CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 April  2026

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
           John Elburg

                                                                                                     Chess Books

Smashing the Spanish! Stunning the Scotch! by Marek Soszynski
2026
160 pages
Russell Enterprises
https://www.russell-enterprises.com/
Price $19.95
ISBN 9781963885200


Smashing the Spanish! Stunning the Scotch comes from the correspondence chess master Marek Soszynski,who has written a amusing offbeat openings book,with exciting lines as the Bird’s Defence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4,covering with lines as 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 g6 The so called Blackburne Variation or Main line with 5…Bc5 and even the Modern Defence with  5….c6 gets an important turn.
Each chapter in this book begins with theoretical lines and focused analyses all from out Black’s perspectives. And very important of all understandable explained and brought up to date.
That is also for the Scotch and the Lollo:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Nxd4.
The Cochrand Variation:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Nxd4 4.Nxe5 named after the Scotsman, John Cochrane (4 February 1798 – 2 March 1878) who was a extremely strong player of his time.He could beat everyone except the chess genius Howard Staunton.
Amusing to mention is chapter seven The Napoleon’s Gambit:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Nxd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.Bc4,named after the great Napoleon Bonaparte himself who supposed to have playing it during his involuntary “retirement” from being Emperor of France.
Chapter eight holds The Main Line Lolli:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Nxd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.Qxd4
Chapter nine holds alternatives to the Lolli and it ends with a small collection annotated games.
A classic beauty in this book is: Justice - Withers,John [C44]
Souvenir of the Bristol Chess Club Bristol (67), 1844
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Nxd4 4.Nxe5 Ne6 5.f4 Bc5 6.Bd3 d6 7.Nf3 c6 8.Nc3 b5 9.Qe2 Qb6 10.a4 b4 11.a5 Qc7 12.Na4 Qxa5 13.b3 Bd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Qf2 Ne6 16.Bb2 Nf6 17.h3 Qh5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Nb6 Rb8 20.Nxc8 Rxc8 21.g4 Qh6 22.f5 Nc5 23.Ke2 0-0 24.Rxa7 Rfe8 25.Kf3 Re5 26.h4 Rce8 27.Re1 d5 28.Kg3 dxe4 29.Bc4 e3 30.Bxf7+ Kh8 31.Qf3 Ne4+ 32.Kg2 Nd2 33.Qxc6 Qxh4 34.Bh5 Qf2+ 35.Kh3 Ne4 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Bg6+ Kh8 0-1
Conclusion: Very interesting and creative written!