OK, so I've just had another hideous loss in the 4ncl and yet again I find myself at the bookstall. On this occasion, the book I purchased had no direct relevance to the reason for my latest loss (otherwise I would have been buying How to Avoid Blundering Your Queen in Time Trouble) but it's one I've had my eye on for some time.
Unusually I don't have anything negative to say about the title here, except perhaps to suggest that awarding oneself an exclamation mark even for the title of one's book is somewhat presumptuous. Perhaps the annotation of titles could catch on, e.g. 'The Complete Budapest Gambit?!', 'Winning with the Caro-Kan =' or indeed 'The Latvian Gambit: 2..f5 +-'.
The book contains three sections, although the first is essentially an introduction. Part 2 is about the principles behind the Pirc and Part 3 is the theory itself. I would have to say that Part 2 is where the great strength of the book lies - principles are very clearly and logically explained in a way that will make sense to the average player, and guidelines are laid down which should prove extremely helpful. Moreover (and this is something that really sets Pirc Alert! apart) a decent amount of space was spent explaining ideas for White. Often openings books give the impression that only one side is actually doing anything in the opening, and that the other side can only sit about waiting for bad things to happen to him. After going through this section I really started to feel as if I was getting the hang of the Pirc (look out for future games showing just how deluded this was..).
I can't say too much about Part 3 without having gone through it in detail, but the impression I got was that the coverage was not particularly detailed. Even here there is a lot of verbal explanation rather than reams of analysis. This is certainly useful for those of us who don't play at a particularly exalted level, although even a brief search did reveal a couple of gaps in the coverage.
One final piece of advice for the publishers of Pirc Alert! .. please don't include pictures of chess players in your books. The photos of Pirc experts in the book suggest that in order to play this opening successfully three things are essential: 1) a powerful dark-squared bishop; 2) rapid queenside counterplay; and 3) a terrible haircut. Unless 3) is a genuine requirement, I don't see that the inclusion of pictures is of any instructional value - and it certainly doesn't add to the book's aesthetic appeal.
That apart, this is a very good book. Whilst it might lack the detail which very strong players would like, I would say that it would enable anyone under about BCF 200 to play the Pirc with confidence and, equally importantly, with enthusiasm.
Nick NodenIn 2004 three new books were published on the Scandinavian by John Emms, Andrew Martin and Jim Plaskett. Each of the three books was priced at about £15. The Emms and Plaskett books covered the 2..Nf6 lines and Black alternatives to 3..Qa5 while the Martin book covered just the 3..Qa5 lines and second and third move alternatives for White. The Emms and Plaskett books were produced by UK publishers : Everyman and Batsford respectively. The Martin book was published by Thinkers Press of the US and the style is different : although arguably this is as much a feature of Andrew Martin's work as of US chess publishing.
Emms devotes about 70 pages of his analytically rich book to the 2..Qxd5 and 3..Qxa5 lines , while the corresponding figures for Plaskett and Martin are 25 pages and 130 pages respectively. All three books adopt the modern approach of discussing complete games.
I have been playing the Scandinavian, as Black, for about 10 years. In the 2004-5 season I played a dozen games in the 3..Qa5 lines against opponents on average about 165 BCF. Only one of those 12 games followed the so-called main line of the 3..Qa5 variation.
This communication shares with Metropolitan players one , arguably over-scientific, approach to answering the question posed in the title. Others might well share their views on the website. I attempt to address the question of how useful are the books to club players, in particular to me, as reference works . The approach is centred on answering the question for each book and each of the dozen games:
"Does the book contain detailed analysis or general commentary which would have led to better Black play if it had been known at the board? "
The judgements were made by me at the end of the season with the help of Fritz. The conclusions are that while both the Emms and the Martin books provided valuable information for almost all the dozen games the Plaskett book gave almost no useful information about the games I actually played.
My conclusion is that if you are looking for a reference work on the 3..Qa5 either the Emms or Martin book is appropriate. If you might want wider Scandinavian information the Emms book is clearly appropriate while arguably the Martin style might be more attractive if you are just interested in the 3..Qa5 lines. I find it impossible to recommend the Plaskett book as an openings book. Do any Metropolitan members disagree?
Ian Calvert
Another review, another dubious book title. Every Russian schoolboy knows that 1.Nf3 is played only by sandal-wearing vegetarians, probably with lentils in their unkempt beards, who arent man enough to play proper openings. Of course, admitting this on the front cover would amount to commercial suicide, unless perhaps each copy of the book came with a free packet of tofu. Hence the use of the word "dynamic", rather than "quiet", "positional", "anaemic", or indeed, "flaccid".
I bought this book to use in combination with Kostens The Dynamic English, which suggests several R?i lines as part of the proposed repertoire. I found it interesting to compare the two, as they use different approaches. Davies uses complete illustrative games, whereas Kosten has more explanation of common plans and tactics, followed by theoretical coverage using only fragments of games.
I have to say that I prefer Kostens approach. His game fragments show enough to illustrate common middlegame themes, but dont waste space showing how White then went on to misplay a rook ending in time trouble. I myself am perfectly capable of misplaying a rook ending in time trouble without Davies guidance, and in any case his annotations of the later parts of games are often too brief and superficial to be of real value.
On the whole Davies suggested lines are reasonably interesting (to sandal-wearing vegetarians). Some of the main lines where Black plays very solidly (e.g. 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7) can be quite stodgy, but at least these are well explained. Other lines where Black plays ...dxc4 are more entertaining, often involving a pawn sacrifice by White. Dutch or Kings Indian type set-ups by Black are met with an "extended queenside fianchetto" (i.e. b4 and Bb2) which leads to unbalanced positions, and Davies even throws in a decent line against the Pirc, reached after 1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.e4 Bg7. It is notable that the repertoire includes lots of different types of lines (as opposed to Kostens 1.c4 plus 2.g3 against everything). I like this, as it makes life more interesting, but perhaps some readers might prefer a more uniform approach.
As with most repertoire books, I think the key here is to pick and choose the lines you like and ignore the ones you dont. Although I think that the average player would have liked a bit more general explanation, anyone who likes flank openings will find some good material here. But no free tofu, unfortunately.
Nick Noden
Readers of my previous reviews will realise that opening repertoire books tend to set me off on a rant. So as not to disappoint on this occasion, I will start this review off with a minor rant, and then proceed with the actual review.
The use of the word explosive in the title of this book is utterly laughable. The only person who could regard a line like 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+ Kxd8 as "explosive" would be someone who regarded the Exchange Slav as an insanely risky winning attempt. Do chess book publishers assume that simply including the word explosive in a book title will convince people to buy it?
So, for the use of the word explosive in the title, I have deducted one pawn from the rating for this book. The title was the only thing in the book that I really didnt like - for the things I did like, read on.
Firstly, the repertoire hangs together well. 1..d6 against everything is the basic concept, which means that Black shouldnt be move-ordered even if White starts off 1.c4 or 1.Nf3 but then plays d4, or opens 1.d4 and subsequently transposes into a Pirc. The main recommendations are as follows:
1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5
1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4
1.c4/Nf3 d6 2 ..e5 3 ..f5
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6
Secondly, there is not much established theory on many of the recommended lines. 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 doesnt even have a name. (Maybe this is why the books title is so bad. Having rejected the less than catchy title "Winning with the 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 Variation", the publishers were at a complete loss and thought "Explosive Opening Repertoire" was worth a try.) The lack of previous theory means that there isnt too much to learn, but the authors have been conscientious and provided pretty good coverage of the key lines. My only reservation might be that the Pirc has probably been covered better elsewhere - theory addicts can consult Nunn & McNabs The Complete Pirc, for instance.
Thirdly, the openings recommended seem very solid. So solid, in fact, that the books title is misleading as well as naff. The queen exchange line given above is an extreme example, but most of the lines aim to equalise in the first instance and then think about playing for an advantage. Admirably, the authors are also not afraid to say that White has a slight advantage, if that is what they think. Other authors tend to opt for "and Black has counterplay", "with compensation", "unclear" or frankly anything else, rather than admit that, if White plays accurately, he may well be able to maintain a slight pull.
Finally, the book also includes some minor lines which could be used as alternatives or, for the lazier reader, provide a whole repertoire with the bare minimum of effort. Hence the book also includes lines such as the Czech variation of the Pirc, the Old Indian with ..Bf5 and a couple of other rarities. Again, the authors are commendably honest in their assessments of these lines, but still make the case that they may be worth a try, especially at less exalted levels.
So, this is a very good book, featuring a wide variety of interesting lines. Whilst the repertoire works as a unit, it would also be possible to adopt some of the lines and ignore others, for instance after 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Black can head for a Kings Indian after 2..Nf6 or even a Dutch after 2..f5, having avoided some of Whites dangerous or annoying possibilities (e.g. the Trompowsky). I expect to be consulting this book for years to come, and I suspect many other people will too. Just dont be fooled by the title!
Nick Noden
As the title would suggest, this is not a standard opening book of the "Winning With" variety. Instead, the author sets out to tell his readers how to develop an effective opening repertoire with the minimum of effort. This means that the book could be useful to you no matter what openings you play - on the other hand, readers looking for concrete suggestions will largely be disappointed.
Giddins is not a very strong player by the standards of most chess book authors, nor is he a noted theoretician (whatever that is). Where the book succeeds, it is through a healthy dose of common sense. Now you may not think that you lack common sense when it comes to your opening repertoire, but perhaps reading this book will change your mind. Are you tempted to change your whole repertoire after one or two bad results? Do you stubbornly persist in playing your favourite dubious gambit, even though "every Russian schoolboy knows" the refutation? Do you ever arrive at the end of a memorised line only to find that you have no idea how to play the resulting position? If any of these sound worryingly familiar, then Giddins book has some helpful advice for you.
Giddins recommendation is essentially to develop a fairly narrow opening repertoire of sound openings which you know and understand well. Now this is hardly rocket science, but Giddins does a good job of arguing his case in such a way that you actually feel inspired to follow his advice. The problem, of course, is that this involves a fair amount of hard work - the author says that in his case, it took a couple of years. I have to say that I found this refreshingly honest, especially by comparison with "miracle cure" opening books which pretend that, if youd only buy the book and spend half an hour flicking through it, you could have an unbeatable set of openings.
So just reading this book will not in itself improve your repertoire. What it will do is provide you with guidelines so that however much time you devote to your openings, it is properly spent.
Nick Noden
Be warned - this is not so much a book review as a rant. Those of a nervous disposition and/or directors of Gambit publications should look away now.
The first thing that strikes the reader about this book is the title. The DYNAMIC English. Why are there no openings books on unadventurous openings? There are certainly plenty of people out there playing them, so surely there must be a gap in the market. Watch out for forthcoming titles from The Noden Press such as the following: Drawing with the Caro-Kan; The Colle for the Defensive Player; Bore Your Opponent to Death with the Exchange Slav. People may not feel comfortable buying these from the congress bookstall while other players purchase books on "exciting" openings, so they could be available via mail order, dispatched to the privacy of your own home in discreet brown paper packaging.
Of course when you buy a book with the word dynamic in the title, you expect a collection of interesting attacking lines. And indeed most chess players would be hard pressed to think of a more interesting attacking line than the Symmetrical English (1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3 a6 and so on until about move 25). Or after 1.c4 c6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bf5, no attacking player could resist 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qb6 7.Qxb6. Both of these lines feature in Kostens book.
Im not suggesting that either of these lines is bad, although I certainly find it difficult to get excited about the symmetrical lines. My question is, what are they doing in my dynamic opening repertoire? Of course the problem is that a genuinely dynamic repertoire probably has to include at least some crucial theoretical lines, which would require rather more space than Kosten has at his disposal here. The Dynamic English certainly contains many interesting lines which are not hugely theoretical, but every so often there comes a point where Kosten, like any other author of a repertoire book aimed at club players, has to choose between three evils:
1) include masses of theory on an important line;
2) recommend something untheoretical but harmless;
3) recommend something untheoretical and "offbeat", i.e. dubious.
My own impressions, combined with reviews I have read elsewhere, suggest that there are several instances of 2) in The Dynamic English, and at least one of 3). Of course this means that the rest of the book is actually pretty good, a conclusion which may surprise you in the light of my earlier ranting.
The point of my ranting (insofar as there is one) is that club players who think that they can come up with a repertoire which is dynamic, sound, and yet requires no more theoretical knowledge than can be squeezed into a slim softback book are deluding themselves. Chess publishers are in no hurry to disillusion them, as it means that suckers like you and me will always be there at the bookstall after the latest hideous loss, thinking, "Oh look, I can improve my entire opening repertoire and gain 20 BCF points, for only 12.99!" (Which, by a bizarre coincidence, is how I myself came to purchase The Dynamic English.)
In summary, there's a lot of good stuff in this book - hence its rating of 3 out of 5. However, I doubt that many people would want to use the contents as a complete repertoire, especially if they are looking for genuinely "dynamic" options. I'm afraid your ideal White opening repertoire may cost you more than 12.99!
Nick Noden
Having worked myself up into a frenzy over the idiocies of repertoire books in my review of Kostens The Dynamic English, I thought Id have a look at another one in the form of Emms Attacking with 1.e4. This is another "whole opening repertoire in one book", and given the amount of theory on Blacks various options after 1.e4, its amazing that it has all been crammed into 160 pages.
Needless to say, some sacrifices have to be made if you are going to do this (and no, I dont mean recommending the Morra Gambit against the Sicilian). As in Kostens The Dynamic English, lines where there is a lot of theory ( which are often the critical lines) are avoided. Emms recommendations are as follows:
Closed Sicilian
Kings Indian "Attack" against the French
2.c4 against the Caro-Kann
Bishops Opening against 1...e5
4.Be3 against the Pirc/Modern
I wouldnt say that any of these choices was the most aggressive option available, and I personally regard the Closed Sicilian, KIA, and Bishops Opening as a bit lame. However, clearly they all make reasonable weapons for club players. A good feature of the book is that Emms is not afraid to show lines which equalise for Black - a refreshingly honest approach which is sadly none too common in my experience. Many repertoire books can leave the reader wondering why opponents dont resign immediately when faced with the opening in question - sadly you can then find this out over the board...
Alekhines Defence and the Scandinavian each get a decent-sized chapter, and there is a brief outline of oddities including 1...a6. This means that you dont have to plough through several different books to research openings which you only come up against once a season. I have been through the chapter on the Scandinavian in some detail and found it very useful - indeed it allowed me to obtain a clear advantage without any difficulty in a recent 4ncl game. (Of course I went on to lose the game, which shows you the limitations of even the best opening books.)
This is a good book, given the restrictions of the genre. As with The Dynamic English, I couldnt recommend it in its entirety as a complete repertoire. However, if you already play 1.e4 and reckon that your openings need a spring-clean, you will find plenty of good ideas here.
Nick Noden
What do you do as White against the Sicilian? Until now, my chess book collection has offered me two alternatives. Number one is to go into battle armed with the latest theory and reams of analysis - as suggested in Nunn and Gallaghers Beating the Sicilian. Number two is to sidestep your opponents pet variation by playing the closed - as suggested in Lanes Winning with the Closed Sicilian.
Sadly, both of these approaches have their defects. The BTS method runs the risk that your opponent will almost certainly know his pet variation better than you - in a decade of playing the Najdorf as Black, I have rarely come across an opponent who knew the theory better than I did. You would also have to spend about six months of hard study learning all the variations, which is something of a drawback for those of us who like to leave the house occasionally. The problem with the Closed Sicilian on the other hand, in my personal opinion, is that it is a bit lame. I have always scored well with it in the past, but this was mainly before Joe Gallagher spoilt my fun by writing Beating the Anti-Sicilians. Gallaghers recipe for dealing with the Closed is simple but effective, i.e. "dont let White play f5". If, like me, your only plan in the Closed is to play f5, this is a major problem. I suspect that Gallaghers book has dealt a major blow to various anti-Sicilian systems, such as the Grand Prix Attack, which are devastating against ill-prepared opponents but much less threatening if Black knows what hes doing.
All of which brings me on to Nigel Davies book. (I bet you were wondering when I was actually going to say something about it.) It suggests playing the Open Sicilian, but playing a kingside fianchetto against everything. This has a number of advantages:
1) Lines with g3 for White are invariably sound - none of them is going to be refuted any time soon;
2) Similar plans and strategic features crop up throughout the repertoire; and
3) Transpositions are rarely a problem, since White fianchettos against virtually any set up or move order.
The title of the book for is accurate, for once - especially by comparison with the trend for book titles along the lines of "Attacking with the Hedgehog" or "An Explosive Repertoire for White Based on 1.b3". The aim is to reach promising positions without getting involved in theoretical battles or enormous complications. On a couple of occasions the author explicitly states the view that it is simply not worth trying to take on a Sicilian player "on his home turf", which must surely make sense to anyone under 2200. Compare, for instance, the treatment of the Nimzowitsch variation with BTS: Nunn and Gallagher suggest the theoretical refutation 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 and back this up with pages of analysis, whereas Davies suggests a little-known system based on (youve guessed it) a kingside fianchetto.
So the choice of anti-Sicilian lines proposed by Davies certainly seems ideal for the practical player. What about the quality of the book itself? Well, the repertoire is based on a few annotated games for each line of the Sicilian, with plenty of recent material. Evaluations are objective, which makes a pleasant change from the one-sided approach taken in many opening books. You dont get the quality of analysis and original suggestions which distinguish the very best opening books (mostly by John Nunn, in my experience) - this is why I only gave the book 4 pawns rather than 5. However, this book should allow a player of upto 2200 strength to face the Sicilian with confidence, and without years of learning variations.
Nick Noden
This new book from Everyman aims to provide players with a complete repertoire against 1.e4 , based on the Sicilian Defence, which is solid yet active and involves as little memorisation as possible. An ambitious aim, certainly, so I was curious to see whether the book lived up to its claims.
The centerpiece of the repertoire is the Four Knights variation of the Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nf6, with the rest of the book devoted to the closed, c3, Morra etc. The chapters are based around well-annotated complete games, with a short summary at the end. The author does not try to dictate a 'main' line in most cases, but rather covers a sufficient range to allow a choice that suits the reader - a very useful feature.
I was delighted by the quality of the notes - there is an ideal blend of variations and verbal explanation. from which the ideas behind the opening became clear very quickly. Black normally achieves his freeing move ..d5 quickly in these lines, leading to a more open game than is usual for the Sicilian. Because of this, Black can develop freely, and without the imminent danger of a Kingside pawn storm. Rigorous 'testing' on ICC further confirmed that the key lines were easy to remember, and - as a bonus - unfamiliar to most White players. In this way, the author's claims for the repertoire seem to be true.
In summary - one of the best opening books I've come across in a while, and I've been able to successfully switch to the Sicilian using it. Even if the Four Knights variation is not to your taste - the chapters on the anti-Sicilian lines (i.e. those not involving 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4) compare favourably to Gallagher's well-regarded 'Beating the Anti-Sicilians'.
Zafer Djabri
The author, a prominent national coach, describes the development and organization of chess in China during the past two decades and presents thirty lavishly annotated games, nearly all by Chinese against Western players. In what is surely the core of the book, chap. 4 ("Models of Chess Thought") and chap. 5 ("Opening principles") the author attempts to show how the new and supposedly unique Chinese school of chess involves the opening principles of Strategy, Structure and Space (each of these conceived in a uniquely Chinese way) and in the middlegame the development of a particular kind "positional sense" which can described via its 34 components (pp.100-1).
It is none too clear, though, exactly how the games illustrate either area and so what in fact is unique about the Chinese school of chess. One conclusion from the immensely enjoyable games is that Chinese players work tremendously hard on that phase of the game that is least well served by theoreticians (i.e. the middlegame) and that this, in large part, is responsible for their rise to prominence.
Rob Kruszynski
First rate annotations of forty of her games by Xie Jun who became Womens World Champion in 1991 (beating Chiburdanidze) and three times since then (Ioseliani, 1993; Galliamova 2000; World Cup 2001). Published five years ago but only thanks to Liu Wenzhes (coach to Xie Jun for some years) recent book Chinese School of Chess was I led to look closely at these games.
The annotations are generally not especially deep but the critical points in each game are identified and well-commented on and the author is merciless in relation to her own mistakes, indeed she includes seven draws and four losses in this compilation. By far the most enjoyable collection of games I have read in recent years and I hope Gambit Publications Ltd soon commission the author for a companion volume that covers the last five years
Rob Kruszynski
What can I say, I've recommended this book to so many people I should be on commission. The book contains a 1000 puzzles taken from real games and vary in strength from the noddy to the Kasparov of chess puzzles. This book will take you months to get through ( I speak from experience) as it gradually increases the difficulty of the puzzles as you progress. However it's worth the effort as your game starts to benefit immediately as tactics become easier to spot. The thing I really like about this book is the fact that most of the puzzles don't come with comments like 'White to mate in 3'. This means that you don't know exactly what you are looking for and really have to delve into the position to find out if the tactic is to win a pawn, a piece or even mate. The answers are also very good, as not only do they give continuations but there are often little anecdotes about what actually happened during the game, which reassures you that even strong players can go wrong in sharp positions.
I can't see how anyone who reads this book will fail to benefit and improve their game. The book covers so many levels it is ideal for beginners and experts alike.
I can't bring myself to be so positive about anything so I have to find something wrong with this book. Unfortunately the only problem I have with this book is it's size, if it were slightly smaller it would be ideal to carry on the tube, train etc.
Kathy Griffiths