CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 November 2003
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33n.elburg@consunet.nl
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
School of chess excellence 4 opening developments by Mark Dvoretsky
2003
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
205 pages
Price: $ 29.95
ISBN 3-283-00419-6
A brand new English heavy weight from Dvoretsky’s famous work on opening developments, already printed some time ago in to the German language but now pleasantly translated in to the English language by the famous translator Ken Neat.
Even that the title of this book is a little confusing you must not expect to find latest openings developments as for example in the New in Chess year books with there latest openings surveys, no this heavyweight is completely divided to technical opening preparation and advanced chess techniques.
Mikhail Botvinnik once wrote that every player must have his own theory of the openings which is not known to others and I think in these wise words lays the key to a successful opening preparation but he also recommended that you develop systems that are suitable far not just one event, but are capable of being maintained for a number of events over the course of several years.
Steve Giddins once wrote in his book How to build your chess opening repertoire that the great majority of players below master level spend a disproportionate amount of there chess time on openings, yet archive very little in the way of concrete benefits.
There are numerous reasons of making no progress in chess but I am sure when you study this book carefully from Dvoretsky you will be able to master and understand the general principles of opening play and learn how to transfer them to your own advance.
When I went throw the second part of this book with the chapter of How to beat Karpov I have the good feeling that Judit Polgar did follow careful the advises from Dvoretsky,where he wrote interestingly on page 111: My prescription against Karpov is simple {of course in words but not in fact}: try to out play him in the early stage of game and if you are successful, then subsequently demonstrate the utmost concentration, energy and accuracy, so as not allow him to escape!
Polgar,J (2722) - Karpov,A (2693) [C42] Essent Hoogeveen NED (1), 12.10.2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.a3 Nc6 11.cxd5 Qxd5 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qd6 14.Rb1 b6 15.Re1 Be6 16.Bd3 Rae8 17.Rb5 Na5 18.Rbe5 Nc6 19.R5e2 Bd7 20.d5 Na5 21.Ne5 Bf6 22.Bf4 Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxa3 24.Re3 Qc5 25.Bxh7+ Kxh7 26.Qh5+ 1-0
Usually the works from Dvoretsky are quite difficult to work throw but specially in this series School of chess excellence more space is given to the analyses of the opening and that makes it all a little more readable but it stays tough work!
Conclusion: An excellent step to chess mastery!
Gladiatoren ante portas by Volker –M.Anton & Fritz Baumbach
2003
Self published by Volker –M.Anton
Alf Fermersleben 14
39122
Magdeburg Germany
Fax +49-391-4082571
http://www.anton-baumbach.de
E-mail vanton@t-online.de
Price Euro 13.80 {Plus Euro 4.50 for postage and packing}
Behind the title of Gladiatoren ante portas {“The gladiators are before the gates”}lays the strongest correspondence chess tournament that is ever organised.
Between the list of fifteen players you shall not only find 15 grandmasters the brand new world champion Gert Timmerman but also seven other ex world champions in correspondence chess.The tournament was organised by occasion of the 50th anniversary of the BDF and honouring the great correspondence organiser and ICCF president Hans Werner von Massow a man who gave 60 years of his intensive live for the ICCF.
It is nearly unbelievable what Hans and his wife did for the ICCF you could probably speak that the ICCF members where his small children,where the Dutch Nol van’t Riet said once in a interview with Tim Harding, Chess Mail {Issue 3/1999}that Hans Werner was responsible for almost everything what happened there.
Included in this book is a one page biography from Hans Werner von Massow but it covers nothing more than the praise and record of his live but it would have been more interesting to cover some personal information about the family von Massow as where did they live from?
Normally you would expect that this tournament would have been won by one of the world champions but no it was the amassing CC GM Volker- Michael Anton who out played them all from out his wheelchair, even that the Dutch world champion Timmerman came second on tie-break it was the tournament of Volker- Michael Anton.
The man who was not only the best prepared chess player but above all learns us that there even with the help of computers there are no limits in correspondence chess!
The authors have not only written a very lively (In German text} tournament book with all kind of amusing background stories as in the game Burger van Geet that was strangely overplayed after a mysterious time out with a second e-mail game, but this time Burger ended against the keen playing van Geet with empty hands.
This is the reason that there are 106 games in place of the normal 15 round 105 games where I must say most of them are really excellent analysed.
The whole work makes a excellent impression printed on fine paper photographs and all in hard cover for a unbelievable price from Euro 13.80 + shipping all simple addressed to Volker-Michael Anton.
Conclusion: A super tournament book!
Encyclopedia of Errors in Chess Openings by Anatoly Matsukevitch
2002
Mockba
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
798 pages
Price US 25.00
ISBN 5-17-006940-5
Encyclopaedia of errors is a impressive collection short games won in thirteen moves or fewer all arranged by opening approximately followed by the order of the ECO codes where every game covers some ECO annotations and a diagram.
The names with first names and references to the games make an excellent impression special with the large index of games which is even covered in two languages.
Included throw the book are a collection small cartoons from the most famous players and victims.
Conclusion: A large book with no text is not everybody’s choice but on the other hand compressive collection short games covers a wealth of tactical patterns!
Opening sideways
2003
Russian Chess House
Mockba
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
Price US 19.95
ISBN 5-17-006940-5
I thought to receive a one volume book but the whole material it comes in as five separate booklets covering The Albin Counter Gambit{1} & Blumenfeld gambit{2} by Sergey Anapolski which are both by the way from 1999!
More interesting and more recent are the three booklets from Victor Ivanov covering 1.b4{3} and two book lets on the Bird opening 1.f4 with the lines A02 and A03.
Ivanov covers not only the most interesting lines but gives some good suggestions to handle the Orang-utan and Bird where every book covers some extra study material of practical games with out any annotations.
Again there is no text but the games are all analysed with the well known ECO symbols.
Conclusion: I only found the works from Ivanov interesting enough to mention but can not recommend this packige.
Manual of Chess Combinations Vol. III by Alexander Mazia
2003
Russian chess house
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
183 pages
Price $ 14.95
ISBN 5-94693-019-2
The author Alexander Mazia is not only a international master but also coach of the famous Pioneers Palace chess school on the Vorobiov Hills, which has produced in the past some famous players as for example the famous Artur Yusupov and Mikhail Krasenkov.
When you see the cover of this book than it is difficult to manage that we are working with a high level trainings book based on first side simple but difficult to solve exercises.
The examples in this book have been used in the studies of the Pioneers palace so I believe it is no shame if some exercises are to difficult.
When you take up this book you must prepared to solve around 750 exercises where
the solutions cover no text at all so it is a pure chess book which is made to improve
in a very tough way your powers of visualization!
Conclusion: A very tough exercise work!
Manual of Chess Endings by GM Sarhan Guliev
2003
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
Russian chess house
183 pages
Price $ 14.95
ISBN 5-94693-020-6
Manual of chess endings is a impressive collection of 600 standard {exact} endgame positions
divided in eight different chapters where every chapter covers a small text introduction of four languages and well in English, German, Spanish and Russian language.
The author GM Sarhan Guliev does not spend much time on text explanations but pushes the reader directly in to a mass of end game material where the reader is forced to figure it all out with out nearly
any text explanations. This all makes a book not very readable but maybe this is the success of the famous students from the Pioneers Palace chess school but I am afraid that less talented players could use some more readable endgame advises.
Conclusion: This endgame book is certainly no easy walk throw!
Chess CD's
Chess Assistant 7.1
2003
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
System requirements IBN compatible PC,128 MB RAM,Hard disk I Gb of free disk space, Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP,CD Rom Drive.
Price Euro 129.00
Chess Assistant 7.1 is packed in a DVD like box which included two CD’s a impressive manual from over the 110 pages & 10.000 new games monthly free.
Exactly one year ago we had the first release from Chess Assistant 7.0 on our web side So I thought it could be very interesting to compare both releases with each other.
First of all this latest 7.1 release does not only cover more extra’s as a unbelievable database from 2.117.300 games but it also covers the latest encyclopaedia of chess openings 2003 which we shall take a closer look in our next review.
My first experiences with Chess Assistant 7.1 where really impressive because the program did not crash at all and I tested this program very intensively and this I can not say from the older release Chess Assistant 7.0 and his older competitor Chessbase 8.0!
Chess Assistant 7.1 has the same Interface as 7.0 but when you take a more careful look you shall find extra’s as the advanced upgrade wizard where you upgrade the main executable file of your program in no time, but also the auxiliary files can be upgraded simple with one click of the mouse.
Included is a simple but clever made update wizard so all the latest games and important updates automatically drop in.
This all works in the practice very good even with out ADSL connection where I needed with my old fashion 56 K6 modem a 1.5 hour but I must say what a difference!
After the upgrade I had exactly 2218451 games a latest openings tree with a lot more openings lines and a latest 7.1 CA.exe file.
Pleasant to mention is that it is possible to run in ChessAssistant 7.0 and 7.1 so many simultaneous engines as you want so it means in the practice that each panel {The analyses are displayed on panels.}can obtain so many engines as you can handle. With analysis by level you can easy select the amount of attention you want to spend on a specific position.
One of the most interesting inventions in CA7 and 7.1 are the so called back ground analysis module which is originally a invention from the famous Dan Corbit the godfather of computer analysis which allows you for example to start a batch analysis of the data that you are working with at that moment, even in a infinite analysis mode!
This all works very impressively in CA7.1 but how more engines the slower the performance of the processor but it is all together a lovely tool to play around with.
CA 7 and 7.1 allows you to play a real chess game against a engine of your choice so you don’t have to buy a extra chess program where the engine dialog box allows you to specify all kind of utilities as infinite analyse and engine against engine tools that you usually only see in chess playing programs.The board and chess pieces are okay but don’t offer any revolutionary possibilities
as audio and video streaming.
Chess Assistant provides the user with a excellent interface to connect with the well known ICC where you can play or simple follow what others play on internet.
Included are the engines Tiger 15.0,Tiger Gambit III,Tiger 14.0,Tiger Gambit II,Crafty,Dragon and Ruffon and for those who want to buy the best engine that runs in CA7.1 than I would suggest get Deep Sheng it runs perfectly!{But it is necessarily to do a upgrade otherwise it will not run the second time you start CA!}
Conclusion: At this moment the most advanced database program that money can buy!
Chess Openings 2003
Convekta Ltd.
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
System requirements IBN compatible PC, 64 MB RAM,Hard disk 600 Mb of free disk space, Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP,CD Rom Drive.
Price Euro 29.00
Included is a manual of 46 pages.
Chess Openings from Convekta is a electronic chess openings book that features over the 10.000.000 moves,12.000.000 positions and a Hugh “Guru” database from over the 603.000 games all nicely packed in a light version of Chess Assistant seven.
Interesting enough all this material is also included as a extra in the above mentioned version of CA7.1
Material as this is very interesting for players who are interested in latest openings data {Closing date lays around January the first 2003}
where the amount of material is good for around 600 MB of your hard disk and don’t forget the search possibilities in this program are really superb.
But be aware you can handle these files very easy and even include extra openings information but it is not possible to generate complete new openings files, so I think it is great for starters and for those who like to taste from the possibilities of Chess Assistant 7.
Latest played lines are well covered with the help of GM Kharitonov but the not so common lines as for example the Philidor or Latvian gambit don’t get to much attention.
Conclusion: A impressive mass of openings material!
Mate Studies
2003
Convekta Ltd
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
System requirements IBN compatible PC, 64 MB RAM,Hard disk 30 Mb of free disk space, Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP,CD Rom Drive.
Price $ 21.95
This latest mate studies CD covers over the 5000 examples where nearly 195 authors where involved and all instructive integrated in there so unique developed navigator, a bright Convekta invention that guides you as no other throw this tutorial program.
The material is instructively divided in two courses of difficulty where I must admit that it is no shame to use the build in engine Crafty.
When you have managed to solve a exercise you are given an ELO rating based on the difficulty of the problem but be aware this program keeps record of the time that you have needed and what for errors you made with it.
It simple stores a database with all kind of useful information where with one click of the mouse you can do your own statistic but also playing against the built in program is possible.
Usually you can put your Convekta CD away but this program needs every month or so a refuelling.
Conclusion: Not one of the easiest mate studies but there is no better way to develop your tactical skills as this instructive mate studies program from Convekta.
ChessBase magazine issue 96
October
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
The main database of this heavy loaded ChessBase magazine is exactly good for 1722
entries where a small 500 carry excellent annotations.
For example from GM Karsten Müller I found fourteen analysed entries and from GM Ribli even 35 annotated games.
The three annotated games from Kortschnoj are maybe not spectacular but he likes to analyse with text and there for I consider these games as very instructive.
The most games from this file come from the European Championship in Istanbul where no less than 164 grandmasters participated.
All together where around 1347 games where 455 of these games are analysed on this CD!
Interesting to mention is that there is on this ChessBase magazine a theme key where you can get a complete different access to the games.For example try Brilliant moves!
The multimedia report comes this time from Anna Dergatschova and deal with the Super GM tournament in Dortmund where she spoke with Carsten Hensel the manager of Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko.
Also there are interviews with Viorel Bologan,Vishy Anand,Peter Leko,Arkadij Naiditsch and the sixteen year old Teimour Radjabov.
The theory files are going to A67 Benoni with (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nbd7 & 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5 Nh5 11.e6 Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Qxh1 by Albert Kapengut.;B09 Pirc defence 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 e5 by Michael Roiz,;B33 Sveshnikov Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 a6 9.Na3 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Nd5 f5 12.Bd3 Be6 13.0-0 Bxd5 14.exd5 Ne7 15.c3 Bg7 16.Qh5 e4 17.Bc2 0-0 18.Rae1 Qc8 by Dorian Rogozenko,;C40 part two Latvian gambit with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 by Alexander Bangiev and Peter Leisebein where there database contains over 4058 games!
C45 Scotsch 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bb4+ 5.c3 Be7 by Evgeny Postny,;
D31 Slav Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Qb3 0-0 13.0-0 by Zoltan Ribli,;
D39 Vienna variation II 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Bb5 15.Be2 Nc5 16.Nb3 Nxb3 17.Qxb3 Nd7 11.Bxf6 Qxc3 12.Kf1 gxf6 13.h4 a6 14.Rh3 Qa5 by Zoltan Ribli.
Other files are Strategy,Endgame,Tactics,ICCF telechess {over 2000 games} Costa Rica-ch 2003 212 entries and History.{Covering Milan Vukcevich 11-3-1937 – 10-5-2003}
Under the many directories on this CD you shall find important updates for ChessBase Fritz and Junior.The most important update is Fritz8 update which brings you audio & video streaming on the PC!
Conclusion: One of the most interesting ChessBase products!
Included is small book with the contents of the ChessBase pruducts and some extra’s as Material Imbalances Part one Garry Kasparov’s Book of matches.In analysing with Garry Kasparov the reader is invited to find in the game Bird,H - Morphy,P
London 1858 if there is a forced win after 17….Rxf2!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bd6 9.Nh5 0-0 10.Qd2 Qe8 11.g4 Nxg4 12.Nxg4 Qxh5 13.Ne5 Nc6 14.Be2 Qh3 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Be3 Rb8 17.0-0-0 Rxf2 18.Bxf2 Qa3 19.c3 Qxa2 20.b4 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa4+ 22.Kb2 Bxb4 23.cxb4 Rxb4+ 24.Qxb4 Qxb4+ 25.Kc2 e3 26.Bxe3 Bf5+ 27.Rd3 Qc4+ 28.Kd2 Qa2+ 29.Kd1 Qb1+ 0-1
Please also see http://www.chessbase.com/contact/karstenmueller.asp
Chess Magazines
British Chess Magazine No. 10
Volume 123
October 2003
Price: £3.25
E-mail: BCMChess@compuserve.com
http://www.bcmchess.co.uk
Starting with: The Staunton Memorial where Grandmaster chess returned to London and its spiritual home at Simpsons in the Strand, a small but perfectly formed tournament where GM Jon Speelman pleasent triumphed and where GM Daniel King played the game of his live.
A other interesting tournament is the Blackpool international which was won by GM Nigel Davies who managed by the way to remain in this strong tournament unbeaten.
Krasnoyarsk is the story of the 53 Russian grandmasters who all made the unbelievable 2000 miles trip to Siberia.{Where Peter Svidler won the tournament for the fourth time!}
The 2003 French championship were held at the famous Aix les Bains from 18-29 August,as a strong category 13 tournament.
Games department by Keith Arkell is a fine two page coverage of the Dutch Vlissingen Open.
BCM welcomes a new Quotes and Queries columnist and well Chris Ravilious who recently collaborated with Ken Whyld on the work Chess Texts Printed Before 1850,published earlier this year.Steve Giddins invites the reader into the world of zugzwang with his fine written Assisted Suicide!
Other regular BCM columns are The Kavalek file,Reviews and new books, Spot the continuation, News in Brief, Problem world and fort coming events.
Conclusion: One of the finest chess magazines!
ChessMail issue 7/2003
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 issue starts with: A vintage year for chess books, Honouring the work of Von Massow & and the new correspondence chess book Gladiatoren anta portas.
Rolf Knobel wins Olympiad top board, Endgame Clinic: unheard melodies, Classic CC event: The Polish Jubilee, is one of those forgotten ICCF invitational master tournaments where the games never have seen daylight.{But now 101 of the 136 are made available and will be included in Harding’s Games service or Premium Subscription.
Argentinians, Ukrainians on tiger shoot, Remembrance of times past {Is a other excellent archaeology coverage and of course some amassing games as Nyman – Ballogh from the Romanian Jubilee of 1976-79}
Really fun is CC records and curiosities where you even shall find a illegal castling game
in a real master correspondence event!
Good chess sites on the web is a personal seven page review from Tim Harding with a coverage of all important {cc} chess sides.
Interesting enough the Chessfriend.com side is specially four page review with all the good and bad points of this smashing chess side is separately reviewed by Tim Harding.
Further of interest are of course the readers games, ICCF tournament result service and not to forget the Book reviews from Tim Harding!{And why you shouldn’t but the Kasparov book!}
Conclusion: Always overloaded with interesting correspondence games!