
Included are of course references to the games but I found it a great pity that there is no game index.
Conclusion: A great exercise book!

My daily exercise by Heinz Brunthaler
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
167 pages
Price €16.95
ISBN 978 90 5691 1881

The German Heinz Brunthaler offers you in this 365 exercise book a puzzle for every day,a wise advice from him is it’s better to study one combination each day than to clench a training session into several hours one a twice a year, followed by a long period of doing nothing.
Brunthaler’s aim is to not only to solve exercises, but also to learn to recognize typical techniques and motifs and incorporate them into your own treasure chest of experience.
So it is important to not to run throw the exercises but to study them carefully.
With this book your are insured with 365 days of exercise fun but personally it is better that you can not peek and in this book you are nearly invited to do it!
But I don’t understand why that there are no references to the games, for example exercise 106 is a game position between Spassky – Marsalek,Students Olympiad of 1960.
Included in this book a four page chapter of glossary terms.
Conclusion: Recognizing patterns in chess in the secret to become a strong chess player but I am missing in this book the references to the games!


Secrets of opening surprises 7 edited by Jeroen Bosch
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
143 pages
Price €19.95
ISBN 978 90 5691 2048

In chess it is always pleasant to surprise your opponent in the opening and the Dutch IM Jeroen Bosch has compiled a book with a collection fascinating offbeat lines all with the help of his seventeen out standing contributing authors.
As for example the exciting contribution from Igor Glek & Oliver Leconte on the good old Gledhill Attack,this variation arises after the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Qg4 and called after the English player Walter Gledhill who lived as we can read in this book of secrets from 1854 till1917.
His first analyses go back to 1901 where he wrote some articles about it in the prestige British Chess Magazine.
Later his opening was taken over by the best players in the world and nowadays it is completely forgotten and if you take a look in a book as The Main Line 3.Nc3 from Steffen Pedersen where you shall not find one single note on the move 5.Qg4!
Some old books mention the Gledhill line but not one with the novelty of Leconte 5..c5 6.dxc5!
After 6....Nc6 7.Nf3 Oliver Leconte's wife WGM Maria Leconte Nepeina,played 7....a6 8.Bg5! Qc7 9.0-0-0 Ndxe5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Qg3 Bxc5 12.Ne4!? Ba7 13.Nf6+ gxf6 14.Bxf6 Bxf2 15.Qxf2 Ng4 16.Qf3 Nxf6 17.Qxf6 Rg8 18.Kb1! Qe7 19.Qh6 with more than enough fr the pawn.
So this move 6.dxc5 is truly a forgotten novelty!
A other interesting survey comes from Dimitri Reinderman, Edgy knight against the Bird, where he suggests on 1.f4 Nh6!?2.b3 e5! 3.fxe5 d6 and after 4.exd6 as in the From’s Gambit but black has here all the fun!
Conclusion: A book that is truly overloaded with tricky lines!


Tactics in the chess opening 5 by Sipke Ernst & Geert van der Stricht
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
236 pages
Price €19.95
ISBN 978 90 5691 201-7


Tactics in the chess opening 6 by Sipke Ernst & Geert van der Stricht
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
230 pages
Price €19.95
ISBN 978 90 5691 221-5

The Dutch GM Sipke Ernst and his Belgium companion IM Geert van der Stricht provides you in each of these Tactics in the chess opening’s books, a impressive collection from around 230 well analysed chess games, all based on the aim to learn and understand the typical pawn structures and ideas that lay behind the openings of these instructive written tactics chess opening books.
Playing throw these well explained games will help you to obtain a feeling for the so characteristic middle game stratagems.
Covered in part five of this book are the following lines: Nimzo-Indian Defence,Queen’s Indian DefenceGrünfeld Indian Defence King’s Indian Defence,Benoni Defence and the good old Old Indian/Benoni Wall.
Please don’t expect to find every possible but both authors are not afraid to exciting ideas to the readers as the smashing but probably dubious queens sacrifice from David Bronstein who prepared it for a game with Spassky at the Amsterdam Candidates tournament of 1956.
Later Bronstein wrote: That he considered the sacrifice to be correct, and that subsequently there would be players willing to take the side of either white or black. I my self played this variation again nearly 40 years later in a simultaneous game.
Included in this book is also Bronstein his unforgettable game against Frantisek Zita with the Fianchetto Variation of the King’s Indian.
In the game Naumkin – Miladinovuc,Montecatini,black played the interesting knight move: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Be7 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 Nf8!?
Both authors write now instructively: Black does not yet castle,but puts his knight on g6 first,the advantage being that he will now be able to save himself the move…Rf-e8 to make room for the knight.He also retains possibilities with ..h6 and ..g5,followed by ..Nf8-g6-f4.
Lovers from Gambit and Flank openings will certainly Tactics in The Chess Opening 6 where both authors explain a unbelievable amount of gambit openings as: Dutch Defence,English Opening,Reti,Nimzowitsch and Basman,Chigorin,Albin,Blackmar Diemer,Budapest,Englund,Bird,Van Geet and Sokolsky.
Fascinating but not correct is the game with the Owen defence covered under various lines: 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5 Bxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.fxg6 Bg7 8.gxh7 Kf8 9.Bg5 Nf6 10.Qh4 Bxh1 11.Ne2 QE7? Doric – Kovacevic,Rijeka 2006.
A lovely short cut is the game Lars Bo Hansen – De Firmian,Danish Team Championship 1997/98: 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Ne5 8.Bf4 d6 9.Bg2 a6 10.Qa4 Nfd7 11.c5 Nxc5 12.Nxd6+ Ke7 13.Nd5+ 1-0
I would like to end with some words from the authors after the moves 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.g4!?
An idea of Zviagintsev’s.These kind of flank attacks used to be relatively rare,but they are part and parcel of modern chess.
Conclusion: Dear reader there is so much chess value in these two books!


The chess combat simulator by Jeroen Bosch
2006
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
262 pages
Price €24.95
ISBN 90-5691-186-4

IM Jeroen Bosch has managed to create in this test book the atmosphere of real chess game where the reader has the task to find the best possible move.
Unique in this book from Bosch is his special made scoring system where the reader is invited to register his or her played moves,
this type of Solitaire chess is not new but I have so far not seen one book wit such an inviting system of regarding points.
In Holland we had in the past such a series books from Euwe but there was not such a wide range of possibilities in making points as in this work from Bosch.
The reader shall find 50 highly instructive games where 40 of them where previously published in the Dutch chess magazine ‘Schaakmagazine’.
Bosch has a good educative feeling of how to explain the games to the reader but I found out that it is not always easy to find the correct continuation, so please don’t be disappointed if you can not play like Anand!
We are not all all chess virtuoso's!
Conclusion: A very instructive written test book!

Chess Opening Essentials, Vol. 1: The Complete 1.e4
The Ideas & Plans Behind ALL Chess Openings
by Dmitry Komarov,Stefan Djuric and Claudio Pantaleoni
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
358 pages
Price €32,95
ISBN 978-90-5691-2031

The three author’s GM Dmitry Komarov,GM Stefan Djuric and IM Claudio Pantaleoni offer you a complete overview of all 1.e4 openings, well explained with a large amount of readable text.
The lay out of this book is very entertaining so it is a great pleasure to take up such eye catching book to explore your favourite lines.
Included are complete games of every important of less important line,as for example when we take a look at the French defence with the Winawer variation,so called poisoned pawn variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 where we reach the key position of the Classical Winawer.
After the moves 6…Qc7 7.Qg4 Rg8 8.Qxg7Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 the three authors in describe with instructive text the move: 10.Kd1:A rare line,but a very dangerous one where black needs to know his stuff.
White protects himself against the queen fork on c3 and the queen check on e5 in an unnatural way. In compensation, the knight can later develop to f3,where it is definitely more active than on e2.
10…Nbc6 11.Ng-f3 dxc3 Safer than the other capture 11…Nxe5 12.Bf4 Qxc3 13.Nxe5! Qxa1 14.Bc1 d3! 15.Qxf7+ Kd8 16.Qf6! dxc2 with a position that is difficult to weight up.
12.Nf-g5 Ncxe5 13.Bf4 {13.f4 f6! Appears to be good for black}13…Qb6! 14.Bxe5 Rxg5 15.Qh4 Rg8 16.Qd4 Qxd4 17.Bxd4
Who is better of? Black has a good mass of pawns in the centre, but it may not be a good idea to advance them, as they could become a target for white’s two bishops.
In this position is not black’s cup of tea, he might prefer the complications that ensue after 11…Nxe5!
Other authors usually never spend much words on the move 10.Kd1 Les Psakhis only writes Euwe’s suggestion has become an extreme rarity in recent tournaments.
And the master of strategy John Watson in his Mastering the chess openings only says other moves like 10.Kd1are possible so that is not much for ambitous chess student!
Included in this book are also rare lines as the Latvian Gambit where they give after 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d5 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Nxg6 hxg6!
White should be able to maintain some advantage here by either taking on h8 or g6.Nonetheless,the introduction of 4…d5!? Brought a brief period of popularity for the Latvian Counter Gambit.
Today it is almost never played as a serious level,except by correspondence players,who in general like long forced lines of play.The Latvian fits the bill nicely in this respect and thus enjoys a certain popularity with this group of players.
Included is the following game from Johnny Hector one of the last heroes of the Latvian Gambit!
Guido,Flavio (2330) - Hector,Jonny (2485) [C40]
Genoa Genoa (10), 1989
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d5 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Nxg6 hxg6 7.Qxg6+ Kd7 8.Bxd5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d4 exd3+ 11.Be3 dxc2 12.Qxc2 Qh7 13.Qa4+ Kd8 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Bf3 Nfd7 16.Bf4 Nc5 17.0-0-0+ Bd7 18.Qc4 Rf8 19.Nd5 Bd6 20.Be3 Nba6 21.Rhe1 b5 22.Qc3 b4 23.Qc4 b3 24.axb3 Rb8 25.Bg5+ Kc8 26.Re3 Qxh2 27.Ne7+ Bxe7 28.Bxe7 Qf4 29.Rd4 Nxb3+ 30.Kd1 Qxd4+ 31.Qxd4 Nxd4 32.Bxf8 Nxf3 33.gxf3 Rxb2 0-1
Conclusion: Buy it for the clear cut explanations!

Chess DVD's etc

Great British Chess Triumphs {Two DVD's} by Raymond Keene
Impala Press
http://www.impalapublications.com/
Price £29.95

Impala Film division brings you in this DVD some rare film material which was send out by the BBC back in the 1980s.
This DVD box contains 2 DVD with the following games: Miles beats Karpov,Speelman beats Kasparov,Short beats Kasparov I and II.
Interesting to mention is that there was with the game Miles – Karpov a technical strike and a part of this game was never transmitted.
But Impala film productions has managed to trace this game back in the film archives of Berlin and now for the first time in history it is possible to follow the moves of England’s greatest chess gladiator of that time the Phenomenal Tony Miles.
It is fascinating to see Miles thinking and slowly moving the greatest chess player of that time from the board!
For the book lovers this game is not covered in Tony Miles It’s only me but it has a special place in Tony Miles England’s Chess Gladiator from Raymond Keene.Game 63 from the TV Cup Final Bath 1983.
The other games are not less interesting specially the personal analyses from Kasparov and Speelman!
The notes to the games come from the great Raymond Keene.
Running time is over two hours!
Conclusion:Nostalgic material!

Duels of the Mind (Four DVD's) The Twelve Best Games of Chess by Raymond Keene
Impala Press
http://www.impalapublications.com/
Price £29.95

GM Raymond Keene discusses on these four DVD's the twelve best games of all time, of course you can disagree with the list but the games in these DVD's are well packed with historical notes, old film fragments plus interesting back ground information of the players.
For example the tragic life of Felix Kieseritsky who gave chess lessons or played games for only 5 francs an hour at the famous chess cafe de la Regence,Paris, unfortunately Kieseritsky died penniless in the Hotel du Dieu in Paris
The nice thing of these DVD's that there is no need to use your computer simple throw them in your DVD player or even better use a portable DVD player and show it to your children at the back seat of your car when you go on vacation!
The filming is professional done not by one or other cheap video camera no I can insure it is great pleasure to follow Raymond Keene and his quest Tom Woods going throw these twelve great games.
DVD One contains: Anderssen - Kieseritsky 1851, Paulsen - Morphy 1857, Zukertort - Blackburne 1883,DVD Two: Steinitz - Tchigorin 1892, Pillsbury - Lasker 1896, Bernstein - Capablanca 1914DVD Three: Bogolyubov - Alekhine 1922, Sämisch - Nimzowitsch 1923, Botvinnik - Capablanca 1938 and DVD four: Larsen - Spassky 1970, Fischer- Spassky 1972, Karpov - Kasparov 1985.
Running time is over 4 hours!

Prelude to Armageddon by Raymond Keene (Two DVD's)
Impala Press
http://www.impalapublications.com/
Price £24.95

I would say last best with this double DVD covering The World Chess Championship candidates semi finale
matches and the forgotten King's Chess tournament of 1984.
Again there is fantastic footage of players as players like Kasparov, Karpov, Smyslov,
Ribli, Najdorf,Gligoric, Robert Byrne, Miles, Mestel, Speelman,and the former Dutch number three in the world the Dutch
Jan Timman but to start here is the finale standing of the one of the strongest tournaments ever held in Great Britain.
What I like on this first DVD are not only the interviews of that time as for example with “Victor the Terrible”
but also the analyses from Bob Wade and Raymond Keene now in the time of Fritz and Chess Multimedia files it looks all so primitive before the demonstration board but those days we where pleased if there was chess on the television!
Also take a close look at the primitive computers with the Acorn soft where, that time back in the early 1980s it was a sensation!
Interesting to mention is that Raymond Keene saved the 1983 World Chess Championship Candidates Matches because he had to secure sponsorship for the match with in one week!
Dominic Lawson a close friend from Keene suggested Acorn Computers as sponsor and suddenly it fall all together.
In historical view these former BBC movies are unique not only we can see our chess heroes from the past but Raymond Keene has brought them back to life with these two DVD’s
Running time is over two hours!
Conclusion: Unique chess material!

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 120
November 2007
Interviews in Mainz
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99

The master file on this CD is good for exactly counted 32415 entries and all played between
8/8 and 26/10 of this year.
It all starst with the European Championship for ladies and it ends with the European blitz championship held at Ajaccio.
Champion of this file is Sinisa Drazic   with 38 entries followed by Daniel Fridman with 27 entries,ofcourse he deserves a game here on our site with a impressive win against Daniel Fridman: Fridman,Daniel. (2621) - Drazic,Sinisa (2493) [D00]
EU-ch Blitz Ajaccio (32), 26.10.2007 1.d4 d5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 c6 4.e3 Qb6 5.b3 e5 6.Nf3 e4 7.Nfd2 Be6 8.c4 Nd7 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Bg3 Ngf6 11.Be2 0-0 12.0-0 Rac8 13.a4 Qa5 14.Qc2 c5 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Nc4 Qb4 19.Rab1 Ne6 20.Rfd1 Rfd8 21.h3 a6 22.Qd2 Qxd2 23.Rxd2 Bb4 24.Rdd1 Rc6 25.Ne5 Rc2 26.Bc4 Bxc4 27.Nxc4 Rd3 28.Nd6 Nc5 29.a5 f6 30.Kf1 h5 31.Kg1 g6 32.h4 f5 33.Bf4 Nxb3 34.Nxb7 Nxa5 35.Nxa5 Bxa5 36.Rb8+ Kf7 37.Rdb1 Rd7 38.Ra8 Rc6 39.Ra1 Bd8 40.Bg5 Bc7 41.g3 a5 42.Bf4 Bd8 43.Bg5 Bb6 44.Ra6 Rdd6 45.Bf4 Re6 46.Bb8 Bd8 47.Ra2 Rxa6 48.Ba7 Rxa7 49.Ra1 Ra8 0-1
Only the follow game does not make much sense to me: Drazic,Sinisa (2493) - Have,Didier (1961) [C44]EU-ch Blitz Ajaccio (14), 25.10.2007
1.d4 f6 2.e4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6 4.Nf3 fxe5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng1 Nb8 7.Bf1 1-0
Who can tell me more ?
Sergio Facca played the game of his life with the Latvian Gambit and made some extra ELO points with it!
Mrdja,Milan (2385) - Faccia,Sergio (2029) [C40]
Porto San Giorgio op Porto San Giorgio (1), 21.08.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.Bb5 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.c4 Qg6 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.Qa4 Bd7 12.Qa5 Be7 13.0-0 0-0 14.Kh1 Rf7 15.Bd2 Raf8 16.Rae1 Nh5 17.Ned1 Bg4 18.Qxa6 Bh4 19.Be3 Bg3 20.Qxc6 Bxh2 21.Nxe4 Nf4 22.Bxf4 Bxf4 23.f3 Qh6+ 24.Kg1 Bh2+ 25.Kf2 Rxf3+ 26.gxf3 Rxf3+ 27.Ke2 Rc3+ 0-1
The few multimedia files and photo’s are all divided from the famous Chess Classic at Mainz.
Conclusion:Very important database games!

Chess Magazine's

British Chess Magazine No.11
Volume 127
November 2007
Price: £3.70

Issue number eleven is overloaded with the new World Champion in Chess Vishy Anand!
Ian and Cathy Rogers where in Mexico for a detailed 21 page report included a interview with the dethroned Vladimir Kramnik!
The chess genius Jonathan Speelman looks at a couple of entertaining defeats which he suffered at the recent Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Masters tournament.
Indeed there is no better way to learn chess than from your own mistakes!
Steve Giddins reports on the first weekend of the 2007/8 4NCL {British Team Championship}season held at the De Vere Hotel in Sunningdale,Craig Hanley played here the short cut of his life: Hanley,C (2447) - Garner,D (2188) [C06] 4NCL Sunningdale ENG (2), 16.11.2007
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 g6 8.h4 cxd4 9.cxd4 f6 10.exf6 Qxf6 11.h5 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Nf3 Qg4 14.Rh4 1-0
John Saunders reports on the 16th Isle of Man International,Quotes and Queries,Endgame studies,Reviews and new books etc.
Conclusion: For all the latest {chess news} and more!