My Humble Opinion

I would like to start a forum on Books,... 

1. What you think; naturally what I think?
2. Was the money worth what you spent?
3. Did your rating improve?
4. Did you read the entire book to include the author's excerices where applicable?
5. Would you recommend the book and to what rating level?

• Beginner or Passionate Amatuer
• Over 1850, but Under 2050;
• Over 2050, but Under Master (Fide);
• Master or Above

Andrew Soltis:  What it takes to be a Chess Master

Level:  Over 2050

This is a no nonsense book.  Soltis dispels with all the schlabone BS that gets published and gives modern and clear examples of how to play chess.  
I especially liked his discussion on Non-Material Advantages, Targets, and The Master wants More.

But the chapter that really needs your undivided attention is Chapter 9:  Knowing.  Quote, "The most valuable KNOW-HOW that a master possesses and an amateur lacks concerns middlegame planning and pawn structures.    A master KNOWS what  a good structure looks like, how to exploit it and when and how to change a structure that can be improved."

And if you want to understand Carlsen Chess then a quote from page 72;  "Masters want more.  And because of that, they often get it.  It sounds too simple but it's true.  There are specific ways to emulate masters in this way.  But ultimately it comes down to Fischer's attitude:  If you keep pressure on your opponent long enough, if you keep forcing him to make choices - if you keep trying to win - there's a good chance that you will."  

There are a lot of books that are more 'marketable' but fewer with the substance.  Your Tactical eye has to be intact, and so if your OTB is less than 2000 this might be a bit weighty.  But Soltis makes excellent recommendations on how to study chess and what Masters care about. This alone makes it relevant and recommendable to the Over 1850 player.  

A really fine book at a fair price.  It deserves a better binding and an index.

NOTE:  This book would lend itself well to the iPAD app E+ Chess.  Something for the author to think about.

I second this suggestion!

The major problem I have with chess book reviews is that the reviews are always "above average" and in fact it seems like almost all books are "5 star".  Those reviews are worthless because they just amount to "buy all the chess books" which really isn't practical and in fact probably wouldn't help your rating that much anyway.

A good review system takes into account that most books are just average, and as many are below average as are above average.  Some books are just fine, but the reality is your money and time would be better spent doing something else.

Thank you for the comments

On Sunday, I will review Lasker's Manual of Chess (German & English versions) as well as the current Kindle version (+/-'s).  

If you have comments or would like to join the discussion please join.

Why Lasker?  Who the Hell is Lasker?  I mean whose interested in a guy who played chess before Penicillin was invented, there was no nuclear bomb, and the words FACE & BOOK were two words and not one in the Oxford Dictionary.  

Doing a Google and looking at the picture of him on Wikipedia reminds me of some guy I once played in Washington Park whom asked me for for some spare change after he torched me in blitz.   What could this old geezer know about chess?  And who cares?

Well, I was looking through an old book, circa 1935 Moscow type, and I looked in the tournament table to see where this 'old' guy placed.  Clear 3rd with 12 1/2 points out of 20.  Ahead of Capablanca who he beat AND received the shared 1st & 2nd Brillance prize of the tournament.  

Who finished ahead of him?  Only Salo Flohr & M. Botvinnik who tied for 1&2 place.  Now this tournament was not held when Lasker was 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or even 60 years old, but 67 years old.  And the tournament was full of the creme de le creme (forgive the spelling) of Soviet Chess.  Everyone below him (other than Capablanca), age wise, could of been his grand son; including the two winners of the tournament.

I have an old Dover version of Lasker's Chess Manual given to me by the gentleman who taught me the game (the blue cover is kind of worn like the gentleman on the cover) and a newer English Algebraic version exists (along with it's Kindle brother) as well as a German version (Joachim Beyer Verlag).  I have all three now, so yes, I think this book is worth buying.  

What or whom is the audience?  Using my criteria above I would say that anyone Under 2050 would benefit.  The book was obviously written for the beginner, but some of Lasker's explanations and game analysis (Zuckertort vs Steinitz) games, and other ideas explaining Steinitz's theories are well worth a look if you stuck in that land of limbo of 1850 to 2050. 

Highlights:

Lasker's chapter on the combination are worth the price of the book alone and if you are willing to set the pieces up and do the excercises until they are hard-wired into your ROM then you will definitely be able to handle anyone in the 1850 to 2050 category/range.  

There are those who say his writing is laborious; to those I would say read comic books.  Dr. Lasker was an educated man with a powerful intellect.  His writings reflect the man, but may not reflect 'your' intellect or education level.    

A fairer criticism would be that Lasker is unacessible; but only to the lazy  and indolent.  As an American friend of mine is fond of saying, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN."  To someone who is willing to read, set up the positions, and do his 'own' analysis he is a God Send if not a Prophet.  

Another criticism is the chapter on the openings. The criticism has little substance, as Lasker never intended to write an Opening manual.  However, to many who have studied nothing but openings this will be true.  I would humbly argue though, that his discussion and lines on the OPEN games are as pertinent today as they were 80 years ago.  And I would say his comments as to why this move or that variation is better will serve the amatuer more, (and I define amatuer as anyone who cannot feed his family by playing chess) than half the opening manuals that you can buy from various other printing houses.  (Again, one must restrict oneself to his discussion on the OPEN games).

Regarding the German version.  One should say that the German version is 'more precise,' and if your language skills are say University or better you will get a lot from reading the comments and philosphoical chess arguements of Dr. Lasker in German.  Otherwise, stick to the NEW English Algebraic version.

Finally, the Kindle version is superb.  Old photos (perhaps Wikipedia could convince the authors to lend them a few), little antidotes of Laskerian history, and technologically user-friendly.  I can only say Full ON! 

If you are at or around 2050 this book may not have much Return-ON-Investment for you.  I think Lasker truly wrote this book for the passionate, but good club player.  However, if you are just starting out or have not broken through the 1850 barrier, then this book is worth the price and will definitely help you.

Think of it this way, instead of that NEW opening DVD or book on the opening (ca. USD 20 or more) go to AMZ.com and download the Kindle version for USD 9.00 (I think this price is correct).  

Or, better yet, buy the Paperback and throw it in your backpack and read it on the train.  You could do a lot worse.

As my Irish friends would say, "It's a 'crackin' READ!" 

Comments welcome,.. Be nice though.

I agree!  That is exactly why (back in the day when I had a chess blog) I used to do posts on overrated and underrated authors and books.  And I always gave a bad review to A First Book of Morphy.  That book almost  ended chess as a hobby for me.  It was so UNinstructive and boring that I almost thought that Chess was not going to be for me.

Luckily I found great authors like Chernev, McDonald, Silman etc.  (and Nunn who is underrated.  He can write for the masses when he wants to!).

So there is one bad review for you.  Don't get A First Book of Morphy.  Also Keres' game collections are overated. 

On a positive review:  Victor Bologan's game collection is AMAZING!!  :)

Thank you for the comment.

I am not sure I agree with the Keres comment and neither might Dr. Nunn who wrote a revised version of an English translation that omitted several games from the original version.

Botvinnik, Fischer, Bronstein, Stein, Geller, TAL all thought Morphy had something to offer.  That is pretty good company.  

again, thank you for the post.

The best book I have read on Chess is by Patrick Wolff= THE IDIOTS GUIDE TO CHESS= Patrick is past USA grand champion

I think you misunderstand me.  I LOVE Morphy's games!  I just didn't like the "First Book of Morphy".

Morphy rocks!!  The better book for Morphy games is "Paul Morphy:  A Modern Perspective."

Thank you Plavin79 - can you tell me more about it please?

What level of chess player:  Beginner, U1850, U2050, Candidate Master etc...

Did your rating change after you read it?

Would you buy another copy and give it to a friend?

etc.

Yes I did.  

may I reommend Maroczy's book on Morphy.  I 'believe' their is now an excellent translated German version available.  

However, if you read German the original cannot be beat.  

Maroczy's annotations are first class and he was a world class player respected by both Lasker and Capablanca.

Truly wonderful book.

Thanks for the recommendation!  I will look for that Maroczy book!

Opening Books (started 19jun13)

Have you ever wondered about buying opening books.  I have avoided this sin for most of my short (5 years) career.  Recently, I have joined the pagans and begun buying and mostly regretting my choices.

First off they are expensive (AVG cost is between 20 and 30 €uros);

Second no one plays into 'your' system(s);

and Thirdly most are rubbage.

But recently, I have found a solution for which I think might be of use to others and will not get me banned for slagging the Chess book publishing industry.  They might even put me on their free list,...

Sunday, 23jul2013, I will give you my "Better than Sliced Bread," solution.

23jun2013

As promised I am writing about the opening.  I would like to point you to the four volume set called Chess Opening Essentials from New in Chess.  2nd Edition (English) written by Stefan Djuric, Dimitri Komarov, and Claudio Pantaleoni.

They say this is aimed at the club player and it is true that this is not a set of books for the expert or candidate master.  Although, you can be sure they know what is in these volumes, at least as far as what they play regularly.

First a bit of honesty, I have the entire (original) Italian version.  I came to the English version when I heard that New in Chess had updated it.  After buying Volume I:  the complete 1.e4 I can say this is true insofar as the binding is excellent, the paper white, the diagrams first class and the layout optimal.  However, there is not much new material.

This is not the point of the book(s).  They are written for the 1850 to U2050 player who is interested in getting an excellent overview of certain openings.  The orginal Italian version is in 3 volumes and the NEW New in Chess is in four.  The layout is superior in the English version and the paper of higher quality as are the diagrams.  But content wise they is little if any difference.

The books will give you an excellent overview of each and every opening.  They point out the main ideas of why the moves are played and do an excellent job of explaining the history of the opening.  Case in point, the Dragon variation of the Sicilain, which I will come back too at the end of this review.  At the end of each chapter they give several games of outstanding masters and world champions who have played these variations.  So you get a real feel or taste of what opening was played what player in the past and now in the present.

The underlying title is:  Understanding the basics.  As I said this four volume set should give you a good overview of the basics and could be recommended to the passionate U1850.  Certaintly this is a better choice than that €20 to €30 book on your favourite opening that promises you to be your killer app or secret weapon that will anihilate your nemsis at the club or the park blitz table.

Before you buy any of those 'promises' check this series out, go over the games in the chapters of the openings you like, and try some of your new found knowledge here on the server.  You will not be disappointed.

Now I come to step II of this tirade of chess advise.  If you will accept the premise that the point of the opening is not to maximise your position, but to get a position that you play better than or at least equal to your opponent than my next recommendation is GM Soltis' Pawn Structure Chess.  

This is really a book for the over U1850 or in and around 2050+.  It does an excellent job of explaining the ideas around the pawn structures that arise.  Again, this is a book that you should buy before you buy the other Rubbage.  You should know that the 2nd edition, Batsford vs. the McKay 1st edition, is actually an update.  Soltis has really put in new material new games and changed the content structure.  Soltis also caveats his work by saying that he has not covered the double pawns that arise from the Winawer French Bb4:c3; Rossolimo Sicilian Bb5:c6; and the Exchange Ruy Lopez formation.  Hopefully, he is already writing another book on just these structures.  As a substitute may I offer Ivan Sokolov's Middlegame Structures book.  However, this is a book for the Fide Master Crowd and above.  The analysis is indepth and the structures are complicated.  Better start with Euwe or Grooten if you are looking for something for the U2050 player.

I will finish this on 30jun2013,... right now it is time to take a break.  As Always comments are welcome.  Keep it clean and to the point.

As Soltis quotes on the last page of the 1st edition of Pawn Structure:  "Enough, there are still problems to be solved; the whole truth in chess is not by any means known yet - fortunately."

Dr. Lasker

Thank you and,... stay tuned.