CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 April 2004
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33n.elburg@consunet.nl
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
Budapest Fajarowicz by Lev Gutman
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
287 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-8708-0
This latest openings book from Lev Gutman on the Fajarowicz {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4!?} does not cover the cover the tragic life from the Jewish chess player Sammi Fajarowicz {1908 – 1940} but concentrates on a deeply move to move study of the Budapest Fajarowicz opening.
First introduced by the young Fajarowicz against the strong chess master Herman Steiner of the 1928 Wiesbaden tournament where the young chess master Fajarowicz was not concerned how to recover the gambit pawn as in the well known Budapest with 3….Ng4 but preferred maximum play for the sacrificed pawn.
This work is not the first detailed coverage of the Fajarowicz because we already had from the nineties Tim Harding’s The Fighting Fajarowicz but this compressive move to move study on the Fajarowicz must certainly be considered as the most important reference work that is ever written on this line..
The whole covers really ever printed and played line that was ever published on the Fajarowicz as for example the interesting :1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Qc2 Bb4+ 5.Nc3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Nc5!? or the so called Bonsdorff variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 b6
Where Tim Harding one wrote: This is quite a logical move; unfortunately ,it seems to have a direct tactical refutation but both are interesting enough pet lines from the Swedish gambit expert Kjell Krants which name you often shall see between these heavy loaded Fajarowicz pages.
Some lines are very compressive and many pages in this book don’t cover always much explanations in words but I can insure the reader that this work is overloaded with interesting analyses and untested ideas. Gutman has used for this book many important sources as you can see in the impressive bibliography from over the 51 items starting with Kurt Richter’s famous analyses of the Wiener Schachzeitung of 1933 which led to the great popularity of this so exciting gambit, and to keep abreast of latest developments just start with the Week in Chess issue 475!
Conclusion: A impressive written move to move openings book!
Imagination in Chess by Paata Gaprinashvili
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
287 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-8891-3
Paata Gaprinashvili is a very strong correspondence IM who carries in the latest Eloquery a impressive ICCF rating from over the 2640!
This first book from him does not only cover over the 756 game positions but the reader is also invited to learn throw the mass of
chess exercises some very interesting solving techniques.
The first 151 pages in this book are nearly all divided to the exercises and the remaining pages go to the easy to understand solutions.
Conclusion: Tough but a very practical written exercise book!
Advance and other anti-French variations by Lev Psakhis
2003
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
157 pages
Price $ 21.95
ISBN 0-7134-8843-3
French Defence 3.Nc3 Bb4 by Lev Psakhis
2003
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
255 pages
Price $22.95
At last the French Winawer & advance openings books from the Russian in Israel living Grandmaster Lev Psakhis came in at last for review at our web site.
The advance and other anti-French variations is a book that is nearly completely divided to the advance with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5,the exchange variation and some rare second move continuations as for example the King’s Indian attack with 2.d3.
Psakhis digs in this book further than the most important strategy and tactic books as for example Kosten’s openings work on his French advance openings book from Chess Press 1998.
When we compare both books with the so called Milner –Barry gambit than we simple can say that Psakhis gives a much more detailed overview specially after the move order with 15…Qb6
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Qb6 8.0-0 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Nc3 a6 11.Qe2 Ne7 12.Kh1 Nc6 13.f4 Nb4 14.Rd1 Nxd3 15.Rxd3 where black can see after Psakhis the future with confidence and for those who are wondering what the great Watson prefers in his book Play the French, he simple goes for a repertoire line with the latest 13….Bc5 where the question is if white has little or anything for the sacrificed pawn.
The third part in Psakhis series on the French Winawer is probably for the real French fan the most interesting French openings part from all the three parts.
Unfortunately Psakhis did not continue in the foot steps from John Moles and his detailed study on the Main line Winawer from 1975.
No the author prefers a rather basic set-up of the material than a detailed move to move study from the above mentioned Moles or the more recent but than in German language Französisch Winawer from the duo Kindermann & Dirr from ChessGate 2001.
For example the old pet line from Euwe 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Kd1 just made it with one page in to the book from Psakhis but the so called Tait line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 13.Rb1 0-0-0 14.h4 Nf5 15.h5 Na5 16.Rg1 Nc4 17.g4 is no covered at all.
Included are in the advance 19 model games and in the Winawer 27.
Conclusion: A reliable but rather basic coverage of the advance and French Winawer!
How to get the edge against the Grüenfeld by Konstantin Sakaev
2004
Chess Stars Ltd.
E-mail: chessstars@softhome.net
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
165 pages
Price
ISBN 954-8782-35-9
There are all kind of books about the Grüenfeld as starting out, Understanding the Grüenfeld,The Grüenfeld for the attacking player and The Grüenfeld defence from Nigel Davies but not one digs so deep as this latest current theory and practise book from the feared GM Konstantin Sakaev.
Unfortunately for the reader Sakaev only concentrateds on the exchange variation with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 followed by 8.Ne2 but he digs so unbelievable far in this book that we can honestly speak from a grandmasters view of the exchange line.
For example chapter nine of this book is completely devoted to the so interesting “Seville Variation” that runs after : 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 c5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+ Rxf7 13.fxg4 Rxf1+ 14.Kxf1which was popularised by the Karpov – Kasparov 1987 world championship matches and where many players think that black’s queenside pawns could have the last word!
Interesting to mention is the author has studied this opening together with Vladimir Kramnik and Sergey Dolmatov in great detail and these interesting analyses can be simple found between these 165 well written pages of this book.
Chapter five covers the following beautiful win from the author : Sakaev,K (2655) - Belov,V (2553) [D87] 56th ch-RUS Krasnoyarsk RUS (5), 08.09.2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bd7 11.Rb1 a6 12.dxc5 Qc7 13.Nd4 e6 14.f4 Na5 15.Bd3 e5 16.f5 exd4 17.cxd4 Rfe8 18.f6 Bf8 19.Qc1 Nc6 20.Kh1 h5 21.Bf4 Qd8 22.Bd6 Kh7 23.Qe3 Bxd6 24.cxd6 Bc8 25.e5 Qxd6 26.Bxg6+ fxg6 27.f7 Qe7 28.fxe8Q Qxe8 29.Rf6 Qe7 30.Rbf1 Be6 31.Qe4 Bf5 32.R1xf5 gxf5 33.Qxf5+ Kg8 34.Rg6+ 1-0
For the annotations I would say take up this remarkable written openings book from GM Sakaev!
Conclusion: A truly grandmasters view!
Chess CD's
Gladiatoren ante portas chess CD by Volker –M.Anton & Fritz Baumbach
2004
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: For those who bought the book can order this CD for the special price of € 5.90 + € 1.60 for shipping.
On special request from the readers Volker –M.Anton & Fritz Baumbach have made a extra CD for there Massow
Memorial { Gladiatoren ante portas} tournament book which we reviewed November 2003.
First of all the CD does not replace the book but makes life for the reader of the tournament book all a little more enjoyable.
Besides the games in CBH,PGN and HTM {with comments and analyses} there is a extra website on the CD with photo’s crossable and some back ground information about the book.
Interesting to mention is the update of http://www.anton-baumbach.de side and the possibility to order the book or Book + CD online.
A eye catching chess CD with over the 70 analysed correspondence games!
ChessBase magazine issue 98
February 2004
2004
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 mainbase of this late ChessBase February 2004 magazine is good for around 2410 games where a small 542 of them are excellent analysed by GM's as Bologan {7} Rogozenko {20} Huebner {12} Kortchnoj {3}Müller {19} etc.
Included besides the game files are the so called database text files which gives you a lot of detailed information for example about the blunders,combinations,attacking and strategy motifs of this mainbase.
Besides this main base there are several other bases as the telechess file that contains a unbelievable amount of 4182 latest played correspondence games where a small 65 of them are analysed by the players them self.
But there is more: Starting with a excellent Strategy base where Peter Wells continues with his part three of his material imbalances, combinations by GM Valery Atlas, Endgames by the German endgame expert Hans Joachim Hecht {Hecht has selected for the reader 64 highly instructive endings.} and at last Fritz forum with all the latest information about the computer chess world championship 2003 that was played in Graz Austria. {There is a very interesting tournament report on this file with a lot of latest computer games from Peter Schreiner}
Interesting is the following computer game between Deep Fritz and the great Deep Sjeng
Comp Deep Sjeng - Comp Deep Fritz [B99]
WCCC Graz (2), 23.11.2003
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.g4 b5 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.g5 Nd7 13.f5 Nc5 14.f6 gxf6 15.gxf6 Bf8 16.Rg1 h5 17.a3 Qb6 18.Be2 b4 19.axb4 Qxb4 20.Na2 Qb6 21.c3 Rb8 22.b4 Bd7 23.Kb1 a5 24.Rge1 axb4 25.cxb4 Ba4 26.Rd2 Nd7 27.Bd1 Bxd1 28.Rexd1 Rh6 29.Rc2 Rxf6 30.Qxh5 Ne5 31.Qh3 Bg7 32.Qe3 Rg6 33.h3 Nd7 34.Re2 Qa6 35.Rb2 Ne5 36.b5 Nc4 37.bxa6 Rxb2+ 38.Ka1 Rgg2 39.Nc1 Nxe3
40.a7 Nxd1 41.a8Q+ Ke7 42.e5 dxe5 43.Nc6+ Kd6 44.Qd8+ Kxc6 45.Qc8+ Kd5 0-1
For the opening experts I have: Jerzy Konikowski with the Volga Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5!? {A57} Five heavy loaded surveys and 20 analysed games, Modern Benoni: by Albert Kapengut 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 {A63} Two opening reports and 145 games analysed games, Stonewall variation: by GM Evgeny Postny 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 f5 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nge2 Bd6 {A84} One openings report,81 games where 25 of them carry annotations, Caro Kann:1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.h7 Bh7 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 c5 by Thomas Engqvist {B19} One openings report 73 games where 66 of them carry annotations from Engqvist himself, Sicilian Dragon: 10…Rb8 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 by GM Dorian Rogozenko {B78} One openings report,34 games where 25 of them are analysed by Rogozenko! {And one by Anand}, Catalan: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e63.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Rd1 b6 9.b3 Ba6 10.Nbd2 Rc8 11.e4 c5 12.exd5 exd5 13.Bb2 {E09} by GM Zoltan Ribli One openings report 58 games where 27 are analysed by Ribli, Queens Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qb3 {E15} by Alik Gershon One openings report 95 games where 24 of them carry annotations and at last the Kings Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Na6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.h3 f6!? By GM Boris Avrukh One openings report 67 games where 24 of them carry annotations.{Nineteen from Avrukh!}
The 412 MB AVI files go all to the excellent made interview with GM Yasser Seirawan
about the Garry Kasparov vs X3D Fritz match of New York 2003.
Included besides the latest updates from ChessBase 8 and Fritz 8 there is an extra ChessBase manual from around 27 pages.
Conclusion: It covers more information than any printed year book of magazine!
Chess Magazines
British Chess Magazine No.3
Volume 124
March 2004
Price: £3.25
Starting with: The Corus Wijk aan Zee tournament where Vishy Anand has managed to win the Corus tournament for the second successive year. Ian Rogers has needed nineteen pages of this issue to cover the photo’s and all the action of this super tournament.
The Persitz double and Mickey Adams answers some interesting BCM questions as
Question: Do you spend more or less time preparing for tournaments now than you did ,say, ten years ago?
Do you analyse games with the computer’s analysis engine turned off? How far do you trust silicon analysis?
Answer: I spend more time preparing now, mainly because there is so much information available. I normally analyse with a search engine running,but for tactics rather than the computer’s assessments. Sometimes the computer’s opinion can be misleading due to it having insufficient search depth, but this can be resolved by going further down a variation.
Other contributions besides the regular ones are Spot the continuation, Reviews and new books, Find the continuation, News in Brief, Quotes and queries, Endgame studies, Fort coming events etc are: The Kavalex file {With chess Gulliver Nigel Short},Hastings challengers,4NCL with January weekend round 3,Chess questions answered by Gary Lane and at last the art of bluff from Colin Crouch.
Conclusion: A very readable issue!