CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 April 2016
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg


                                              Chess Books      

Chess Competitions, 1971–2010: An Annotated International Bibliography
Compiled by Gino Di Felice
2016
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
368 pages
Price $49,95
Print ISBN: 978-1-4766-6207-7
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-2365-8



The well known Gino  Di Felice comes with an impressive bibliography of publications, as books, bulletins, competitions and programs, all held from 1971 through 2010. It
Holds around 3,895 entries tracked through 5,381 items with many cross over references.
Information for each entry includes year and country of publication, sponsors, publisher, editors, language, alternate titles, mergers and source.
Gino  Di Felice honestly writes in his introduction: This work neither can, not pretends to, be complete, let alone flawless. At a minimum, a bulletin has
been published for each main competition registering the matches played therein; many of these bulletins, often printed in small numbers, have been lost forever, while
others live on the hands of a few private collectors.
A previous book by the author Chess Competitions,1824-1970;An annotated Bibliography of Books,Bulletins and Programs {Olomouc Moravian Chess 2012} covers
this work in a similar style.
This lovely made book is divided into five parts, Individual Tournaments, Individual Matches, Team Tournaments, Team Matches and Correspondence Competitions.
Impressive is the large amount of book published on the 1972 Fischer – Spassky,World championship Match.
One of my favourite ones is Extreme Chess where C.J.S Purdy annotates the 1935,1937 and 1972 Worldchampionship Matches.
I am sure many correspondence chess players will enjoy section five with Correspondence Competitions where you shall find some fine books on correspondence Chess.
Conclusion: Certainly one of the finest made publications on chess bibliography!

The Power of Pawns
Chess Structures Fundamentals for Post-Beginners
by Jörg Hickl
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
186  pages
Price $ 19.95
ISBN: 978-90-5691-631-2

The well known Jörg Hickl provides the reader with all the necessarily understanding of pawn strategies,as,Hanging Pawns,Isolated Pawns,Backward
 Pawns,Passed Pawns,Doubled Pawns,Weak Squares and Pawn Chains,all explained at the hand of highly instructive games as for example the following
game from the legendary Paul Keres:
Keres,Paul - Botvinnik,Mikhail [B63]
Alekhine Memorial Moscow, 1956
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 h6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.0-0-0 a6 10.f4 h5 11.Kb1 Bd7 12.Be2 Qb6 13.Nb3 0-0-0
14.Rhf1 Na5 15.Rf3 Nxb3 16.axb3 Kb8 17.Na4 Qa7 18.f5 Be7 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Rxf6 Rh7 21.Rg6 b5 22.Nc3 Qc5 23.Na2 Ka7 24.Nb4 Rf8 25.Bf3 h4
26.h3 Bc8 27.Nd3 Qc7 28.Nf4 Rf6 29.Bg4 Rxg6 30.Nxg6 Bb7 31.Bxe6 Bd8 32.Bd5 Bxd5 33.Qxd5 Rf7 34.e5 1-0,Instructive are the words after 21…Rg6
Keres has a second pawn and the more active position.After arcieving a clearly advantageous position it is important to continue to act decisively.One of the most
populair mistakes we all make in tournament games is:we win a pawn and have a good position and everything indicates that with normal play the game is
won.Then,however,we fall into a routine,make natural moves and that give our opponent the opportunity to get back in the game.Keres wrote in the comments
on one of his games: The hope that the position”wins itself”has  already cost ,amy a young player valuable points.
A other classical example is Nimzowitsch,Aaron - Salwe,Georg [C02]
Karlsbad Karlsbad (15), 09.09.1911
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 Bd7 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 f6 9.b4 Be7 10.Bf4 fxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Nf6 13.Nd2 0-0
14.Nf3 Bd6 15.Qe2 Rac8 16.Bd4 Qc7 17.Ne5 Be8 18.Rae1 Bxe5 19.Bxe5 Qc6 20.Bd4 Bd7 21.Qc2 Rf7 22.Re3 b6 23.Rg3 Kh8 24.Bxh7 e5 25.Bg6 Re7
26.Re1 Qd6 27.Be3 d4 28.Bg5 Rxc3 29.Rxc3 dxc3 30.Qxc3 Kg8 31.a3 Kf8 32.Bh4 Be8 33.Bf5 Qd4 34.Qxd4 exd4 35.Rxe7 Kxe7 36.Bd3 Kd6 37.Bxf6 gxf6
38.Kf1 Bc6 39.h4 1-0,here we learn to occupy the centre with pieces instead of pawns,Nimzowitsch was far ahead with his revolutionary chess and one
of his wise advises was “The passed pawn is a criminal which belongs under lock and key!
Conclusion: A master piece of explanation!
Chess DVD's

Queen's Gambit Declined - A repertoire for Black based on the Lasker Variation
by  Sam Collins
2016
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard


Grandmaster Sam Collins provides the user of this DVD with a impressive made black repertoire based on the Lasker Variation of the Queens Declined, that runs with the moves:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 h6,black has now the intention to trade of several pieces in bid for freedom.
A fine example of this all is the following model game from Anand:
Topalov,Veselin (2803) - Anand,Viswanathan (2800) [D57]
Nanjing Pearl Spring 3rd Nanjing (3), 22.10.2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 exd5 11.Qb3 Rd8 12.c4 Be6 13.c5 b6 14.Rc1 bxc5 15.Qa3 Nd7 16.Bb5 Bg4 17.Bxd7 Rxd7 18.Qxc5 Qe4 19.Rg1 Re8 20.Qb5 Rdd8 21.Qe2 Rb8 22.h3 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Qf5 24.f4 Rb1 25.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 26.Qd1 Rb8 27.Ke2 Qf5 28.Rh1 Rb2+ 29.Kf3 h5 30.a4 Qe4+ 31.Kg3 h4+ 32.Kxh4 Rxf2 33.Qg4 Rg2 0-1.
All together I found 40 video files where a small ten of them are related to quizzes,to see if you have understood the strategies of the Lasker!
Included is an extra database of 245 entries where all of them cover excellent annotations!
Running time is 5 hours and 50 minutes.
Conclusion: Superb made!

Learning from the World Champions
by  Sergei Tiviakov
2016
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard


The great  GM Sergei Tiviakov explains at the hand of 36 video files packed in various instructive sections as for example as king activity, where I found
 the following game:
Short,Nigel D (2660) - Timman,Jan H (2630) [B04]
Tilburg, 1991
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 a5 10.a4 dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Re1 e6
14.Nd2 Nd5 15.Nf3 Qc5 16.Qe4 Qb4 17.Bc4 Nb6 18.b3 Nxc4 19.bxc4 Re8 20.Rd1 Qc5 21.Qh4 b6 22.Be3 Qc6 23.Bh6 Bh8 24.Rd8 Bb7
25.Rad1 Bg7 26.R8d7 Rf8 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.R1d4 Rae8 29.Qf6+ Kg8 30.h4 h5 31.Kh2 Rc8 32.Kg3 Rce8 33.Kf4 Bc8 34.Kg5 Bxd7 35.Kh6 1-0.
A important endgame pattern game is Tal,Mihail - Radulov,Ivan (2490) [B61]
Skopje ol (Men) fin-A Skopje (4), 30.09.1972
[Keres]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 Bd7 7.Qd2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Qa5 9.Bd2 e5 10.Qd3 Rc8 11.Be2 a6 12.0-0 Bc6
13.Nd5 Qd8 14.Bg5 Bxd5 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qxd5 Rc7 17.Bc4 Be7 18.Qd3 0-0 19.Bd5 g6 20.a4 a5 21.Ra3 Bd8 22.Rb3 Qe7 23.Rd1 b6
24.Qd2 Kg7 25.Rd3 Qg5 26.Qe2 f5 27.exf5 Rxf5 28.Be4 Rf6 29.Rxd6 Rxd6 30.Rxd6 Be7 31.Rd1 Bc5 32.Kh1 Rf7 33.f3 Rf8 34.g3 Rd8
35.Bd3 Qe3 36.Qxe3 Bxe3 37.Re1 Bd4 38.b3 Bc3 39.Re2 Kf6 40.Kg2 Rd4 41.h4 h6 42.Kf1 Rd6 43.g4! Bb2 44.Rh2 Bc1 45.h5 g5?
[45...gxh5! 46.Rxh5 Bg5] 46.Re2 Bb2 47.Re3 Rd4 48.Kf2 Bc1 49.Re1 Bd2 50.Rd1 Bc3 51.Ke3 Bb4 52.Be2 Bc5 53.Rxd4 exd4+ [53...Bxd4+ 54.Ke4]
54.Ke4 Ke6 55.Bc4+ Kf6 [55...Ke7 56.Kf5 Ke8 57.Kg6 Bf8 58.Kf6! Be7+ 59.Kg7 Bf8+ 60.Kg8 Bc5 (60...Ke7 61.Bf7) 61.Bb5+ . 62.¢g7]
56.Kd5 Kf7 57.Ke5+ Kg7 58.Bd5 Kh7 59.Kf6 Bf8 60.Be4+ Kg8 61.Kg6 Bg7 62.Bd5+ Kh8 63.Be6 Bf8 64.Bc4 Bg7 65.Kf7 Kh7 66.Bd3+ Kh8
67.Be4! Be5 68.Ke6 Bg7 [68...Bf4 69.Kd5 Be3 70.Bd3 . 71.¢c6] 69.Kd5! Bf6 70.Kc6 Bd8 71.Kd7 Bf6 72.Kc7!+- Be7
73.Kxb6 Bb4 [73...Bb4 74.Kb5 Kg7 75.Kc4 Bc3 76.b4! Bxb4 77.Kxd4 Kf6 78.c4] 1-0.
Included are some highly instructive exercises plus an extra database of 52 entries where all game cover excellent annotations,a must game
is there Geller,Efim P - Euwe,Max [E28]
Candidates Tournament Zuerich (2), 31.08.1953
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.f3 Nc6 9.Ne2 0-0 10.0-0 Na5 11.e4 Ne8 12.Ng3 cxd4
13.cxd4 Rc8 14.f4 Nxc4 15.f5 f6 16.Rf4 b5 17.Rh4 Qb6 18.e5 Nxe5 19.fxe6 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qxe6 21.Qxh7+ Kf7 22.Bh6 Rh8
23.Qxh8 Rc2 24.Rc1 Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Qb3 26.Ke1 Qf3 0-1.
Running time is 5 hours and 45 minutes!
Conclusion: One of those super instructive ChessBase files!

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 170 Extra
February  2016
Videos by Adrian Mikhalchishin, Robert Ris and Nicoholas Pert
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99


ChessBase Magazine issue 170 Extra comes with a unbelievable amount of 37.565 latest games  and are all played between September 2015 and February of this year.
Between these files you will find games that are hard to find as for example Latvian games, specially won by black!
But here is one: Gaal,Ede (2037) - Papp,Csaba (1999) [C40]
HUN-chT2 Charousek 1516 Hungary (4.12), 06.12.2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 c6 6.Nxe4 Qe6 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ncd6 Nf6 9.Qh4 Kd8 10.Bc4 Qe7 11.Qf4 Nxe4 12.Nf7+ Ke8 13.0-0 d5 14.Nxh8 g5 15.Qf3 Bg7 16.Re1 g4 17.Qd1 Bd4 18.Kf1 Qf6 19.f3 gxf3 20.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 21.gxf3 Bh3+ 22.Ke2 dxc4 23.fxe4 Bg4+ 24.Kf1 Nd7 25.e5 Ke7 26.Re4 Bh3+ 27.Ke2 c5 28.d3 cxd3+ 29.cxd3 Rxh8 30.Bg5+ Ke6 31.Re1 Rg8 32.Rh4 Bf5 33.Bf4 Rg2+ 34.Kd1 Bxd3 35.Rh6+ Bg6 36.Re2 Rxe2 37.Kxe2 Bxb2 38.h4 Bxe5 39.Bxe5 Nxe5 0-1
How different was all 40 years when a young player was pleased with one or other latest chess bulletin?
The video files of this issue go to:  Robert Ris who shows us the secrets of the famous game  Geller-Karpov, USSR-ch Moscow 1976, Adrian Mikhalchishin shows a game by Ivan Bukavshin who unfortunately died at a too young age.
And  Nicholas Pert digs in the Double Fianchetto.
Conclusion: This is must have material!