Puzzles Books

This is a superb collection of puzzles of all kinds. Anyone experienced or not in the puzzle field should own this book.

Martin Gardner is a guarantee for this book's efficiency, and highly educational and entertaining content. 5/5

What a great collection of puzzles. Anyone who likes puzzles SHOULD own this.
I initially bought this for myself. But my brother-in-law loved it so much (when it arrived) that I gave it to him as a present. Just ordered it for myself again!

The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems is going to be THE gift to send to your puzzle-loving friends and family. Gardener is a master and a national treasure. Every math teacher should own this book as a resource, and every puzzle-lover should have it for hours of fun.

Deborah Bennett, author of Randomness and Logic Made Easy

Martin Gardner is the name that always comes to mind when one thinks of Mathematical Recreations. Anyone who ever read Scientific American magazine will remember his column in every issue. He wrote the column for 25 years;and made puzzle lovers of millions of readers. His fans ran the gamut from those with a very elementary background in mathematics to those with a high degree of knowledge. What he did was to make mathematics something to enjoy and use as a recreational pursuit. Over the years, he wrote about 70 books,many that have been popular for a long time.
In this book, he has chosen 340 puzzles from his columns of over 25 years. He has selected simple problems as well as medium and difficult. Each problem is supplied with an answer or solution . Often, answers in puzzle books are sketchy;but here we not only get an answer but also a good idea and explanation on arriving at the solution.
The most interesting thing about this book is that it is geared to all levels of puzzle solvers (OMNIHEURISTS). I am sure that someone who has worked only a few puzzles,and who hasn't,will find many quite easy and in a short time will progress to those with more challenge; due particularly to the answer explanations.At the same time ,those with a lot of experience will find plenty to amuse themselves.
Along with a pick of some of the best of the columns over the years,Gardner has included 12 of the best brainteasers to have come his way since he stopped writing the column in 1986.
Also, we are given a list of all the other books that Martin Gardner wrote over the years. Along with that, there is a list of selected titles for those interested in more in the world of Recreational Mathematics.
If you like Mathematical Recreations or puzzles of any kind ;take a look at this book and you'll surely want to own it.

Great collection of thought puzzles, some well known, some highly original.

What I like most is that every problem, from the simplest up to the really difficult, has a twist to it: You may think you immediately see the answer, but there is always something you didn't think of. For example Problem 1.1 (to be seen in the Excerpt when you click on the image of the book): How many dates in a year can be confusing if you don't know whether they are in European notation (28/2/2007) or US (2/28/2007)? Your first thought is "That's easy, just 12x12", until you think a second time.

If you want to train your brain, solve a few of Martin Gardner's puzzles every day. Or just do it to have fun.

I once walked into a used bookstore in Atlanta, and found like 12 copies of this book sitting on the shelf. They only wanted a buck or so each, so I bought them all.

I was teaching chess at that time at a private school in Pensacola, The Creative Learning Center.

I gave most of those 12 books to my students. They enjoyed them tremendously.

If a student wanted to ask me what book should be his "First" book on tactics, I would probably whole-heartedly endorse this book. 'Nuff said?

Chernev's classic is not simply a collection of combinations for drilling yourself on pins, forks, smothered mates, and so on - although there are plenty of combinations (300+) for that - it shows how the great players used them in their games. You get a history lesson while learning how Tarrasch, Nimzovich, Capablanca, and many other world-class players, employed combinations in their games. I like how Chernev uses extended game fragments and his own enthusiastic commentary to explain the combinations. I have several tactics books and I enjoyed Chernev's less common approach to combinations: most books just give the position as though it just "appeared" out of the blue to settle the game. Somehow with Chernev, I get the idea that you have to work to get there. Descriptive notation.

Learn from the examples-- good and bad -- from the masters from Anderssen to Fischer, simple and complex, short and long, how to master piece co-ordination. A classic. Check out Chess Life and Review April 1975 p. 245 col 1 wrt #69. Working through this book can add hundreds of points to an average tournament players' rating, whet his appetite and keep him off the street for days... Not just for beginners, the 356 positions on 240 pages although not their primary source nor a dry categorical treatise, will challenge delight edify and entertain an interesting reader for years...

Even for a kid this is an easy book to read and understand. I got with "Winning Chess Traps" that has a lot of tactics in the openings. So I am covered on all ends when it comes to tactics. Love thse two books and just felt like saying so without a long review.

This book is a pleasure to read. Chernev has a flair for description and he can really pick out beautiful examples to make his point. If your library doesn't have this book, then you don't have a complete library.

The book is organized by theme and master. The themes relate more to vague ideas of a story line than to fundamental tactical ides. Thematic chapters include titles such as "Simple and Pleasing", "Convincing the Kibitzers", or "A Blending of Themes". Masters include all the greatest combinational players from modern history: Alekhine, Morphy, Lasker, Pilsbury, Capablanca, and so on.

The Dover binding, especially considering the price, leaves little to be desired. It has taken quite a lot of abuse to get the cover off mine, and even after a few years of no cover and continued abuse, the pages are all still well attached. As others have noted, this book is in descriptive notation.

Though this book is a classic and deserves every bit of its five star rating, don't assume you are going to read this book and get better at tactics, especially if you are a weaker player. I studied and studied this book for a couple of years, visualizing every combination without a board and thinking deeply about each and every side variation. But I have never noticed any real improvement in my game. I have come back to this book again and again to enjoy Chernev's literary and analytical brilliance, but still no improvement.

I've been studying and playing chess for about 15 years and I'm here to tell you that you can waste a lot of time reading chess books of all varieties (opening, middle, positional, "combinational", calculational, etc.). I've read so many books, I can visualize a complete game without so much as looking at a chess board. I've been able to do this for about 12 years and I get better at it with each book. You might think that this ability to visualize a chess board has helped my game tremdously. I have simply not found this to be the case--even without a board, I still play the same miserable brand of chess. Thankfully, however, no one else can see the evidence of my poor play in such cases.

If you want to get better, buy this book now but wait a while before you actually read it--perhaps when you are much better than me (I'm about 1300). Instead, get the two Reinfeld 1001 books. I would estimate (or the computer estimates) I have jumped at least 100 points in less than a month just drilling exhaustively a single chapter from 1001 Brilliant Sacrifices and Combinations and the first chapter of Pandolfini's Chessercizes 2: Checkmate. I have also noticed my understanding of the board as a whole has increased phenomenally--no book I've read has been able to do that for me, no matter what it promises.

Fifteen years is a terribly long time to make such little improvement, especially when followed, at age 36, by quick and dramatic improvement studying tactical problems. I blame the lofty content and promises of most of the books I've read. Maybe they are better for 10 year-old child prodigys with fresh minds or 1800+ players looking for deeper understanding, but not for people who just want to understand, on an innate level, the "real" mechanics of chess. Despite the promises of the other reviewers, Combinations: The Heart of Chess, does not fall into this latter category. Though pleasing to ponder, most of the examples are far too complex to be of training value to weaker players, such as myself.

Audrey Grant's books - like Commonly Used Conventions - are exceptional. They are best used in a bridge class/training session where an instructor can lead and help the student through the the basics of bridge learning. The value of Audrey Grant's books are that they present a system of bridge which has revolutionized modern bridge. Even Bridge players who have played for years, soon learn that their conceptions, learned from past experience, of even the most commonly used conventions have been in error or misapplied. Recommend the reader try to find a local bridge class with an experienced teacher.

If you are new to bridge I highly recommend purchasing all four of Audrey Grant books in the ACBL Series... CLUB, DIAMOND, HEART AND SPADE. She is unquestionably the best bridge teacher for a novice. In layman's terms she is able to explain and unravel the mysteries of bridge. If you begin with the club book and progress through the series as they increase in difficulty... club, diamond, heart and spade you will be able to teach yourself how to become proficient in bridge painlessly. Her books are written in lesson formats... and they are used by many people who instruct bridge classes i.e. adult ed. Buy one... I'm sure you'll add the other three to your library. I also highly recommend her "Bridge at A Glance" pocket guide which is a quick synopsis of bidding and the appropriate respones thereof. I bought many bridge books before I stumbled upon Audrey Grant and wish I had found her books first! Good luck!

Without a doubt the most useful and readable bridge book I have used. What one learns by playing bridge with cronies is too often only partly right; Audrey Grant writes well, organizes her material in useful ways, and speaks with authority. She follows up with good examples, explains weaknesses in certain conventions, and is thorough. I will look forward to any other books she writes.

I took the ACBL Commonly Used Conventions Course and was very impressed with this text. I think it helped me understand and use the conventions that I had an interest in using. Great help with weak twos, strong clubs, transfers, Stayman and several others that I now play. I would recommend this and the More Commonly Use Conventions Book for negative doubles and additonal conventions.

Provides classroom text-like treatment of some of the more basic bridge bidding conventions. Covers Stayman, Jacoby transfers, Jacoby 2NT, Drury and some of the related conventions. Expands on the Club Series book (recently retitled "Bidding"), adding nuances and more modern treatments to opening bidding, responses, rebids and preemptive bids.
The Audrey Grant series is used by bridge instructors everywhere as the basis for introductory bridge classes.
Although I played a lot of "seat of the pants" bridge in the past, I've just begun playing duplicate nine months ago and have already earned over 50 ACBL masterpoints applying the principles covered in the Audrey Grant series.

The author has a good solid grasp on what it means to be a dwarf. Their society in a fantasy world, and how, why, where, and when they do what they do best.
Whether you want to do some fantasy writing, add a new dimension to your campaign, or just want to play a believable dwarf, this is the book you will need.
Its not easy in our world of reality to grasp what life is like under the mountain, but not to worry, with this addition to the 2nd ed system it will be easy enough to see the joy of dwarven life from behind the froth of your mead.

This was the first A D and D thing I bought I think it was good especially for anyone that plans on making a dwarven charecter. I know a guy who did not read it and he made a gully dwarf assassin! This was a good supplent as far as they go it is way better than the wizard's handbook. If You see this book and you like dwarves pick it up!

I bought this book when it first came out and just loved it. There is so much detailed about dwarves in here and different kinds of dwarves that can be played. If you have a dwarven campaign going this is definitly worth having!!

This AD&D (2nd edition) book is an in-depth examination of that pillar of fantasy literature - Dwarves. It has chapters on dwarven mythology, subraces, sociology (so you can better understand how dwarves think), character creation, proficiencies (26 new or specialized ones), kits (24 new ones!), personalities, mining (complete with rules for running your own mine), equipment, strongholds, and designing dwarf campaigns.

Yep, this fantastic book has it all! If you run an AD&D dwarf character, or you are just interested in new kits and ways of running campaigns, then I highly recommend this book to you. It is definitely a must-have for AD&D (2nd edition)!

I've been a long time Elf lover. But once I picked up this book I changed my tune. What I once considered drab angry little creatures are actually quite interesting and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to any player but more so for a DM since it will help flesh out any dwarf holdings in your land.

I have nearly every Sveshnikov book written in English as well as some software programs that cover it. If you play the Sveshnikov you must have this book. It is better than all the rest, including Sveshnikov's original work. The author plays the Sveshnikov, he covers all the variations with his own new ideas revealed and gives verbal explanations for players new to the Sveshnikov, or to give the reader a deeper understanding. When I first saw it I immediately bought it at full price plus sales tax. I can't think of any other chess book in the last 5 years that got me so excited. If you are below 1800 USCF the opening is probably too difficult for you to play, but it leads to entertaining and instructive play. Yakovich has written the definitive work for years to come! All chess books should be so well done. Bravo Grand Master!

Let me describe what this book is and isnt.

This book is an examination of practicaly every possible variation that can occur in the sveshnikov. Yuri then gives very accurate assesments of moves which are based on his experience playing this opening for many years. The analysis is dead on, I havent found any mistakes and I have looked.

This book is not a book where you can get ideas about where to search for an advantage against the sveshnikov. Its clear Yuri believes black is fine in every single main line. It is moderatly verbose for a chess book.

Conclusion: This book is the authority on the sveshnikov hands down.

This is a very good book, written by a GM who has played the defence for years. Compared to Aagaard's work on the Sveshnikov, Yakovich provides more variations and obviously knows a great deal more about this variation of the Sicilian than does Aagaard. On the other hand the latter does a better job explaining basic ideas for white and black.
Excellent books on openings use that opening as a medium to teach about chess in general. The Sveshnikov variation is a fascinating learning tool because of the tension between pawn-structure and dynamic piece-play. Yakovich does not discuss this much and four stars is therefore enough.
If you are a medium rated player (above at least 1800) who have not played this variation before - buy Aagard first, then Yakovich.

This is a very good book on the Sveshnikov variation of the Sicilian Defence. In this defence, Black plays ...e5, weakening her d6 pawn and her d5 square, but by doing so gets more time to develop her pieces. And for those who want to turn the tables on White, this is a perfect variation for Black if she likes launching King-side attacks!

While this book does describe the Sveshnikov from both sides of the table, it does have more of a focus on Black than I'd like. You see, I do not play the Sveshnikov for Black. Instead, I play it for White, sacrificing a piece on move 11, which gives me some tactical threats, as well as a strategic threat to Queen my a-pawn.

Well, what advice does this book have on how to play White?

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 (6...h6?! 7 Nd6+) 7 Bg5 a6 (7...Be6? 8 Nd5) 8 Na3 (This looks ugly positionally, but it's best) 8...b5! (The Sveshnikov; 8...Be6 9 Nc4 Rc8 10 Nd5 Bxd5 11 Bxf6 is Bird's variation) 9 Bxf6 (Yakovich has over 75 pages on 9 Nd5, but he thinks 9 Bxf6 is best for White here, and I certainly agree) 9...gxf6 (9...Qxf6 10 Nd5 Qd8 11 c4) 10 Nd5 f5 (obviously not 10 ...Ne7 11 Nf6 mate. 10...Bg7 11 Bd3 Ne7 12 Nxe7 Qxe7 13 c4 f5 14 0-0 0-0 is the Novosibirsk variation, and Yakovich recommends 15 Qf3 or 15 Qh5 for White here).

White now has a bunch of options, which the book devotes 96 pages to. 11 Bxb5, 11 exf5, and 11 Bd3 are the most popular. The author considers 11 Bd3 the most natural move, but does say that 11 Bxb5 is good too, and I now think that 11 Bxb5 is the best try for White. After 11 Bxb5 axb5 12 Nxb5 Ra7, Yakovich advises 13 Nxa7 Nxa7 14 exf5 Nb5 15 a4. But Black generally plays 12...Ra4, giving White the choice of 13 Nbc7+ (which seems okay) or 13 b4 (which may be better).

After 13 b4, Yakovich explains that Black can try for an immediate draw with 13...Qh4 14 0-0 Rg8 15 c3 f4 16 Qxa4 Rxg2+ 17 Kxg2 Qg4+. That's fine if White wants a draw, but I wish Yakovich had given some advice here in case White wants more than this. He does mention 16 Nf6+ (instead of 16 Qxa4), but I feel that Black has at least a draw here. In 2002, as the author says, Shirov tried 15 f4 Kd8 16 c3 Ra6 17 a4 fxe4 against Kasparov. Kasparov won easily after that. But I think White ought to look for something better than this! In my next skittles game in this line, maybe I'll try something like 15 f4 Kd8 16 c3 Ra6 17 exf5, with the idea of answering 17...Bxf5 with 18 Ne3 Bd7 19 Nxd6 Bxd6 20 Qxd6. Wish me luck!

Of course, Black may not be satisfied with a draw in the position after 13...Qh4. Yakovich tells us what Black can do instead, namely 13 ...Rxb4 14 Nbc7+ Kd7 15 0-0 Rb7 (15...Rg8 16 Qh5 is unclear) 16 Qh5 Ne7 17 Qxf7 Rxc7 18 Nb6+ Kc6 19 Rab1. Here, the author indicates that White is doing fine after 19...Ba6 20 Qb3, so he has two possible recommendations for Black, 19...Ra7 and 19...Kb7. Um, if anyone tries 19...Ra7 against me, they'll be in for a shock: 20 Qc4+ Kb7 21 Nd7+ Qb6 22 Rxb6+ Ka8 23 Rb8 mate. That leaves 19...Kb7. Once again, I wish Yakovich had given us some more advice here. White could try putting both Rooks and maybe the Queen on that b-file, or try 20 Nd5+ Ka7 21 Nxc7, or both, and my wild guess is that White ought to be able to get at least a draw that way. By the way, this whole line can lead to an endgame where White has, say, a Queen and 5 pawns against a Rook, Bishop, Knight, and 3 pawns, so if you want to get into all this, learn that endgame!

As a Candidate Master, I played a Sveshnikov game with White against a Master. But I played 11 Nxb5 (which Yakovich says loses for White) instead of 11 Bxb5. One problem is that one is left with a Bishop, which doesn't cooperate as well with one's Queen as a Knight.

My game went 11 Nxb5?! axb5 12 Bxb5 Bd7 (12...Bb7 is probably better) 13 exf5 Bg7. My strategic threat is to Queen my a-pawn, and I now think White's best chance is 14 0-0 0-0 15 c3. Then my threat of a4 is real (if 15...Rb8 16 a4). I'm also threatening to play Nb6 or Nc7 if Black moves his Queen away.

However, not liking 14 0-0 Nd4, I played 14 a4? Nd4 15 Bxd7+ Qxd7 16 c3 Qxf5? (After 16...Ra5?! 17 Ne3 Nxf5 18 Qg4 Nxe3 19 Qxg7 Nxg2+ 20 Qxg2 Rxa4, White is okay. But 16...Qb7 17 Ne3 0-0 18 0-0 Nb3 is better for Black. Even here, I might have survived with a line such as 19 Ra3 Rfb8 20 Qg4 Kh8 21 Rd1. Black's actual move simply loses, so I said a silent prayer of thanks to Caissa and castled.) 17 0-0 e4 (I expected 17...Ne6 18 a5, but Black figured that this was hopeless and chose to try a desperate cheapo.) 18 Ne3 (I feared that 18 Nc7+ would get me mated, so I settled for something that I was sure would win.) 18...Qc5 19 cxd4 Bxd4 20 Qg4 Kf8 21 Rac1 Qa7? (makes it even easier for me) 22 Rc8+ Rxc8 23 Qxc8+ Kg7 24 Qg4+ Kf8 25 Rc1 Black Resigns

I highly recommend this book.

Since sveshnikov sicilian wass played by Kasparov, Kramnik, Leko and other players in high-level tournaments, Its popularity has raised the number of book titles based on this sharp opening. People like me are beginning to get bored with the same type of presentation in these books over the past few years.
Fortunately, this book is a bit different. The author managed to present the point of each variation in a comprehensive manner, suitable for intermediate and advanced players. You will see a lot of helpful comments in this book explaining black's problems in most of variations. He is not shy of his opinion either. He boldly stated the positional 9.Nd5 could not present a significant advantage for white compared with the 9.Bxf6 variation. A statement which I tend to agree with him. The discussion on piece sacrifice variations show that white's chance is not worse, a fact that is not often mentioned in other sveshnikov sicilian books.
On the negative side, Some critical variations are not lengthy enough, the author seems to concentrate on popular variations. It may not be the book for beginners to play sveshnikov sicilian, but it is recommended for those who want to study it further with some basic knowledges.

Terrific way to get a understanding of the basics. I am ready for Vegas after reading this book.

This book is excellent because it guides a player be it a callow nor an experienced, how to play and to win more bets and the author clearly explains about the strategies involved in money management. This book is a must read one for all craps players.

This is a very well-written book suitable for easy, enjoyable reading cover to cover or as a quick reference source to freshen up before hitting the casino floor. A must for interested players of all levels.

Dr. Skaff skillfully presents the rules of craps in a very clear, concise and organized manner. Basic as well as more advanced strategies are presented with their pros/cons and "whys". Like all casino games, craps is governed by mathematical statistics. However, the author does not require of the reader an understanding of statistics to comprehend the "whys" of the game. But if the reader is so inclined, the mathematical basis for the recommendations and strategies in the book are provided in the appendices. Finally, the author does not over-hype the game or the potential for winning. Instead, the author shares his love of the game and how best to enjoy it.

Enjoy the book and enjoy the game!

I am chairman of the department of mathematics and computer science at a university. Dr. Skaff's book is an excellent resource for anyone teaching probability and statistics. It provides a concrete example of using probability and odds in casino gaming. It is written in an easy to read manner for the beginner yet does provide information and strategies for the experienced player. I highly recommend this book.

This book was fantastic - easy to read, not too long and filled with all the information any person needs to be able to play the game of craps. If you've ever been confused about the basic rules of craps, or if you want to hone your skills, this book provides basic strategies that will work for all players. I am not a very mathematically inclined person, but I found Dr. Skaff's explanations easy to follow and implement at the casino. This book is a must have if you're going to be taking a trip to Vegas!

I love the French! This book teaches the off beat stuff about the French. Watson writes for White and Black in this book. If you play the French I would study the White Chapters besides the one's he wrote for the Black Side.

There are so many side variations in the French it is more complicated than any one Sicilian. (IMHO) This book helps you in those side lines very well.

This is an excellent resource where you can pick and choose lines that interest you. I've had this book a while and have completed the chapters on the Paulsen attack (Leap of faith) and the Tarrasch guimard (A debasing strategy). It's not the kind of book where you need to do it all.

It is incredibly time efficient. Spend a week on the chapter to understand the ideas, go through some TWIC games and then try it out in tournament play.

Written with his usual good mix of quality and charm, John Watson didn't want his good name tarnished writing his latest book, about his favorite opening. This is the first time he wrote a French book with two perspectives in mind, the black, as well as whites; so the first half of the book is written with innovative ideas for white side, and he didn't shy away to write about variations he found bothersome from the black perspective. He did a fair work in a first half of the book to actually help white stir the game in some unique waters, giving us black French players additional headaches to worry about. To be precise, out of total 320 pages of this book, 143 pages are written for white. Within that there are 6 chapters of novel ideas. Black gets 8 chapters and 177 pages.
Let me mention one chapter for example. Chapter 7 (first chapter for black) is called "Swearing in church" and its full 30 pages are all about variation 1.e4,e6 2.d4,d5 3.Nc3,Nc6. Firstly, he gives us the explanation about the logics of that particular variation in two pages, than he moves to heavily annotated and textually explained typical games for the variation (usually some of them are played by super GM`s), and finally, he has a "Looking a little deeper" sub chapter with theory we are used to in some regular opening books.
So, very nice book. It is aimed at white and black side of French, and I would probably use its theory in peculiar tournament situations when I need a full point and when risk needed outweighs the safety of the French opening proper.
Recommended!

Years ago I was a purely Sicilian player who would rather fight than switch. However, as time went on, I found that I could not keep up with the theory-funny how work,wife,and family claim 90% of your time.

After adding the Modern Defense to my repertoire(similar in some aspects to the Sicilian Dragon I played), I then wanted something more solid(and less time consuming!) that did not give the White player all the fun. Calling Dr. Watson!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book so far(not finished is the only reason it's getting 4 stars). John explains the plans for Black, what to look for depending on your opponents moves, and the reasons behind your moves.

I have no other books on the French and yet feel totally prepared. In fact, @ my local chess club, no one will play into my French-all the e4 players are opting to start with d4 against me-which I absolutely love as I play d4 as White.

You will need to play over the lines(set them up physically or on computer) so you can 'see' what you are looking at and what you are looking for.

I feel like I should be purchasing his other book on the French-but first I will give this my full concentration. He has lines that are not covered in MCO-14, nor on the French Defense CD by Ari Ziegler for Chessbase. If you play the French, you need this book! If you are thinking of playing the French or are looking for a solid defense that will last you your entire chess career, buy this book.

Drive those playing White crazy-and get this book.


Marty Marion(uscf 1707)

John Watson is famous as an excellent writer and book reviewer. This title should further enhance his reputation.

For each of the 14 variations he has chosen, Watson supplies high-level annotated games; summaries of the existing "book" knowledge; and some fresh ideas from his own fertile brain. These aren't necessarily better than the more standard variations, but they appear to be sound, and they are likely to baffle a booked-up opponent.

You can choose lines that are likely to lead to closed positional maneuvering (such as 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6, or 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Qf3), or lines that can produce wild attacks and counterattacks (such as 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Qg4). Some chapters examine lines often played by Grandmasters, but still offering creativity and surprise value (such as 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 a6); other chapters cover rarer and stranger stuff (such as 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 h6). In all cases, Watson writes clearly and energetically, and his long-time experience as a leading French Defense authority shines through on every page.

If (like me) you don't want to spend countless hours learning the usual overplayed book lines, this book is a great resource for playing either side of the French Defense.

I must admit, I have read several of these "What would you do?" books, by far..this is the BEST.

Literally, I have had friends over and it supplied hours of in depth coversations, jokes and teases. Individually, it's also a great piece to read and ponder how you would react in these situations. This book really lets you step out of your normal everyday life and throws you in a category that can and will completely throw you off guard.

I definately recommend this book to anyone who is curious to buying it. It is well worth the money.

This book is the coolest! I figured there'd be a few situations that would stump me, but the more I read, the more surprised I was, and not just me, my friends too. Some of the examples are easier to solve than others, but there were many that no matter who I asked, there'd be a different answer. And a few had us howling with laughter. This is a fantastic book to take to parties or nail your family with... make them try to 'solve' these wild dilemmas, because although each and every one could happen to you in real life, it's MUCH more fun to think about them in the imagination!

I strongly recommend this book...it was not only a fascinating read, but i found it a fun game to play with friends and family. surprising revelations all round...

I bought this book on a whim and haven't been able to put it down since! Fantastic situations to think about...two nights ago at a party everyone ended up playing for hours. I am definitely taking it with me on vacation.

If you like to think about challenging moments, this book will give you lots to think about. Although the book asks you what you would do, probably greater value will come from asking how you can gracefully deal with these situations. If you are like me, you will be left speechless by some of these circumstances. By discussing them with friends and family, you can probably find inventive, comfortable ways to respond that will make life more delightful.

What most of the situations have in common is that you are hit with something unexpected and for which you have limited successful experience. Here are some examples:

"You suspect that your neighbors physically abuse their children."

"On the eve of your wedding day, your husband's best man dies."

"You see someone shoplifting in a small local shop."

"A drunk driver pulls into your gas station and slurs, 'Fill her up!'"

"Your son decides to marry someone you can't stand to be in the same room with."

Clearly, some action is required in each situation. Taking the wrong action, however, can make the situation worse. What should a caring person do?

The dilemmas involve situations with lottery tickets purchased for others, getting negative information about fiancees, splitting checks in restaurants, borrowing money and goods, breaking things, new information about family and friends, sexual dysfunctions, annoying habits, being cheated, finding money, offensive acts or remarks by others, intimacy, knowing dangerous secrets, sperm donors, lying, putting a price on ethics, being HIV positive, being asked for false alibis, religious conficts, and affairs.

A book like this cannot do everything, but one nice feature is that many issues are tested by degrees. You find out if you feel differently about a situation based on how well you know the people, for example.

Another way you can use this book is to pull it out from time to time to see how your answers change. If you have written down your responses the first time, that will make it easier.

When you have finished your first reading and consideration of the book, I suggest that you outline other dilemmas and awkward situations that you find even more difficult than the ones in the book. Then, pursue those issues as well with people you respect and care about. If you have a spiritual or religious advisor, you may enjoy understanding what the teachings are from those perspectives, as well.

Be prepared . . . to be compassionate, considerate, and responsive in the most humane traditions . . . by thinking and talking things through in advance!

Defense is the hardest part of bridge to master. It's also the hardest to write about, which is why there are so many books on bidding and declarer play. But occasionally someone manages to get it right.
I've only found the "problems" format useful, as any breakdown into categories gives the game away: in defense recognition is well over half the battle.
Victor Mollo got it right for advanced and intermediates in his. For me, "Case for the defense" was a reveleation when I read it 10 years ago. Finally here's another book that's just as good, and at a slightly higher level. Like Mollo's, Lawrence's problems have a real life feel to them, and though the division between question and answer is not as clear as in Mollo's formatl, Lawrence makes it work, and puts his more conversational style to good use in posing several key questions for some of the hands. This book is also remarkably free of the questionable solutions and the flimsy analysis that plague so many other famous authors, and are especially hard to avoid in analysing defense.
I'm proud to say that when I'm playing at my very best I'll get most of these right. On a bad day, I'll probably get 90% wrong. To put it differently, every single problem is challenging and can improve how well you do around the bridge table.
This book will best serve players who've been playing decent defense for a while, and have a year or two of defensive card reading at the table under their belts. But even for those that aren't quite there yet, it's a good read as it will open their eyes to how much fun they can have playing defense the right way.
In short, though I've only been playing for 20 years, and reading American bridge books for 10, I'll go out on a limb a bit and say that this is one of the best bridge books ever written, on any subject.

You sit, mentally, at the author's elbow while he shares pearls of wisdom on knotty defensive problems that come up frequently at the bridge table. The great merit of this book is that it doesn't just tell you what to do in a mechanical sense, it guides you in how to think and base your defense on inferences and deductions. I have read it 5 times and gained incremental benefit each time. The exposition is lucid and cogent. Get two copies and give one to your favorite partner.

How experts think when defending. Recommended for all levels.

As usual with Lawrence's copious writings, this one is well written, well laid out, and well presented. If you learn its contents, you'll be ready when the situation calls for Dynamic Defense. BUT remember that often simply making declarer find the necessary tricks (and taking what you have coming) will yield very good defense, indeed. So, read about active (dynamic) defense, but consider carefully the moment when you step up and defend aggressively. When active defense works, it works really well (Remember the last time you got mauled by a defensive cross ruff?). When it doesn't work, it hands declarer contracts (or equally important for duplicate pairs players, overtricks) that could not be made by other means (Did you ever lead a short suit hoping for a ruff and help declarer set up the suit before you could cash your winners?). So, learn active defense (and this book is a good starting place), but play a lot of passive defense so that you deploy active defense at the right times (and sit back leaving declarer's work to declarer at the other times).

I tried reading this book when I first started playing Bridge, but it was over my head. I couldn't figure out the inferences and I put it down. Now, 2 years later, I think its a great book, just at my level. Most of the hands are straight forward, nothing crazy or advanced required. Just plain old:

- Listening to the bidding
- counting cards and HCP
- thinking about what the lead means
- thinking about what pards cards mean (signaling)
- asking yourself why declarer is playing in a certain way
- asking whats needed to set the contract

Great intermediate level book. I wouldn't necessariloy get these at the table, but they are mostly doable with a little thought.

If you find this too hard, try easier books like Bill Roots excellent "How to Defend a Bridge Hand".
If you liked this book also try Kantars "Modern Bridge Defense" and "Advanced Bridge Defense". They are dry but excellent.

I can't say enough great things about this book. Superior and complete. Thorough in a way no other writers are. It feels like he truly cares deeply about what goes into his works. I truly hope he continues to provide us with more works.

Having gone through most of the book, I find the way it's set out very easy-going.
Nice intro explaining the ideas behind the moves for both Black and White. All variations can be found through the index but they are laid out in a very logical manner.
The author keeps things simple and straight forward.
If you're interested in playing an active game, this variation is your pick and this book can help you out.
My experience has been that White will try to avoid the Sveshnikov unless he has studied it (typically I encounter: 1.e4,c5;2.Nf3,Nc6;3.Bb5 or Bc4 or d3, etc.)thoroughly.

This book is a worthy successor to Krasenkov's 6-year-old book. It is not as "complete", especially when it comes to early divergences, but has all the latest moves (of course) and is much easier to find your way around. To the credit of a young writer, Aagaard lays his opinions on the line with plenty of exclamation marks, so that one doesn't have to get right to the end of lines to see which one is preferred. This is better than the usual run of opening books.

This book pefectly illustrates how a chess opening book should be written. It starts with a chapter that explains typical plans and structures arising from the Sveshnikov. The best part of this introductory chapter is the explanation by the author on where the different pieces are best placed ,what piece exchange to be avoided and what piece exchange is favorable. For example, the chapter states that black should generally avoid an opposite colored bishop positions; and it si favorable for black to exchange her dark colored bishop for a knight. Needless to say, reading this chapter alone will significantly improve your knowledge of the Sveshnikov.

The next chapters give enough theories and grandmaster games. If you read the introductory chapter and grasp the ideas, memorizing the variations becomes a lot easier. Of course, the author continues to give the ideas behind the variations which also help a lot to retain the variations in your head.

If you feel that you are comfortable playing positions with structures like f7,f6,e5,d6, with the king uncastled, then Sveshnikov may be a good opening choice to be added to your opening repertoire, and if you do decide to play the Sveshnikov, this book is a must. This is better than the chessbase training program with the same subject.

This up-to-date treatment of the Sveshnikov includes a well-written 19-page introduction to the ideas and plans for both sides in this opening. The coverage is comprehensive, balanced and easy to digest, and all this in the space of 144 pages.

Another recent book on the Sveshnikov is the one by McDonald. McDonald has more coverage of the Bird/Larsen line while Aagaard has more coverage of the 7.Nd5 line. In their coverage of the main lines, however, the two books seem to be comparable in detail and references to contemporary games. Aagaard perhaps gives more game refernces and analysis since he save on space that would otherwise go on notes to complete games. However some players prefer complete games to be cited (as McDonald does) to see the course games employing a particular opening are likely to follow. The book by Aagaard has to be used in conjunction with a database and/or Informants. My opinion is a player should have both books, though I slightly prefer Aagaard because of the structure and format.