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reviews of 1 September 2013
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Emil Kemeny A life in Chess by John S.Hilbert
2013
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
341pages
Price $49.95
ISBN 978-0-7864-47359-5
Emil Kemeny born 13 January 1860, and died Budapest 1 May 1925, Budapest was a Hungarian–American master, editor and publisher.
During the mid-1890s, Kemeny was one of the strongest players in the US and strange enough,on the latest MegaDatabase DVD from ChessBase
there are only a small thirty games from Kemeny on it.
But John S.Hilbert did manage to dig up for this book, a impressive 227 games where many of them come with original annotations.
Emil Kemeny is nearly not known to many chess players but there was a time that he belonged to the best of the world,chessmetrics ranks him number 17 in the world on their 1901 rating list with a highest rating ever achieved of 2638.
These classic games from Kemeny can give a lot of fun as for example I found quite some games with the interesting Queen move :1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4 by the way this move is later reintroduced by Geller.
But Kemeny did also not fear to play the Latvian gambit but he also once lost with it in a simultaneous exhibition at Houston Hall,University of Pennsylvania where he faced the school strongest players: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.Ne3 Nf6 8.Ncd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qf7 10.c4 c6 11.Ne3 d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Qb3 Be6 14.Bd2 Nc6 15.Bb5 Bd6 16.0-0 0-0 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.f3 Qh5 19.Ng4 Bxg4 1-0,Kemeny J.- Henry Smythe Jr,November 1901.
More impressive is Kemeny his win against the great Mlotkowski: Kemeny,Emil - Mlotkowski,Stasch [C40]
USA-07.Congress St Louis (1), 1904
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nc4 Be7 7.Ne3 0-0 8.d5 Qe8 9.Qd4 Qg6 10.Bd2 Nbd7 11.0-0-0 Ne5 12.Be2 Bd7 13.f3 exf3 14.gxf3 Nh5 15.Rhg1 Qf7 16.Ng4 Bxg4 17.fxg4 Nf4 18.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 19.Qxf4 Rxf4 20.Rdf1 Raf8 21.Rxf4 Rxf4 22.g5 g6 23.Kd2 Rf2 24.Ke3 Rxh2 25.Ne4 Kg7 26.c4 Rh3+ 27.Kd4 c5+ 28.dxc6 Nxc6+ 29.Kd5 Nb4+ 30.Ke6 Re3 31.Bf3 Rxf3 32.Kxe7 Re3 33.Rg4 h6 34.gxh6+ Kxh6 35.Kxd6 Nxa2 36.Nc5 Kh5 37.Rg2 b6 38.Ne6 Re4 39.Kd5 Rg4 40.Rh2+ Rh4 41.Nf4+ Kg5 42.Rxh4 Kxh4 43.Nxg6+ Kg4 44.Ne7 Nb4+ 45.Kd6 Kf3 46.Nc6 Nxc6 47.Kxc6 Ke4 48.b4 a5 49.bxa5 bxa5 50.Kb5 Ke5 51.Kxa5 Kd6 52.Kb6 Kd7 53.c5 1-0,blach should have played 46…Nd3 with draw!
Many correspondence chess players are not aware of the name Kemeny but between January and July 1897, he published correspondence chess games in the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
This beautiful produced McFarland book comes with hundreds of source notes,tournament and match records,crosstables,a bibliography,and openings player,and general indexes that really finishes this impressive work!
Conclusion: Beautiful work!
Winning with the Najdorf Sicilian
An Uncompromising Repertoire for Black
by Zaven Andriasyan
2013
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
317 pages
Price € 28,95
ISBN: 978-90-569-1427-1
This repertoire book does not only have a highly instructive value but it is also overloaded with latest theory lines, as for example on the complex Poisoned Pawn variation with 8.Qd2:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.e6 Bxe6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be2 Be7 17.Bh5+ Kd8 18.Bxe7+ Qxe7 19.0-0 Nd7 20.Rf7 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Rf8 22.Rxg7 Rc8 23.h3 Rc6 24.Qxh6 Kc8 25.Bg4 Qxc2 26.Re1 Qf2 and black has all the play.
The following line was already analysed by Nunn in his famous book The Complete Najdorf and it still stands today: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 Bg7 12.f5 Bh6 13.Qd3 Qc5 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Bg4 Nc6 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.Bxe6 b5 18.Nd5 Nd4 19.Rb3 Nxe6 20.Qh3 0-0 21.Qxh6 Kh8 22.Nxf6 Ra7 23.Rh3 Qb4+ 24.Ke2 Qc4+ 25.Ke1 Qb4+ 26.c3 Qb1+ 27.Kf2 Qb2+ 28.Kg1 Qb1+ and black keeps the perpetual.
A whole chapter is divided on 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 and after Andriasyan this line has many pluses.
In big lines this chapter runs with the repertoire line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Be7 11.Be2 Qa5 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.g4 h6 15.Qh3 0-0 16.g5 hxg5 17.Nxe6 Qc6 18.Rf1 g4 19.Bxg4 Nxg4 20.Rxf8+ and with a absolute equal endgame.
Not very strong is after Andriasyan 8.Nb3 but it gets as all the alternatives a whole chapter.
Included is the English Attack with lines as 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a5 11.Bb5 Na6 12.Qe2 Qb8 13.g4 Rc8 14.Kb1 Nc7 15.Ba4 b5 and black has excellent play.
The author is no fan of 6.g3 because it does not offer white any chances to fight for an advantage.
Conclusion: Andriasyan helps you to win from the book!
Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis
2013
Batsford Ltd, London
http://www.Batsford.com
286 pages
Price $21.95
ISBN 978-1-84994-070-2
Andrew Soltis has classifies the major pawn formations of this book into 16 categories, as for example the chapter Chain Reactions where we see a
brilliant game from Duncan Suttles:
Rivera,D - Suttles,Duncan [A42]
US op San Juan, 1965
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Be3 e5 6.d5 Nce7 7.f3 f5 8.c5 Nf6 9.Bb5+ Kf7 10.h3 f4 11.Bf2 g5 12.Nge2 h5 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Qb3 g4 15.0-0-0 g3 16.Be1 Ng6 17.Ng1 Nh4 18.Bf1 a6 19.Kb1 b5 20.Nge2 Nd7 21.Nc1 Nc5 22.Qc2 Bd7 23.b4 Na4 24.Nb3 Nxc3+ 25.Bxc3 Qb6 26.Na5 Rhc8 27.Qd2 Ra7 28.Bb2 Bf6 29.Rc1 Rxc1+ 30.Bxc1 Bd8 31.Kc2 Rc7+ 32.Kd1 Rc8 33.Nb3 Qa7 34.Bd3 Bb6 35.Re1 Bf2 36.Bf1 Bxe1 37.Qxe1 Qg1 38.Qe2 Bxh3 0-1,yes a odd looking game,but there was a time that Suttles was seen as the new Nimzowitsch.
Interesting are the words from Soltis:If one player can attack on his wing while his opponent can not on his the game usually becomes one sided. This is kindergaten strategy for humans. But not for computers. Gary Kasparov constructed an enormous chain from f2 to b6 against X3D Fritz in there 2003 match. Spectators in the playing hall began to laugh at the machine’s pointless manoeuvres. Why, they wondered wasn’t it attacking the base of white’s pawn chain? Kasparov methodically attacked the base of black’s chain, created a passed b-pawn and won.
Originally this book from Soltis was published back in 1975 so I am very pleased with this brand new update.
Conclusion: One of those super reads!
Study Chess with Tal by Mikhail Tal & Alexander Koblencs
2013
Batsford Ltd, London
http://www.Batsford.com
227 pages
Price $23.95
ISBN 978-1-84994-109-9
A other fascinating reprint is this work from the legendary Mikhail Tal and his coach Alexander Koblencs based on there unique training sessions.
The games and explanations in this book make it to one of the best that money can buy.
This book is a new edition of the 1980 classic and pleasantly updated with algebraic notation.
One of my favourite games is Tal,Mihail - Stean,Michael [B96]
Hastings 7374 Hastings (12), 1973
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bxb5 axb5 11.Ndxb5 Qb8 12.e5 Bb7 13.Qe2 dxe5 14.Qc4 Bc5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rxd7 Be3+ 17.Kb1 Kxd7 18.Rd1+ Bd4 19.fxe5 fxe5 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Qxd4+ Ke7 22.Qc5+ Kf6 23.Rf1+ Kg6 24.Qe7 f5 25.Qxe6+ Kg7 26.Qe7+ Kg6 27.h4 Ra5 28.h5+ Kxh5 29.Qf7+ Kh4 30.Qf6+ Kg3 31.Qg5+ Kh2 32.Qh4+ Kxg2 33.Rf2+ Kg1 34.Ne2# 1-0,when Tal put this game without annotations, into the weekly magazine 64,he wrote in the introduction, quite frankly am embarrassed about including this game because the variation was patented solely by Vitolins.
Conclusion: A super learning book!
Chess Results, 1968-1970
A Comprehensive Record with 854 Tournament Crosstables and 161 Match Scores, with Sources by Gino Di Felice
2013
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
436 pages
Price $49.95
ISBN 978-0-7864-7574-2
The chess researcher Gino Di Felic comes in this issue, covering the years 1968-1970 with a impressive record of 854 tournament crosstables and
161 match scores.
Again there is a wealth of chess information which is not only interesting for chess researchers.
Going throw tournament cross tables can be very interesting for example please see the 71st USA Open from Boston 1970 with 307 entries,won by
Bent Larsen before Pal Benko and Robert Byrne.
Some players are completely forgotten as the former Dutch Champion Eduard Cornelis Scholl,who won the 26th Dutch championship before
Zuidema and Langeweg.
Strange enough Hans Ree, Jan Hein Donner en coming man Jan Timman are missing here.
Active players that time where Heikkki Westerinen,Vasily Smyslov,Heinz Schaufelberger,Bruno Parma,Nikola Padevsky,Andre
Lombard,Viktor Korchnoi,Borislav Ivkov,Robert Hartoch and Jan Hein Donner.
Conclusion: Super interesting!
The King's Gambit by John Shaw
2013
Quality Chess
680 pages
Price €29,95
ISBN 978-1-906552-71-8
The King’s Gambit leads us back to the early 1600 when Gioacchiono Greco gave it a reputation as a bold opening and now a days it is often only used as a surprise weapon,
but there have been players as Alekhine,Keres,Tal,Spassky and Fischer who have scored brilliant victories with it.
This book is not only overloaded with move to move annotations but above all it is Shaw his modern approach to the King’s Gambit which makes this theoretical monster so unique!
For example after the move 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nc3?! a risky move first played by Mason which can lead to great complications.3…Qh4+ Shaw writes: As a matter of principle this is the only move I am interested in.Forcing the king to e2 must benefit black.
4.Ke2 Qe7! Shaw: This looks odd at first ,but makes perfect sense the move one thinks.Korchnoi was also a fan and quoted as saying:’One has to pay credit to the young French player:this move is a novelty,and a strong one!”The only quibble is that my database suggests Alexander Malevinsky played this move first,and even managed to show a beautiful and relevant trick on this debut.
I shall ignore the most common move 4…d5 as there is no need to make a gift of this key pawn break.It seems many black players see the king on e2 and start hyperventilating.
Korchnoi wrote in his book The King’s Gambit after 4.Ke2 d5 Only in this way can black try to bring out the shortcomings of white’s third move.
Shaw is also the first author who pays some attention,one model game to the so called Wagenbach Variation and well with the game Martin Mueller Alves – Joop Simmelink email 2007, 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 h5 4.d4 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ne5 d6 7.Nd3 Be7 8.Bxf4 Bxh4+ 9.g3 Bf6 10.e5 Be7 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Qd2 Nxd4 13.0-0-0 Ne6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Nd5 h4 16.Kb1 Nf6 17.Nxe7 Qxe7 18.Re1 Rg8 19.Rxh4 1-0.
After Shaw black has to go for 7…f3.
Extremly analysed by Stefan Bücker is the line:
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bg7 8.d4 Nh5 9.Bxf4 Nxf4 10.0-0 Bxe5 11.dxe5 Ng6 12.e6 Qxh4 13.exf7+ Kd8 14.Qd4 Rf8 15.Nc3 Nd7 16.d6 cxd6 17.Rad1 g3 18.Qxh4+ Nxh4 19.Rxd6 Ng6 20.Ne4 Kc7 and Shaw writes:Perheps it will end up level,but white is the one who has to be more careful.
No better is after Shaw: 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nxg4 Qxh4 11.Nh2 Bf5 12.Nf3 Qg4 13.Ne5 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Bxc2 15.Re1 and white has good compensation.
Conclusion: A superb read on the King’s Gambit!
Kotronias on the King's Indian Fianchetto Systems by Vassilios Kotronias
Quality Chess
2013
720 pages
Price €29,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-50-3
Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias in this first volume of the series a impressive repertoire book for black on the King’s Indian where
white goes for a early g2-g3.
I have two other repertoire books on the King’s Indian well from David Vigorito and Viktor Bologan but I already can say those works
can not stand-up against this heavy weight from Kotronias.
First of all Kotronias really digs and if you like to memorize it all than you are standing for a nearly impossible task but if you like to win
from the book than this work is the perfect choice for you,not only for the more ambitious chess player but also the modern correspondence
chess player with his fast computer could have a lot of advantage of this heavy loaded work.
Kotronias has the courage to handle in this repertoire book the Kasparov Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6
6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6,Kasparov gave new life to life to this move,but it received great popularity after the Botvinnik – Tal match.
The Greece grandmaster does not fear to do in some lines to move 30 or more and the new ideas in this book are uncountable.
For example a new idea is the move 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6
10.d5 Nc5 11.Qe2 Qa6 12.dxc6 Be6!
And after 13.cxb7 Bxc4 14.Qe3 Qxb7 15.Rd1 Qb6 16.b3 Ba6 17.Ba3 Rac8 18.Rac1 Qa5 we reach a even game.
A super idea is the move: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6
10.Re1 exd4 11.Nxd4 Re8 12.Nc2 Qa5!?
The black player does not have to fear sidelines in this book, nearly every serious possibility is well covered with readable
text and a lot of instructive explanations.
Conclusion: A very impressive reference work on the King’s Indian Defence!
Playing the Trompowsky by Richard Pert
2013
Quality Chess
264 pages
Price €24,99
ISBN 978-1-907982-75-0
The Tromp is an ideal weapon for club and grandmaster players who like to swap black away with a quick attack.
Richard Pert comes with a collection of interesting repertoire lines based on well thought lines as 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 5.c3!?
Pert writes: I plan to base our repertoire on this pawn move.It is not as common as 5.Nc3 or 5.Nf3,but it is my favourite. White sets about a simple plan of playing Bd3,Ne2,0-0 and f2-f4,grabing space on the king’s side.Black ofthen find his queen misplaced in these variations as it is a target for white’s advancing pawns,and so he has to take yet more time out to move the queen back to d8,giving us even bigger lead in development.
Interesting to mention is chapter four with the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6
This is black’s most popular response and Dembo’s recommendation in Fighting the Anti-King’s Indians and Pert explains-I’ve got some really good ideas in this line so it’s one to look forward to playing.
With 4.Nc3 we reach the Vaganian Gambit and black is nearly forced to take the pawn on b2.
After 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 d6 7.f4 e6 8.Rb1 Qc7 9.Nf3 a6 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Ng4 13.Bd3 Nxe5 14.Be4 Nbd7 15.0-0 Nf7 16.Ng5 Nf6 17.Bf4 e5 18.Nd5 Qd7 19.Nxf7 and white is winning,Moskalenko – Erdogdu,Ankara 2010.
For all beginners it is not possible to trap the bishop with 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 because of the move 4.e4! after 4..Nf6 5.e5 e6 6.Bg3 f4 7.Bd3! This highly interesting and rarely played move is a idea of Nick Pert!
After 7…fxg3?! 8.hxg3 Nd5? 9.Bg6+ Ke7 10.Qf3!+ and white is winning.
Conclusion: A super repertoire book!
Chess Books
Emil Kemeny A life in Chess by John S.Hilbert
2013
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
341pages
Price $49.95
ISBN 978-0-7864-47359-5
Emil Kemeny born 13 January 1860, and died Budapest 1 May 1925, Budapest was a Hungarian–American master, editor and publisher.
During the mid-1890s, Kemeny was one of the strongest players in the US and strange enough,on the latest MegaDatabase DVD from ChessBase
there are only a small thirty games from Kemeny on it.
But John S.Hilbert did manage to dig up for this book, a impressive 227 games where many of them come with original annotations.
Emil Kemeny is nearly not known to many chess players but there was a time that he belonged to the best of the world,chessmetrics ranks him number 17 in the world on their 1901 rating list with a highest rating ever achieved of 2638.
These classic games from Kemeny can give a lot of fun as for example I found quite some games with the interesting Queen move :1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4 by the way this move is later reintroduced by Geller.
But Kemeny did also not fear to play the Latvian gambit but he also once lost with it in a simultaneous exhibition at Houston Hall,University of Pennsylvania where he faced the school strongest players: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.Ne3 Nf6 8.Ncd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qf7 10.c4 c6 11.Ne3 d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Qb3 Be6 14.Bd2 Nc6 15.Bb5 Bd6 16.0-0 0-0 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.f3 Qh5 19.Ng4 Bxg4 1-0,Kemeny J.- Henry Smythe Jr,November 1901.
More impressive is Kemeny his win against the great Mlotkowski: Kemeny,Emil - Mlotkowski,Stasch [C40]
USA-07.Congress St Louis (1), 1904
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nc4 Be7 7.Ne3 0-0 8.d5 Qe8 9.Qd4 Qg6 10.Bd2 Nbd7 11.0-0-0 Ne5 12.Be2 Bd7 13.f3 exf3 14.gxf3 Nh5 15.Rhg1 Qf7 16.Ng4 Bxg4 17.fxg4 Nf4 18.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 19.Qxf4 Rxf4 20.Rdf1 Raf8 21.Rxf4 Rxf4 22.g5 g6 23.Kd2 Rf2 24.Ke3 Rxh2 25.Ne4 Kg7 26.c4 Rh3+ 27.Kd4 c5+ 28.dxc6 Nxc6+ 29.Kd5 Nb4+ 30.Ke6 Re3 31.Bf3 Rxf3 32.Kxe7 Re3 33.Rg4 h6 34.gxh6+ Kxh6 35.Kxd6 Nxa2 36.Nc5 Kh5 37.Rg2 b6 38.Ne6 Re4 39.Kd5 Rg4 40.Rh2+ Rh4 41.Nf4+ Kg5 42.Rxh4 Kxh4 43.Nxg6+ Kg4 44.Ne7 Nb4+ 45.Kd6 Kf3 46.Nc6 Nxc6 47.Kxc6 Ke4 48.b4 a5 49.bxa5 bxa5 50.Kb5 Ke5 51.Kxa5 Kd6 52.Kb6 Kd7 53.c5 1-0,blach should have played 46…Nd3 with draw!
Many correspondence chess players are not aware of the name Kemeny but between January and July 1897, he published correspondence chess games in the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
This beautiful produced McFarland book comes with hundreds of source notes,tournament and match records,crosstables,a bibliography,and openings player,and general indexes that really finishes this impressive work!
Conclusion: Beautiful work!
Winning with the Najdorf Sicilian
An Uncompromising Repertoire for Black
by Zaven Andriasyan
2013
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
317 pages
Price € 28,95
ISBN: 978-90-569-1427-1
This repertoire book does not only have a highly instructive value but it is also overloaded with latest theory lines, as for example on the complex Poisoned Pawn variation with 8.Qd2:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.e6 Bxe6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be2 Be7 17.Bh5+ Kd8 18.Bxe7+ Qxe7 19.0-0 Nd7 20.Rf7 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Rf8 22.Rxg7 Rc8 23.h3 Rc6 24.Qxh6 Kc8 25.Bg4 Qxc2 26.Re1 Qf2 and black has all the play.
The following line was already analysed by Nunn in his famous book The Complete Najdorf and it still stands today: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 Bg7 12.f5 Bh6 13.Qd3 Qc5 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Bg4 Nc6 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.Bxe6 b5 18.Nd5 Nd4 19.Rb3 Nxe6 20.Qh3 0-0 21.Qxh6 Kh8 22.Nxf6 Ra7 23.Rh3 Qb4+ 24.Ke2 Qc4+ 25.Ke1 Qb4+ 26.c3 Qb1+ 27.Kf2 Qb2+ 28.Kg1 Qb1+ and black keeps the perpetual.
A whole chapter is divided on 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 and after Andriasyan this line has many pluses.
In big lines this chapter runs with the repertoire line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Be7 11.Be2 Qa5 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.g4 h6 15.Qh3 0-0 16.g5 hxg5 17.Nxe6 Qc6 18.Rf1 g4 19.Bxg4 Nxg4 20.Rxf8+ and with a absolute equal endgame.
Not very strong is after Andriasyan 8.Nb3 but it gets as all the alternatives a whole chapter.
Included is the English Attack with lines as 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a5 11.Bb5 Na6 12.Qe2 Qb8 13.g4 Rc8 14.Kb1 Nc7 15.Ba4 b5 and black has excellent play.
The author is no fan of 6.g3 because it does not offer white any chances to fight for an advantage.
Conclusion: Andriasyan helps you to win from the book!
Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis
2013
Batsford Ltd, London
http://www.Batsford.com
286 pages
Price $21.95
ISBN 978-1-84994-070-2
Andrew Soltis has classifies the major pawn formations of this book into 16 categories, as for example the chapter Chain Reactions where we see a
brilliant game from Duncan Suttles:
Rivera,D - Suttles,Duncan [A42]
US op San Juan, 1965
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Be3 e5 6.d5 Nce7 7.f3 f5 8.c5 Nf6 9.Bb5+ Kf7 10.h3 f4 11.Bf2 g5 12.Nge2 h5 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Qb3 g4 15.0-0-0 g3 16.Be1 Ng6 17.Ng1 Nh4 18.Bf1 a6 19.Kb1 b5 20.Nge2 Nd7 21.Nc1 Nc5 22.Qc2 Bd7 23.b4 Na4 24.Nb3 Nxc3+ 25.Bxc3 Qb6 26.Na5 Rhc8 27.Qd2 Ra7 28.Bb2 Bf6 29.Rc1 Rxc1+ 30.Bxc1 Bd8 31.Kc2 Rc7+ 32.Kd1 Rc8 33.Nb3 Qa7 34.Bd3 Bb6 35.Re1 Bf2 36.Bf1 Bxe1 37.Qxe1 Qg1 38.Qe2 Bxh3 0-1,yes a odd looking game,but there was a time that Suttles was seen as the new Nimzowitsch.
Interesting are the words from Soltis:If one player can attack on his wing while his opponent can not on his the game usually becomes one sided. This is kindergaten strategy for humans. But not for computers. Gary Kasparov constructed an enormous chain from f2 to b6 against X3D Fritz in there 2003 match. Spectators in the playing hall began to laugh at the machine’s pointless manoeuvres. Why, they wondered wasn’t it attacking the base of white’s pawn chain? Kasparov methodically attacked the base of black’s chain, created a passed b-pawn and won.
Originally this book from Soltis was published back in 1975 so I am very pleased with this brand new update.
Conclusion: One of those super reads!
Study Chess with Tal by Mikhail Tal & Alexander Koblencs
2013
Batsford Ltd, London
http://www.Batsford.com
227 pages
Price $23.95
ISBN 978-1-84994-109-9
A other fascinating reprint is this work from the legendary Mikhail Tal and his coach Alexander Koblencs based on there unique training sessions.
The games and explanations in this book make it to one of the best that money can buy.
This book is a new edition of the 1980 classic and pleasantly updated with algebraic notation.
One of my favourite games is Tal,Mihail - Stean,Michael [B96]
Hastings 7374 Hastings (12), 1973
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bxb5 axb5 11.Ndxb5 Qb8 12.e5 Bb7 13.Qe2 dxe5 14.Qc4 Bc5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rxd7 Be3+ 17.Kb1 Kxd7 18.Rd1+ Bd4 19.fxe5 fxe5 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Qxd4+ Ke7 22.Qc5+ Kf6 23.Rf1+ Kg6 24.Qe7 f5 25.Qxe6+ Kg7 26.Qe7+ Kg6 27.h4 Ra5 28.h5+ Kxh5 29.Qf7+ Kh4 30.Qf6+ Kg3 31.Qg5+ Kh2 32.Qh4+ Kxg2 33.Rf2+ Kg1 34.Ne2# 1-0,when Tal put this game without annotations, into the weekly magazine 64,he wrote in the introduction, quite frankly am embarrassed about including this game because the variation was patented solely by Vitolins.
Conclusion: A super learning book!
Chess Results, 1968-1970
A Comprehensive Record with 854 Tournament Crosstables and 161 Match Scores, with Sources by Gino Di Felice
2013
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
436 pages
Price $49.95
ISBN 978-0-7864-7574-2
The chess researcher Gino Di Felic comes in this issue, covering the years 1968-1970 with a impressive record of 854 tournament crosstables and
161 match scores.
Again there is a wealth of chess information which is not only interesting for chess researchers.
Going throw tournament cross tables can be very interesting for example please see the 71st USA Open from Boston 1970 with 307 entries,won by
Bent Larsen before Pal Benko and Robert Byrne.
Some players are completely forgotten as the former Dutch Champion Eduard Cornelis Scholl,who won the 26th Dutch championship before
Zuidema and Langeweg.
Strange enough Hans Ree, Jan Hein Donner en coming man Jan Timman are missing here.
Active players that time where Heikkki Westerinen,Vasily Smyslov,Heinz Schaufelberger,Bruno Parma,Nikola Padevsky,Andre
Lombard,Viktor Korchnoi,Borislav Ivkov,Robert Hartoch and Jan Hein Donner.
Conclusion: Super interesting!
The King's Gambit by John Shaw
2013
Quality Chess
680 pages
Price €29,95
ISBN 978-1-906552-71-8
The King’s Gambit leads us back to the early 1600 when Gioacchiono Greco gave it a reputation as a bold opening and now a days it is often only used as a surprise weapon,
but there have been players as Alekhine,Keres,Tal,Spassky and Fischer who have scored brilliant victories with it.
This book is not only overloaded with move to move annotations but above all it is Shaw his modern approach to the King’s Gambit which makes this theoretical monster so unique!
For example after the move 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nc3?! a risky move first played by Mason which can lead to great complications.3…Qh4+ Shaw writes: As a matter of principle this is the only move I am interested in.Forcing the king to e2 must benefit black.
4.Ke2 Qe7! Shaw: This looks odd at first ,but makes perfect sense the move one thinks.Korchnoi was also a fan and quoted as saying:’One has to pay credit to the young French player:this move is a novelty,and a strong one!”The only quibble is that my database suggests Alexander Malevinsky played this move first,and even managed to show a beautiful and relevant trick on this debut.
I shall ignore the most common move 4…d5 as there is no need to make a gift of this key pawn break.It seems many black players see the king on e2 and start hyperventilating.
Korchnoi wrote in his book The King’s Gambit after 4.Ke2 d5 Only in this way can black try to bring out the shortcomings of white’s third move.
Shaw is also the first author who pays some attention,one model game to the so called Wagenbach Variation and well with the game Martin Mueller Alves – Joop Simmelink email 2007, 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 h5 4.d4 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ne5 d6 7.Nd3 Be7 8.Bxf4 Bxh4+ 9.g3 Bf6 10.e5 Be7 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Qd2 Nxd4 13.0-0-0 Ne6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Nd5 h4 16.Kb1 Nf6 17.Nxe7 Qxe7 18.Re1 Rg8 19.Rxh4 1-0.
After Shaw black has to go for 7…f3.
Extremly analysed by Stefan Bücker is the line:
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bg7 8.d4 Nh5 9.Bxf4 Nxf4 10.0-0 Bxe5 11.dxe5 Ng6 12.e6 Qxh4 13.exf7+ Kd8 14.Qd4 Rf8 15.Nc3 Nd7 16.d6 cxd6 17.Rad1 g3 18.Qxh4+ Nxh4 19.Rxd6 Ng6 20.Ne4 Kc7 and Shaw writes:Perheps it will end up level,but white is the one who has to be more careful.
No better is after Shaw: 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nxg4 Qxh4 11.Nh2 Bf5 12.Nf3 Qg4 13.Ne5 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Bxc2 15.Re1 and white has good compensation.
Conclusion: A superb read on the King’s Gambit!
Kotronias on the King's Indian Fianchetto Systems by Vassilios Kotronias
Quality Chess
2013
720 pages
Price €29,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-50-3
Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias in this first volume of the series a impressive repertoire book for black on the King’s Indian where
white goes for a early g2-g3.
I have two other repertoire books on the King’s Indian well from David Vigorito and Viktor Bologan but I already can say those works
can not stand-up against this heavy weight from Kotronias.
First of all Kotronias really digs and if you like to memorize it all than you are standing for a nearly impossible task but if you like to win
from the book than this work is the perfect choice for you,not only for the more ambitious chess player but also the modern correspondence
chess player with his fast computer could have a lot of advantage of this heavy loaded work.
Kotronias has the courage to handle in this repertoire book the Kasparov Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6
6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6,Kasparov gave new life to life to this move,but it received great popularity after the Botvinnik – Tal match.
The Greece grandmaster does not fear to do in some lines to move 30 or more and the new ideas in this book are uncountable.
For example a new idea is the move 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6
10.d5 Nc5 11.Qe2 Qa6 12.dxc6 Be6!
And after 13.cxb7 Bxc4 14.Qe3 Qxb7 15.Rd1 Qb6 16.b3 Ba6 17.Ba3 Rac8 18.Rac1 Qa5 we reach a even game.
A super idea is the move: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6
10.Re1 exd4 11.Nxd4 Re8 12.Nc2 Qa5!?
The black player does not have to fear sidelines in this book, nearly every serious possibility is well covered with readable
text and a lot of instructive explanations.
Conclusion: A very impressive reference work on the King’s Indian Defence!
Playing the Trompowsky by Richard Pert
2013
Quality Chess
264 pages
Price €24,99
ISBN 978-1-907982-75-0
The Tromp is an ideal weapon for club and grandmaster players who like to swap black away with a quick attack.
Richard Pert comes with a collection of interesting repertoire lines based on well thought lines as 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 5.c3!?
Pert writes: I plan to base our repertoire on this pawn move.It is not as common as 5.Nc3 or 5.Nf3,but it is my favourite. White sets about a simple plan of playing Bd3,Ne2,0-0 and f2-f4,grabing space on the king’s side.Black ofthen find his queen misplaced in these variations as it is a target for white’s advancing pawns,and so he has to take yet more time out to move the queen back to d8,giving us even bigger lead in development.
Interesting to mention is chapter four with the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6
This is black’s most popular response and Dembo’s recommendation in Fighting the Anti-King’s Indians and Pert explains-I’ve got some really good ideas in this line so it’s one to look forward to playing.
With 4.Nc3 we reach the Vaganian Gambit and black is nearly forced to take the pawn on b2.
After 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 d6 7.f4 e6 8.Rb1 Qc7 9.Nf3 a6 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Ng4 13.Bd3 Nxe5 14.Be4 Nbd7 15.0-0 Nf7 16.Ng5 Nf6 17.Bf4 e5 18.Nd5 Qd7 19.Nxf7 and white is winning,Moskalenko – Erdogdu,Ankara 2010.
For all beginners it is not possible to trap the bishop with 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 because of the move 4.e4! after 4..Nf6 5.e5 e6 6.Bg3 f4 7.Bd3! This highly interesting and rarely played move is a idea of Nick Pert!
After 7…fxg3?! 8.hxg3 Nd5? 9.Bg6+ Ke7 10.Qf3!+ and white is winning.
Conclusion: A super repertoire book!
