Delightful Games and Clownish Commentary Review by Michael McGuerty Larsen: Move by Move, by Cyrus Lakdawala, Everyman Chess 2014, Paperback, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 488pp., $29.95 (ChessCafe Price $25.57) Amazingly, this is Cyrus Lakdawala’s eighteenth book, at least if the list in the “Also by the Author” section is complete. It seems he is able to churn out the potboilers by the month. The main content here is divided as follows: Larsen on the Attack Larsen on Defence and Counterattack Larsen on the Dynamic Element Larsen on Exploiting Imbalances Larsen on Accumulating Advantages Larsen in the Endgame Lakdawala opens Larsen: Move by Move eloquently enough … [Read more...]
Book Reviews
The Modern Scotch Opening
Chess is a Tool of Self-Discovery By Davide Nastasio The Modern Scotch Opening, by Parimarjan Negi, ChessBase DVD, Video running time: 6 hours, $39.95 (ChessCafe Price $29.96) According to the DVD packaging, the Scotch Opening has evolved from the swashbuckling games of the 19th century to become a sound and aggressive alternative to the Spanish Opening. In this DVD, GM Parimarjan Negi examines the latest revolution in Scotch theory that has completely changed white’s plans, and once again brought back the interest of the world’s elite. He also looks at a dynamic way for Black to counter this latest trend. Negi became the youngest GM in the world in 2006 (he was only born in … [Read more...]
Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide
Typical Plans and Patterns By Brian Almeida Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide, by Mauricio Flores Rios, Quality Chess 2015, 462pp, Hardcover, $45.95 (ChessCafe Price $39.47); Paperback, $34.95 (ChessCafe Price $29.87) Mauricio Flores Rios, a grandmaster from Chile, earned the title at eighteen years of age, and is a regular member of Chile’s Olympiad team. He is also pursuing a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Minnesota. In Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide he presents 140 examples, including full games and fragments, classified by pawn structure in an attempt to guide the reader to learning how these specific positions should be conducted. There are also fifty … [Read more...]
The Chess Tactics Detection Workbook
The Year of the Fish By Michael McGuerty The Chess Tactics Detection Workbook, by Volker Schlepütz and John Emms, Everyman Chess 2015, Paperback, 256pp. $27.95 (ChessCafe Price $23.87) The chess world has changed. It used to be that we were entreated to study well-annotated master games as a means to improvement. Now we are being asked to examine non-annotated non-master games. In fact, we are expected to supply the annotations ourselves as well. Let me explain: in The Chess Tactics Detection Workbook, Dr Volker Schlepütz and Grandmaster John Emms present selected games from beginnersto club level players where the reader is asked tolookfor mistakes ormissed opportunities by both … [Read more...]
The Triangle Setup
The Answer to my Prayers By Davide Nastasio The Triangle Setup: A Complete Defense Against 1.d4, by Michal Krasenkow, ChessBase 2015, DVD, Video running time 5 hours 29 min, $36.95 (ChessCafe Price $31.57) Last year I played the Dutch and the English Defense. While I had good results online with the Dutch, I had really bad experiences in over-the-board events; where real chess is played! So this year I desperately needed to make a change in my opening repertoire as black against 1.d4. The answer to my prayers came in the form of The Triangle Setup DVD from Michal Krasenkow and ChessBase; which makes Caissa a real goddess, because she answered my prayers. GM Krasenkow is a coach … [Read more...]
New Art of Defence in Chess
Evolving Defensive Thinking by Michael McGuerty New Art of Defence in Chess, by Andrew Soltis, Batsford 2014, Paperback, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 228pp. $23.95 (ChessCafe Price $20.47) Grandmaster Andy Soltis is a popular Chess Life columnist, the chess correspondent for the New York Post, and the author of numerous classics of chess literature, including Pawn Structure Chess, The Inner Game of Chess, Rethinking the Chess Pieces, and many others. He was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame in 2011. The Art of Defense in Chess was first published by McKay in 1974 using descriptive notation. As Soltis explains in the introduction, he realized the need for an updated edition … [Read more...]
St. Petersburg, 1895-96
A Turning Point in Chess History by Brian Almeida St. Petersburg, 1895-96, by Robert Sherwood, Caissa Editions 2014, Hardback, Algebraic Notation,124pp. $32.00 (ChessCafe Price $27.20) This is a heavily revised, new edition of The Match Tournament at St Petersburg 1895-96 by John C. Owen, originally published by Caissa Editions in 1989. Owen's book of the event presented all the games with annotations taken largely from contemporary commentaries, such as the notes from the 1896 book by Mason and Pollock. For this volume Robert Sherwood includes the “engaging and enlightening” game introductions written by Owen and reworked the analysis with the strongest available engines (Komodo … [Read more...]
2014 Book of the Year
The Winner and New Champion by Mark Donlan ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year The three titles vying for ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year were Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games by Victor Bologan, John Nunn's Chess Course, by John Nunn, and Mikhail Botvinnik: The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion, by Andy Soltis. While Mikhail Botvinnik had a strong showing in round one to easily advance to round two, round two was a run off between Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games and John Nunn's Chess Course. We are now pleased to announce that John Nunn's Chess Course has been voted the ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year. Congratulations to author John Nunn and … [Read more...]
The Inner Game of Chess
Every Key is Different Review by Michael McGuerty The Inner Game of Chess, Andrew Soltis, Mongoose Press 2014, Paperback, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 324pp. $19.95 (ChessCafe Price $16.95) Grandmaster Andy Soltis is a popular Chess Life columnist and the author of numerous classics of chess literature, including Pawn Structure Chess, The New Art of Defense in Chess, Rethinking the Chess Pieces, and many others. He was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame in 2011. According to the back cover blurb, “In The Inner Game of Chess, GM Andy Soltis shows that the key to good calculation is good visualization of the position in front of us and then after the moves we’re considering. … [Read more...]
2014 Book of the Year Round Two
The Three Finalists by Mark Donlan ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year Round Two The following titles, listed alphabetically below, received the most nominations from the first round. Now it is time to vote for one of these three books to become the ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year. Round two will be open for voting from January 19 until February 1. The title then receiving the highest number of votes will be the ChessCafe.com 2014 Book of the Year. The winner will be announced February 2, 2015. With regard to the round one voting, the titles John Nunn's Chess Course, by John Nunn, and Mikhail Botvinnik: The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion, by Andy Soltis, handily won … [Read more...]