Upcoming Chess Books
September 5, 2020
Three recent chess novels
Spurious Games
By David Jenkins
Troubador Publishing, 2020
Paperback, 330 pages
Publisher’s Blurb
A local chess player is discovered dead, his untimely end seeming suspicious. Detective Inspector John Logos of Cornwall's St Borstal Constabulary is called in to investigate what turns out to be a serial killer running amok in the sedate contemplative world of Cornish chess. The detectives quickly find themselves as pawns in the game of an arrogant mastermind calling himself 'The Turk' who taunts them with chess-related clues. Baffled, they call in Caradoc Pritchard, an eccentric Welsh Professor, serial iconoclast and expert in forensic profiling. Together they must work against the clock to predict the killer's next move.
As the action comes to a dramatic climax only one player can win, but only if he avoids stalemate.
A literary novel of ideas masquerading as a whodunit, Spurious Games exhibits a consistently droll sense of humour that belies its essential seriousness as an extended riff on authenticity. Despite its roots in chess, there are a number of important 'side shows', all treated with equal ironic irreverence.
The Author
David Jenkins is a retired Professor who has occupied a variety of chairs including at the University of Warwick (Arts Education) and the University of the South Pacific (Education and Psychology). He is a keen chess player who when a lot younger played for Fiji in the 1994 Moscow Chess Olympiad, a memorable experience, although not quite the honour it sounds (think Eddy the Eagle). His main claim to fame is as a qualitative evaluator of social programs. His report on the pan-European training program for youth leaders using non-formal methods (TALE) was named as the 2011 'Outstanding Evaluation of the Year' by the American Evaluation Association ('I Could a TALE Unfold').
David is a painter and regular cartoonist, currently living in Cornwall where he is President of the Cornwall Chess Association. Although widely published as an academic, at the Open University and elsewhere, Spurious Games is his first novel.
David has designed an informative website in support of his novel Spurious Games with the domain name spuriousgames.org It includes excerpts, a gallery of images and comments around the themes of the novel as well as other writings.
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The Greenbecker Gambit
By Ben Graff
The Conrad Press, 2020
Paperback, 368 pages
Publisher’s Blurb
'I only feel truly alive when the chess clock is ticking and the patterns on the squares in front of me are dancing in my head. Very little else gives me the same feeling. Nothing else, that does not involve a flame.' Tennessee Greenbecker is bravely optimistic as he sets out to claim what he sees as rightfully his - the title of world chess champion. But who is he really? Is he destined to be remembered as chess champion or fire-starter? Either way might this finally be his moment? 'A chess-playing delusional pyromaniac - what could possibly go wrong? If chess is a metaphor for life, Graff has weaved his magic and brought the two together - with far-reaching consequences.
Compellingly dark and disturbing, Graff's insight into madness will have you on the edge of your seat. A tremendous read.' Carl Portman - 'Chess Behind Bars' 'A tragicomic tale of a fading chess player, set against the background of a vividly-realised London. Graff writes brilliantly about life and chess, and Tennessee Greenbecker is destined to become one of the characters of our time.' Harper J. Cole - 'Subcutis' 'Graff has created an unforgettable chess anti-hero; his novel is amusing, affecting, and as addictive as internet blitz.' Mark Ozanne - 'Chess Fever' 'Graff is a phenomenal writer. With Tennessee Greenbecker, we can see he is not just a great chess journalist but also has an amazing creative side.' Evan Rabin - National Chess Master
The Author
Ben Graff is a writer, journalist and Corporate Affairs professional. He is a regular contributor to Chess and Authors Publish. Ben is not a grandmaster but did draw with one once.
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The Berlin Defence: A Novel Paperback
By Andy Mack
Elk and Ruby Publishing, 2020
Paperback, 291 pages
Publisher’s Blurb
That afternoon, Lothar sat down opposite Lev Ivanov, and with a furrowed brow, determinedly pushed his King’s pawn forward two squares, punching down the clock as he did so. When Ivanov ventured a Sicilian Defence, Lothar sacrificed first a Knight and then a Rook for a raging attack.
Lothar Hartmann dreams of reaching the big time in chess. Overcoming the mind-games of his opponents at the chessboard is a challenge in itself, but how will he cope when he comes face to face with the political manipulation and oppression of his own corrupt government? A tale told with dark humour of love and loss, hopes dashed and regained, it is a window into a world of tactics, psychological warfare and the balance of fate and opportunity, while asking fundamental questions about life’s purpose and moral choices. As Lothar begins to realise that his world is not simply black and white, and that the chess players themselves are pieces, moved across a board to further the reach of East German propaganda, he hatches a plan that defies all expectations.
The Author
Andy Mack was born in 1970, in Bromley, South-East England. A keen chess player from an early age, he has competed three times in the British Chess Championships and achieved the title of FIDE Master. He also plays poker to a high standard, and has written a book entitled Omaha 8 or Better – Winning at Hi-Low Poker. In his professional life, Andy qualified as a Chartered Accountant and is a Director in a large accounting firm. Andy continues to live in South-East England. His favourite European city is Berlin, and The Berlin Defence is his first novel.
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Upcoming Chess Books
September 5, 2020
Early this year I heard that a new book on Adolf Anderssen had been published and I wrote to the author,
Robert Johnson, and purchased a copy. In due course, Robert informed me that it had been tracked to Canada on July 13. After that it may or may not have come to my house and then, abruptly, sent back to Australia without my ever having received notice that it was here.
Because of Covid-19, the mails are all screwed up. With few flights, air freight is at a premium. Post offices are buried under mail and packages. I am waiting for a second posted copy.
This is how an English vendor describes the book:
Robert Johnson: Adolf Anderssen. Combinative Chess Genius. An Autobiography with 80 Annotated Games.
Self-published, Australia, 2020. Large heavy hardback (22 x 30cm), pictorial covers. 353pp., 36 fine large photos (3 in colour of Anderssen's grave), comprises ten chapters with biography and 80 annotated games using contemporary annotations where possible, appendix with Steinitz's Obituary of Anderssen, bibliography and indexes. Printed on high quality paper with large type and diagrams. The author has "endeavoured to present the fullest, most accurate possible account of Anderssen's life in English." A superb book. Signed and dated by the author on the endpaper.
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One has a rare opportunity of hearing a review of the book on YouTube by Jeffrey Baffo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqYmvKGNjvs&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0ooWEJrjRr2rOmT7Z8HwPe3WNsdEfrT6aI1WZxMVTTBs-ARSR0NNfxJbU
I am waiting for my copy to come!
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Yes Hans, well said about Sunil, he always seems easy to have a nice conversation with!Originally posted by Hans Jung View PostLeave a comment:
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Best Lessons of a Chess Coach! - a legendary book! (see post #55 above) - a reprint great ( highly recommended for collections as well as new tournament players). If you get a chance to meet Sunil Weeramantry (the co-author) and Nakamura's stepdad its well worth it. Hes highly approachable especially if you have something intelligent to say or interesting chess knowledge or questions. (He's a frequent visitor of St.Louis chess club)Leave a comment:
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Upcoming Chess Books
July 12, 2020
Two Practical Volumes
Winning in the Chess Opening
By Nikolay Kalinichenko
New in Chess (2018)
Paperback, 352 pages
In English
Publisher’s Blurb
Every chess player loves to win early in the opening. However you should never lose sight of the most important objective of your opening play: the proper development of your pawns and pieces. That is why this book is more than just an enjoyable collection of traps and tricks. Prolific Russian chess author Nikolai Kalinichenko has collected 700 brilliant miniatures, topical games from a wide variety of players, from World Champions to amateurs.
They are selected for their instructional value, and not merely to highlight blunders or accidents. In his notes Kalinichenko always explains the ideas and plans behind the opening and how play could have been improved. The games are arranged by opening, so the book can be used as a manual. Playing through these exciting games is not just highly enjoyable but will also teach you how to recognize opportunities to ambush your opponent in the first 20 moves. And, reversely, how to avoid such pitfalls in the opening. With the ideas presented in this well-organized book, the adventurous player will certainly win more games, and more rapidly!
The Author
Nikolai Kalinichenko is a Russian Correspondence Chess Grandmaster and one of the most widely read chess authors in the world. Among his books in English are: Vassily Ivanchuk: 100 Selected Games, King’s Gambit, A positional opening repertoire for the club player and Encyclopaedia of the modern chess opening. A total of 78 published books on chess.
Reviews
"There was a specific and a general use that I got from reading this book. The specific use was the particular openings that I play which are covered in this book. You quickly see where pieces should or shouldn't go in the openings you play. The general use was from the games in the openings that I don't plan myself. In those games it was easy to see how violating an opening principle could quickly lead to disaster. I believe that any player who either likes looking at chess games for fun, or who is serious about improving, would be well served by this book." (Chris Wainscott On the Road to Chess Master)
"Traps, tripwires, fun, schadenfreude: these are things I associate this book with. It contains 753 miniatures, most of them with less than 20 moves. It is, above all, a very cheerful book. For a book of this size the price is very friendly." (Johan Hut Noordhollands Dagblad)
"I have used this book as a teaching resource for a couple of months now and found it to be especially useful when working with junior players who know opening principles, but have a rudimentary knowledge of specific standard openings and certainly not an established repertoire. You can use the book to practice tactics ('What was the winning move here?') while learning about various openings (typical piece-placements and plans) and general principles too, because Nikolay Kalinichenko's perspicacious annotations emphasize sound play." (Paul Kane, The Caissa Kid)
"A smashing collection of 700 brilliant played miniatures, all pleasantly divided in various openings lines. This book holds instructive openings explanations and helps you as no other to develop the ability to punish errors in the opening." (Elburg Chess Reviews)
Mastering Positional Sacrifices
By Merijn van Delft
New In Chess (2020)
Paperback, 288 pages
In English
Publisher’s Blurb
Most chess games of beginners and post-beginners are decided by fairly straightforward tactics. Anyone who wants to progress beyond this level and become a strong club player or a candidate master, needs to understand that somewhat mysterious-looking resource, the positional sacrifice.
International Master Merijn van Delft has studied and loved positional sacrifices for as long as he can remember. This non-forcing tool is not just a surprising and highly effective way of creating a decisive advantage during a game. Positional sacrifices are also instruments of superior beauty.
Van Delft has created a unique thematic structure for all types of positional sacrifices. He shows the early historical examples, explains which long-term goals are typical for each fundamental theme and presents lots of instructive modern examples. He then concentrates on those sacrifices that have become standard features of positional play. Solving the exercises he has added will further enhance your skills.
Playing a positional sacrifice will always require courage. Merijn van Delft takes you by the hand and not only teaches the essential technical know-how, he also helps you to recognize the opportunities when to take the plunge. Mastering Positional Sacrifices is bound to become a modern-day classic.
The Author
Merijn van Delft is an International Master from the Netherlands. He has been a chess trainer for more than two decades and created instructional material both online and offline. One of his books in Developing Chess Talent (2010)
Interview
There is an interview today with the author at the ChessBase website:
https://en.chessbase.com/post/an-int...rijn-van-delft
An excerpt:
You just published a new book: "Mastering Positional Sacrifices". Why did you not write an opening book? Opening books sell a lot better, don't they?
I also like to deal with opening theory, because I am very interested in strategy in general. But I am especially interested in positional sacrifices, a fascinating and increasingly important topic in modern chess. For me it is all connected. Of course, I would be happy when the book sells well, but that was not my main motivation for writing it. I wanted to record systematically what I know about the subject.
How long did you work on the book?
I have been collecting beautiful games and examples for decades and last summer I finally worked out the structure of the book in detail. When I had the structure, it took only a few months to write it. Much quicker than writing my final thesis at university!
Very briefly, the difference between positional and tactical sacrifice is...?
Tactical sacrifices usually aim for quick success, mostly to mate the king. Positional sacrifices are long-term. You give material but you get other advantages in return, e.g. good pieces, a good pawn structure or control of important squares.
When did you have the idea to turn your interest in the topic into a book?
I asked New in Chess if they could imagine to publish such a book. Allard Hoogland was immediately interested and said, sure, come by and we'll discuss it. Peter Boel became my editor, and since he is an old friend from Apeldoorn, working with New in Chess was very pleasant. From time to time Allard and Peter came up with an idea but otherwise I just did my thing – an ideal arrangement.
How is the book structured?
The book is 300 pages long and in the first nine chapters I present 115 model games. Chapter 10 contains 48 tasks related to the topic.
Please visit the ChessBase website for the rest of the interview.
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Upcoming Chess Books
July 1, 2020
Winning Quickly with 1.b3 and 1…b6
by Ilya Odessky
New in Chess (2020)
Paperback, 464 pages
In English
From the publisher’s blurb:
"I left chess in 2012. I did not touch it for several years. Then I decided to test my strength in Internet blitz. I started from scratch. The board floated before my eyes, and my knee twitched.
Less than two months later, I crossed the grandmaster rating mark. My opponents, among them lots of players with a big name, played chess better than me. Surprisingly though, I knew more. On a small island of chess theory, onto which I lured them, I was better equipped. Much better! About 30% of the games ended in wins around the 20th move. A quarter of the games simply ended in mate. In all games, I opened with the moves 1.b3 and 1…b6."
That’s how IM Ilya Odessky starts his new book, and you immediately know that this is not your regular chess opening work. In fact, Odessky confesses his hate for the traditional Botvinnik-era-inspired teaching books that he describes as reading like "military didactic manuals".
And Odessky does something that no author of an opening book has ever done: he admits that some of his lines may objectively be somewhat dubious. But not to worry: "We are prepared to set traps!"
In blitz and rapid games Odessky’s ideas will lead to spectacular play and many surprising wins. Ilya Odessky is a great writer and he will entertain, amuse and surprise you in this breathtaking journey full of ultra-romantic chess.
In a review that will be published in the next issue of the Yearbook, GM Glenn Flear writes: "Despite all the confusion, the mischievous almost anti-establishment joy in all this trickery is contagious. What tremendous fun!"
So you have been warned: Winning Quickly with 1.b3 and 1..b6 is not for the faint-hearted.
The Author - Ilya Odessky is an International Master from Russia, a well-known chess coach and a prolific author.
A selection of his books in English:
English Defence
Russian Chess House (2008)
Play 1.b3!: the Nimzo-Larsen attack: a friend for life
New in Chess (2008)
Soviet Chess Strategy by Alexey Suetin
compiled by Ilya Odessky
Quality Chess (2010)
Soviet Middlegame Technique by Peter Romanovsky
compiled by Ilya Odessky
Quality Chess (2013)
Comments - Ilya Odessky: Play 1.b3! It doesn't happen often that a chess author makes me laugh, but Ilya Odessky is one of them. But that's not all. Many reviews of his new book Play 1.b3!, published by New in Chess, are also extremely funny. The point is, most reviewers assume Odessky wrote an opening book, which only reveals they haven't even read the book. This book is not about a chess opening at all. If I had to classify it, I'd say it was perhaps a postmodern novel.
Or maybe a philosophical work with a comical twist. Or something in the confessional literature. Or a detective with a moral. Or maybe just a love story. Every time I pick up Play 1.b3! and start reading it, I find something which forces me to re-evaluate the classification I've just made. The following quote looks like it's straight from the preface, but in fact it's how the fourth chapter starts:
I must ask your forgiveness. Almost all of the examples (whether confirming or refuting my analysis), I have taken from the Internet. (...) Not that this bothers me - it is just a little unusual, that's all. There is no choice about this. It has been a long time since I sat down to play a tournament game. And, I am interested in the opening b2-b3 and wanted to write a book about it. Those players who employ 1.b3 nowadays look at it differently from me. I do not find my ideas being used in their games. And my ideas seem to me to be more interesting. It is nice to be able to try them out, even if it is only on the Internet.
Apart from the unorthodox placement of such a statement, Odessky's free prose style reminds me more of a surrealist piece of work than a textbook opening manual. This unorthodoxy, by the way, is something the author clearly likes. Chapter 11 starts with the following motto, taken from a remark by D.D. Shostakovich to Sofia Gubaidullina:
I would like you to continue on your incorrect path.
Or consider the strangely minimalist end of Chapter 15, where Odessky sums up the conclusions about the variation 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 d6:
All White's problems, I am sure, start with the move 4.c4. It loses a tempo, it loses the thread of the game, it loses the independence of b2-b3. One must play 4.Bb5. But I really don't want to. Maybe 4.Nf3!? I don't know what else to say.
Finally, look how on page 210, Odessky introduces Chapter 21, one of the last chapters in the book:
A righteous man dies, and quite deservedly goes to Heaven. Soon he starts to find life there rather boring. One day, as he is out for a walk a long way from his own cloud, he finds himself in Hell. And, to his surprise, he rather likes it - green fields, beautiful girls, lots of nice entertainment, etc. The Devil says to him, 'You see? All that propaganda about fire and brimstone, it's all lies. Why don't you move here permanently?' The man agrees, saying 'I just need to pop home and pick up a few things, and I'll be back.' Soon he returns, walks through the gate, which slams behind him, and all he sees is fire, and the air is filled with screams of tormented souls. 'But what happened to all the green fields and pretty girls?' he asks. 'Fool,' replies the Devil. 'Then you were just on holiday. Now you've emigrated!' The previous chapters of this book were also just a holiday.
Let me get that straight: after 209 pages, Odessky finally comes to explaining 'the basics' of the so-called Nimzowitsch Attack! Before that, we've just been on vacation - but what a great vacation! Not only has Odessky told us great tales, sometimes with a lot of sarcasm or deep philosophical insight; has he given us honest and sometimes painful insights in his own chess career; but he's also shown us fantastic chess concepts and moves that are characteristic of the way Odessky is interpreting the move 1.b3
https://www.chess.com/news/view/review-play-1-b3
See also:
http://www.chessintranslation.com/20...urns-in-style/
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A few more ...
Sep 1, 2020
Best Lessons of a Chess Coach | Paperback
Sunil Weeramantry | Ed Eusebi
Oct 1, 2020
World Champion Chess for Juniors: Learn From the Greatest Players Ever | Paperback
Joel Benjamin
Magnus Carlsen: 60 Memorable Games | Paperback
Andrew Soltis
Batsford | Batsford
Oct 14, 2020
600 Modern Chess Puzzles | Paperback
Martyn Kravtsiv
Gambit Publications, LTD | Gambit Publications
The Chess Endgame Exercise Book | Paperback
John Nunn
Gambit Publications, LTD | Gambit Publications
Games & Activities / Chess
Grades 8+
Release date Oct 14, 2020
Defend Like Petrosian: What You Can Learn From Tigran Petrosian's Extraordinary Defensive Skills | Paperback
Alexei Bezgodov
New In Chess | New In Chess
Games & Activities / Chess
Release date Oct 12, 2020
How to Become a Candidate Master: A Practical Guide to Take Your Chess to the Next Level | Paperback
Alex Dunne
New In Chess | New In Chess
Games & Activities / Chess
Release date Oct 5, 2020
Open Tournament Play Manual | 1st Edition | Paperback
Shabalov Alexander
Thinkers Publishing | Thinkers Publishing
Games & Activities / Chess
Release date Sep 3, 2020
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Timman is a very good analyst, and he includes some nice anecdotes in his stories about tournaments. He skips over many tactical lines which are too complicated for me to see without either silicon help or working harder than I want to :P ... but that may be because he's annotating for a more skilled/less lazy audience than me.
Timman has published his annotated games so many times that it will be a tough call for him to choose between repeating some games and notes and (as he did in Timman's Titans, where he annotated many of his games vs World Champions) saying that readers could find the game in another one of his books.
Originally posted by Amit R View PostLeave a comment:
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This one, due in Dec, promises to be interesting.
Timman's Triumphs: My 100 Best Games Paperback – Dec 1 2020
by Jan Timman (Author)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/9056919172/Leave a comment:
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https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-be...stuart-rachels This book is listed in post 46 above but I enjoyed this article and will be getting the book.Leave a comment:
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Upcoming Chess Books
May 30, 2020
Fischer in Cuba
It was only last week that I heard that two volumes had appeared entitled Fischer in Cuba. I knew that he had been in the Havana Olympiad in 1966 but how on earth could one spin this into 500 pages of text?
I now have the two volumes on the desk in front of me and I shall begin.
Fischer in Cuba Vol. I: Ten Years of Close Encounters
By Miguel Angel Sanchez & Jesus Suarez
The Bowker Team, 2020
Paperback, 266 pages
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Fischer in Cuba Vol. II: Additional Games
By Miguel Angel Sanchez & Jesus Suarez
Obispos, 2020
Paperback, 243 pages
From the introduction by the authors:
During his eventful life, Robert “Bobby “ James Fischer was directly related to Cuba three times. He arrived by ferry to Havana on Saturday, February 25, 1956, two weeks before he turned 13 years old. This was his first trip abroad.
The second time occurred in August 1965, when the American, already 22 years old, played by teletype from the distant Marshall Chess Club in New York in the tournament in memory of the former World Chess Champion Jose Raul Capablanca, which was held in the Cuban capital.
In the dawn of October 24, 1966, nearly ten years and nine months after his first trip to the island, Fischer stepped on Cuban soil via Mexico as a member of the United States team in the 17th Chess Olympiad held in Havana. In this, his last visit to Cuba, he was twenty three years old.
The first Volume of this book covers Fischer’s incidents in Cuba, including all his official games, both in the tournament Capablanca In Memoriam of 1965 and in the 1966 Chess Olympiad.
We also analyze the only two games of his trip to Cuba in 1956 that has survived the passing of time: the one played against Jose Ramon Florido in the match between the chess clubs Capablanca and Log Cabin, and another played the next day.
Both have historical importance: with Florido, it was his first victory against a well-known player, in addition to his first one abroad. The other game, because it was in his first simultaneous exhibition with the participation of adults, and his first outside the United States.
This work has two important introductions by Grandmasters Leinier Dominguez and Andy Soltis, in which they leave, respectively, enlightening comments and interesting impressions in their views about the book.
On the other hand, we can assert that many details mentioned in this book were unknown until now. Its reconstruction was based on interviews with reliable and identified sources related to the activities of the American player in the Caribbean island.
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In the Second Volume of this book we include a study of Fischer: First of his style and second, of his openings.
In order to facilitate the readers an approach to the development of Fischer’s openings, as well as the similarities and differences in their treatment, there is a selection of Additional Games, which also reflect the strategic lines used in similar situations both by the American and by other Grandmasters.
Two important witnesses of Fischer’s travels to Cuba were Pedro Urta, who sailed on the same ferry that took Fischer to the capital of the island in 1956; and Gaspar Gonzalez Lanuza, who as an officer of the Ministry of Culture received and accompanied Fischer during his brief stay of two days in Cienfuegos. Both graciously offered their testimonies in interviews in Havana during 2017.
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Apart from the seven games that appeared in the Notes of the First Volume, the four in one Appendix in the Third Chapter and the two in Fischer’s Treatment of the Openings, we have included more than 1,500 Additional Games about the lines that Fischer used in his encounters in Cuba, as well as others that reinforce the narrative of the book.
Of these games, more than 250 are from the American Grandmaster, most of them commented.
The Authors: Miguel A. Sanchez and Jesus Suarez have worked together on chess projects since 1963, as editors of the Cuban Magazine Jaque Mate, as well as recently in the exhaustive and acclaimed biography of Jose Raul Capablanca. Now, they combine their experiences for this thorough and informative description of the contacts of a leading player, Bobby Fischer, with Cuba.
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Younger readers may not know about the Log Cabin Chess Club.
The journey to Cuba was part of a tour to various cities in the United States, where seven members of the Log Cabin Chess Club clashed against amateur chess players in Tampa, Miami and Hollywood, all in Florida as well as in Clinton, North Carolina.
At least three members of the Log Cabin were characters worthy of an anthology. The first was the neo-Nazi Elliot Forry Laucks. The second was the swindler Norman Tweed Whitaker. The third was the no-less peculiar Regina Wender-Fischer, mother of the child and watched by the FBI.
In the basement of his home in the village of East Orange, New Jersey, Laucks founded a chess club. He covered the walls of his place with thick logs. Such design as a rustic cabin in the wood helped him to name his association Log Cabin Chess Club. He piled club members into his car along with their baggage and took off cross-country, never caring for a moment about the condition of the vehicle.
Norman Whitaker is also mentioned above. He was an American International Master of chess, a lawyer, a civil servant, and a chess author. He was convicted of several crimes, was disbarred from the practice of law, and served several terms in prison. His most infamous criminal escapade was a confidence trick involving the Lindbergh kidnapping in 1932.
Those who would like to read more about him can get the book: Shady Side: The Life and Crimes of Norman Tweed Whitaker, Chess Master by John Hilbert, Caissa publishers, 2000. My friend Dale Brandreth told me that he had a whole trunk of material that had belonged to Whitaker and he thought it should be published and was, in the above book.
McFarland published Jose Raul Capablanca: A Chess Biography in 2015. The author is Miguel A. Sanchez, a journalist and historian in Cuba, who also wrote several other books about Cuban contemporary history. He lives in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
It is hard to classify the two volumes of Fischer in Cuba. The first is interesting from a historical and anecdotal perspective, the second shows the great influence of Fischer on contemporary players. I doubt as to whether they will ever be popular or be reprinted. I say get them while they are available because they will probably disappear after a few years and you will never be able to buy them again unless you pay premium prices.
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I looked up Cyrus Lakdawala. He's written 46 books! He writes well and a lot. I enjoy his writing.Leave a comment:
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Upcoming Chess Books
May 23, 2020
Emanuel Lasker
Volume 2: Choices and Chances. Chess and Other Games of the Mind
Authors: Richard Forster, Michael Negele, and Raj Tischbierek
The second part of the monumental trilogy about the second world champion Emanuel Lasker, 1868-1941. The German version of this book was published in one big volume, which had more than 1,000 pages and became a bestseller. The English version is published in three parts and this is the second one. The book contains many annotated games, almost 200 photos and illustrations, in the 70 pages of Lasker’s biography, part 2. There are separate chapters on Lasker’s stays in Holland and at the famous New York 1924 tournament, which Lasker won with 16 of 20 against Capablanca 14.5, Alekhine 12 etc. The other chapters deal with Emanuel Lasker and Game Theory, his knowledge of board games like Lasca (Lasker invented it), Salta, Go, Checkers, Bridge etc. Several indexes at the end.
Exzelsior Verlag, Berlin 2020
Hard Cover, 464 pages
Language: English + Figurine notation
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Vladimir Tukmakov has published four books before in English:
Coaching the Chess Stars
Thinkers Publishing 2019
Risk & Bluff in Chess, The Art of Taking Calculated Risks
New in Chess 2015
Modern Chess Preparation
New in Chess 2013
Profession: Chessplayer
Russell Enterprises 2006
These should be in the library of every collector and chess professional.
To these, a fifth book will soon appear:
Modern Chess Formula The Powerful Impact of Engines
By Vladimir Tukmakov
The author discusses how to make the computer work most effectively in chess preparation. Vladimir Tukmakov using many annotated games of the world’s top players, shows how such a top player builds his opening repertoire and his opening philosophy. He explains how top-level players solve problems in the middle game, why even top-class players make mistakes. He is a respected coach of Karpov, Korchnoi, Giri, So and teams from Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. He himself was formerly one of the world’s top players. The book was first published in Russian with the title Igray (ne) kak computer.
Thinkers Publishing 2020
Paperback, 496 pages
Language: English + Figurine notation
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The next book was discussed in post number 11 of USSR vs The Rest of the World, 1970
https://forum.chesstalk.com/forum/ch...the-world-1970
The Match of the Century USSR vs World
50th Anniversary Edition
By Tigran Petrosian and Aleksandar Matanovic
A substantially updated/enlarged edition of the book, which was published shortly after the match in 1970, compiled by Douglas Griffin and Igor Zveglic. The book contains all 40 games, mostly annotated in detail by the players themselves, now all in English (in the original edition, the comments of the Russian players were only in Russian). In this edition, there are also new translations of articles from the Russian press, background information of the match and preparation of the Soviet team, extended biographies of players, excerpts from later interviews, etc. The Match of the Century was played on 10 boards, 4 rounds. Five world champions and the best players of the time took part: Spassky, Petrosian, Korchnoi, Polugaevsky, Geller, Smyslov, Taimanov, Botvinnik, Tal, Keres, Stein, Bronstein on the side of the USSR and Larsen, Fischer, Portisch, Hort Gligoric, Reshevsky, Uhlmann, Matulovic, Najdorf, Ivkov, Olafsson, Darga on the side of the World.
Chess Informant, 2020
Hardcover, 256 pages
Language: English + Figurine notation
I advise you to get a copy soon if you want one because there was a press run of just 1000 copies and my European bookseller is all sold out.
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Old Wine in New Bottles
By Mihail Marin
The book is a collection of essays on various strategic and tactical topics. Most of these articles were originally published in Chess Informants, however there are some appearing for the first time. Mihail Marin belongs to the most successful authors of recent years. He wrote more than 10 books of which some became bestsellers, for example Learn from the Legends (which reached 3 editions), or the trilogy The English Opening 1-3
Part One
Basic Principles
A few twin games and one golden rule – Development!
Strong king in the centre
Part Two
Tactics
Is chess a matter of memory? Lasker’s double bishop sacrifice
The Achilles heel of the chessboard – f7/f2 weak points
The b4 pawn- a brave foot soldier
Part Three
Strategy
Exchanging the double pawns
Removing an outpost by an exchange sacrifice
The positional queen sacrifice and the strong passed pawn
The central pawns attack
Part Four
The Attack
Attacking with simple moves
Exchanging queens during a sacrificial attack
The necessity to attack
- e5x f6! How dramatic can it be
Part Five
Middlegame plans of specific openings
The Hedgehog
Pianissimo or Fortissimo?
Fire on Board – Sicilian Scheveningen structure
Son of Sorrow
Part Six
The individual and joined abilities of the pieces
The versatility of the knight
Are all rook endings drawn?
The unfaithful queen
The knight endgames extravaganza
A rare but thrilling endgame
The Spanish knights
Chess Informant 2019
Hardcover, 384 pages
Language: English + Figurine notation
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In the Zone
The Greatest Winning Streaks in Chess History
By Cyrus Lakdawala
The book contains 119 deeply annotated games of the greatest players during their greatest triumphs. Cyrus Lakdawala takes you on a trip through chess history looking at peak performances of some of the greatest players who ever lived: Morphy, Steinitz, Pillsbury, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Fischer, Tal, Kasparov, Karpov, Caruana and Carlsen. They all had very different playing styles, yet at a certain point in their rich careers, they all entered the one and simply wiped out the best players in the world. Bibliography, index of players.
These chapters give some idea of the games you are to see:
Paul Morphy, First American Chess Congress 1857
William Steinitz, 7-0 Match Victory over Joseph Henry Blackburne
Harry Nelson Pillsbury, Hastings 1895
Emanuel Lasker, New York 1924
Jose Raul Capablanca, New York 1927
Alexander Alekhine, Bled 1931
Botvinnik, The Hague/Moscow 1948
Fischer, US Championship 1963/64
Mikhail Tal, Riga Interzonal 1979
Garry Kasparov, Tilburg 1989
Anatoly Karpov, Linares 1994
Fabiano Caruana, Sinquefield Cup 2014
Magnus Carlsen, Grenke Chess Classic 2019
New in Chess 2020
Paperback, 400 pages
Language: English + Figurine notation
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