Kasparov wins Book of the Year Award

"The book can be read on several levels - as a dramatic story, or as providing insights into opening theory, or as great games enhanced by deep analytical annotations. Kasparov succeeds triumphantly in illuminating every aspect of this historic struggle. He is establishing as formidable a reputation as an author, as he did as a player." The English Chess Federation's 2009 Book of the Year Award went to Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-85.

Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess, Part 2 - Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-1985, published last year by Everyman, has won the English Chess Federation's 2009 Book of the Year Award. In this book Garry Kasparov analyses in depth all pre-1984 games with Anatoli Karpov (including one simul!) and the Moscow clashes from 1984 and 1985, giving his opinions both on the political machinations surrounding the matches as well as the games themselves. For more information on the book we gladly refer to our review by Arne Moll.

ECF judges R. B. Edwards, J. Farrand and D. Friedgood write:

This volume is the second in the series Kasparov is writing on the development of chess since the 1970s. The first, Revolution in the 70s (Everyman) concentrated on developments in opening theory during that time. The second and third volumes will concentrate on Kasparov’s 5(!) epic matches with Karpov for the world title. The volume under consideration covers the first two, the first of which involved no fewer than 48 games and was unfinished, the second a mere 24,which finally established Kasparov as world champion.

Kasparov has written earlier in the 1980s about some of these matches. But here, he writes in the preface “I now see many situations more deeply, through the prism of my life experience…….My commentaries have become more frank, and far more accurate. But the evaluation of individual moves will take into account the psychology of the struggle!” All this is reflected in the book, plus lengthy descriptions of the background to the matches and in particular Kasparov’s views of the controversial first match termination.

The book can be read on several levels - as a dramatic story, or as providing insights into opening theory, or as great games enhanced by deep analytical annotations. Kasparov succeeds triumphantly in illuminating every aspect of this historic struggle. He is establishing as formidable a reputation as an author, as he did as a player.

Finally, Everyman have produced the book to the same high standards they have used throughout the series.

Ivan Sokolov's Winning Chess Middle Games (New in Chess) was the judges universal second choice. The other books in this year's shortlist were Eliot Hearst and John Knott's Blindfold Chess (McFarland) and John Cox' The Berlin Wall (Quality Chess).

Previous winners of the ECF Book of the Year: From London to Elista by Evgeny Bareev and Ilya Levitov (New in Chess, 2007), San Luis 2005 by Alik Gershon and Igor Nor (Quality Chess, 2007), Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics (New in Chess, 2006), My Great Predecessors Part 4 by Garry Kasparov (Everyman, 2005), Pal Benko My Life, Games and Compositions by GM Pal Benko and IM Jeremy Silman (Siles Press, 2004), My Great Predecessors Part 1 by Garry Kasparov (Everyman, 2003), Fundamental Chess Endings by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht (Gambit, 2002), Victor Korchnoi's My Best Games Vol 1: Games with White by Viktor Kortchnoi (Edition Olms, 2001) and Queen's Gambit Declined by Matthew Sadler (Everyman, 2000).