Chess Books

This book has absolutely nothing to distinguish it as an instructive chess book for intermediate players. The annotations are bland and un-informative. Comparable games collections by Kasparov, Nunn, Timman, Korchnoi, Gligoric, Karpov, and countless others far exceed this work by Anand. You can get a games collection of any player downloaded off the internet, so the only reason to buy a games collecion is for their instructive oor informational value. But this 300+ page work is full of comments like, "I figured if this move was good enough for Tal, it was good enough for me." Real enlightening, huh? This is a well-produced GAMBIT publication, but for whatever reason, Anand's writing is very bland. This is an un-inspired work. It is one of the few chess books that I have returned after purchasing. Completely unnecesary. Obviously, Anand iis an all-time great player. But he is no writer or teacher.

This book shows some of Anands best games from the year 1986-2000. They show games against some of the best players in the world such as Kasparov, Kramnik, Shirov etc. Each game teaches a concept, wheter it be positional, tactical or an endgame. I had difficulty following the lines as he gave analysis of 2-3 pages after a move. It seemed that a better job could have been done with a verbal explanation for the average player. This book is good if you are USCF 2000 or above and do not require as much hand holding. The openings played were varied with major emphasis on the Sicilian Richter Rauzer, Najdorf, and Ruy Lopez Anands specialties. Most of the games are extremely tactical and highly interesting, but very difficult to comprehend for a club player. The analysis from each game would need to be reviwed several times to be digested. Highly recommended for the expert level player and above.

I did not understand most of the analysis, but that is b/c
I am at 1650. I knew that going in. But there is enough
personal "talks" in each of the games that I was happy with
the content.

Certainly one of the best chess books of our time. With his imaginative style, Anand shows the reader how magic can be worked successfully on the chess board, in a way that even the world's top grandmasters can't always counter. Advanced players will enjoy this book as well as benefit from Anand's detailed explanations. Aided by Anand's apparent need to criticize even himself and write about the better ideas even he had missed. Beginners however, will not find much use for this book, as the basic positional ideas are taken for granted and not explained, in order to emphasize the greatness of Anand's great ideas and tactical play. This books is worth every penny for its instructiveness & brilliant chess content. It's a chess book classic in the making. Grab a copy before it goes over $100!

Great book worth buying for serious chess players who want to know Anand's great games. Definitely recommended for rated players with 1800 ELO+. The annotations are easy to follow, but the analysis of matches against Kasparov, Kamsky are in depth. This book has great deal of references to many matches played before at some specific positions of every game giving alternatives for win, draw etc. Moreover, some interesting problems with solutions are presented at the end. Anand's opinions and positional comparisons about some openings are presented nicely. One can have a feeling of having listened to him at the end of every game.

If you are looking for Anand's biography, his life etc, then this is not the right book.

Lazaro had fled from his past, but Dominic would make him face his fears some 60 years later. Lazaro had a love of the sea; relaxation and fishing were all he thought about in his youth, until that one day when the sea claimed his father. From then on the sea was his enemy, and his best friend Dominic had found a new love and gradually inched his way out of Lazaro's life. But they would reunite again and it would all be water under the bridge so to say.

Dominic was dying of cancer, and his friend and care giver Sarah made the call that both men needed. She knew Dominic's time was short and painful; he would always recount the memories of his youth to her so she made the decision to call Lazaro. And with his long absence away from the Keys and a broken promise to his son about not driving the Chevy in the garage, Lazaro was on his way to his long time friend.

Meeting for the first time over a game of chess, the two men kept score on the board and realization hit when the men were tied. Although Lazaro needed to see his friend, he didn't want this to be the last game of chess they had ever played. Many flashbacks and a long trip later, the two come face to face..can you imagine seeing your best friend for the first time in 60 years?

Andrew Jalbert's book West Across The Board is an amazing story that will have you in tears at the end, but you'll also smile that smile of relief. Truly heart felt and full of emotion Jalbert writes a historical novel that is impossible to sit down. Without a doubt West Across The Board would be a perfect novel for any one. I thought this was a guy's novel to be honest, but once reading it and getting into the story, I knew that women would love it..it is that tear jerker that we all look for.
4 Hearts

Contact Andrew Jalbert: [...]

ISBN - 978-0-595-42194-7

170 pages

[...]

To purchase click here.

Excerpt from the back of the book:

What are the elements of friendship that last a lifetime - the mysterious connection that can outlast great distances and long periods of separation to bring friends back together? For Lazaro, a salty Cuban mariner, and Dominic, a sophisticated Chicago engineer, the answers can be found in the game of chess.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect when reading this book. First novels can be a bit choppy and poorly edited at times, showing that the author has some growing to do before the true quality of their work shines through. Such is not the case when it comes to Andrew Jalbert. I was delighted not only by the story, but by the way the characters were formed and the ability of the author to separate two different eras in the same book, while still allowing the story to flow smoothly - something that is not an easy task.

The friendship between Lazaro and Dominic is one that we all hope to have. When tragedy strikes Lazaro he flees the Keys and decides to start over, never looking back. His friend Dominic writes faithfully at first, but Lazaro just wants to close that part of his life so he packs the letters away with the infamous chess board. He does think of his friend often, but it is too painful to think of everything that has happened so he immerses himself in the lives of his wife and son. But when tragedy strikes again, he starts to rethink the separation and writes Dominic, keeping it very informal and just full of information about what has been going on in his life. Dominic writes back but also keeps in impersonal. This continues until Lazaro receives a phone call which beckons to his heart to go back to the Keys to see his long-time friend, something he should have done long ago.

This story is sure to tug at your heartstrings and make you realize that sometimes it is better to face your fears and keep living, without giving up the things that truly matter. Very well written and easy to read!

On a side note, I was THRILLED to have Manitowoc mentioned, as this is my hometown. And, my husband is from Two Rivers. During World War II, Manitowoc built 28 submarines, and we still have one on display. I have been through it a bunch of times, and it is truly amazing to think that people actually functioned on these vessels.

Thanks to everyone at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for the opportunity to read this!

Andrew Jalbert's "West Across the Board" gives you a look at life in the Keys and the beauty of the sea. More importantly, the central characters of Lazaro and Dominic share a life-long friendship and learn to live the lives they have chosen. I was afraid I would have to understand more about chess to get the book, but the game, though central to the story, is not hammered out in a play-by-play manner. It is a motif, not a "how to" manual. History, geography, but above all, human interaction make this a very invigorating book!

Do Lazaro and Sarah ever hook up?

A beautifully thought provoking Novel unlike any other I have read. The character development in the story is awesome! Andy truly reveals his writing ability and recognizable style throughout the book and I love the way he takes the ending of the story one step further in his Epilogue. Way to go Andy, you are wise beyond your years!

Lazaro was a young boy, who lived in Cuba with his parents. His mother
died, and his father lost his job. Lazaro's father raised Lazaro during
a time when poverty reached its peak, forcing Lazaro and his father to
move to Key West. Lazaro's father worked in Florida, where Lazaro became
a mariner. While his father worked, Lazaro was fascinated with the ocean,
learning about the mysteries of the sea and navigation. Dominic is a
talented Chicago engioneer whose work introduced him to Key west. Lazaro
and Dominic met in Sloppy Joes, a bar where the two men bonded while playing
a chess game for the first time, which connected them to a lifetime of
friendship. Over the course of many years, the two men played one-
thousand games, carved on the back of this beaufiful, laminated board.
First-time novelist, Andrew Jalbert, takes the reader on a historical
journey through the lives of Lazaro and Dominic. History comes to life
from the 1930s, as well as the characters in this heartfelt story. The
bond between Lazaro and Dominic draws them close like brothers, while
sharing their life history over each game played with a chessboard, until
Lazaro is eighty-six years old. Dominic suffers a terminal disease to
cancer, and their last game is shared days before Dominic dies. The story
is not only amazing, but is touching to the soul. An emotional story,
packed with happiness, drama, sadness and tragedy.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a story based on history,
family ties, and friendship. The description of the mysterious sea, with
palm trees, and the ocean's salty smell makes the reader feel the gentle
breeze of Mother-Nature when she's calm. The author paints a beautiful,
peaceful scenery when the friendship grows through years of events that
take place in Key West. Lazaro learns that life is unpredictable, after
facing the death of his father and a good friend to a raging hurricane.
The storm changes his life, nearly destroying his friendship with
Dominic, while Lazaro isolates himself for many years, blaming himself
for his father's death. Reading West Across The Board is like watching
"Gone With The Wind." An incredible journey through history, love,
and tradegy.

Geraldine Ahearn IOM
Author of 6 books
Author Geri Ahearn's Book Reviews

Chernev was an honest, hard-working man. In all his books, he worked hard, striving to give the reader something that's both useful and original: in this case, a book on Capablanca's edgames that does not merely analyze the ending, but analyzes the *entire* game with emphasize of how different decisions in the middlegame and even opening will later effect the endgame. Of course, hard work and originally don't guarantee a book will be any good. In this case, however, the book succeeds, for two reasons.

First, Chernev's analysis is, if not up to the extremely deep standards of Nunn or Dvorestsky in their endgame works, still objectively very good. Three useful indicators of its quality are that Capablanca's moves are sometimes criticized, the opponent's moves often praised, and--which shows the amount of original work Chernev had done--previous annotators' work is looked at critically. Chernev has no problems disagreeing with annotators like Alekhine, Lasker, and even Capablanca himself, when he thinks he has the analysis to prove it.

Second, Chernev's screwball sense of humor works here. Only Chernev could write, "'don't simplify against Capablanca!' I keep telling them at the office", annotate a move with a musical score for a popular song ("and to-wards the foe we go-o!"), or write "the bishop is stronger than the knight in such endings, except when Capablanca has the knight". Such notes are not an attempt to be funny as a substitute for actual analysis--they are, rather, a startling way of putting its conclusions in memorable terms.

The book would be very good even without Chernev's screwball humor--merely due to its original, thorough analysis. With it, however, you get the only chess book I know of that makes one laugh out loud.

Chernev chooses excellent games from the wonderful endgame wizard, Capablanca. Chernev is very good at explaining the strategy and tactics in each endgame.

Capablanca is one of my favorite players and I love his endings. However, Chernev analysis does not do them justice. Sometimes Chernev uses endgame examples in which the endgame is already over and in others Chernevs analysis of why Capablanca won and what moves won it for him are way off. In the books defense it is an entertaining read.

Ok- apparently people want examples of what I am saying...
On page 170 of my copy of the book (Ending 40) after move 17, Chernev says "... White has succeeded in maintaining the initiative, and the position is somewhat in his favor. His King Rook attacks a pawn near the enemy King, and this attack can be intensified by doubling Rooks on the Knight file. ...".
The position Chernev is talking about is a dynamically equal position. play the position against a friend or have fritz analyze it... the postion is roughly equal. Then for move 18. Be4 Bc6,

Chernev says "The only defence as 18 ... b7-b6 is met by 19 a2-a4 and 20 a4-a5, bringing all whites forces into play."

This analysis is completely wrong! 18 ... b6 was the best move and 18 ... Bc6 was a mistake that created more pawn islands for black for white to exploit. In most cases black can respond to a5 with b5 with good play.

If this was the only example in the book it would not be a big deal but the book is littered with such stuff. But like I said before... Chernev's writing style is very entertaining and he does pick some good Capablnca games.

Capa had many chess masterpieces. When Chernev chose 60 games to summarize Capa's endgame skills, they must be very clear and instructive. Many GMs agreed that Capa is a master of positional chess and an endgame artist. He made the games so "simple" (after we see how the games unfolded) that they look "magical". There were many endgames that he saw so deep (and intuitively) that during the transitional phase his opponents thought they got the upperhand. Then a few more actual moves into the endings, they realized that they had been outplayed (see the games of Marshall and Tartakover). His positional understanding was ahead of his opponents' time. He placed his pieces at the most optimal squares that when the game was transferred into the ending, either he had won some material, or his strong position could force a trade to his favor, or his attack was so strong that his opponent had to give up something. This gave us his masterful endgame technique. This book actually has Capa's full games. Chernev gave explanations for the whole games, however displayed a break or transition where the games entered the ending phases.
After many Chernev's books, it is obvious that Capa is his chess hero (from Golden Dozen, Most Instructive and Logical Chess...) Compared this book to his others, I noticed three improvements (actually 2 1/2, ;-)). First the book is organized in chronological order (Surprise!); so I could learn how progressively Capa's technique changed (of course, it also depended on how strong his opponents were.) Second, there is an index to show what types of endings his games were. It's good for reference. And last, finally Chernev used the algebraic notation! However, he still used the long algebraic way (Ng1-f3) instead of the short one (Nf3). (I guessed, evolution takes many steps to perfect, ;-). Excuse me, master Chernev, you're still one of my favorite authors.)
This book gave actual games, so it's very practical. It prepares and directs intermediate level (like myself) what to look for and how to drive the game into similar positions. This book is published by Dover, therefore the price is very reasonable.

In another review, I said that Essential Chess Endings by GM James Howell is the best endgame book on what could be termed "textbook" endgames: King and Pawn, Rook endings from Rook vs. Pawn through Rook and Pawn (with several pawns on both sides), minor piece endings, queen endings, etc. Howell explains the basics of these better than any book I am aware of. However, as we all know, endgames most of the time have many complex elements to them that these "pure" examples do not. Our knowledge of, say, how to achieve/win the Lucena Position does not help us directly because the position at hand is a long way from getting to that point!

Chernev's genius in his work on Capablanca's endings is that through the selected examples (which invariably contain 3 or 4 pieces per side with several pawns each) and his explanations of them, the average player can see how to orient himself in complex endgames. Yes, Chernev is WAY too effusive with his praise for Capablanca, but the book is outstanding. The work gives, in exhaustive detail, the planning that enables Capablanca to turn miniscule advantages into wins. It is true that the opponents he played were often not the best of Capa's peers, but they were certainly strong enough to consistently play plausible moves, which makes it better for us to learn from.

This book provides ample evidence of the fact that, as the old quote goes, "Capablanca played with a view to the endgame." I am now convinced that this was undoubtedly true. No wonder Capablanca was considered invincible until his match with Alekhine: his ability to again and again badly outplay his peers in the endgame is frightening. CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS has made me a believer in Capablanca (never a favorite of mine): if he were alive today, he would certainly be Elo 2700+, because he would pound all the 2500s-2600s in the endgame so terribly.

With the possible exceptions of Botvinnik and Smyslov, it seems to me that every World Champion after Capablanca was stronger in the middlegame than in the endgame (this is of course not to say that they are weak endgame players!), whether boa constrictors like Petrosian or Karpov, or terrifying attackers like Tal or Kasparov. Spassky and Fischer were universal players, but were at their most dangerous in the middlegame. Chess at the top has become so complicated that maybe there will never be a Champion who wins as Capablanca did. But I, as a mere 1800 player, have noticed that since going through some of this book, I have been able to avoid complications, keep better control of my games, and squeeze MY peers into submission. None of us are World Champions, but by having this book and your opponents maybe not having it, you have a great chance to straight outplay them in the end. There is great scope to play a "Capablanca-type" game against your peers and win without slashing attacks!

When I went to Foxwoods in April, this is the only book I took with me. I went through I think 5 or 6 games before Round 1 and suddenly...I started playing with a view to the endgame. I have managed to keep this up (I went +3=2-1 there and am 3-0 with two games left in my current one-game-a-week tournament). This book has FINALLY given me the confidence to expect victory when up a pawn in the endgame! You won't become Capablanca after reading this book, but you CAN start to play with an eye towards the endgame even in the opening! I'm sorry if this sounds obvious to the stronger players reading this review...I am only 1800...

Good luck!

Having gone over only the first few games in this book (and not owning Volume one) I can definately say these games are highly entertaining. Whether you can learn much from such high-level chess is debatable but certainly there are excellent notations and it is evident why Kasparov was world champ. Not just great chess, but dynamic, exciting chess. Playing over some of the games just leaves you in awe. It's expensive, but if you get it as a gift as I did, it's like a treasure. Some of you may do better to seek out cheaper versions of his games. If you play chess, you can not ignore Kasparov and certainly the author has put a great deal of effort into this contribution.

This book is a little loaded on the front end...meaning it seems to overanalyze the opening (meet the modern era!), but it certainly doesn't neglect the rest of the game either. Games are annotated heavily (sometimes after just about every move) so that the games are often around 7 pages long! Lots of chess meat, right? Of course, great, but it is so exhausting, after about the first 10 moves I have spent almost 2 hours on just half the opening (I am the type of person that has to go through every annotation and analyze every line till the end or I just feel dirty :). By then I am ready to go to sleep and tackle the rest of the game the next day, which invariable I never do...

That said the annotations are very accurate, very informative, and I am sure took a very large amount of time to complete. And although I prefer the Andrew Soltis style (ala "Bobby Fischer Rediscovered" and "Why Lasker Matters") of giving games with just enough annotation to give you a good idea of what the player had in mind and why other moves are bad or better-- mainly because this method allows me to solve some of the problems myself and think for myself more--but I cannot really knock Stohl's more in-depth approach as it allows me to look at stuff I wouldn't have thought of. Only thing is the Soltis style is much more pleasurable a read and allows you to view the game as a whole without the feeling you need to take a break after the completion of each phase of the game (opening, middlegame, endgame).

The only real complaint I have about the games chosen is he includes a few blitz and rapid games. As a wise man once noted, "he who analyzes blitz games is stupid." No matter how well the player played relative to time, they can't be included in a player's Greatest Games Ever book.

But in the end, I would recommend this book if you like a challenge or just like Kasparov's style of play.

The collections of games in this book are interesting and allow the average player to see how even master play has mistakes to be taken advantage of. Kasparov is one of the best players ever and this volume is even more entertaining than Vol 2 with his youthful dynamic play. Igor Stohl examines these games with current understanding of thematic analysis of the master level play. I have bought both volumes and enjoyed both books.

If you're the type of hardcore chessplayer who isnt satisfied by the average 'best games' anthologies, thinking the analysis either too skimpy or full of too much calculation and not enough words - pick up these two vols of perhaps the greatest player of all time. Stohl annotates these games the way I wish most anthologies were annotated. Lots of calculation, but lots of words explaining the ideas as well. The book (hardback) is nice and big, well put together and easy to work with. The games are of course breathtaking and I hope one day Stohl works on the games of my favorite player, Karpov. I have over 20 anthologies of great players, but these two vols are by far the most impressive analytical work. They are absolutely perfect for "Kotov Sessions". The author may be criticized for being a bit cold and removed, but I'm looking for hardcore top level chess and I am 100% satisfied with this work. Beyond Impressive.

Without doubt, Garry Kasparov should be considered the greatest palyers of all times. Not only his ELO rating 2851, the quality of games are all speaking for themselves. Yes, Fischer in the period 1970 -1972, I think his strength was on par with him.( in fact the two giants's style of play are very similar!!) But only 3 years!! Kasparov dominated the chess world for 20 years. He accepted all the challeges from the old masters, like Karpove and Korchnoi, he defeated his comtemparies like Hubner, etc,
and even the younger stars, except Kramnik, cannot give him much trouble. I think the other player can stand with him was Lasker. Who before World War, dominted the chess world for 27 years and also never afraid any challanges to him!!
The two volumes are must for all players, no matter what level your are!!

The best stuff - not only for masters and experts, but for amateur lovers of the game too. So clean are the games - you can just sit over a board and play the moves and get a true feel of what it is like to be a chess genius. Whenever I find myself in a slump, I go over a game - like the instructional gem with Trifunovich, for example, and I get my "Chess Mind" back. Truly a remarkable book.

My copy is falling apart, I've had it since 1972. The best ever!

This book was one of the best books I have ever read, (when i was U1600) and it is still one of my favorites! How could someone U1600 USCF understand this book??? Well it is simple, I was quite under rated. I think that Fischer described his memorable games very well, and even showed 3 of his losses (!) I don't think that this book was written for people with ratings U1800, but if you are a A player or higher this is the best book you can get. This will always be one of my ultime favorites.

This will be very unpopular with Fischer fans, but I've never quite understood the hype surrounding this book. Yes, Fischer was a great player, but this book is extremely far from being the best chess book ever. If it were at all possible to present this book to a chessplayer who had no knowledge of Fishcer's identity, I doubt that they would be that impressed with it. There has been so much hero worship of this guy, that one review on a web site claimed that there were no analytical mistakes in this book!
There are better classics. Alekhine's, My Best Games of Chess, 1908 - 1937, Paul Keres collection of games, Kasparov's, The Test of Time, and more recently Shirov's, Fire on Board are better games collections.
While I agree that all game collections of past world champions have value, the praise heaped upon this book has been a bit extreme. Had Fischer completed his collection with a selection of games from his career during the late 1960's up to his 1972 World championsip match with Spassky, then maybe it would be worthy of all the undue praise that people have heaped on it. As it stands now it is extremely overrated

Bobby Fischer is without question a chess genius.

As a person, Fischer is an enigma. He is a very high genius who as a young man exploded on the chess scene like a supernova. He won the US Chess Championships at the age of 14, an amazing feat by itself but only the beginning.

He is best known for his winning the World Championship from Boris Spassky in the 1970's. While many know this they do not know how amazing that feat really was.

International Chess is not the easiest forum to play in. In the 1970's and before it was dominated by the Russians. That is still true to some extent today, but not like it was back in the 1970's. Winning Chess tournaments where there were so many Russians involved was difficult especially because to put it nicely, the Russians would work as a team to help their designated leaders win. To put it not so nicely, they would help each other so that they would create the result that they wanted. Agreed upon draws after only a few moves were common. Collaboration on adjourned games was common.

Bobby Fischer's accomplishment in winning the world championship in this setting is a testament to his brilliance and his perseverance. Bobby played to win .... always! A planned draw just wasn't in his nature.

As an individual, Bobby Fischer beat them on his own, and he has never really been given the credit he deserved.

That having been said, Bobby Fischer has always been something of a recluse and for that reason the world has been robbed of his genius as he has dropped from the scene and arisen only occasionally to world notice.

He replayed Spassky and ran afoul of US immigration and has had legal problems since then. Recently he turned up in Japan and last I heard was granted citizenship and asylum in Iceland, where ironically he originally played Spassky back in the 70's.

All this is to say that this book represents Fischer's brilliance and unfortunately there are few other sources in which to find it in terms of his analysis and commentary.

Other reviews refer to the reprints which have altered the original and so the discerning buyer should make sure he is getting an original. Unfortunately, they usually are not cheap.

It is truly a gem and valuable for it's insight into chess as well as the rarity of its existence and being hard to find.

Say what you will about Fischer's social qualities, there has never been his match in Chess, and when you understand what he accomplished, how passionate he was (and is) about Chess and how difficult his accomplishments were, you have to just give him a tremendous amount of credit.

If you're looking for beauty in chess, this is the book to get. Fischer will certainly be remembered as the world's best chessplayer along with his predecessors Alekhine and Capablanca. I hope the original version is reprinted. It is truly a great chess classic.

--Alexander Shaumyan, poet and chess player, author of "Spirit of Rebellion"

I like the book and found his games interesting and his life an inspiration. I met Pal benko at a World Open chess Tournament in Philadelphia and he offered some words of advice during a review of one of my games. When I told him I was playing not to lose in a game in which I was clearly at an advantage that ended in a draw, he encouraged me to go for the win and believe in your instincts and go for the win when you have the advantage or you will miss out on the rewards of winning, in words to that effect. I have not for forgotten our meeting though it was years ago.

Oh no--three authors! (GM Benko, IM Silman, and IM Watson). This usually means, in chess circles, that the "big name" Grandmaster (Benko) donated nothing more than his name (and perhaps his notes), and let the co-authors do all the real work.

Fortunately, in this case, this suspicion is unfounded. Each author contributed what he is best at: Benko contributed over 130 deeply-annotated games--including a whole section on the development of the Benko gambit--and 300(!) engames and studies. Silman added long and very interesting interviews, as well as "milking" Benko for information about his life and views of other leading players, resulting in almost 100 pages of candid interviews, as well as (in the "games" section) Benko's recollections of his life and his opinions of numerous famous players. Finally Watson (an opening expert) gives us over 100 pages analyzing Benko's significant contributions to opening theory.

No stops were pulled in the production department. A huge, large-format hardback of over 650 pages, it contains, apart from all of the above, many high-quality, rarely-seen photographs of Benko himself and his other chess masters. This is how a chess autobiography should be written.

My only problem with this splendid volume is that there is really very little biography included. The biography is broken up by 130 well-annotated games, resulting in less than 1/4 of the book being pure biography. We also have an entirely superfluous interview section.

The book itself is a wonderful oversized hardcover edition that will hold up to repeated readings and playing through of the chess games. This is a volume that will last generations.

After the biography we have both a 3rd party survey of Benko's openings from both sides, and a selection of his problems, mate in x, helpmate, selfmate and endgame studies.

This all adds up to a complete view of Benko the chess player. I was hoping for a bit more of Benko the person.

Still, it ranks with Tal's autobiography in the annals of chess biography.

I am a USCF expert who likes good chess books that help me improve. When I first heard that Silman had written a biography of Pal Benko, I was disappointed. You see, I was hoping for another installment in the REASSESS YOUR CHESS series. At first, then, I ignored this Benko book. Yet it was Silman, and he has been excellent, so eventually I broke down and purchased the hefty volume. For awhile it sat on my shelf untouched. Finally I picked it up and started reading its many, many pages.

What a pleasant surprise! The first several games were annotated with the usual Silman excellence, and the quality of the play was ten times better than I had expected. Slowly I came to my senses and realized how superbly one must play chess in order to become a two-time candidate for the world championship (Benko made it to the candidates cycle in '59 and '62). Best of all, Benko's play is an unusual and intoxicating mixture of imaginative originality and impressive power. This guy played great games from which we can learn plenty today.

Much more surprising, however, is that these games, imaginative and interesting, were situated within the fascinating historical context of Benko's struggles to play chess professionally while battling the horrors of communism, including a concentration camp. This gives the book serious educational value, as we learn much about personal life under communist rule.

As we move along to the years when Benko escaped to the United States, we are treated to thought-provoking details about the trials and tribulations of Americans who aspire to play chess professionally. Given the hideous conditions faced by Grandmasters in the United States, their stellar performance is all the more impressive, and we cannot help but wonder how many more World Champions America might produce if we had some kind of serious system in place to provide American Grandmasters with financial support and, even more importantly, moral support.

As things stand, however, it is a mystery how American GMs maintain any semblance of morale. Gently and tactfully, Silman uses the life of Benko to reveal how an American Grandmaster routinely faces undeserved and often unintentional disrespect from well-meaning but terribly unsophisticated chess sponsors and fans. This part of the book is sad. Through Benko's eyes we see how often an American chess sponsor will make heavy demands on Grandmasters' time and energy--and then expect gratitude for it! Americans compete against European GMs who enjoy celebrity status, public support, and ten times the opportunities to compete for FIDE titles. Yet when American teams triumph over "higher rated" teams from Russia or Germany--as they did just recently--American chess fans look at nothing but FIDE ratings and continue the tired, old drumbeat of how "weak" American GMs are compared to the "great" players from Russia and Europe.

Silman is tactful and restrained about this, but the main points are all there: American GMs get little respect, earn little money, and suffer the heavy loneliness that weighs upon those whose own countrymen belittle them as a result of apparently incurable ignorance. It is clear why an American GM might get depressed and bitter; it seems a miracle that some don't. This book makes the life of a professional chessplayer in America appear so abjectly rotten that it is impossible to understand why they would attempt it, other than perhaps the sad fact that they were young when they started out and lacked perspective on the serious consequences of their life choice.

Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be Grandmasters. At least, not in the USA.

After all this heartbreaking material, we are treated to an endgame section of the book which is superbly instructive and entertaining. Chess fans best know Benko from his long-running endgame column in CHESS LIFE. As a bonus, however, this book opened my mind to the beauty of composed studies intended exclusively for enjoyment. Bravo! to art for art's sake.

Another treat in this book is that we see how Fischer, Botvinnik, Portisch, Tal, and other chess stars looked through Benko's eyes. His anecdotes and commentary make an interesting feast, serving up plenty more food for thought about how changes in a grandmaster's personal life will deeply change what happens on the chessboard. This book reveals how a grandmaster puts his soul into his games, much as Rembrandt painted his soul on canvas, and Mozart filled the air with the sounds of his beautiful soul.

Yet not everything in the book is quite so great. There are some problems with the interview section. Most of the interview material is excellent, yet some of it has little to do with Benko and is in poor taste. In particular, there is no excuse for treating us to the ridiculous, trivial episode where some national master offered Sammy Reshevsky pot and Reshevsky turned it down. That tells us nothing about Benko and is so out of place that it reads as if its inclusion was an editorial mix-up. Still, we are talking about minor flaws--only a few paragraphs here and there--and this in a giant book packed with fascinating, instructive, and rewarding material.

To sum up, this enormous chess biography of Pal Benko is superb. It ranks high in the honor roll of chess literature. Silman has delivered yet again, and in a big way, literally. I congratulate him, and thank him most sincerely for the extensive effort it must have required to produce this monumental tome. It would be nice if this work led to an increase in the sophistication of the American chess fan and chess sponsor, but that is probably hoping for too much. After all, from reading this book I can only say that as a chess fan I have gone from utterly unsophisticated to slightly less so. Chess is a difficult game to play and the accomplishments of GMs are difficult to appreciate. At any rate, we can all look forward to more outstanding work from Silman for years to come.

This is an excellent book about chess in general and about Grandmaster Pal Benko in particular. Benko was a Candidate for the World Championship on two occasions, 1959 and 1962.

In the first part of the book, Benko tells about his life and annotates more than 130 of his best games. These include games against Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, and Fischer. It includes a fascinating description of life in Hungary during World War Two and of life under Communist rule in Hungary after the war. In 1957, Benko escaped from Hungary via Iceland to the West. Seven years later, Benko, now an American, was given amnesty by Hungary and was able to return there. Eventually, he wound up spending half his time in Hungary and half in the US.

Benko includes a section on his development of the Benko Gambit (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5). There are eleven games in this section, all Benko Gambits. Benko has Black in ten of them. The eleventh is a game with White, against Berry.

The book also has a fine section by John Watson analyzing Benko's openings both with White and Black and concludes with a large selection of Benko's chess problems and compositions.

I highly recommend this book.

...this is your book! Or at least maybe the one to start learning this 'art'. Lots of examples of simple and not so simple checkmates in one or two movements that will make it possible for you to find the best way to finish the game in a favorable way for you. If you feel you don't know how to checkmate your opponent, this is your book.

This is like a workbook of checkmates. It is a perfect book for a beginner and has hundreds of simple (very basic) checkmate positions to find the checkmate in. I like this a lot better than "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" because it has a lot more problems. There are not a lot of books that teach basic checkmates in a workbook form so get this book if you are a real beginner before going to the next step where I recommend "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate" and "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors".
My teacher in school uses this book to set up problems for us to solve!

Yes, it's simple and basic. But for a weak or new player, the drills are invaluable. I've seen mates that I never would have noticed except for what I learned in this book.
It will also help you see how the pieces work together. If you're rated under 1200 this book can help you.

I bought this book a long time ago and kept it around because I felt it would be useful later. It has proven to be. My son is just starting to learn chess and for his individual study I have him working through the book. The progressively harder problems have proven a challenge for him exactly as I intended. Many of the other books out there on checkmating are above his level and he would quickly get discouraged. This one is just right: challenging enough where he doesn't get bored but not so hard he just gives up.

If you're new to chess, a casual player, or just one who likes running through chess problems quickly, this is a good book. The answers are at the bottom of the pages, so there's no flipping between two different sections of the book. A slip of paper or a bookmark and you can keep the answer hidden until you've made your guess. I would prefer all puzzle books to be written this way.

Our small year-round school (3rd-12th grade) has used this book regularly since the chess club was founded. New club members join every quarter but are generally not strong players, so they seldom reach checkmate opportunities in club play.

We give each student a double-page spread (4 problems) to solve without marking up the book: we cover the answers, then students must point out the checkmate to an adult or a stronger player. This way the book can be used again and again. Solving 4 puzzles or 8 in the course of a club meeting is a nice short exercise for even the most hyper students.

Students start out with the 1-move puzzles and move on to 2-moves as they get stronger. This practical, repeated exposure to basic mates starts showing up in their own games.

I've seen a 10th grader improve his skills by regular practice with the book, but have also used it successfully with my 6-year-old daughter (who plays USCF tournaments). I definitely see a correlation in beginners who use these puzzles often and their growing skill in tournament chess. Of course, as the other reviewers have pointed out, this is only one element of chess training.

This is Volume Three of the five-volume set of My Great Predecessors. I had to do a lot of shopping around to find each volume at a price I could afford, but if you are serious about developing an understanding of chess strategy, this set is an excellent resource. The books cover the history of great chessmasters, detailing many of their games. I don't start at page one and read through them sequentially; rather, I look up a particular strategy and lay out the game on my chessboard to move through it. One game usually leads to another, and I can spend hours going through the volumes this way. [NOTE that this review is authored by my 19-year-old son.]

The 60s and 70s were the golden years of chess. The best of the best are all here in this book. That was the period where one has really to burn candles to prepare and discover for yourself the nuances of a chess move in the opening. A cloak and dagger way of preparing one self. Much of the fun part, the surprise, are all gone because of an Intel or AMD processors.

The book took me back at the time when chess was really exciting, not only during actual play, but the behind the scenes as well. This book is more of a gathering of chess titans, retelling titanic struggles with a superb historical background and most important of all, Kasparov's unequalled insight. Thank you Mr. Kasparov

I initially bought this book because I wanted to acquire a collection of Petrosian games that were well annotated. I figured Kasparov would be a good annotator :-)

What I found out is that the section on Petrosian (181 pages) is one long story, where Kasparov shows how ideas were formed, tested adopted, refuted and so on. Throughout the weaving of the progression of chess ideas during Petrosian's time, he incrementally adds to Petrosian's life to give the reader a complete picture of him.

This is unlike any other chess book I've purchased, and I was amazed once I figured out what I was reading. I was stunned at how readable it is at one level, although you could spend hours on each game if you delve into all of the analysis.

I highly recommend it!

Kasparov's release of MGPIII continues a fine series. The annotations are superb, and his opinions on the historical importance of former world champions Petrosian and Spassky (as well as other important players such as Portisch, Stein, Gligoric, and Polugaevsky) make the book (and the MGP series) relevant. A slight quibble is the chapter on Spassky-you never get a true sense of what made him so admired away from the chessboard. Still, a fine work.

I found this book interesting and well-written but lacking the insight of the other three. For example, Kasparov gives insufficient attention to Spassky as a tremendous sportsman. Spassky bent over backwards to accomodate Fischer and allow the match to be held, in contrast to Karpov three years later who seized on Fischer's mental instability to take the crown and avoid the match. Chess owes a great deal to Spassky's sporting character but discussion of his inate decency is mysteriously missing. (Compare Alekhine avoiding Capablanca, etc).

The discussion of Petrosian's game with Kasparov is good and the book is worth buying though not as good as the two before and the one aferwards, both in lenght and insight.

This book was a new experience for me. I am used to ECO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) style for the structure of an opening book. Mr.Rowson has chosen a thematic structure so it demands more work to put the stuff in a ECO style way, but the matter is well presented and explained, and the author has a tremendous sens of humour. A real good book if you wish to understand this opening system, in harmony with the quality of The Gambit Publications.

This might be a good book if the author took the time to maybe do least 1 chapter on using Grunfeld Vs. The English opening... Thats where I use it mostly and I find it works rather well to say least... Would of been nice if he gave some lines and some games using it... Even Botvinnik 100 Selected games has least Two Grunfeld Games vs. English... As for Understanding the Grunfeld this is a good starter book... Rowson is no world champion or even close to elite player... Yet for his limited skills and attempts to waste space in the book with silly comments... About his only good comment is calling the d pawn Delroy... Other than that he isnt really creating anything that isnt already known or used... Still reading the book isnt so bad to say least... One person I know calls it the best opening book he ever read etc... Still if he cant toss some coverage of it vs. the English I really cant rate it higher than 3 stars... Also many seemed to of ranked it a bit higher than it really should be... So 3 stars isnt gonna knock it down, yet someone that reads review might think about it more... Of the books I know that exist on Grunfeld Id have to say this is the best one... Some of the humor is stupid at best and can get annoying if trying to learn something... While least one chapter name not many americans have any idea what it relates to... Id of given this a higher rating perhaps if the Price wasnt so Inflated... For what it costs it should have coverage vs. the English to even a small degree... If you took out all his stupid comments that nobody cares about and added that content this would be a superior book and maybe worth the $$$... Still if you can afford it and need a book on Grunfeld Id go with this one...

I have had this book for around 3-4 years and this book is not your ordinary opening book. This book is almost more a middle game book than a typical opening book with its various plans and ideas depending on pawn structure. He also adds a certain personality to liven up the book to keep the reader interested. Even though some of the theory has changed a little I still refer to it for ideas and plans. This book is aimed at the intermediate level audience (1700+) but I think a lower rated player can learn much from it; Im around (1500). Another book of his THE SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS is also an excellent book and I highly recommend it even though I think its aimed a little higher than GM Rowson's first book. Understanding the Grunfeld is wrote how a opening book should be.

I am a LIFE-Master. I teach chess for a living. I have been playing tournamment chess since the late 60's. And the Grunfeld used to be my primary defense against the Queen's Pawn Opening. This is simply maybe the best book on the Grunfeld that is available today. Every line is covered. The analysis if of the highest quality. The writing is clear and concise and very easy to understand. You cannot go wrong getting this book. (Many good, complete and well-annotated games inside.)

Jonathan Rowson provides an interesting perspective of how to handle the Grunfeld defense from the Black side providing a complete and thorough repertoire against the most fashionable lines. He also gives good arguments of why some lines, that are quite fashionable, are not recomended by his. This is good because I can see the author's point of view and not an attempt to avoid creative discussion. In that sense my copy of "Understanding the Grunfeld" is full notes by me where I disagree with Mr. Rowson or where I think that there is an easier solution [I wonder if Mr. Rowson would appreciate my views on the opening and my objections...] For instance, the chapter about 4.Bf4 (Hydra) has many, many pointers that will let you survive as Black. However, in one of the variations, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Rc1, he recomends 5...Nh4. This is surprising since Rowson suggests that Rc1 by White signals Black to do dxc4 later in the book... Indeed 5...dxc4 is also acceptable according to Suetin. Still, the whole Hydra chapter book made me think about the variation as whole and to come up with a repertoire that would keep me alive if ever challenged in this important chapter of the Grunfeld and I can only thank Mr. Rowson for a recent nice win even after disagreeing with him! The Hydra chapter pays for the effort of buying the book.

The exchange variation is also covered in detail and I can only say that finally I understood the reasoning behind some obscure moves. That chapter also pays for the effort of buying the book and it is, as far as I know, the best treatment of the exchange that I have ever seen.

I am not an expert in the Grunfeld but having scored 3 wins and a draw out of 4 games after deciding to switch to this opening made me fall in love with it... Much of this is because of Mr. Rowson's book.

This is a book that I will read again and again and again...

I bought this book when I was a class B player (1600-1799) and I regret even buying it. The information is easy to understand; mostly for 1000-1500. The author keeps repeating "for the average player ya li ya li ya this is bad this is good, don't try this, I don't recommend it, etc." So I guess it's gonna end up on my bookshelve for a long, long time.

This book covers all aspects of chess. I would consider this book for beginners up to intermediate levels, which would be up to about 1600 rating. I just finished this book and I learned a lot from it even though my rating is higher. I would say this book is a little old school but still instructive.

This book relies mostly on specific examples of game situations that seem frankly unlikely to occur very often. The book falls short when it comes to teaching principles and general information that can be used over and over in many situations. When I was a beginner, I learned a lot more from Fred Reinfeld's book "How To Be A Winner at Chess."

This is a great book for a beginner who is motivated to learn. The book starts out with basic concepts such as the rules of the game, chess notation (it would be better if it used algebraic) ect.

It quickly progresses into tactical themes which will enhance the beginner's pleasure tremendously.

Once the beginner has worked his/her way through tactics the book moves into openings. Instead of listing pages and pages of notation, the author gives key strategic ideas to opening theory which will help guide one's thoughts on the board. His emphasis isn't on memorization which makes it easier and more fun.

Endings are also studied in brief but what he includes is well worth focusing on. He provides the framework in which to handle a wide variety of endings.

Some things are a bit dated in his book. Opening theory has changed some and descriptive notation is out of fashion. However, a beginner wouldn't even notice these things. This man really enjoyed the game and his joy rubs off on the reader.

Chess like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.

A very good book for the beginning chess player. Mr. Reinfeld covers all the important aspects of the game, although nobody could really become a Master overnight with just this book. It takes years and years of study and practice to become proficient in the game of chess (given that one has the aptitude and time, of course).

For kids starting out learning chess, I would say this book is an essential one in his or her chess book library.