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Magazine Chess Book Reviews : January 2007

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Starting Out: 1 d4!
by John Cox, Everyman, 239 pages, £13.99.

A 1 d4 repertoire book for White, but unlike many such one-volume repertoire books, Cox does not shy away from currently topical main lines. Some might question the appropriateness of this in the context of a Starting Out book, but Cox argues in forthright fashion that, just because players are less experienced, that does not mean that they are not interested in playing reputable and critical lines. Accordingly, expect heavyweight theoretical lines such as the 9 b4 King’s Indian, 4 Qc2 Nimzo-Indian, Exchange QGD with Nge2, 6 Ne5 Slav, etc. It is a lot to cover in 239 pages, but Cox does a good job of blending theory and explanations. This approach also makes the book more attractive to more experienced players. Review by Steve Giddins.






 

Caro-Kann Defence: Panov Attack
by Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Podgaets, Batsford, 275 pages, £15.99.

This book provides detailed coverage of all lines of the Panov, by the 12th world champion and his long-time trainer. This is the second volume in a projected series on the Caro, volume one having dealt with the Advance variation. A thorough-looking effort, although one inevitably suspects Podgaets’ contribution is rather more substantial than Karpov’s. Review by Steve Giddins.

The Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian
by Loek van Wely, ChessBase DVD-ROM, £21.50.

Loek van Wely, who has been playing the Sveshnikov since 1998, comments on his latest encounters with world-class players like Shirov, Anand, Topalov and Kramnik. Nearly all the games are from the period 2003-2006 and, as one would expect in the Sveshnikov, the games abound with combinational ideas and sacrifices; “a feast for all fans of tactics” claims the blurb, and correctly so. Van Wely focuses on the main variations with 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Nd5 Be7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 c3 Bg5 12 Nc2 and 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 f5. Video playing time: 3 hours 43 minutes. JS.

Starting Out: Queen’s Gambit Declined
by Neil McDonald, Everyman, 191 pages, £13.99.

This is an excellent introduction to the main lines of the QGD. Lines covered all start 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6, so not only is there no Slav, but no Tarrasch or Semi-Tarrasch either. Those lined covered (Tartakower, Lasker, Orthodox, Cambridge Springs, Exchange and Bf4 lines) have s splendid mix of explanations, instructive games and theoretical detail. The games go from Rubinstein classics to Kramnik-Bruzón, from the Turin Olympiad 2006. Recommended. Review by Steve Giddins.

Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian
by John Emms and Richard Palliser, Everyman, 304 pages, £14.99.

The macho name of this new series from Everyman is used to emphasise that it is an opening series with a difference. As John Emms explains in the introduction, the books concentrate on variations that are “ambitious, sharp, innovative, disruptive, tricky, enjoyable to analyse” – and various other adjectives. There are 14 well-presented articles about various sharp lines of the Sicilian, ranging from what the authors call a “Swedish speciality” (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Qb6!? to the Karklins Najdorf (5...a6 6 Qf3!?). The icon of a cannon firing a shell is used throughout to announce a dangerous weapon. Very enjoyable. JS.

Dangerous Weapons: The Nimzo-Indian
by John Emms, Richard Palliser and Chris Ward, Everyman, 272 pages, £14.99.

Three authors this time, presenting 17 chapters on sharp lines in the Nimzo-Indian. As with New in Chess Yearbooks (which this series closely resembles), the chapters are given names to whet the appetite for what appears within (e.g. the Topalov Gambit – 4 Qc2 d5 5 cxd5 c5!? – on the grounds that anything under the great Bulgarian’s name is likely to be very exciting). As with the Sicilian volume, there are sharp recommendations for both colours. JS.








 

Power Play 1: Mating Patterns
by Daniel King, ChessBase DVD-ROM, £21.50.

Daniel King, in the first of a new series of video offerings under the name of ‘Powerplay’, presents various mating attacks and sets the viewer some exercises to test their learning. It is aimed mainly at the intermediate level. JS.









 

Quarterly for Chess History 12/2004
Ed. Vlastimil Fiala, Moravian Chess, 434 pages, £21.99.

This huge compilation includes Lasker’s Last Tournament by K. Croxen, and an addition to the Steinitz Canon by John Hilbert, amongst many other items. There is a very interesting article on Magazine Correspondence tournaments in 1882-3 and 1908-12 by Tim Harding, which provides some background on Magazine’s own history. One particular gem is tucked away on page 63: “How You Should Not Learn to Play Chess” is the subject of a fascinating 1950 article by Tartakower, where the veteran reveals that he played his father at rook odds – for money! JS/BC.









 

The Chess Combat Simulator
by Jeroen Bosch, New in Chess, 262 pages, £16.99.

This book presents 50 games in ‘find the move’ (or ‘how good is your chess’) format, with a point count system to enable the reader to assess his progress. Slightly gimmicky, perhaps – each game is numbered not as ‘Game x’, but ‘Combat x’, for example – but some fine games are annotated in instructional style. Review by Steve Giddins.







 

ChessBase Magazine 115
ChessBase DVD-ROM, £17.50.

This issue of the new-style CBM has coverage of the Kramnik-Topalov match (with video reports by Seirawan), the Euro Club competition (with Shirov as presenting his game against Kasimdzhanov), plus clips from a number of recent Fritz Trainer DVDs. There is a database of around 1,000 recent games. JS.






 

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