History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top HighSchool Chess Team

Average customer rating:

He Knows Them So Well
Great reviews, mediocre read
A King among writers
Interested in the New York chess scene?
"Their lives have already been made much better"

The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top HighSchool Chess Team
Michael Weinreb
Manufacturer: Gotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592402615
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Book Description

An award-winning sportswriter takes you inside a year with the nation's top high school chess team.

With strict admission standards and a progressive curriculum, Brooklyn's Edward R. Murrow High School has long been one of New York's public-education success stories, serving a diverse neighborhood of immigrants and minorities and ranking among the nation's best high schools. At Murrow, there are no sports teams, and the closest thing to jocks are found on the school's powerhouse chess team, which annually competes for the national championship.

In The Kings of New York sportswriter Michael Weinreb follows the members of the Murrow chess team through an entire season, from cash games in Washington Square Park to city and state tournaments to the SuperNationals in Nashville, where this eclectic bunch competes against private schoolers and suburbanites. Along the way, Weinreb brings to life a number of colorful characters: the Yale-educated calculus teacher (and former semipro hockey player) who guides the savants while struggling to find funding for his team; an aspiring rapper and tournament hustler who plays with cutthroat instinct; the team's lone girl, a shy Ukrainian immigrant; the Puerto Rican teen from the rough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant who plays an ingenious opening gambit named the Orangutan; and the Lithuanian immigrant and team star whose chess rating is climbing toward grandmaster status.

In the bestselling tradition of such books as Word Freak and Friday Night Lights, The Kings of New York is a riveting look inside the world of competitive chess and an inspiring profile of young genius.

Customer Reviews:

He Knows Them So Well.......2007-09-14

Like many other guys I got into chess via the smash Broadsway musical written by Tim Rice and the two fellows from ABBA.

The musical, for those of us lucky enough to see it several times, glamorized the international world of high stakes chess championships, and posed chess as a way to resolve international Cold War tensions between grand masters of warring nations, spawning such monster hits as "One Night in Bangkok" and "I Know Him So Well." In Harold Prince's innovative direction, the stage became a living chessboard, the rooks, knights and pawns constantly alert and on the move at the drop of a baton. Now along comes Michael Weinreb, a top New York-based sportswriter, who focuses in on the Brooklyn high school that does for chess what FAME did for the performing arts.

The results? Not so glamorous, but compelling. Weinrib examines the ways in which few native-born Americans are drawn to chess, while the newly immigrant and the poor see in the sport a parallel to the nomadism of their existences, shuttled from state to state like bishops being moved two spaces one way, one space to the side. The main boys he profiles come from a wide variety of foreign countries, and once they're here, they do their best to go American, wearing baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts, FUBU underwear and the like. Their teacher, himself a chess expert, is not above employing Murrow's own strategies (Edward R. Murrow, after whom the school is named, was himself not a bad amateur chess player) to allow his boys (and one girl) a liberal amount of freedom regarding their academic commitments that would be unheard of at most schools.

As Weinrib reports, some of them fall apart, and some of them manage to keep their eye on the prize. Not since Frances Parkinson Keyes' 1960 novel THE CHESS PLAYERS, which examined the sorry, doomed life of American grand master Paul Morphy (possibly the greatest chess player who ever lived) (19th century, New Orleans), have we been shown in such detail the uncensored lives of the teens obsessed with the sport--the gateway to the kingdom.

In some way, his book will disappoint those of us who know how to play chess, for it is more about what our lives look like from the outside. But in others, it's a wake up call. I don't consider myself a geek, an oddball, or a genius, but now I know what the world thinks of men like me, men who, inspired by a dream (with music by ABBA), got into something I don't have any control of any more. Those who go to Hurrow in furture generations (like actress Marisa Tomei and director Darren Aronofsky--cited by Weinrib as two prominent graduates of Murrow's equally impressive theater program for kids) will be tempted to join the chess club just to travel the world! With their concentration on musical theater and chess, it's a wonder Murrow has not apparently put on a student production of the famous chess musical! They could star the the beloved chess graduates profiled in this book, Sal, Oscar Santana, Willy, Alex and Ilya. Hey, give it a chance! Weinrib quotes an approving chess source, who says, "The word dynasty does not completely describe Edward R. Murrow High School's pre-eminence in high school chess: complete hegemony is more accurate."

Great reviews, mediocre read.......2007-08-31

I read this on a long train ride, if I'd had anything else, I'd have read it.
I was just interested enough to keep reading and just bored enough to wish it would get more interesting.

A King among writers.......2007-08-23

embraces today's youth - now in chess!
so easy to read - thoughtful - hard to put down.
Thank you M. Weinreb

Interested in the New York chess scene?.......2007-08-11

If you are a chess player or someone new to chess, you may be interested in what is going on in the New York chess scene.New York is by far the biggest and most productive chess center in the USA.New York youth chess programs set the standard and produce many junior chess champions.In this book you will be following the journey of one such junior chess team on their road to the championships,this is a very well written book.The critism I have is this- I don't like the author calling chess players geeks and oddballs. Michael Weinreb the author is clearly a novice chess player at best,by his many annoying errors of chess terms and concepts.He sometimes writes about meaningless details which I found annoying, like giving small details about the environments and the details of what his characters are wearing ,hence why I took off one star.I appreciated the fact that this author took at least a year or more following a group of high school chess players around the country and giving us a glimpse into why chess is so popular in New York.I hope this trend spreads throughout the USA and to California, where I am from.Overall this book is helpful in spreading the popularity of chess, the game which I love, to more and more people throughout the USA.For that I am grateful.The book does a great job in expressing the emotions and trials of this group of young players.I will never forget the characters in this book. It was a fascinating read, and I took me only 3 days to finish it.I really enjoyed reading it ,and highly recommend this great book! This would be a great book for a high school teacher to read with thier students.

"Their lives have already been made much better".......2007-08-09

It is not often that I come across a book that has some great characteristics that make it excellent and others that seriously affect my enjoyment of the experience. This is one of those odd cases, because the portrayal of the kids and the gusto with which the author tells their personal stories is commendable. I can even risk going as far as saying that he comes close to the level of the best chess journalist I know, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam. But then when Weinreb starts talking about the games and chess concepts, everything comes tumbling down in a never ending spiral of mistakes and confusion. This gave me an odd feeling, because I started reading and thinking that it was a pretty good read and that it probably deserved between 4 and 5 stars. Then the chess parts started and I downgraded it to 2 to 3. Next I came across another good part, involving the description of coaches and masters, and I thought that it was on the right track again, only to be beaten down once more. Finally, I had to settle for 3.5 stars.

Lets start with the good part. The story focuses on the chess team of Edward R. Murrow High School, which is an institution in Brooklyn that implemented an experimental program giving the students considerably freedom to choose how to approach their education. In this setting, Eliot Weiss decided to start a chess team. This team attracted kids with different personalities, all of which have characteristics that give the author enough material to display his narrative skills. We are presented with the personal stories of the kids, which includes two master level players and a bunch of good club players, as well as some rookies. It is enlightening to see how chess affects their lives, and how their personalities differ from the stereotype most people have about how a chess player behaves and lives. We also get a tour through some of the most important factors that affected chess in the US and its introduction in schools. Finally, the book delivers great information on some of the most relevant coaches and masters in the game, such as Bruce Pandolfini and Bobby Fischer.

If the author, who clearly is not a chess player, had decided to stop there the result would have been excellent. He could have even asked a master for help in presenting the games and some of the chess concepts used in the book. Sadly, this was not the case, and starting with a convoluted explanation of what a pin is, the missteps accumulate and detract from the overall quality of the book. The problem is that the explanations do not help those that are already familiar with the concepts and are not clear enough for a newcomer to understand them. On top of that, we have the mistakes: positions that are wrong, illegal opening moves (on several occasions) and butchering the name of an opening, to name a few. And finally, to make it even worse, there is the narration of some of the games, which is so poor that it is impossible to follow. There are so many references to queen sacrifices that it is hard to believe these are accurate.

Those that are interested in the story of these oddballs and do not care about the chess portions will have a most pleasant experience with this book. However, if you are looking forward to following the development of the games through the narration, you will find yourself extremely disappointed.

Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition

Average customer rating:

Unfortunately, not Recommended
Such chess principles apply equally to life in general!
A Chess Classic
Good, but not the best book of its type
Great for principles, not so great for move analysis

Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Batsford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

Chessmaster 7000

ASIN: 0713484640

Customer Reviews:

Unfortunately, not Recommended.......2007-08-30

Why "unfortunately"? Because Chernev put a lot of hard work into this book. He DOES explain every move--even if he has to go back to obscure 1820s books to say something new about 1. d4 when we see it for the 10th time. What's more, he does this without, for the most part, repeating the old libels about the "crazy" Steinitz or the "sadistic" Alekhine, etc., used by some authors to make reading about chess "exciting" without real work. Also, Chernev's love of the subtle move and the brilliant combination come through in the book, making us all remember why we like chess in the first place.

Unfortunately, the book's analysis is simply bad. It is hard to blame Chernev for trying to simplify what is going on in complex positions--the book is, after all, aimed at beginners--but his simplification completely distorts the situation. Of the 30+ games in the book, almost *all*, apart from five or six, are symetrical open games (1. d4 d5 or 1. e4 e5) many of them using obscure openings few play nowadays (Colle system, King's gambit). Some of this is due to fashion. But a lot of it has to do with something Chernev constantly ignores or mistates, but is of cardinal importance--the *plans* of the two sides.

Putting things very crudely, The King Indian's Defense and other asymmetrical openings allow black to concentrate on other plans--"building a solid position" for example--instead of that of immediate control of the center and rapid development. Why? Because, as Botvinnik noted, with such "asymmterical" plans white's first-move advantage is less prnounced. Conversely, the King's gambit is now unpopular since the main plan for white--attack on the black monarch--had been shown to lead to no more than a draw against accurate play.

Not much of this gets into Chernev's book. For him, the only opening plans are "develop your pieces" and "control the center". For example, he says that the reason people play 1. ... Nf6 in reply to 1. d4 is "to not allow white to dominate the center with 2. e4". Similarly, he condemns 1. ... e6 is "less agressive" (in controlling central space) than 1. ... e5 in reply to 1. e4, but at least it "opens lines to two pieces", does not allow White to play the King's gambit, and is useful against "over-agressive players".

Talk about oversimplification! Chernev's analysis is, I suppose, helpful to absolute beginners, showing them what is wrong with 1. h4 intending 2. Rh3, or with 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 intending 2. Qxe5+ (which, after the "thematic" 1. ... g6, leads to 3. QxR, 4. QxN, 5. Qx anything she can get her hands on), though they too are left wondering why anybody ever plays "inferior" moves such as 1. c4 or 1. ... Nf6. For all others, Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move" is so superior in every respect comparing the two would be pitiful. It's like, to quote Edward Winter, comparing a Rolce-Royce with a rattle-trap.

Such chess principles apply equally to life in general!.......2007-08-11

This book is must reading for any novice! I will never again see a chess board in the same way! Many people, books and films state that principles of martial arts or samurai philosophy apply to everyday life, so much so that they constitute a guiding philosophy. In Japan and China people apply principles from war and strategy books such as The Art of War and The Five Rings to the world of business, and to great effect. Now, many films have also tried to do this with chess, but usually fall short. They usually end up making some blah statement, such as, "We are all pawns," etc. This book contains many fascinating quotes and principles handed down from the masters. As I read them one thing that struck me was that many of these principles apply equally to real life. For instance, Chernev's main lessen in this book is that the right move is determined by the requirements of you position. You assess the situation at hand, you have a goal, and there are only certain actions that will bring that goal about. Thus, the action you take is determined by what circumstance required.

A Chess Classic.......2007-06-01

I recently worked through my copy of this book. I must say it was very enjoyable to play through the games and read Chernev's explanations of the moves and the reasons behind them. I think Chernev did a superb job, and this book is a great game collection for anyone interested in chess. Newer players will certainly learn a lot.

Good, but not the best book of its type.......2007-04-07

The idea of explaining the idea behind every move is a good. I wish that more books would do this for the Beginning and Intermediate level chessplayer.
There are several problems with this book; 1) The book is overly focused on the opening - it should spend more time going into the middlegame and endgame, and 2) It often would not answer the questions I had about a move or what was going on it the game, and 3) half the games are of the author, who is only a measly master. However, overall I can still recommend this book.
This book does not compare in quality to my favorite book, "Logical Chess, Move by Move, which just recently was updated."

Great for principles, not so great for move analysis.......2007-03-31

As the other reviews state, this book is a great way for beginners to learn general principles. However, I would recommend taking Chernev's alternative variation analysis, and in fact many of his tactical variations, with a large grain of salt, frequently they are not close to the best moves. Even his main line analysis is frequently quite wrong. For example, I'm going through game 19, and on move 15 black plays 15...Bd6. This is not a good move since it allows 16.c5!. But of the alternate move 15...Qd8, Chernev only writes "...does not look appetizing". In fact, 15...Qd8 stops white's 16.c5 and lets *black* play c5 in the next move or two, gaining equality. Playing ...c5 is what Chernev is beating up Black about in this and all the Queen's Gambit Declined games, over and over, and he misses when Black has a chance to play it!

There are many more examples of bad analysis in the other games like this. Just read through the games, absorb the general principles, and move on to more modern "move by move" books with more accurate analysis.

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

Not really mastering the openings
Outstanding book
Great Opening Primer
Book Title Tells All
BEST OPENINGS BOOK EVER!

Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1904600603

Product Description

A major new title from Gambit Publications Ltd. For most chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is hard to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player wont know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. With this book John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. In his previous books on chess strategy, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players, and did so in ways that have enabled them to enter the general chess consciousness of club players. Here he does likewise for the openings, explaining how flexible thinking and notions such as rule-independence can apply to the opening. Watson presents a wide-ranging view of the way in which top-class players really handle the opening, rather than an idealized and simplified model. This is a book that will make chess-players think hard about how they begin their games, while offering both entertainment and challenging material for study.

Customer Reviews:

Not really mastering the openings.......2007-09-12

John Watson seems to have quite a cult following, and to a point I agree he is unique and insightful. One must appreciate an author who gives their opinion and deep research - that is why you pay for the book. However, I believe the title misses the point, and a couple of openings.

A book that covers the Giuoco Piano, Ruy Lopez, Two Knights Defense, Philidor bypasses the Scotch and Petrov. My database gives the Petrov as the second most common response after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3, and Scotch as the third most common after 2. ...Nc6. Heck, even the King's Gambit gets seven pages.

This is a good book, with tons of insights into the openings and positions covered, as well as a long overview of the goals of the opening and positional considerations. However, it has several large gaps, and can't be used as an openings reference by itself.

Outstanding book.......2007-07-05

The author explains several opening lines from a strategic point of view, and not only by giving variants. This book is both useful and entertaining.

Great Opening Primer.......2007-07-03

If you're a club player looking for a good starting point to actually understand the ideas behind the e4 openings, this is it. It may not go as deep as the standards like the Batsford/Modern/Nunn's Chess Opening manuals, but it's really not meant to. While there's a place for the more technical manuals listed above, they can be overwhelming to a club player. Watson goes out of makes the openings approachable & understandable, as well as giving some additional ideas you can expand on by yourself.

After you've read this and vol 2 of the series (about d4 openings), you should be able to learn enough to get a feel for openings that fit your style and expand your collection into specific opening guides if you feel you need to.

Highly recommended.

Book Title Tells All.......2007-05-30

Another great work by one of the best chess authors in the business. For selfish reasons I wish he could have tackled more variations and more games, but, hey, I understand the Mr. Watson has other books to write. The book definitely gives a great understanding in words and analysis of modern approaches by some of the most novel thinkers in the game today concerning popular openings. Can't wait for Volume II!

BEST OPENINGS BOOK EVER!.......2007-05-11

I am only an amateur chess player, but this book helped me more than any other that I've ever read. The basic ideas in the first three chapters made it easy to advance to the instructive and well-written chapters that follow. Instead of these books with rows and rows of moves I found one clear explanation after another. Yet the author also gives plenty of solid variations to build a repertoire around. It's the best of both worlds. You'll love this book!

Modern Chess Series, Part 1: Revolution in the 70's (Modern Chess)

Average customer rating:

good book for the serious chess player
Good book, great subject, poor chess proofreading
Kasparov is best when writing and playing on chess!!!
Revolutions in the 70's

Modern Chess Series, Part 1: Revolution in the 70's (Modern Chess)
Garry Kasparov
Manufacturer: Everyman Chess
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1857444221

Book Description

Between 1972 and 1975 alone, progress in the field of opening theory was more significant than in the entire preceding decade! Under the influence of Fischer, who imparted a great impetus to the development of the game, chess was radically regenerated. This process, with increasing acceleration, also continued in later years. As a result, the overall picture in the openings changed almost beyond recognition.

By studying this fascinating book, the reader will certainly learn a great deal, discover things that are unexpected, and see how rapidly and inexorably chess development approached the computer era.

*By the most famous chessplayer of all time
*Part 1 of the Modern Chess Series, follow-up to My Great Predecessors

Customer Reviews:

good book for the serious chess player.......2007-06-22

This book will probably be of most value to serious or aspiring chess players. Kasparov provides an interesting account of advances in chess theory in the 1970s, with a section in which he asked for the opinions of other leading grandmasters whose comments are also enlightening. A book that probably anyone seriously interested in chess and its history will find of interest and value.

Good book, great subject, poor chess proofreading.......2007-06-21

While I enjoy the material covered in this book as much as I have Kasparovs "My Great Predecessor" series', and the GM interviews at the end are delightful, there's numerous errors in the games throughout the book. For instance the Caro-Kann section lists games as starting out as a French (1.e4 e6), and while it's technically possible to transpose into the CK from the French these don't. The errors occur just often enough to be frustrating.

However it's still a great look back through time at the players and theory that shaped the modern game.

Kasparov is best when writing and playing on chess!!!.......2007-04-30

As Igor Stohl aptly commented, Kasparov is doing best on chessboard. Kasparov is arrogrant, that is a fact and sometimes not very cautious in commenting other chess players. But on chessboard and on writing chess, he is in his elements. This reminds me of Bobby Fischer, the behaviour is even more bezairre than Kasparov, but take a look in his " My 60 memborable games ", it seems to be a different person where the comment is candid and impartial. Kasparov also seems now be more rational.
( may be he has retired now???)

Revolutions in the 70's.......2007-04-24

Very inciteful look into the openings played by many grandmasters in the 70's and through today. Gary Kasparov guides you as if personally telling you about systems with exciting games played in them. It reminds me of New In Chess Surveys, but covering the most popular and often played openings explored by the masters. Although sealed in plastic from the publisher I was pleased with the content.

Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master

Average customer rating:

One of the best chess books.
Good endgame book, especially for the beginner
Gives you what you need and don't need to know
Wonderful
Superb book to learn endgames

Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master
Jeremy Silman
Manufacturer: Siles Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1890085103

Book Description

For more than 100 years, the world's leading chess players and teachers have told their students to study the endgame. Now, for the first time, a revolutionary, richly instructive endgame book has been designed for players of all levels. Silman's Complete Endgame Course, by famed writer and player Jeremy Silman, is the one and only endgame book you'll need as you move up the ladder from beginner to strong tournament player and finally to master.

Designed to "speak" to a player in a very personal way, Silman's book teaches the student everything he or she needs to know at his or her current rating level, and builds on that knowledge for each subsequent phase of the player's development. Starting at the beginner's level, all basic mates are clearly and painstakingly explained. After that, the critical building blocks that form the endgame foundation for all tournament hopefuls and experienced tournament competitors are explored in detail. Finally, advanced endgame secrets based on concepts rather than memorization are presented in a way that makes them easy to master.

The basic keys to a well-rounded endgame education--Opposition, the Lucena and Philidor Positions, Cat and Mouse, Trebuchet, Fox in the Chicken Coup, Triangulation, Building a Box, Square of a Pawn, Outflanking, the Principle of Two Weaknesses--are vital. But equally important is creating a love of the endgame, which is addressed at the end of the book with a look at chess tactics, minor piece domination, and a discussion of the five greatest endgame players of all time--all things that every fan of chess at every level can enjoy.

If you have found the endgame to be a mystery, if you have found that your confidence plummets once you reach an endgame, if you have searched for an instructive endgame book that will turn your weakest link--your endgame--into your personal field of power, your search is over. Silman's Complete Endgame Course is the key to a world of essential ideas, startling beauty, and stunning creativity.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best chess books........2007-08-23

I have been studying chess (with a coach) for eight months, and I have found that most chess books are written for players way above my current ability. This one, though, is terrific. It takes you from beginning endgame stuff steadily through more difficult material, building on itself as it goes.

Good endgame book, especially for the beginner.......2007-08-23

I have found this book to be helpful and useful, especially for the beginner. It separates each endgame "course" according to rating, so that the beginner is not trying to learn moves for a class A player, and a class A player doesn't have to slog through stuff they've known for years. I highly recommend it.

Gives you what you need and don't need to know.......2007-08-16

I'm not going to repeat what everyone else has said in their reviews.

Yes - brilliant concept, sorting endgames by playing strength. Stroke of genius. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before. Etc

I'd just like to say how liberating it is to read an instructional chess book and know that I can stop after a certain number of chapters because I already know more than enough.

There are not many chess books that explicitly state: "you already know enough about this - now go and practise some tactics and come back when you get a few games under your belt".

The hardest part about studying the endgame is knowing when to stop.

This book tells you what you DON'T need to know as well as what you DO.

Lucena position - don't worry about it just yet - get your rating up first.
Knight and Bishop versus Lone King - it ain't gonna happen.

How refreshing!

Wonderful.......2007-08-13

This is a step by step guide to the endgame. There has been a competition between two types of endgame books - those that want you to memorize thousands of positions and those who want you to understand various concepts and memorize only a couple positions. The problem becomes that the first is very time consuming but straight forward and the later is much faster but very difficult to understand.

This book gives the speed of learning concepts with the straightforwardness of memorizing positions. Silman has out done himself this time.

The only downside to this book is that it does not show how to checkmate with Knight and Bishop vs King but how many times have you actually been in this position? My guess is none and if you have been in it, odds are you never will be again.

I recommend this book for people of skill level from beginner to master.

Superb book to learn endgames.......2007-07-23

This was the second endgame book I bought. The first, "Just the Facts Winning Chess Endgames" was organized by endgame type (e.g. Rook Endgames). Silman's is truly a course, with chapters for beginners on up by rating. So rather than trying to master everything there is about rook endgames, Silman gives you what you need to know for your ability level. You revisit different endgames as you progress through the chapters.

I love all of Silman's books that I've read so far, and this one is no exception! If you're already a top-notch player, maybe any endgame book will work for you. But if you're learning, Silman's can't be beat!

Average customer rating:

Too hard for a 10 year old
Difficult to Understand
greatness
Bible of the chess world
Great Chess Book!

My System: 21st Century Edition
Aron Nimzowitsch
Manufacturer: Hays Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1880673851

Book Description

This is the all-time chess classic of Aron Nimzowitsch, now provided in algebraic notation and updated to modern understandable English. One of the three or four best selling chess books of all time. Contains 419 diagrams. Recommended by Grandmasters and masters for 75 years! Completely modernized in this 1991 edition.

Customer Reviews:

Too hard for a 10 year old.......2007-06-01

My son is 10 with a rating about 1300. The chess coach recommended this book for studying at home. My son found the language and the style of the book too difficult, and he gave up rather quickly. He found the companion "Chess Praxis" book easier to follow, and he reads it regularly.
I am sure it's a great book, but I am not sure it is suitable for young kids...

Difficult to Understand.......2007-05-03

I read this book when I was a teenager. Since then my understanding of chess has increased immensely. Even though at the time of reading I didn't understand a lot of it, I do notice that now later in life I use a lot of strategies in this book, but not neccessarily from reading this book. I am going to buy a new copy and see if I understand it better. This might not be the best book to get if you are a beginner because it is difficult to comprehend. If you are into buying chess books and want to have a nice collection, then you should get this book. For those who want a book that is easy to understand and will see a marketable return then try "How To Reassess Your Chess". "My System" will make you a better player but it might take more work than other books because of the complexities and early 20th Century language.

PawnMoves

greatness.......2007-04-27

this book is greatness. it is agreed by most that this is the best chess book of all time

Nimzowitsch was one of the first hypermodernists (controlling the center without actually putting pieces in the center)but his chess book isnt biased. Nimzowitsch was probably the 3rd best in the world in his time

the wording might be over the head for little kids (it was written in the 30's) but other than that this book is pretty much perfect. it has examples and games and goes over the most important chess principles

You need to re-read it every 200 rating points because there are new things you understand every time you read it.

Bible of the chess world.......2007-04-06

Nimzowitsch was not only a great player, but an excellent analyst as well as an excellent teacher, able to explain things in a simple and clear manner, then follow them up with examples and a handful of games. Another great part about the book is that almost everybody can learn something from it, excluding lower level beginners. I give it a five for completeness, although "The Art of Attack" is another great choice if you want to learn more dynamic play.

Great Chess Book!.......2007-03-11

This is a great chess book and you'll learn much from this well written book. This is one of the chess classics that will be around for awhile. It deserves to be in your library.

Average customer rating:

Great Tactics Intro
Chess tactics and combinations to make you a more powerful player quickly!
Chess Tactics, Traps and Combination books - the best way to get better
Another awesome book for fast improvement
Aimed at children but good for adults too

Chess Tactics for Kids
Murray Chandler
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1901983994

Book Description

Chess enthusiasts of all ages and levels will find this book an instructive delight. In a simple, easy-to-understand format it explains how to bamboozle your chess opponents using commonly occurring tactical motifs. The illustrative positions, all taken from real games, show the 50 Tricky Tactics that experienced chess masters use to win their games. Recognising frequently-occurring tactical ideas is vital to success in chess. One of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to improve at chess is by learning these thematic manoeuvres. Beginners will benefit from the clear explanation of basic concepts, such as how to utilise a fork, pin, or skewer. Advanced players will delight in the many devious middlegame tricks - some classified here for the first time - which can catch out even grandmasters. Chess Tactics for Kids makes improving easy and fun, and is full of helpful explanations on how to approach chess games with confidence - and success.

Customer Reviews:

Great Tactics Intro.......2007-01-10

This book is a very good introduction to a number of essential tactical concepts. For novice players looking to improve quickly, attention to the lessons in this book will be a big help. The lessons build from simple concepts to more complex motifs in a logical manner, which makes the material easy to grasp.

I recommend the book.

Chess tactics and combinations to make you a more powerful player quickly!.......2006-12-31

This is a great book that compliments "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess." It covers various chess tactics that come up or can be created to win material, gain positional advantages and impose checkmate.

Overall, the book is highly readable with good diagrams and easy to follow text. It is thorough in covering important and commonly used tactics, but not overwhelming for new players.

I think Chess Tactics for Kids is a misnomer in a sense since this book is appropriate for almost any adult and probably wouldn't be very useful to kids under 12 years old unless they have more than a casual interest in chess. However, younger kids could certainly grow into it as their interest peaks and they master more fundamental skills.

I've been playing chess for years and got a lot out of this book. I think it's perfect for teenagers and highly recommend it to adults who have not read seriously on chess and are somewhat intimidated or bored by move-by-move type chess books. I also recommend it to younger kids with more advanced chess skills or who are serious doing their homework to improve their skills.

I wish this book was available when I was learning to play chess. It would have saved me a lot of time learning things the hard way and wading through a lot of overly complicated move-by-move type books that I wasn't ready for.

Chess Tactics, Traps and Combination books - the best way to get better.......2006-09-15

When you are a beginner there is nothing better than studying books on Tactics, Traps and Combinations in chess. This is because the mind of a beginner can certainly understand 1 + 1 = 2. The value of the pieces is clear and coming out ahead can be calculated. This is a point that is a first step in learning chess! Tactics, at any point of the game are important to learn. Knowing what they are, how they work and recognizing them at a glance is necessary if you are going to become a good chess player. "CHESS TACTICS FOR KIDS" works on the most important starting tactics by showing you what they are and giving brief examples. This is not a tactics workbook where you will find hundreds of examples (a good book to get after this) or a traps book (a book also good to get) where you can see the tactics arise from the first move of the game. It is a book where you will learn the "mechanics" of the tactics. The brief chapter on each tactic is a great way to get started!

Another awesome book for fast improvement.......2006-06-16

A few years ago the author of this title wrote his How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, an original and popular book which taught checkmating patterns. In Chess Tactics for Kids the lessons are all about learning chess tactics which win material, for example winning a pawn or a piece.
The format is very similar to the DAD book and equally effective.

To improve at chess, the best chess teachers will tell you to study a variety of chess books. If you are interested in the opening stages, and are confused by all the choices, go for a book like Understanding the Chess Openings by Collins. This gives a useful overview of all openings.

If you want to study middlegames try a move-by-move book or study a collection of games played by a great player. But if tactics is your thing, you can't go wrong with Grandmaster Chandler's two books.

As a pair, How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids cover all the basic tactical themes a chess player is likely to encounter. The motifs are grouped by, well, motif, and the concept of pattern recognition is introduced in a way that is easily understood.
There are several hundred diagram examples per book, including tests and puzzle positions to solve.

The best thing of all is how often these themes, tricks and traps occur. I found that I had been getting numerous opportunities to win in my own games, only I just didn't realize it! Chess Tactics for Kids teaches how to spot the patterns where a tactic is likely to be lurking.

It is amazing how quickly winning combinations can be found, once you know the patterns.

Aimed at children but good for adults too.......2006-02-25

This is Murray Chandler's follow up to his highly successful "How To Beat Your Dad At Chess". The book presents 50 common tactical ideas - pins, skewers, forks, stalemate and many more - each one explained and illustrated in a double page spread. Only themes which occur fairly commonly in practice are included, and there are six diagrams per double page. The explanations are in simple language, and each diagram is accompanied by a brief commentary pointing out the salient features of the position. The continuations are very short (usually only one or two moves) so they can be followed easily without the need for a board.

Three or four examples are given of each tactical trick, with the aim of getting the reader to recognise certain patterns, and hopefully apply this newly acquired pattern recognition to his/her own games. To test how well the patterns have been absorbed there are 54 test positions for the reader to try. If the reader is unable to spot the continuation, a hint is given by way of a reference to the number of the tricky tactic that is being tested. So you can refresh your memory by looking back at the illustrated examples and then hopefully spot the same theme in the test position. All of the illustrative positions and test positions are taken from actual play (though there are no game references given), and there are no artificially composed positions.

Although the book is aimed at children in the first instance, it could be used equally profitably by adult beginners who wish to sharpen up their tactical awareness.

This review first appeared in the magazine En Passant.

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Book About the World of Chess...
SImply Outstanding!
A personal and rather shallow book
A Fun, Not Technical, Chess History -- and MORE!!
We're living through a mini golden age for chess literature

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain
David Shenk
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385510101
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its thirty-two figurative pieces, moving about its sixty-four black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool?

Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for society, influencing military strategy, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and literature and the arts. It has been condemned as the devil’s game by popes, rabbis, and imams, and lauded as a guide to proper living by other popes, rabbis, and imams. Marcel Duchamp was so absorbed in the game that he ignored his wife on their honeymoon. Caliph Muhammad al-Amin lost his throne (and his head) trying to checkmate a courtier. Ben Franklin used the game as a cover for secret diplomacy.

In his wide-ranging and ever-fascinating examination of chess, David Shenk gleefully unearths the hidden history of a game that seems so simple yet contains infinity. From its invention somewhere in India around 500 A.D., to its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its remarkable use as a moral guide in the Middle Ages and its political utility in the Enlightenment, to its crucial importance in the birth of cognitive science and its key role in the aesthetic of modernism in twentieth-century art, to its twenty-first-century importance in the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a remarkably omnipresent factor in the development of civilization.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Book About the World of Chess... .......2007-10-02

and what an interesting world it is. An insightful look at the history, pyschology, philosophy, and implications for the future of the world's oldest and greatest game.

This book should please chess lovers, as it is a rare thing in the crowded gamut of chess books... a broad survey of the game. Many of us play the game, and we study chess books and chess software, we play computer progams and human opponents, but perhaps we do not stop to look at the game from a distance. This book does that for us. And there is much we can learn, in my opinion.

Mr. Shenk is a talented and capable writer, and he has done his work well. He builds on his personal relationship with the game. While he is not an avid player, his great great great grandfather was a Grandmaster. The book is a fun to read and a page turner, and while it delights, it also instructs. Not so much as how to play the game, but perhaps why.

Chess is the world's 3rd biggest sport. It was supposed to be killed by the computer - and yet paradoxically the computer has greatly enhanced the game. It is one of the oldest games and yet it defies mastery. This book looks at this and more, from wacky Grandmasters to precocious school kids and dedicated patzers. It examines the history of chess in ancient Persia, to Bobby Fischer versus Spassky in Iceland to Big Blue versus Kasparof in New York.

Most chess books place the game of chess under a "microscope" - they analyze one specific aspect of the game, by breaking the game into pieces with diagrams and algebraic notion. This book is so welcome and necessary because it looks at the big picture of chess... from a distance, through the years, chess through a "telescope".

My only critique is that I wish the book had been even longer!
This book will be of interest to all, from chess expert to novice to the non-player who merely wants an entertaining education about the world's greatest game.

SImply Outstanding!.......2007-09-17

What an outstanding read - part documentary, history, biography and mystery novel. David Shenk has stimulated all of my mental faculities by writing was is arguably one of the most compelling chess history book ever written. From Novice to Grand Master, lots of good moves within this read. Thank you for a job well done!

A personal and rather shallow book.......2007-08-19

Readers looking for a decent history of chess won't find it in this book. They will find a highly personal account of the author's chess experiences and rather indulgent reflections on those experiences, and a grab-bag of topics with some historical connection to chess - but treated in a superficial and almost journalistic style.

The last chapter (Chess and the future of human intelligence) is particularly trivial. Shenk observes a group of kids in an American Chess in Schools program. It is pure mawkisness - perhaps I should say silliness. Dialog is recorded verbatim. Portentious claims are made.

What makes the book interesting is that Shenk intersperses a famous chess game (The Immortal Game between Anderssen and Kieseritzky in 1851) among the otherwise forgettable chapters. One rushes through the chapters just to get to the next phase of this gripping chess game. This was an excellent device to inject interest into what could easily have been a dry, technical account.

The book will interest readers with no knowledge of chess, but who are curious about it and just want an entertaining and interesting read with minimum intellectual demands upon them. Readers who want a more scholarly and coherent account of chess should look elsewhere.

A Fun, Not Technical, Chess History -- and MORE!!.......2007-07-08

When I got this book, my wife took one look at the title and laughed. "A history of chess? Have fun with that." A lot of people will think that about this book, and that's a shame. The Immortal Game is far more than a history of chess.

Shenk does cover a lot of the history of chess. He traces the roots of the game to the Middle East, and traces its spread throughout Europe. But he traces the history of chess through how it is used - chess is used as a metaphor throughout history, and what it serves as a metaphor for tells us a lot about each time period.

Muslims enjoyed chess because it was not a game of chance. It emphasized the idea of personal responsibility and free will over strict determinism and fatalism. Medieval Christians embraced this symbolism as well, even as they changed the pieces to suit their own society (the Elephant of the Muslim game became the Bishop in Christian Europe, for example). Shenk tells of a Dominican monk who wrote what many consider the most influential chess book of all time -- Liber de moribus hominum et officiis nobilium as popularium sive super ludo sacchorum -- which translates as The Book of Morals of Men and the Dutie of Nobles and Commoners, or On The Game of Chess.

Shenk sees chess as a metaphor for life, and the responsibilities of each member of society. He goes so far as to justify the movement of each piece by the role its namesake played in society. Even today, chess is used by psychologists studying human thought processes and how intelligence develops. Computer scientists teach their supercomputers chess in an effort to simulate human consciousness and develop truly artificial intelligence. Elementary school children are taught chess to develop creative thinking skills. Each era adopts chess as its own metaphor, and the game continues to flourish.

Interspersed with the history of the game, Shenk offers a play-by-play of "The Immortal Game," a practice game played by Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kiesseritzky in 1851. The game began as something of little consequence, played between two acquaintances as they were waiting for the next game of their match, but quickly became something of note. The game has been studied by chess students ever since - Kiesseritzky even published a report in his own chess magazine immediately after it was over.

The Immortal Game is a history of the game of chess, but it's more than just a history. It's an attempt to answer the question, why chess? What has made this game so popular? Why has it lasted for over a thousand years? It's a study of the use of metaphor throughout history. It's a discussion of what intelligence really is. And it's an encouragement to novice chess players all over the world that there is a reason to study this game.

We're living through a mini golden age for chess literature.......2007-03-22

There have been a number of chess books published recently, most of them in expensive hardback format: Bobby Fischer vs. Russians, Kasparov's My Illustrious Predecessors, even Shahade's uneven Chess Bitch. Now add to those titles The Immortal Game, a great overview of chess by David Shenk. The author became interested in chess rather late, and he'll never be a great player, and he knows it. But that doesn't mean the game can't be fascinating. One of the things to take away from this book is you don't have to be a Grandmaster to get a lot of out chess.

The book follows the history of the game as it also tracks one famous encounter between two chess players in 1851. Dubbed "The Immortal Game," it sums up what is so magical about chess--its unpredictability, its sudden reversals, and the feeling that no matter how much you play it, you will never fathom its depths. That's also the point Shenk drives home in the part of the book not devoted to the game, as he looks at how chess has shaped thinking on everything from math to science to social class to warfare to art to computers to psychology. He talks about great achievements brought about by chess, and the game's darker side, which has led to more than one case of madness, more than one suicide, and a reclusive American genius' raving anti-semite comments. No other game, he argues, has impacted the world as much, and few have lasted as long.

This is a well-written book, and very engaging. It does not have to be read by a person deeply-immersed in, and it's not overly-technical. I have to quibble a little about his insistence that chess geniuses are made and not born. While I don't doubt that thousands of hours puts the Garry Kasparovs and Susan Polgars of the world ahead of the rest of us, he ignores the fact that many other a would-be champ devoted equal effort to the game and failed miserably. He also doesn't seem to get that much of the "research" that has "proven" effort over aptitude is effected and infused by social and PC bias of the time, just as research on the subject half a century ago was similarly biased in the other direction. We seem to hesitate to say there may be a "chess gene" because the game is predominantly male and almost completely excludes certain racial groups. Be honest and ask yourself if we'd approach the sport of basketball with the same convictions.

Overall this is a very good book, however, and I recommend it for both the devoted fan and the casual, as well as curious, person, as a fine entertainment. Hopefully we are seeing a chess-publishing revival in the book world, and renewed interest in the game in the U.S.

Average customer rating:

Another ground-breaking work - easily 5 stars
Inspiring Chess Book
Somewhat difficult to understand
Wonderful
Another towering achievement

Chess Strategy in Action
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1901983692

Customer Reviews:

Another ground-breaking work - easily 5 stars.......2005-02-20

As an amateur enthusiast who plays chess only for enjoyment (I do not even possess a current rating) I feel almost itimidated in trying to review this book. However, as there are many other amateur players out there, I thought it would be worth sharing my views on why this is such a great work.
The first thing to note, of course, is that this book is a sequel to the multi-award-winning SECRETS OF MODERN CHESS STRATEGY. If you haven't read that book, you should - not because it is essential to the understanding of this one (it isn't) but because it is a phenomenal book. In CHESS STRATEGY IN ACTION John Watson expands on many subjects he covered in his first book. The new material is always put in context by Watson before he elaborates.
In his first book Watson advocated his theory of "rule-independence." He demonstrated how the modern day greats will sometimes break all established convention regarding general rules on how best to play certain positions. In this successor, the theory is fleshed out with the help of numerous examples from the games of Anand, Kasparov, Ivanchuk, Bareev, Topalov etc.
So do the old general principles, handed down over generations, still apply? Only sometimes! Watson has the rare ability to sift great games and find themes overlooked by other commentators. Thus he is able to show how and why the current chess elite can sometimes violate the golden rules that we were all brought up on. I must admit that I am a big fan of all of the Gambit books on chess strategy, which all cover different areas even though the book titles can seem a bit similar. I found CREATIVE CHESS STRATEGY (by Spanish GM Alfonso Romero) to also contain many excellent examples of rule-independence.
Whether or not you subscribe to the complete Watson philosophy, the material is rich in content, splndidly written and packed with games - the index reveals around three hundred players are represented. Like Watson's first book, CHESS STRATEGY IN ACTION is a modern-day classic.

Inspiring Chess Book.......2004-11-12

This is one of the chessbooks that can inspire you to play differently. I already had that experience once with Watson's book on the Chigorin Defence which indeed taught me that "offbeat" does not have to be bad.

In this new book Watson reduces his philosophical considerations somehow, which does the reading very good. Still, he does not let us get away without the insight that Adolf Albin who lived from 1847 - 1920 (!) "was not a modern player" (by the way, the Albin Counter Gambit is a positional pawn sacrifice in the modern spirit, which unfortunately happens to be weak). But that is bearable.

The examples are excellently chosen and there are real "eye-openers" among them. (I was particularly struck by one strategy - an early black attack with g5! against a castled white kingside which has been weakened by h3: Haven't I seen this before? Indeed, in my edition of Tarrasch's "Das Schachspiel", the old German teacher recommended for Black not to castle and instead to attack with g5 in case White castles and plays h3 prematurely in the Giuco Piano! This info just for you folks who think that they could not play chess in the old times.)

If you are looking for an entertaining and instructive game collection, this one is for you!

Somewhat difficult to understand.......2004-07-12

I think this book had some very good pointers. However, for an advanced beginner, or lower end intermediate player the way it explains things is difficult to understand in several areas. If you are advanced this book would be good, but it doesn't make it clear in the advertizing that this book is for advanced players only.

Wonderful.......2004-06-25

Another wonderful book from John Watson. For players beyond rank beginners, the better you are, the more you'll appreciate Mr. Watson. His work makes one proud to be a chess player.

Another towering achievement.......2004-04-28

This is the follow up to John Watson's Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, rightly hailed as a pioneering work when it appeared. Chess Strategy in Action is, quite simply, another classic. It contains more complete games than the original, and fills in gaps (for example covering concepts like positional pawn sacrifices and doubled pawns. Watson's premise behind both books is the same: the top grandmasters of today are extremely flexible and undogmatic in their thinking. Watson's presentation is rich with discussion and explanation. The deep examination of the move selection process is the key to learning from this book. Superb!

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