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CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 October 2004.
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.
Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg

Chess Books

Chess Informant 90
2004
Chess Informant
Beograd
http://www.sahovski.com
E-mail info@sahovski.com
Price £ 18.00

Chess Informant 90 is good for a fine selection of 501 annotated games and 512 game fragments all taken from the most important chess events that where all held between February 1st and May 31st of this year.
The best game of the preceding volume goes this time to the smashing game Short – Pogorelov of Gibraltar 2004.{89/145 where white played the amassing 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 b5 8.O-O-O Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Ne7 10. Kb1 Nc6 11. Be3 Ne5 12. f4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. Bd4 f6 15. g4 Be7 16. g5 O-O 17. b3 Qc6 18. gxf6 Bxf6 19. Rhg1 b4 20. Nd5!!
The most important theoretical novelty goes to Topalov – Sokolov,Wijk aan Zee 2004 where both players went for a Slav: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Bg4 6.Ne5 Bh5 7.Qb3 Ra7 and Mr.T Paunovic made a fine theoretical coverage of this so interesting opening.
The best of Chess Informant goes this time to the princess of chess Judit Polgar where you shall find besides the 26 best games a great collection combinations & endings that she played throw her career.
Linares 2004 with a category XX (2731) was certainly the strongest of all tournaments from this well filled issue.

Conclusion: Buy the Informator for the latest chess theory!
The English attack by Tapani Sammalvuo
2004
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
272 pages
Price $ 28.95
ISBN 1-901983-57-9

Originally the English attack is a invention of a group of {then} young English grandmasters {Short,Nunn & Chandler} who where searching for a new way to handle the Najdorf variation where the whole line is characterized by a set-up with f3,Qd2 and 0-0-0.
The young international chess master Tapani Sammalvuo from Finland has managed to create in these 272 pages a move to move openings book with all possible lines that can arise after 6.Be3.
The English attack is not only a very fascinating opening but it is also a very flexible move and can easy transpose to other related lines as for example the so called Perenyi attack with {6…e6 and 7.g4}.
As the author honestly explains in the introduction a difficult choice to leave out but does not even the ECO of chess openings cover this line under B81 of the Keres attack.
The material from Tapani Sammalvuo is so compressive that you nearly van win from the book for instance: I had in the latest IECG semi finale world championship the following position on the board: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. O-O-O Bb7 11. Bd3 Rc8 12. Kb1 Nfd7 13. g5 but with this book I would certainly have played the more interesting 13.Bg5!? A interesting analyse from the chess master Lahno runs now with: 13….Qc7 14.Rhe1 Ne5 15.f4 Nbc4 16.Bxc4 Nxc4 17.Qd3 Na3=
In this book you shall find besides the forward and introduction 13 theoretical chapters based on the latest developments of the English attack where every chapter includes a small theoretical summary and often useful tips are included for both sides of the board. The most critical line that can cause some problems for black is 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. g4 h6 9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Bb7 11. h4 b4 12. Na4 {chapter 13 covered with 18 pages and the amassing 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. g4 Nfd7 9. Qd2 Nb6 10. O-O-O N8d7 11. Ndxb5 which is overloaded with interesting analyses and suggestions from the young chess genius from Finland.
Unfortunately for the readers who just bought The English attack from Nick de Firmian & John Fedorowicz just give it a safe place in your book shelf and take up this heavy loaded openings book!

Conclusion: A major work on the English attack!

Botvinnik – Bronstein, Moscow 1951 compiled and edited by Igor Botvinnik
Progress in chess,vol 14
2004
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
124 pages
Price € 21.50
ISBN 3-283-00459-5

Botvinnik – Tal, Moscow 1961 compiled and edited by Igor Botvinnik
Progress in chess,vol 13
2004
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
126 pages
Price € 21.50
ISBN 3-283-00461-7

From Editions Olms, Zurich Switzerland I received these two interesting made tournament books both compiled throw the eyes from Botvinnik with original comments from players as Botvinnik,Sveshnikov,Flohr,Lilienthal and Romanovsky where in addition use have been made of Botvinnik’s match diary,where the world champion’s impression are given both before ,and after the game.
Also included are the opening analyses of the year 1951 & 1961 where I would like to mention the use of Botvinnik’s unique training's courses as Botvinnik advised the pupils of his school to develop there own chess theory.
The reader shall find these notes in the Botvinnik – Tal match under opening course first and second note book.
When the time came for Botvinnik to defend his title against David Bronstein in 1951 he had not played in a tournament for three years but he took a good six month leave of absence to prepare him self. Seen that these publications are throw the eyes of Botvinnik the editor did not consider it possible to use Bronstein’s commentaries apart from those where Sveshnikov cites Bronstein and that could be for many readers a slight disappointing.
About the Botvinnik – Tal match Botvinnik was in his fiftieths and succeed for the second time in winning back his lost title but Tal continued to rank among the best chess players in the world!
Conclusion: Two very fine made tournament books!

Learn chess in 40 hours by Rudolf Teschner
2004
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
126 pages
Price $ 22.00
ISBN 3-283-00403-x

Learn chess in 40 hours by Rudolf Teschner is a very interesting self tutor course from the old Grandmaster Rudolf Teschner, based basic principles, opening , tactics, strategy and endings.
The German version of this book was a great success and I believe the combination of basic rules and the richness of ideas than can be found in this book makes it very attractive for chess students to take up this work.
Some advises from Teschner are set up each position on the board and play through the given moves several times, until you understand there meaning.
Conclusion: I have seen more of these self tutor books but this 40 hour course book is certainly unique!

Chess for children by Murray Chandler & Helen Milligan
2004
Gambit Publications Ltd.
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
112 pages
Price $ 14.95
ISBN 1-904600-06-9

Children are usually very curious and this eye catching chess book with very creative made illustrations from Cindy McCluskey is certainly a very attractive way to learn the first rules of chess.
The lessons are instructively step by step explained as the chess board and pieces,how bishops & rooks move but also more complicated basics are all pleasantly reinforced by the inventive tales that George is told by his pet alligator Kirsty, self-proclaimed as the Grand Alligator of chess.
Conclusion: A very attractive learning book for children!

An attacking repertoire for white by Sam Collins
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
192 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-89103

The former Irish champion Sam Collins concentrates in this easy to go repertoire book for white on a all-round but not to difficult to understand collection opening repertoires as the Sicilian with 2.c3, French with 3.e5, Scotch, Petroff with {3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3}Philidor, Caro-Kann {With Panov-Botvinnik Attack}, Pirc/Modern defence {Bg5 lines}Scandinavian defence, Alekhine and some garbage lines where you shall find the Latvian Gambit,Nimzowitsch and Owen Defence.
A pity that the last three openings where compressed under the garbage lines because
1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. Nc4 fxe4 5. Nc3 Qf7 6. Ne3 c6 7. Nxe4 d5 8.Ng3 h5 9. d4 h4 10. Ne2 Bd6 11. Ng1 Nf6 12. Nf3 Ne4 13. Be2 h3!? would certainley give more chance than the poor move 13…Nd7?! from Vasquez.
The material is well explaned with a lot of practical advices all at the hand of a collection of 51 annotated games,
nearly all taken from latest played tournament games but of course repertoire lines stay a matter of taste!
Conclusion: Every club player who will take the time to work throw these games will certainly understand more about {these}chess openings!

Chess CD's
Chess Informant CD issue 90
2004
Beograd
http://www.sahovski.com
Price  £ 18.00

The electronic version of the Chess Informator all safely packed in the Chess Informant Reader 2.1 or the Lite version of the Chess Informant Expert 5.1.
After my experiences with the full version of the Chess Informant Expert 5.1 which I discussed in our lat review of the ECO part D than I truly prefer to work with the full version and that means that the reader has to spend some money.
In the past the Chess Informant had some lovely supplements as a free ECO vol. Part C 3rd edition but this electric version has to do with a free supplement of ChessInformator 89 in PGN format but than without any annotations.
Conclusion: An excellent way to read your Informator files on your computer!
ChessBase magazine issue 101
2004
August
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

ChessBase magazine 101 comes with a impressive database from around 1758 games where a 450 of them are excellent analysed by players as GM Rogozenko22 games, GM Karsten Mueller {The endgame expert!} is good for 33 games!
The games start with the famous Bundesliga {24/4}games and ends with games on Salou from 18/6 between these lays four category 13 tournaments and it all a little more up to date than the above mentioned Informator.
A other impressive file on this CD is the telechess file from over 6000 entries as text reports {For example where to play e-mail chess for free}and where you shall find some annotated games.
The theory files go to E15: Queen’s Indian 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qa4 by GM Alik Gershon, A 34: English opening 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb4 6. Bc4 Nd3+ 7. Ke2 Nf4+ 8.Kf1 Ne6 9. b4 cxb4 10. Ne2 GM Viktor Gavrikov, A65 : Benoni 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e4 Bg7 5. f3 O-O 6. Bg5 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Qd2 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 h6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Nge2 Nbd7 13. Ng3 h5 14. Be2 Nh7 15. O-O
h4 16. Nh1 f5 by Albert Kapengut, B22: Sicilian Alapin 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb5 dxe5 9. Nxe5 Bd7 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. Nc3 by GM Dorian Rogozenko, B86 Sozin – Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O b5 8. Bb3 b4 9. Na4 by Jerzy konikowski, D15: The Slav 4..a6 by IM Sergey Klimov, D17: Slav defence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 g5 12. Ne3 gxf4 13. Nxf5 by GM Boris Avrukh and the D38: Ragozin 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Ne4 9. Nd2 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxc3 11. Rc1 by GM Zoltan Ribli.
In the 100th edition of ChessBase Magazine GM Peter Wells took a look at how to optimise your opening play and in this issue he continues on opening Preparation - A Practical Guide (part 2) and how opening theory develops.
And don’t forget History,Fritz-Forum Tactics with “The art of Rook Sacrifice by GM Valery Atlas and the {new} endgame contribution from the great GM Karsten Müller!
The Multimedia files go to WCH conference Kramnik – Leko.
Conclusion: Slowly just so important as the latest Informator!

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 101
September 2004
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99

This latest ChessBase magazine 101 carries a Hugh file from nearly 20.000 games {exactly counted 19890 games}and all played between 18/6 & 29/8 of this year.
The very interesting avi files go a very intensive interview with the world champion challenger GM Peter Leko who will play as you read this a match with GM Vladimir Kramnik.
The match will take place from September 25th until October 18t in the Swiss city of Brissago,located on the lovely shores of the Lago Maggiore.
Fourteen games will be played and the price fund is one million Swiss francs!
I would like to citrate one interesting line from Leko: Everbody can sit at home and only have his computer to suggest moves but this is no top level preperation.You don’t use you own creativity.
The whole avi file is good for 629 MB.
Conclusion: A very interesting buy!

Queen’s Gambit Orthodox defence D31/D35-D36 by Thomas Henrichs
2004
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 24,99

The international master Thomas Henrichs concentrates in this work on the Exchange variation of the Queen’s Gambit covered under the ECO code as D31 + D35 & D36. I found around 16 text files with all the explanations that you need to get involved with a earlier exchange on d5 {1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 c6 6.cxd5} where white avoids the famous Cambridge Springs which arises after 6.e3 Qa5. The exchange gives white a slight advantage in space but on the other hand it opens black’s problem bishop on c8. Many world champions have played the exchange variation but the great Fischer preferred the black side of the board. The master file on this CD covers around 31404 entries where approx. 800 of then have annotations.{ Where a small 155 of them are specially annotated by the author him self!} Included is a impressive trainings base from over 100 questions and a large openings key for your Fritz or ChessBase.{From version 7.0 ChessBase 6.0 }can not read opening books}
Conclusion: A well made opening’s CD!
Intensive course tactics 2 by George Renko
2004
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 24.99

Intensive course tactics covers really around 3000 trainings positions and 6300 training questions divided in all kind of themes and levels.{Introduction, intermediate, advanced and master level}George Renko is a ambitious author but is not so precise in the references to the games as for instance in the position Tal - Perez 1963 you get no information where the game is played and there are many players who find this very disturbing! There is a ChessBase reader included so the user can start directly to play!
Conclusion: A classic tactic CD which I would like to put in the category starters in chess tactics.
Squares strategy 1 by Alexander Bangiev
2004
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 24,99

At last the new strategy course from IM Alexander Bangiev which is truly made with a great love for chess. The reader shall find in every game a lot of text explanation and analyses where he or she is invited to classis chess training in the sense acquisition and storing of chess knowledge.Bangiev has developed a special (actic) course where he has divided the material in two databases first a learning database with 54 intensive testing positions and at last a more difficult training database from over 200 exercises {Game fragments}
Conclusion: Recommended for the more ambitious club player!
Chess Magazines

British Chess Magazine No.9
Volume 124
September 2004
Price: £3.25

The major part of this BCM issue goes to three super tournaments and well the Dortmund the annual Dortmund Sparkassen tournament that took place from 22 July till the 1 of August, second the Fide knock-out { With a 14 page coverage!} and at last the British championship! {That has to do with only 10 pages.}
The brand new British champion Jonathan Rowson has annotated specially for this issue two of the Adams – Kasimdzhanov games and these annotations are truly superb!
Other contributions are Review and new books, Chess questions answered {by the great Gary Lane where he digs in a old recommendation from Louis Paulsen {1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qe2} Scottish championship, Harold Lommer {Master of chess composition} Quotes and queries, endgame studies,
Forthcoming events,New in Brief,games, Photo’s etc!
Conclusion: Buy this issue for the annotated games by Jonathan Rowson!

ChessMail issue 6/2004
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.}

This ChessMail issue starts with the launch of the new ICCF webserver where Tim Harding him self interviews ICCF’s server development team {ICCF Webserver 11 pages}Views on the server from by Lars Kirstein Andersen, Sever tournament {Early days in the first server tournament where you shall find the first chess game of this ChessMail issue!}
The theory survey goes to the Chinese Dragon {B78:1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. O-O-O Rb8} Henris worked out his ideas on this variation in the 1990s while living in China with his Chinese wife; The Brazilan theoretican Roberto da Costa introduces some new sights in this interesting line.   Other contributions are: Plans for Champions League new season, Rooks and opposite coloured bishops { A interesting endgame clinic from Tim Harding}
Preserving our heritage of games by J.Franklin Campbell, Our readers games {11 pages!}History of the British Chess Magazine correspondence tournament 1908-1912 by Tim Harding {14 pages} Chess Mail’s future plans etc.
Conclusion: A very readable issue!