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Magazine Chess Book Reviews : March 2008

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A Strategic Opening Repertoire (second edition)
by John Donaldson and Carsten Hansen, Russell Enterprises, 272 pages, £17.95.

   Hansen has, with Donaldson’s assistance, revised the latter’s 1998 work on a universal system based on 1 Nf3, 2 c4, 3 g3. This second edition retains the majority of the original illustrative games, but with significant expansion and updating. Although this format does mean that relatively few of the main games stand at the cutting edge of theory, they have not lost their value, since one of the points of this ‘strategic’ approach is to bypass major highways. The most extensive coverage – nearly half the book – is devoted to the Closed Sicilian Reversed, i.e. the King’s Indian with a modest d2-d3 for White. However, the dynamic ‘clamp’ structure for Black in this line, with ...f5 but without ...Nc6, which for instance Leningrad Dutch players might choose, has slipped the authors’ net. Chapters on the Symmetrical English, Hedgehog, Tarrasch, Catalan, Queen’s Indian, and Odds and Ends follow: the Catalan treatment is old-fashioned, but very practical for less experienced players. In the absence of an index of variations or chapter summaries it is hard to locate specific lines, but I think some omissions could have been avoided. For 1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 d4 3 g3, readers must look elsewhere, while Palliser’s numerous recommendations for Black in Beating Unusual Chess Openings are not addressed. The main thing, though, is that the authors write simply and instructively: Donaldson’s popular touch and Hansen’s theoretical specialisation make an enviable combination. This repertoire will surely gain a legion of adherents at club level! Review by James Vigus.

Starting Out: Sicilian Grand Prix Attack
by Gawain Jones, Everyman, 174 pages, £14.99.

The Grand Prix Attack is particularly popular with club players, having been named after Britain’s Grand Prix tournament circuit of weekend events. Rising English star Gawain Jones has picked out 33 games, including about a dozen of his own efforts, to illustrate developments in this opening. It is well written but it did strike one that Jones is a little young to be writing books. Shouldn’t he be playing chess and developing his game rather than slaving over a hot laptop? JS.

The Ultimate Chess Strategy Book: Volume 1
by Alfonso Romero and Amador Gonzalez de la Nava, Gambit, 207 pages, £15.99.

    This is a Test Your Chess / How Good is Your Chess book with a twist: it tests the reader’s ability to choose the right strategic move in the opening and awards points accordingly. The tests are themed, but you only find out what the theme is when you see the solutions. After all, nobody tells you what the theme of a game is in real life, do they? Veselin Topalov, in his foreword, suggests that the tests best suit “medium” players (we guess he means players around 1800-2000). JS.

Chess Tips for the Improving Player
by Amatzia Avni, Quality Chess, 233 pages, £15.99.

This is a well-produced and readable book providing practical advice on various themes in no particular order (so you can simply dip in at random and learn something). The author sets up a catchy title (e.g. “The Momentum Myth”) and then shows you a section of play to illustrate the point being made. Fresh and entertaining. JS.

Hooked on Chess
by Bill Hook, New in Chess, 191 pages, £14.50.

We haven’t much room in this issue for considered reviews, but this looks like a candidate for ‘book of the month’. If you like lots of anecdotes, that is. Bill Hook is now 82, a very decent chessplayer in his time and has played 16 Olympiads for the US Virgin Islands in his long life. He has hung out with everyone from Marcel Duchamp to Nigel Short. He is also a fine photographer and the book includes some top-class examples of his work, many coloured. Irresistible! JS.

Play the Semi-Slav
by David Vigorito, Quality Chess, 277 pages, £16.99.

This is the US IM’s second book for Quality Chess and it is quite a heavyweight theoretical work on a very well-regarded system. It also covers the Exchange Slav, the ‘Slow Slav’ (1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 Bf5) and various other odds and ends. JS.

Dangerous Weapons: The Queen’s Gambit
by Richard Palliser, Glenn Flear and Chris Ward, Everyman, 237 pages, £14.99.

The Queen’s Gambit can be rather staid – but not when served with the sort of hot spicy sauce concocted by these three master chefs. Have you the courage to follow their recipe? JS.

Informator 100
Chess Informant, 339 pages, £21.00.

The dependable opening theory manual reaches its century. All the usual features, with a look back at the creative output of one of its originators, Alexander Matanovic. JS.

SOS - Secrets of Opening Surprises 8
by Jeroen Bosch, New in Chess, 144 pages, £13.95.

More of the same from the Dutch openings man – there are something like 17 different surprise weapons in this volume. JS.

Just in:

1000 Queen Endings by Jozsef Pinter, Magyar Sakkvilag, 385 pages hardcover, £19.99.
The Queen’s Gambit Accepted (3rd Ed.) by Konstantin Sakaev and Semko Semkov, Chess Stars, 254 pages, £14.99.
Reykjavik 1972: Fischer vs Spassky by Harry Golombek, Hardinge Simpole, 205 pages (descriptive notation), £14.99. This reprint also includes ‘The Sporting Scene: White Knights of Reykjavik’, a 60-page sketch by Professor George Steiner.

New Disk Titles (DVDs and CD-ROMs)

Bogo-Indian Defence by Boris Schipkov, ChessBase CD-ROM, £15.99.
My Best Games in the Sveshnikov by Alexei Shirov, ChessBase DVD-ROM, £21.99.
King’s Indian Attack by Nigel Davies, ChessBase DVD-ROM, £18.99.
Chess Informant 98-100, Informator CD-ROM, £43.99.
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings ABCDE, Informator CD-ROM, £89.99.

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