CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 March 2004
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33n.elburg@consunet.nl
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
The Italian gambit made system by Jude Acers & George S.Laven
2003
Trafford
http://www.trafford.com
344 pages
Price $ 24.95
ISBN 1-55369-604-2
This Italian gambit repertoire book for white with 1.e4 is a invitation from the American chess master Jude Acers and the amateur George S Laven based on the good old Italian game with 3.Bc4 split up in two compressive parts and well The Italian system{Vol.I} & {Vol II} that includes a complete extra repertoire book if black does not go for 1....e5.{ A Guiding repertoire for white with 1.e4!}
Probably many chess players will be not aware but that the author Jude Acers is one of those living chess legends a man who already played a off hand chess match with the legendary Fischer at Baton Rouge 1964 tragically enough these “unofficial” games have never made it to any kind of print.
First of all this extraordinary work from Jude Acers on the Italian game is very uncommon written and you could consider many of these attacking openings as direct to the point as if we for example take a closer look at the so called Koltanowski variation {.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4}which is nowadays nearly completely neglected by modern chess theory.
But there are more surprising recommendations as the Miami variation which runs after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4!? Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Be3 and was invented by co-author of this book, so it is clear you don’t always have to be a grandmaster to find tricky moves!
I checked George S.Laven's Miama lines with my database and was astounded that white nearly won every played game so we certainly can say many of Acers & Laven's analyses in this book have never seen any paper before!
Besides the obscure and rare lines they are many serious openings as the famous Möller attack but the transpositions as for example the Max Lange or Göring attack are well covered unfortunately the author is not always accurate in his analyses and misses now and than critical correspondence games as the famous Aldrete – Oim {1999}game where black went for the strange looking retreat 9….Bf8 but please don’t forget most openings books don’t cover this opening at all and the only book that covers this variation comes from Harding and his amassing collection Startling correspondence miniatures.
The second part of this book goes to all kind of alternatives as the Petroff defence with the Cochrane’s gambit with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7! but to analyse the Latvian gambit with 5…Qg6
{1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qg6 } is certainly not my taste and I would consider this as a move from the far off past days.
Against the Sicilian the author prefers the Rossolimo attack and against the Caro- Kann the two knights attack which as many in this book once belonged to one or other Fischer’s favourite repertoire lines, included throw this book are extra included instructive example games and readable quotes.
Conclusion: Even that part two of this book could not impress me it is certainly a very interesting openings book!
Opening for white according to Anand 1.e4 Vol.2
2003
Chess Stars
E-mail: chessstars@softhome.net
432 pages
Price GBP 17.99
ISBN 954 8782340
The latest opening repertoire book from Alexander Khalifman concentrates completely on the oldest and most respected chess openings of all the famous Ruy Lopez with 3…a6.
Khalifman leads the reader in very pleasant way throw all the pitfalls of the Spanish opening and prefers the more boring waters of the anti Marshall lines above Frank Marshall’s controversial head line.
Understandable because many white players don’t wish to face the Marshall attack even the great Gary Kasparov who has a reputation of memorising long variations but to face the anti Marshall lines with 8.h3!? is a creative thought from the author and a small twenty years ago, a move as this would go to the corner of rare lines but now it is all together good for a small 26 extensive pages of this heavy filled 432 page openings book.
In the Open Spanish Khalifman prefers the {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 } sharp 11.Ng5 or as Glenn Flear once described it in his openings book about the Open Ruy Lopez: “ A seemly crazy” move but white is accepting the challenge and it seems that black is still searching after the terrific analyses from Khalifman in this repertoire book for some kind of equality.
Conclusion: A impressive written repertoire book!
Understanding your chess by James Rizzitano
2004
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
191 pages
Price $ 24.95
ISBN 1-904600-07-7
Probably the name Rizzitano will not say much to many young chess players but this talented IM has dominated the American chess scene for over ten years before he started a second career in the software industry.
When I checked out his dossier in the latest Mega database 2004 I was surprised to find only 61 games on this CD but interesting enough these games had a very low drawing quote from only 2 %.
In this latest Gambit you will not only find a collection of 64 deeply annotated Rizzitano games and a extra collection of 20 clippings from games but the author analyses and explains these games if I may say all in a very instructive way of understanding.
Rizzitano has managed to pack these games in a very practical course based on practical techniques from for example how to power on your initiatives!
The reader shall find many useful topics as openings selections against stronger opponents where the author explains his battle with the great Pal Benko who had a 500 point rating advantage and an experience deficit from over than 30 years so Rizzitano had no problems defeating the great Benko with the good old Morra gambit!
I never had much experience before this book with the games from Rizzitano but when you go throw this book than you shall be impressed by the large amount of fine attacking games from this so talented attacking genius.
The whole book is easy to understand even for a not so experience chess players which makes it an excellent work for club players who like to work on there practical attacking techniques.
Conclusion: A outstanding collection attacking games!
De mechanische Turk by Tom Standage
2004
Uitgeverij de Arbeiderspers
237 pages
Price Euro 16.95
This fascinating novel from the technical journalist Tom Standage perfectly translated in to the Dutch language tells us the fascinating story of the first chess playing “machine” developed by the brilliant inventor and magician Wolfgang von Kempelen.
That time elaborate mechanical toys where a very popular form of entertainment and the people had a unbelievable trust in these mechanical technology but who would believe in that time that it was all fake and von Kempelen invention was only a kind of puppet on the string?
Otherwise I can not imagine that the great Philidor maybe one of the greatest players of all time was so mislead even that von Kempelen tried to prearranged this game in his favour but it ended as Philidor told later as the most exhausting game of his life.
But many great man as Napoleon Bonaparte and the phenomenal Edgar Allan Poe belong to the list of victims of the “Turk”
A very strong English chess player called John Cochrane only managed one win and three losses and one draw against the Turk during the 1818 - 1820 period in London and that says something about the man was hidden inside.
Funny enough von Keppelen never gave his amassing but fraudulent chess automation never a real name but his eastern outfit gave him immediately the nick name as the Turk,this work from Tom Standage contains besides the terrific story a detailed discussion of mechanic inventions and first computer intelligence.
Personally I found this book a very interesting supplement to Gerald M.Levitt work on The Turk,Chess Automaton from McFarland & Company.
Conclusion: A unbelievable read! {In Dutch language!}
The two knights defence by Jan Pinski
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
160 pages
Price $19.95
ISBN 1-85744-283-0
The whole Italian knights defence explained and analysed by the Polish chess master Jan Pinski who impressed many readers with his smashing book on the Kalashnikov,{co-authored with the bright Jacob Aagaard}made me ofcourse very excited when I opened the first pages of this brand new Everyman chess book.
The first view on the famous Traxler with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2 6.Kxf2 Nxe4 7.Kg1 or 7.Ke3 was reasonable even that I was missing the latest developments from the American openings expert Dan Heisman between these lines.
The same I can say from Heisman’s analyses about the Fried Liver Attack which are not covered in this book at all, unfortnatley the reader has to do with some antique lines from Euwe & Fine.
Did we complain in the book from Jude Acers & George S.Laven about the missing game Lobo – Oim corr.1998 well this game is covered in this book and the author even gives a improvement in form of 10.Qg4!? {mentioned by Harding in his Startling correspondence chess miniatures too}and if 10…gxf6 11.Nxf7! Kxf7 12.Qxe6 Kg7 13.Qg4+! Kf7 14.Qh5! (Harding and the Informator only give: 14.Qe6+ with a perpetual check!} Kg8 15.Nd2 and white has after Pinski a fantastic attack!
Altogether there is around nine pages and three complete games covering the good old Max Lange and that is more than only the most important key moves but personally I would have preferred a whole chapter on this line!
At last a interesting suggestion from Pinski that you shall not find in the above mentioned book from Jude Acers & George S.Laven is: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5 10.Nc3 Qf5 11.Nce4 0-0-0 12.g4 Qe5 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.fxg7 Rhg8 15.Bh6 d3 16.c3 d2 17.Re2 Rd3 18.Qf1 Qd5 19.Rd1 Be7!? 20.Qg2 Ne5 21.Rexd2 Nf7 22.g5 Rxd2 23.Rxd2 Qf5 with the idea of …Qg6 followed by Nxh6 which must be after Pinski slightly better for black
Conclusion: Still a very interesting study on the two knights defence!
Survival guide for chess parents by Tanja Jones
2003
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
160 pages
Price $19.95
ISBN 1-85744-340-3
Tanja Jones is the mother from the talented sixteen year old Gawain Jones who had last year a impressive master ELO from around 2364.
Understandable that the author is proud about her son who even once beaten poor Malcolm Pein in a blitz game when Gawain was only nine years old, so from that point of view it is understandable that mother decided to write this parents manual with all kind of good advises.
There are numerous aspects where a chess parents can run up to as which kind of club coach and more but the chess book advises from mother Jones don't belong to the best.
Hope that the young Gawain shall become one day a very strong player as the great legendary Fischer only I hope that this intensive written survival guide does not disturb the development of this young chess genius.
Conclusion: A very special book for parents with chess playing children but personally I would not take it all to serious and it is a pity that there are only games from the young Jones in this book.
The Nimzo - Indian Rubinstein by Angus Dunnington
2003
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
160 pages
Price $19.95
ISBN 1-85744-279-2
The Rubinstein 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 has been for a very long time a highly regarded response to the Nimzo-Indian because white simple pursues kingside development and strengthens his centre at the same time.
This latest eighteen game study is not so extensive filled with games that we usually are used to in these series because the author has focused more than with instructive text explanations than above memorizing long variations which makes it an excellent start for all who want to play and understand what he or she is doing on the board.
Generally the book is split up in three parts dealing with all major lines as 4…b6, 4….c5 and 4…0-0.
Many chapters as for instance five with the game Malakhov – Nielsen,Istanbul 2003 with the played move order 4…0-0 5.Ne2 covers over the nine pages expanded with a lot of instructive text and extra games between the lines.
If we compare this book with the Nimzo-Indian 4…e3 from Carsten Hansen {Gambit 2002} than this work from Angus Dunnington is certainly more the didactic one but the book from Carsten Hansen stays so far the most important reference work on the Rubinstein!
Conclusion: A fine written openings book!
The Catalan by Alex Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
192 pages
Price $19.95
ISBN 1-85744-346-2
The latest opening book in the well compiled and eye catching opening series from Everyman chess opening covering the so reliable Catalan opening.
Seen the large amount of games and pages of this book than we can truly speak from a compressive made openings book.
Interesting to mention is that both already wrote a earlier work on this opening and well in the German Language under the title “Die Katalanische Eröffnung” from Kania Verlag.{Published in 2001}
To be honest both books can not be compared with each other not only this Everyman edition covers around 95 complete games but many lines have been completely rewritten and this English edition has become now one of those classic heavy weights.
Both author concentrate in this book on the closed and open Catalan but don't look at the move orders that can arise after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+.
Some lines as the closed Catalan with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 c6 5.Bg2 Bd6 can easy transpose in to a Dutch Stonewall and this is understandable not covered inside the scope of this book.
Reti already played this against Bogoljubov in the famous New York 1924 tournament but the name Catalan opening was given by Tartakower in 1929 who was asked by the organizers of that year’s Barcelona tournament to invent a variation after that region.
The Catalan belongs to one of the few openings where it is possible to develop a lasting initiative far in to the middle and endgame due to the strength of the Catalan Bishop and the weak pawns on c6 and c5.
Conclusion: A very compressive study on the Catalan!
Starting out the Grünfeld by Jacob Aagaard
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
176 pages
Price $16.95
ISBN 1-85744-350-0
The starting out series are usually openings books for beginners but some as this latest from Jacob Aagaard could easy reaches the level from a more experience player.
Besides all the instructive explanations from Aagaard who some consider as the greatest chess teacher from Denmark has analysed specially for this book 47 important Grünfeld games where a small eight of them come from the year 2002 and 2003 so the reader can taste from some latest developments from this interesting opening.
Aagaard does not only lead you throw the mysteries of this opening but above all explains it in a very readable way of understanding.
Conclusion: A nice work to get started with the so complicated Grünfeld defence!
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