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This is a poll concerning the topics of two books I'm thinking of writing at some point. Respondents are asked if they hypothetically might seriously consider buying either if they ever were to be written, assuming the price of each was viewed as acceptable, based on the topic of each book.
The first idea for a book would be an annotated collection of my best games, with notes geared towards intermediate or higher playing strength readers (note: I am a 2300+ player, with a peak CFC rating of 2406).
The second idea for a book would be about three Sicilian Sveshnikov lines involving piece sacrifices against Black's pawn on b5,
(1) 11.Bxb5, (2) 11.Nxb5 and (3) 11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5 (note that the last piece sac can also arise by transposition after 11.Nxb5, or even 10...Bg7). The book's ultimate evaluation of these sacrifices would be that they are all playable, leading to either unclear or unexplored positions in the most critical lines.
24
I would consider buying Kevin Pacey games collection & Sveshnikov sac lines books
12.50%
3
I would only consider buying a Kevin Pacey games collection book
50.00%
12
I would only consider buying a Sveshnikov sac lines book
4.17%
1
I would not consider buying either book if they were written
33.33%
8
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
Hi Kevin! I voted that I would only buy the best games book. I would buy such a volume from almost any amateur player and read it with interest. It's a project that I would encourage any player to at least consider. It's very rewarding on many levels - except the financial one. :) Even great players don't get rich off their books.
I can tell you that, if you approach it seriously, there is no way not to make a few dollars on the project. All that you can "lose" is your hours spent writing and you probably know that wouldn't be a loss at all.
Best of luck to you Kevin and I hope you inspire many others to do the same!
From the analysis you have done on your games and opening lines that you have done from time to time on chesstalk, I would definitely consider buying a book from you. Your prose is clear and easy to understand, and you have a knack for developing difficult ideas in a way that is easy for lower rated players to be able to understand and learn from. If you do decide to write a book, I wish you the best of luck.
The results of the poll so far, at the time I write these words, are about what I expected in terms of the relative popularity of each of the two possible book topics. I had estimated that about 15% of serious players (anywhere) would play either side of the Sveshnikov Sicilian, which coincides roughly with the 2/12 votes so far for that book topic (i.e. respondents wanting just a possible Sveshnikov sac lines book, or wanting that book plus a possible best games collection book concerning my own games). The fact that I would be an unknown player outside Canada would have to be taken into consideration when weighing the apparent greater popularity of a games collection book, if I were to write just one book rather than both.
Over a decade ago I tried unsuccessfully to get a book published on the Sveshnikov sac lines (11.Bxb5 and 11.Nxb5 only, at that time). One publisher said he would have published, except that the publisher (Chess Enterprises) was winding his business down just when I submitted :(. Another signed me up, but then insisted on doing a CD first rather than proceeding with the book. There were always too few games to be found in just these particular lines of the Sveshnikov, and so the project stalled. A few years went by, and I found that the book's subject matter would have had to be re-analysed and considerably updated anyway. After a few more years went by, a third major piece sacrifice line in the Sveshnikov (11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5) came to the fore, and is currently somewhat popular, even with some very strong players.
There is also some groundwork already laid for a possible best games collection concerning my own games, in that many candidate games have been (or are going to be) annotated for our national magazine. I would hope to considerably modify the notes to them if they were to end up in book form.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
The sveshnikov book sounds very obscure. At the amateur level, especially below 2000, very few players would have any interest in a book like that because very few players would be able to memorize all that theory. Sometimes chessbase does CD's on this sort of thing, but it is a very niche market.
The sveshnikov book sounds very obscure. At the amateur level, especially below 2000, very few players would have any interest in a book like that because very few players would be able to memorize all that theory. Sometimes chessbase does CD's on this sort of thing, but it is a very niche market.
Any of the piece sacs against the Sveshnikov that I mentioned would provide a particularly aggresive White option vs. this branch of the Sicilian, one in which Black often has more of the fun if White plays less violently. All these sacs have the merit of immediately solving the problem of the offside N/a3, albeit in a radical fashion, with the possible exception of the 11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5 sac (which by the way provides a complete repertoire vs. 10...f5 and the [nowadays] less favoured 10...Bg7, via a transposition). In this case Black can decline with 13...Bxd5 14.exd5 Ne7 when the N/b5 again must retire, but these days accepting with 13...axb5 is rather more favoured. Accepted or declined, this sac (like the 11.Nxb5 one) is more positional than the 11.Bxb5 piece sac, and there is less theory that's essential to know.
Let's face it, if White is going to allow an Open Sicilian of any sort, he probably has faced up to the fact that he has some memory work and/or research to do. Personally I prefer the 11.Nxb5 sac in my own games so far, since it cuts down on absolutely essential memory work that's necessary for survival, and is rather less sharp/chaotic than 11.Bxb5. There are lots of folks, even amateurs, who are theory hounds though, and some buy books just to play through or understand sharp, entertaining stuff even if they don't plan to use it themselves for the forseeable future.
As I posted previously, I estimate about 15% of serious players would play either side of the Sveshnikov. 15% is not that obscure an audience for a given chess opening, ignoring people who are fascinated in following it, but who would never play it. How do I arrive at 15%? Take an estimate of 40% of players having 1.e4 in their repertoire, with a conservative estimate of a quarter of these willing to go into main line Open Sicilians - probably not far off even for amatuers. That's a subtotal of 10%.
Take an estimate of 40% of players playing the Sicilian as Black (true in my own practice on average for many years, when I have played 1.e4 vs. opponents), with a conservative estimate of one eighth playing the Sveshnikov up to at least the move ten starting point I have specified, if allowed. That's a subtotal of 5%.
Grand total: 15%. [Edit: A certain fraction of the 5% who play the Sveshnikov as Black may be among the 10% who allow it as White, to be strictly logical]
Last edited by Kevin Pacey; Wednesday, 29th December, 2010, 02:04 AM.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
Hi Kevin.
I voted for the game collection bringing it to a nice round 50%
You can consider it as a serious vote as I own (and enjoy) Neil Sullivan's "Chess is a Struggle" .... not available at amazon! :D
Hi Kevin.
I voted for the game collection bringing it to a nice round 50%
You can consider it as a serious vote as I own (and enjoy) Neil Sullivan's "Chess is a Struggle" .... not available at amazon! :D
Thank you for the kind words Emil! :)
The book is no longer carried by the CMA, but it is available from amazon.com
Between amazon.com and lulu.com, I usually sell a couple of copies per month. It's still a huge kick to get an e-mail from a stranger who takes the time to write me about it.
It even made this reviewer's list "Extraordinary chess books you never heard of" :D
Recently I was asked to send a review copy to Taylor Kingston. He's known for very critical reviews at chesscafe.com and elsewhere. I'm curious to see how he will react.
The experience was so much fun and so rewarding that I would love to see more books from people like Kevin if only so they can see it for themselves.
I also have a small number of copies to sell if anyone is interested.
Any of the piece sacs against the Sveshnikov that I mentioned would provide a particularly aggresive White option vs. this branch of the Sicilian, one in which Black often has more of the fun if White plays less violently. All these sacs have the merit of immediately solving the problem of the offside N/a3, albeit in a radical fashion, with the possible exception of the 11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5 sac (which by the way provides a complete repertoire vs. 10...f5 and the [nowadays] less favoured 10...Bg7, via a transposition). In this case Black can decline with 13...Bxd5 14.exd5 Ne7 when the N/b5 again must retire, but these days accepting with 13...axb5 is rather more favoured. Accepted or declined, this sac (like the 11.Nxb5 one) is more positional than the 11.Bxb5 piece sac, and there is less theory that's essential to know.
Let's face it, if White is going to allow an Open Sicilian of any sort, he probably has faced up to the fact that he has some memory work and/or research to do. Personally I prefer the 11.Nxb5 sac in my own games so far, since it cuts down on absolutely essential memory work that's necessary for survival, and is rather less sharp/chaotic than 11.Bxb5. There are lots of folks, even amateurs, who are theory hounds though, and some buy books just to play through or understand sharp, entertaining stuff even if they don't plan to use it themselves for the forseeable future.
As I posted previously, I estimate about 15% of serious players would play either side of the Sveshnikov. 15% is not that obscure an audience for a given chess opening, ignoring people who are fascinated in following it, but who would never play it. How do I arrive at 15%? Take an estimate of 40% of players having 1.e4 in their repertoire, with a conservative estimate of a quarter of these willing to go into main line Open Sicilians - probably not far off even for amatuers. That's a subtotal of 10%.
Take an estimate of 40% of players playing the Sicilian as Black (true in my own practice on average for many years, when I have played 1.e4 vs. opponents), with a conservative estimate of one eighth playing the Sveshnikov up to at least the move ten starting point I have specified, if allowed. That's a subtotal of 5%.
Grand total: 15%. [Edit: A certain fraction of the 5% who play the Sveshnikov as Black may be among the 10% who allow it as White, to be strictly logical]
It's still an incredibly niche market. How many opening books can you think of that start on a line past move 10? I honestly can't think of any, and I've read or looked at a lot of opening books over the years. It's probably better suited to a phamphlet or something like that.
Just to be clear, I am making absolutely no comment on how good or bad the line or your intended book may be. What I am saying is that even it is super good, probably very very few people will buy a book on that line. Feel free to prove me wrong, I'm just offering what I feel is a realistic opinion.
It's still an incredibly niche market. How many opening books can you think of that start on a line past move 10? I honestly can't think of any, and I've read or looked at a lot of opening books over the years. It's probably better suited to a phamphlet or something like that.
Just to be clear, I am making absolutely no comment on how good or bad the line or your intended book may be. What I am saying is that even it is super good, probably very very few people will buy a book on that line. Feel free to prove me wrong, I'm just offering what I feel is a realistic opinion.
Well, the Breyer Lopez once had a whole book devoted to it in the 1970s. That starts at move nine, i.e. 9...Nb8 (there was no coverage offered of deviations by White before that point). There are other books on Ruy Lopez main lines (e.g. the Chigorin, that basically starts with 11...Qc7, or the Zaitsev, which starts with 9...Bb7). Similarly there are whole books devoted to the Botvinnik System of the Semi-Slav, which more or less just begins at move ten. Each of these are more or less often arrived at in the games of reasonably strong players, or even booked up amateurs (apparently one here in Ottawa has a low rating, but is said to know at least some of the main lines of the Botvinnik System up to move 30 or so).
The moves of the Sveshnikov are nowadays widely known (even to intermediate strength amateurs) to be pretty much the best moves by far, after Black plays 5...e5, for much of the rest of the sequence I gave in my first post of this thread,
namely:
6.Ndb5 (established as clearly best)
6...d6 (else Black will be worse if White is precise)
7.Bg5 (more or less established as best, though some people do like especially 7.Nd5 on occasion, but Black can avoid this by ultimately extending the sequence an extra move in angling for an eventual transposition, e.g. via 2...e6, so many Whites wouldn't bother to learn it anyway)
7...a6 (else again Black will be worse)
8.Na3 (what else?)
8...b5 (else again Black will be worse, though the cultish choice 8...Be6 is almost fully viable).
At this point there is a major choice between the only good moves, 9.Nd5, and the move I gave, namely 9.Bxf6, after which 9...gxf6 is necessary (or Black ends up worse), and at that point there is little reason for White not to prefer 10.Nd5, when 10...f5 is considered preferable nowadays (though the only alternative worth mentioning, 10...Bg7, which I mentioned in previous posts, will have at least cultish status in future, if it's not ever fully respectable again).
What I am trying to say is, the move number that my possible book (on the Sveshnikov sac lines) would start at may be deceiving you. Think of the Ruy Lopez. Both sides best/popular moves up to around move ten are well known, even to intermediate players, for decades. Books start there. It can be the same way with the Sveshnikov nowadays.
A more serious reason people who play either side of the Sveshnikov might not buy such a book is that these sacs have a so-so reputation at best. If they took a peek at ideas I have for White, or waited for a book review, they might take a chance and buy it, in spite of my being an untitled player as well.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
Well, the Breyer Lopez once had a whole book devoted to it in the 1970s. That starts at move nine, i.e. 9...Nb8 (there was no coverage offered of deviations by White before that point). There are other books on Ruy Lopez main lines (e.g. the Chigorin, that basically starts with 11...Qc7, or the Zaitsev, which starts with 9...Bb7). Similarly there are whole books devoted to the Botvinnik System of the Semi-Slav, which more or less just begins at move ten. Each of these are more or less often arrived at in the games of reasonably strong players, or even booked up amateurs (apparently one here in Ottawa has a low rating, but is said to know at least some of the main lines of the Botvinnik System up to move 30 or so).
The Breyer Lopez book was by Les Blackstock (Batsford, circa 1976 I believe). Another example of an opening book I've heard of that goes deep into the move count before starting its coverage was one on the Soltis Variation of the Yugoslav Dragon (by S. Meyer, I seem to recall), which begins after move 12 (after the moves 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.h4 h5).
The moves of the Sveshnikov are nowadays widely known (even to intermediate strength amateurs) to be pretty much the best moves by far, after Black plays 5...e5, for much of the rest of the sequence I gave in my first post of this thread,
namely:
6.Ndb5 (established as clearly best)
6...d6 (else Black will be worse if White is precise)
7.Bg5 (more or less established as best, though some people do like especially 7.Nd5 on occasion, but Black can avoid this by ultimately extending the sequence an extra move in angling for an eventual transposition, e.g. via 2...e6, so many Whites wouldn't bother to learn it anyway)
7...a6 (else again Black will be worse)
8.Na3 (what else?)
8...b5 ...
I should note that an alternative (longer) move order introducing the Sveshnikov (with Bg5 by White included) is:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 a6 9.Na3 b5 (Black may interchange his 2nd, 4th and 5th moves).
Note that this longer move order, while ruling out certain White deviations (e.g. 7.Nd5 in the shorter move order), is rather less popular these days since a drawback is that 6.Nxc6 becomes a more interesting possibility for White than in the shorter move order with 2...Nc6 and 5...e5, and also there is the point that in the event of 2...e6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5, Black is committed to a line of the Rossolimo Variation (2...Nc6 3.Bb5) that he may not prefer to play.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
Probably I bought the last copy at CMA, on Boxing day 2009.
I found out about your book here (at chesstalk) - following a comment as being the most underrated book ever - which is not far from truth :)
And thank you for mentioning here some other books - that's how I got the Smyslov vol 1-2 (on special) from New In Chess.
Regarding a possible Sveshnikov piece sacs book, I previously had a mundane sort of title in mind, but it occurs to me that a really cool title might be 'Blowing up the Sveshnikov' :D, although this wouldn't reflect that I've tried to find improvements for both sides in these lines.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
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