CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 August 2004.
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
Black is still ok! by Andras Adorjan
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
224 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-8870-0
A new update from Adorjan’s 1988 book Black is okay where the Hungarian chess genius impressed many reader with his unique approach on colour superstition.
The material largely on the classic material from 1988 even that Andorjan has included some extra games the key idea of 1988 is unchanged and it is the question is the material from Adorjan still so unique as it was16 years ago?
Unfortunately the whole work is quite chaotic what do you think for example of 45 pages printed e-mails from how fine it is to have the black side of the board?
If you ask me than Adorjan could have better made used of these pages with modern examples from his black is still ok!
One page 172 Adorjan describes the Caro-Kann position that rises after: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Qd7 14.Nxd5+ Qxd5 15. Qxd5 exd5 which is as he believes miss understood by many of if not most of the players, but latest examples from my database give white excellent play and black can be pleased if he reaches a draw!
Interesting in this book is the chapter Garry The greatest Kasparov: Revolutionary and Tsar where you can read the true story from Kasparov and the Dely-Garry gambit!
Conclusion: Still a interesting read!
English Attack by Nick de Firmian & John Fedorowicz
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
256 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-8860-3
A compressive study from the American duo by Nick de Firmian & John Fedorowicz
on the flexible English attack which is characterized by white’s moves with f3,Qd2 and 0-0-0.
This plan can be extremely dangerous and it is pleasant that there is at last a detailed study where the first part of this book goes to GM John Fedorowicz who covers all lines with 6…e6 and college Nick de Firmian concentrates on all lines moves where black plays a earlier 6…e5.
Included are all lines where the white bishop is chased around with the black knight as 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 the so called classic set-up.
Interesting to mention is the knight sacrifice with 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. g4 Nfd7 9. Qd2 Nb6 10. O-O-O N8d7 11. Ndxb5 where all the latest developments in this opening are well covered ,only it is a pity that there are not to much correspondence games in this heavy loaded openings book!
Conclusion: A compressive study on the English attack!
The Benko gambit by Neil McDonald
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
224 pages
Price$ 21.95
ISBN 0-7134-8868-9
A new openings book the second in series of openings books covered under the new Batsford title revealed written this time by the English Grandmaster Neil McDonald,
who has managed to write a very readable presentation of all major basics and more of the so excited Benko gambit {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5!}.
The reader of this book shall find besides a large amount of explained games all the strategies that he or she needs to get started with this opening.
Included in this book is the crunch variation maybe white’s most promising line against the Benko so the more experience club player can make advantage of by Neil McDonald’s excellent advices.
Conclusion: A excellent step to get involved with the Benko gambit!
Sizilianisch für Mussiggänger by Valeri Bronznik
2004
Schachverlag Kania
Richard Wagner str.43 71701 Schwieberdingen Duitsland.
E-mail Keilhack@aol.com
http://www.kaniaverlag.de
174 pages
Price € 17.50
ISBN 3-931192-26-1
Sizilianisch für Mussiggänger {The idler of chess } from IM Valeri Bronznik is the first openings book that is ever written on the Basman- Sale variation, one of those few openings where black can still use his full imagination and does not have to memorize long variations.
Originally the bishop move {1. e4 e6 2. d4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5}was first played in he city match between Zeist and Amsterdam of the year 1847 but it was the great Louis Paulsen who played it seriously against the legendary Paul Morphy of his New York 1857 match.
Paulsen bishop was denounced for many years as worse but as soften happens ,it was not the merits of the bishop move that was weighed by the annotators but more Paulsen’s poorly play.
It did take to 1972 when this opening was successfully revived by the so creative English chess master Michael Basman.
Bronznik analyses in this book around 24 complete games where some as the game Rusak – Nadanjan corr 2003 take nearly eight pages of text but in this case white goes for the aggressive set-up with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Ne7 7.Qh5.
The three chapters of this book contain the following material: Systems with out 5.Nb3,with 5.Nb3 and lines where white goes for a early 3.Nc3 and where white hopes for 3…Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Nb3 Bb6 and now 7.Bf4 and black has not only a lot of holes but also a lot of problems.
Bronznik recommends after 3.Nc3 a6!? 4.d4 b5!? 5.d5 Bb7 and black has a reasonable game.
Conclusion: A very creative work on the so interesting Basman- Sale variation!
Schach Höhepunkte by Harald Keilhack
2004
Schachverlag Kania
Richard Wagner str.43 71701 Schwieberdingen Duitsland.
E-mail Keilhack@aol.com
http://www.kaniaverlag.de
319 pages
Price € 19.80
ISBN 3-931192-24-5
For those who are not aware of it but the publisher of Kania Verlag is not only a strong chess players but also a interesting writer who has a very readable chess column in the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
In “Schach Höhepunkte” Chess Highlights” he passes the revue of six years chess curiosities
as the chess cheating teacher who was analysing his chess game on the toilet but he had bad luck that he was caught by the arbiter.
Even that Keilhack covers important headlines from the latest chess scene the material in the book is truly filled with interesting chess curiosities as the death from the German composer and police detective Josef Haas.
Interesting throw the book are the chess illustrations from Frank Stiefel which makes this all very eye catching.
A book that I would certainly recommended to all who like to take up a enjoyable chess book.
Conclusion: A very readable chess book!
Einblicke in die Meisterpraxis
2004
Schachverlag Kania
Richard Wagner str.43 71701 Schwieberdingen Duitsland.
E-mail Keilhack@aol.com
http://www.kaniaverlag.de
142 pages
Price € 14.80
ISBN 3-931192-27-x
The eagle expert Frank Zeller contrates in this latest Kania book on all kind of master techniques as openings preparation, attack, defence, Fischers 6.Bc4 and more.
Again there are quite some eagle techniques but Zeller enjoys explaining in a understandable way the first steps to master ship in chess.
Chapter seven covers nearly a whole chapter on Fischer and his 6.Bc4 move where the reader is invited to try this move against different openings lines as the Najdorf and Scheveninger defence.
Unfortunately the author does not completely dig in to it but covers at the hand of six complete games and 31 pages the most important strategies of this openings line.
Included in this book as all the other books Kania a bibliography, players index and openings key.
Conclusion: A important step to understand chess!
Chess combinations by N Kalinichenko
2004
Mockba
http://www.chessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
829 pages
Price € 28.00
ISBN 5-17-021370-0
A compressive made heavy weight from over 4260 combinations where you shall find on every page nine studies and where all material is written in two languages.{ English & Russian.}
The material is divided by 24 traditional chess themes which are illustrated by more than 900 classical examples.
Dating material starts around the middle of the 20th century and ends by players as Adams & Kasparov.
There is a excellent made index and the work is bound in a hard cover but the paper of the book does not reach the standard of western publishers.
Conclusion: But still excellent teaching material!
Modern practice 1…Nc6 by Igor Berdichevsky
2004
Russian Chess House
http://www.chessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
200 pages
Price € 16.70
ISBN 5-94693-021-4
The fourth modern practice opening book from the Russian chess house which is based on a collection of 331 practical analysed Nimzowitch defence games.
These series don’t cover any openings surveys but all the most important opening lines are mentioned between the text lines from these games.
GM Igor Berdichevsky has concentrated on several modern Nimzowitsch strategies as a set-ups with 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 and 2… e5,1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5, 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 etc.
Included are also interesting mirror lines from the Alekhine defence as 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 & 1.d4 Nc6 2.Nf3 good for around 50 pages of this book.
The reader shall find all the games that Nimzowitch ever played with his opening except his lost with Spielmann from New York 1927 where Nimzowitsch went awful wrong with his 2.Nf3 e6?!
There is nothing wrong with the used paper and this hard cover work is also extra written in four languages {English, German, Spanish and Russian} and that is not bad at all.
Conclusion: A very practical written openings book!
Anand Viswanathan best games by Nikolai Kalinichenko
2004
Mockba
http://www.chessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
734 pages
Price 19.98
ISBN 5-17-023344-2
This latest book from Kalinichenko does not feature all the games that Anand every played but a selection of 701 best games all analysed in the well known langue less Informator symbols.
When I compare some games from this book from Anand’s own work Vishy Anand My Best Games of Chess Gambit 2001 and well the game Anand – Izeta Madrid 1993.
Than you an see that Kalinichenko did not include every line that he could find on Anand
but other games as his famous win on Ftacnik from Biel 1993 who even won the prestige Best game price in Informator 58 game 254 is reasonable covered.
As you can see in these annotetd games Anand is very complete player who has a enormous talent for complicated positions.
The book has a good hard cover but the printed paper does not reach western standards
and the 30 photos from Anand are quite rare but unfortunately it is as we say news paper quality.
Included is a players and tournament index.
Conclusion: Over 700 annotated Anand games!
Secrets of Chess Transformations by Drazen Marovic
2004
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
208 pages
Price $ 27.50
ISBN 1-904600-14
GM Drazen Marovic concentrates in this latest strategy book from Gambit on all kind of attacking techniques as sacrifices, development advantage, overextension and simplification
all divided in two major parts of this book, where the aim of this all lays in the ability to transform one type of advantage into a another.
Marovic is experience write ho has written for Gambit quite some instructive books as Understanding pawn play in chess, Dynamic pawn play in chess and Secrets of Positional chess.
This latest secrets of chess transformations is probably the most enjoying of all because who does not want to play around with tactical blows.
Again there is a lot to learn from Marovic as his instructive words to his game with the great Trifunovic,Zagreb 1961 which did arise after the moves : {Unfortunately Marovic prefers to work with positions}1.Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 h6 5. Bh4 d6 6. e4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 8. c3 Nxg3 9. hxg3 c5 10. dxc5 dxc5 11. Bc4 Nc6
I remember vividly the moment when we reached this position. A fleet thought passed through my mind: can he sacrifice on g5? The reassuring answer was as quick: Trifunovic would never do it! Such was the impeccable image of the ‘king of draws’ in those days.
He himself was very proud of it. I recall a game he played somewhat later against Larsen as white. Verly earlier he offered a draw, but Larsen turned a deaf ear. Somewhat later, having achieved what was practically a winning advantage, Trifunovic offered a draw again, which Larsen pressed by hard facts, simple could not reject.
When asked why he did not play for a win, he replied: “When I offer a draw, even Larsen must accept it!” Unfortunately, this time Trifunovic threw away his caution and continued:
12.Nxg5 hxg5 13.Rxh8 Bxh8 14.Qh5 A couple of pawns and the delicate position of the king justify the sacrifice. 14…Bf6 Expecting 15.Qxf7 or 15.Bxf7 Black overlooks the worse…
15.f4! Only now did I realize that 15…gxf4 16.0-0-0 e6 17.gxf4 Bd7 18.e5 Bg7 19.Ne4 is hopeless.15…e6 16.e5 Bg7 {16….Nxe5 17.fxe5 Bxe5 18.0-0-0 is hardly better.
17.Ne4 Qe7 18.Nxg5 Bd7 19.Rd1 Better than simply castling; we shall see later why.
19….0-0-0 20.Qxf7 Wxf7?! {Better 20….Re8} 21.Nxf7 Rg8 22.Nd6+ Kc7 23.Nxb7 Nxe5 Desperate, but 23…Bf8 is insufficient due to 24.Kf2}
24.fxe5 Bxe5 25.Nxc5 Bxg3 26.Ke2 Bc6 27.Nxe6+ Kb6 28.Bd5 1-0
And by the way did you know who invented the pawn sacrifice? Than take up this excellent written work from Marovic!
Conclusion: A book that is overloaded with killing attacks
Chess CD's
Sicilian Dragon1 B70-B74 by Dorian Rogozenko
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 19.99
System requirements Pentium 166,32 MB RAM, Windows98,Windows ME,Windows2000,and Windows XP.
ChessBase Reader included!
This time Dorian Rogozenko concentrates on all lines that can arise after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 B70 till 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.0-0 simple moves where white prefers for no search for the initiative!
The master file on this CD is good for 24159 games where a small 455 of them carry annotations.
GM Dorian Rogozenko is good for 29 text files and 113 annotated games which makes this CD quite attractive for the more advanced chess player.
Again there is a large openings book and a extra trainings database to test your dragon skills.
Conclusion: A very attractive made trainings CD!
ChessBase magazine issue 100 + extra Jubilee DVD
June 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
Seventeen years ago the first version of ChessBase 1.0 was released together with a first copy of ChessBase magazine number 001 which was handled over to Garry Kasparov when he was staying after a simultaneous clock play in the Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg.
That time ChessBase was related to the so called Atari ST home computers which run on a 86000 processor whith a impressive eight MHZ!
Now we can look back at 100 issues ChessBase and there for ChessBase has released there for a special DVD with a selection of 4.28 gigabytes of video reports and chess games all taken from a selection most important ChessBase magazines.
Probably the most famous chess scene is the one between Anand and the blundering Kasparov of the famous Credit Suisse Masters of Geneva 1996.
But first back to ChessBase magazine issue 100 that is good for a master file from 1377 entries where a small 370 of these games carry annotations.
The strongest tournament is clearly in this file Linares 2004 which reached a category 20 and a average ELO of 2731.
A other large file is the ICCF telechess file which contains nine text reports and over 3000 games!
The opening lovers shall certainly the 7 theory surveys with the Paulsen {B48}1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0-0 Bd6 9.f4 Bc5
by Zoltan Ribli,the Scotch {C45}1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.b3 g6 10.f4 by Evgeny Postny,the Slav (D10} where the basic position of the variation occurs after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe2 Nbd7 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qe3 by GM Dorian Rogozenko, Queens Gambit (D30}1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5 by Jerzy Konikowski,Catalan (E04}1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Nc3 Rb8 8.e4 Be7 9.d5 exd5 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Ne5 Bf5 12.a3 Nd3 13.Nxc4 by GM Zoltan Ribli and the good old Nimzo-Indian defence {E20} 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Ne4 7.Qd3 Bxc3+!? 8.bxc3 Nc5 by GM Viktor Gavrikov.
Interesting to mention is the endgame contribution from GM Hajo Hecht who is reviewing the best of 16 years Chessbase!
Others are Strategy {Practical opening preparation! From GM Peter Wells} and tactics from GM Valery Atlas!
Included besides the necessarily updates is useful booklet from 26 pages.
Conclusion: A excellent buy seen the extra included Jubilee DVD!
ChessBase Magazine extra issue 100
July 2004
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99
This ChessBase extra magazine comes with a extra large database from over 11600 games {All with out any annotations!}and the games run from of the BL2 Nord from the Hamburg SF 2003 and ending with all the games of Warsaw woman rapid of 2004.
For example the Bl2 Nord games have seen no other publication before.
The avi files go this time to a combination of art and a chess simultaneous from the great chess genius Kramnik in Bonn.
Think that the German chess friends shall certainly enjoy the video interview with the lovely Tina Mietzner!
Conclusion: With the ChessBase extra files you pay a little but you are inured that you have really every played game in your database!
Jacob Aagaard: Attacking Chess Volume 1
2004
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
€ 24.99
System requirements: PC 233,64 MB RAM,CD-ROM drive,sound card,mouse,Windows XP,2000,ME,98,Windows Media player 9.
Jacob Aagaard: Attacking Chess Volume 2
2004
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
€ 24.99
System requirements: PC 233,64 MB RAM,CD-ROM drive,sound card,mouse,Windows XP,2000,ME,98,Windows Media player 9.
Two very interesting made multimedia course CD’s from the famous Danish chess teacher Jacob Aagaard covering different middle game techniques as in CD1 Pieces in the attack, development, colour schemes etc.
Aagaard has compressed around 635 MB split-up in eleven separate WMV files en that is over 3 hours of instructive words!
By the way if you start the WMV files without Fritz8 you can listen to Aagaards lectures but there will be no chess board with synchronised moves.
Aagaard handles the language reasonable seen that it is not his mother language but it would be nice if ChessBase could improve on the the camera work specialy when I may compare it with other companies as for instance the DVD’s from Bad Bishop.
The second fritz trainer drawing middlegame CD from Aagaard covers more detailed strategies as for example the indifference of the value of pieces in the attack, evolution revolution, drawing the king out into the open,destruction of the king’s position etc.Again there are 12 WMV files where the aim lays by the more experienced chess player.
The running time from this CD is nearly the same as the above mentioned from three hours.
Nearly I would say take 6 hours of your time and study these two CD’s and progress on your chess play is insured!
Conclusion: Very instructive multimedia material from the famous Danish chess teacher Jacob Aagaard!
Chess Magazines
British Chess Magazine No.7
Volume 124
July 2004
Price: £3.25
Starting with a full report of the famous 4NCL {British Team Championship} final weekend where GM Daniel King annotates his superb win against the chess prodigy David Howell.
Very readable is a other contribution from Daniel King and well his spectacular collections stalemates.
Some of these stalemates are really sneaky and it is not wrong to study these instructive positions.
Other contributions in this heavy loaded issue are: Reviews & New Books, Spot the continuation, Chess questions answered, Furness on chess {Part 3},European Championship Turkey,The Perils of Springtime, Quotes and Queries,Endgame studies, News in Brief, Bosna Sarajevo and Sigeman where the great Lubosh Kavalek annotates in his so specific way the game Magnus Carlsen – Peter Heine Nielsen.{ 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4!?}
Conclusion: Overloaded with instructive games!
ChessMail issue 5/2004
http://www.chessmail.com
E-mail editor@chessmail.com
Chess Mail Limited, 26 Coolamber Park
Dublin 16 Ireland
Basic Subscription 42 Euros.
{For eight issues.}
In this special made gambit issue you shall find besides the latest correspondence chess information as, Is email correspondence chess doomed? also a great variety of different gambits.
For example Critical updates in the Marshall by Tim Harding is a very interesting read about the latest developments in the Marshall Gambit and Lalic’s disappointing book on the Marshall Gambit.
Other readable contributions are Hamarat wins last championship game, GM Gutman on the Fajarowicz {A51}Where Gutman concentrates on chapter five from his book with the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Qd3, ICCF Champions League news, Reversal of fortune by CC GM Janis Vitomskis, Early CC matches in India by Tim Hading {Since the 2004 ICCF congress is be held in India, Harding has prepared a collection early correspondence matches where most ,though not all are gambit games}, Gambit game miscellany is a interesting column where you shall find a large selection of gambit games as the contribution from the English Mike Read who is re-analysing all his old games for a booklet of them later this year.
{Good for 14 pages!}, Latvian Gambit notes is contribution from self about my pet line the Latvian Gambit!
Frank Parr {1918 –2003}Tim Harding stands still by the death of Frank Parr who was four times British CC Champion, Is ICCF play subject to rules or to rulers by SIM Darrell Nightingale who has written a very polemical Article about the ICCF rules.
Book Reviews and ICCF tournament service.
Conclusion: A super gambit issue!