Crafty Old Nimzo Review by Chris Wainscott Nimzowitsch: Move by Move, by Steve Giddins, Everyman Chess 2014, Paperback, 280pp. $29.95 (ChessCafe Price $25.66); Ebook $19.95 The credit for the title of this review belongs to legendary WGM Camila Baginskaite who referred to Nimzowitsch by this moniker during a lecture at Ole Chess earlier this year. This installment of the now wildly popular Move by Move series published by Everyman Chess is one of the latest in a growing line of books to feature a specific player. I own all of the previous player-based installments with the exception of Petrosian: Move by Move, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect as far as the … [Read more...]
Book Reviews
Johannes Zukertort
The Chess Apostle Review by Michael McGuerty Johannes Zukertort: Artist of the Chessboard, by Jimmy Adams, New In Chess 2014, Paperback, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 528pp. $39.95 (ChessCafe.com Price $34.12) Johannes Hermann Zukertort (1842-1888) was one of the top players during the late 1800s, and one of the most successful tournament players of his time. MacDonnell referred to Zukertort as “the ‘Chess Apostle’” and Golombek called him “one of the chess immortals.” The high-point of Zukertort’s career was his triumph at the 1883 London International Tournament in which he won twenty-two games and lost only one. He contested and lost two matches to Wilhelm Steinitz, in … [Read more...]
Bent Larsen’s Best Games
Fighting Chess with the Great Dane Review by Davide Nastasio Bent Larsen's Best Games, by Bent Larsen, 2014 New In Chess, Algebraic Notation, Paperback, 352pp. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price $29.87) I love history, and of course I love chess history even more. However, chess history is made by different characters from various periods of time. Some players are legends because they are beyond the standards of their time, like Fischer, and some are minor characters in this cosmic drama we call life. Bent Larsen was a world class player who lived in a golden era where professional chess players were few, mainly starving, and sacrificed aspects of their lives for the love of Caissa. At a time … [Read more...]
Chess Progress
A Beginning Primer Review by Steve Goldberg Chess Progress: From Beginner to Winner, by Erik Czerwin, 2014 Everyman Chess, Algebraic Notation, Paperback, 334pp. $29.95 (ChessCafe Price $25.57) Chess Progress: From Beginner to Winner, as the title suggests, is designed to take the reader from no knowledge of chess to a reasonable semblance of competency. While I am not sure that an experienced player, as the introduction states, will pore through the book to discover new layers to the game, nevertheless, this is the kind of book I would have enjoyed soaking in when I was new to chess. With its compelling cover, hefty 334 pages, attractive layout and clear diagrams, the author brings … [Read more...]
The Improving Chess Thinker
The Psychology of Systematic Chess Thinking Review by Stephen Munroe The Improving Chess Thinker, Second Edition, by Dan Heisman, Mongoose Press, Figurine Algebraic Notation, Paperback, $21.95 (ChessCafe Price $18.37) In the competitive arena, the phrase “chess psychology” sometimes refers to strategies used to distract, unsettle or anticipate one’s opponent, that is, strategies for playing the person as opposed to strictly playing the position on the board. This use of psychology in chess could not be further from that presented in the second edition of The Improving Chess Thinker by Dan Heisman, a well-known chess writer, experienced instructor and long-time ChessCafe.com … [Read more...]
Petrosian: Move by Move
A Fresh Reappraisal of a Chess Original Review by Michael Ciamarra Petrosian: Move by Move, by IM Thomas Engqvist, Everyman Chess 2014, Paperback, 392 pp., $29.95 (ChessCafe Price $25.46); Ebook (ChessCafe Price $21.95) Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (1929 - 1984), the Ninth World Chess Champion, wrote, "It is certainly no secret that the best and probably the only road to mastery in chess is profound study of the games played by chess masters." What better journey on the "road to mastery" than to study and assimilate techniques from none other than - Petrosian's own games? Petrosian: Move by Move, is Swedish International Master Thomas Engqvist's first published chess … [Read more...]
Yelena Dembo’s Chess Quiz, by Yelena Dembo
Problems to Enjoy Reviewed by Steve Goldberg Yelena Dembo’s Chess Quiz: Sacrifices Near the King 1, 2014, by Yelena Dembo, ChessBase and PGN formats, $7.95 Yelena Dembo’s Chess Quiz: Rook Endings 1, 2014, by Yelena Dembo, ChessBase and PGN formats, $7.95 Greek International Master Yelena Dembo has put together a number of downloadable training modules that are available in ChessBase and PGN formats. In this review we will look at Sacrifices Near the King and Rook Endings. Each consists of twenty problem positions from actual games. In both products, the viewer is essentially asked how the game should proceed to victory. The ChessBase file can be used within any of the … [Read more...]
Test Your Chess, by Zenon Franco
Stimulus to Learning by Michael McGuerty Test Your Chess, by Zenon Franco, Everyman Chess 2014, Paperback, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 478pp. $29.95 (ChessCafe.com Price $25.51) Zenon Franco is a grandmaster and chess trainer from Paraguay who now lives in Spain. He has represented Paraguay in seven Olympiads on top board, and twice won individual gold medals, at Lucerne in 1982 and Novi Sad in 1990. His most notable pupil is Francisco Vallejo Pons whom he trained from 1995 to 1999. In Test Your Chess Franco presents forty deeply annotated games in a test-yourself format similar to his book Chess Self-Improvement. American readers may be more familiar with the format through Bruce … [Read more...]
Yelena Dembo’s Opening Theory: Slav and Semi-Slav
Dense, But Enlightening by Chris Wainscott Yelena Dembo's Opening Theory: Slav and Semi-Slav, ChessBase and PGN file formats, 2014, $39.95 Yelena Dembo's Opening Theory: Slav and Semi-Slav is not an ebook per se. Instead, it is an insanely dense opening preparation database. As indicated in the introductory paragraph, if you were to print this out on a word processor it would span roughly 760 pages! Here is the entire introductory text: "Welcome to Yelena Dembo's Chess Openings: Slav and Semi-Slav 1! "With Yelena Dembo's Chess Openings, Greek International Master Yelena Dembo invites you into her personal theoretical laboratory! The 100 very deeply annotated game examples … [Read more...]
The Batsford Book of Chess: From Beginner to Winner
From Zeroes to Heroes by Steve Goldberg The Batsford Book of Chess: From Beginner to Winner, by Sean Marsh, Batsford 2014, Algebraic Notation, Hardcover, 208pp. $22.95 (ChessCafe Price $17.21) The original Batsford Book of Chess, penned by Robert Wade, appeared in 1974 with the title Playing Chess. Subsequent editions, with the name changed to The Batsford Book of Chess, were published in 1984 and in 1991. These earlier versions were intended for newer players, as is the current edition. Author Sean Marsh notes his goals for this book: Using our quick start guides, to teach novices of all ages the basics – so they can begin to play chess in the shortest possible time. After … [Read more...]
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