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!
Book Description
Ray Keene, Britain’s senior grandmaster, believes that chess history has been unfair to world champion Tigran Petrosian, whose brilliantly subtle style of play and long record of tournament successes were unjustly overshadowed by the much-publicized career of Bobby Fischer. Now, in collaboration with Julian Simpole, Keene puts Petrosian’s great achievements in their proper perspective, with a fully analyzed collection of 71 of his dazzling victories against the leading players of his time, Fischer included. Other chess books may instruct, entertain, and inform. This one does all of the above—but it also does something much more important: it sets the record straight, letting us fully appreciate the achievements and the genius of one of the game’s greatest players.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but still not the book Petrosian deserves.......2007-07-26
The main reason Petrosian won for so many years is that no one could figure him out. That remains true today. Kasparov makes a great contribution, but the final remarks he quotes from different masters on Petrosian show that unfortunately the memory of Petrosian is dominated by his match strategy in the 1971 world championship cycle [after he had already played in three world championship matches] in which he tried to totally restrain his opponents and took two matches by winning just one game each. His amazing win rate in Olympiads and record in tournaments, Soviet Championships, and Interzonals is mathematically impossible for a drawing master. Vasiliev unfortunately spends his entire book trying to show that he is a sparkling tactician. That's fine but it misses the uniqueness of Petrosian's style. Soltis' poor book sees Petrosian as an ugly pragmatist. Who could deny that Petrosian had a unique and mystifying style? So, as with Spassky, I have waited a long time to read the book that would be a monument to his career.
There are some good annotations in this book and the games are very well chosen. However, there are no photographs, the introduction is skimpy [15 pages] and there are no introductions to the games at all. The book is a collection of annotations without context that dehumanizes this unique personality and his intensely personal struggles and fascinating clashes of style with characters like Korchnoi. Each game deserved at least a little introduction to set up and enrich the reader's appreciation of the games as sporting events and fierce human struggles. I kept going to other books to look up where he stood in a tournament or match. If as a lover of chess, you want to enjoy Petrosian, then this book is really just a companion to Kasparov who gives a much richer treatment that brings Petrosian's games to life. Keene has made a career of pumping out little books. A second edition that addresses the inadequacies could also be the monument to Keene's career as a chess writer as well as the great book on Petrosian.
Fantastic collection of Petrosian Games.......2007-07-26
This book has a fantastic collection of Petrosian games versus the elite players of his time. The selected games teach a lot of petrosian strategic concepts, like defensive position, prophilapxis, sacrifices, etc.
The only drawback I miss in the book it is a detailed biography.
Regards.
A "weak" world champion? Not on your life.......2007-07-22
Some world champions are seen by the chess public as "weak" and "boring". Petrosian is one. This injustice is corrected by Keene's latest book, which gives us 71 of his victories.
Nowadays, with databases and computers, to find games and variations is easy, so quality depends on explaining which variations are critical in "real life" (something computers are still not that good at) and how the variations are tied together into an overall game plan. Here, Keene and Simpole do a good job. The annotations are detailed, try to explain why the game "worked out" as it did, and--an indicator of quality--the opponent's moves are sometimes praised and Petrosian's sometimes criticized. Sadly, Keene's overheated writing is sometimes on display: "the entire black army is consigned to an Hadean frozen lake of Dante-esque or Miltonic dimension", he writes of Petrosian-Fisher, 1959.
Keene writes both good and bad books. The more Keene cares about his subject, the better the book. He cares most about unfairly-maligned or misunderstood chapions of the past; his best books are those about Staunton, Nimzowitsch, and--now--Petrosian. If only there wasn't so much chaff in Keene's total output along with the wheat.
Excellent.......2007-05-10
Briefly read it...good history and explanations....and was a gift to my chess teacher whois Armenian.
Petrosyan.......2007-02-13
Petrosyan studied Nimzovich's games. Petrosyan was World Champion before Spassky. Petrosyan defeated
Botvinnik, and lost to Spassky. There have been other books on Petrosyan. An older volume was written by
O'Kelly.
His style: Petrosyan was known for his draws. On several occasions he showed an attacking style. Such as one game where he sacrificed his queen.
As for the above post:
Götterdämmerung (help·info) ("Twilight of the Gods" - see Notes) is the last of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring.
The title is a translation into German of the Old Norse phrase Ragnarok, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war of the gods which brings about the end of the world in Völuspá. However, as with the rest of the Ring, Wagner's account of this apocalypse diverges significantly from his Old Norse sources.
The term Götterdämmerung is occasionally used in English, referring to a disastrous conclusion of events.
Raymond Keene. I would recommend any book written by Raymond Keene. He writes in a clear manner.
Another volume for consideration would be his book on Nimzovitch's games. Note that Petrosyan studied
Nimzovitch's games as well.
Book Description
Leonid Stein, Soviet chess grandmaster and champion, believed in "correct" chess. However, when faced with drifting into a draw against a weaker player or a lost game, he believed in Risk! His unrestrained imagination and creativity elevated his play beyond mere mortals. It was another genius, Bobby Fischer, who boldly challenged Stein to a match to be held after the Havana chess Olympiad.
A most likely future world champion, and definitely a candidate, he unleashed his unbridled talent over the mighteies of chess players, but tragically, died in his thirties.
Stein's amazing ingenuity in attack and sacrifice is revealed in these dramatically annotated games
Besides the extensive biographical section, his family photo album is opened for all to see his warmth prowess of the 3-times USSR champion.
Book Description
The Art of Attacking Chess According to the Modern Masters The modern style of attacking chess explained to amateur chess players by a world famous grandmaster. This book explains how to build up an advantage in the game and how to convert that advantage into an aggressive strategy and into great attacking moves. It teaches the best way to exploit weaknesses in the opponent's position. Timman has selected the most instructive attacking games of great players like Kasparov, Topalov, Karpov, Shirov, and Judit Polgar in order to explain to amateur chess players the basic ideas of modern attacks and their successful execution. On the Attack will in crease your imagination and your confidence, and will lead to more wins be cause you know when, where and how to at tack in chess.
Jan Timman has for twenty years been one of the top players of the world. He contested many Candidates Matches for the world title. He wrote several highly acclaimed books, among which Chess the Adventurous Way, Power Play with Pieces, and Curaçao 1962.
Customer Reviews:
New, Interesting, Good Style.......2006-12-30
Why I am qualified to review this book: I used to be ranked #25 on the top 100 list for my age. I won third in the N. CA jr. High champs, 3rd at a LA Masters. I have had the honor of working with FM Banawa, from the Philippines, who is now rated 2307 according to January FIDE rating supplement. I have also work with other strong players, with ratings over 2400 USCF. So, I am no stranger to books, especially attacking books, the other book that I thought was really really good was Attack with Tal.
Most Attacking books are showing examples of the position and what happens (in reference to Larry Christiansen's Rocking the Ramparts and Storming the Barricades). This book Rocks the Ramparts and Storms the Barricades even better then LarryC did (in reference to Larry Christiansen's 2 books, one for Gambit Publishers, the other for Batsford Publishers)! A very impressive book. Jan Timman starts annalyzing from move 1, and tells us up front what happens. He looks over the games of GMs Anatoly Karpov (Boa Constrictor), Jan Timman (Iniatiative), Garry Kasparov (Demolitions), Nigel Short (Elegance), Ivan Sokolov (Target Practice), Vasily Ivanchuk (Origional and Depth), Viswanathan Anand (Efficiency), Alexey Shirov (Creative) Vessilin Topalov (Wild Adventures), Judit Polgar (Agression), and Andrey Volokitin (dogged determination). He then goes over a brief summary of the players, then shows us some of their games, why he gave them their names.
Anatoly Karpov - because he sacrifices an exchange to keep the enemy king in the center, and then just attacks them, and transposes into a won endgame, which is a very efficient and effective style.
Jan Timman - Because Jan Timman seems to grab the Initiative in the middle game, and then launch a interesting and also beautiful attack.
Garry Kasparov - Well as we all know, GM Kasparov is brilliant. He just destroys everyone. He is very strong, and is by far the best player in the world. Kasparov just attacks!
Nigel Short - Short is very strong at attacking chess. He has a nice elegant flow to his chess, and that is why Timman labeled him "Attractive Ellegance". All of the games that he played here are very nice, and extremely good quality.
Ivan Sokolov - Sokolov is a strong GM, who is well known for his positional understanding. Sometimes, he wakes up and decides that it is a day where he will go after his opponent's king. When that happens, he almost never misses his target, and Timman proves it through examples.
Vasily Ivanchuk - Vasily "chuky" Ivanchuk has been a top GM for years, and was thought to be the next work champion in the early 1990s. He is very strong positional player, yet he is also vrey strong in attacking chess. He is just plain 100% Original in his ideas.
Vishy Anand - We all know Anand is one of the best players in the world, if not the best. He is always very efficient, with a deep positional understanding, yet he also knows how to attack, and is very good at attacking chess.
Alexey Shirov - The 2006 Tal, Alexey Shirov is a brilliant GM, and has been a member of the world elite for years. His creativity propelled him there. He has had some nice wins over all of the top GMs in the world, and is known for his razor sharpk, creative style.
Vesselin Topalov - He is always well prepared, and his opening preparation is based on that he can get a good position where he has a chance to launch an attack on the enemy king. He takes lots of risks, and is also ex-world champion because he lost 5-6 in classical and 2.5 - 1.5 in rapid chess to Vladimir Kramnik.
Judit Polgar - She has been known for years to be a very strong attacking player. Timman shows us this through examples again.
Andrey Volokitin - Volokitin is a very strong players, who was once ranked #25 in the world. In GM Timman's opinion, his play and style reminds him of Vlemovich when he was younger (Vlemovich is the guy who invented the Bc4 Qe2 0-0-0 system against the classical Sicilian) a player with a head of crazy ideas.
Next, he showed through 33 more examples common tactical themes in chess, a "quiet move", which is really just a knock out move, that limits the enemy king's mobility, and its just game over. He gives numerous other examples of other common themes. It was very interesting.
Timman proved to me that this is a good book, and I will be buying another Jan Timman book. He is very good writer, and player. He shows us how to build an attack step by step. I recommend this book to all, strong attackers and not so strong attackers, Patzers (club players) to GMs, this book can improve your chess a tremendous amount! I, as a very strong attacker, really enjoyed the book, and learned a lot. It is to mention that I didn't even need a board to go over the games, there were enough diagrams, for me, so that I could take a little checkpoint every now and then, and know exactly what was going on.
Jan Timman, an ex-member of the world elite, and still a very strong player, he is the man! He is one of the most qualified people in this world to be writing a book about attacking chess. He is very good with the Initiative, and very good when needed to attack.
Great for amateur players.......2006-12-20
A very instructive book because it makes clear there are different ways of obtaining the initiative in a game, by pointing at the differences in style of various top players. Timman almost always concentrates at the essence of a position, without bothering you with pages of variations and subvariations. Maybe it takes the confidence of a top player like Timman to leave out most of the stuff computers come up with.
Superficial Analysis.......2006-12-09
The book is comprised of 33 games: three games from each of eleven masters (Karpov, Short, Kasparov, Topalov, Polgar, Sokolov, Anand, Timman, and I forget the others). Serious players will have seen the games before in publications such as NIC Magazine and Chess Informant. In some cases, they're so well known they've already appeared in several books. Timman's light analysis and comments don't shed any new light on the games. This book is closer in style to his earlier book, "Curacao 1962," rather than his more serious "The Art of Chess Analysis" or "Power Chess with Pieces."
Book Description
Increase your skill and understanding of chess with the tactics that have produced unparalleled Russian grandmasters.
Russia's dominance in modern chess was founded on a uniquely successful program of chess instruction. Now this program has been streamlined and adapted for American readers in a pair of books that will help readers develop, step by step, from total novicehood to an enjoyable and competitive recreational level.
Volume 1 covers the fundamentals of the game, from beginning strategies to energetic endgames. Learn from the start not just how the pieces move, but also where and why to move them.
Advance in the game—and have fun doing it—using the techniques that produced a long line of Soviet champions.
Customer Reviews:
The best chess book no matter what your skill level.......2006-12-08
This book begins with the very basics, how the board is set up, how the pieces move, the basic rules. The book then progresses at a steady pace introducing strategy and tactical tools. The book goes further than just explaining principles, and offers "chessercizes" at the end of each section to ensure the reader fully grasps each concept before moving on. I have read several chess books and browsed many more and this is hands down the best one. If you play chess or want to learn, you must read this book.
Chess 1.......2006-11-10
This is an excellent book for beginners that does more than just teach the basics. It teaches skills needed for any level of play.
Very Informative, Excellent. .......2005-03-30
This is one excellent Beginner book; it is unique and very informative. The first 102 pages have a lot of basic fundamental information ALL beginners should learn. Pages 103 to 264 of the book are devoted to Tactics & Strategy theory of The Opening, Middlegame and Endgame-this is the meat of the book. Lev mixes games, theory and teaching diagrams artfully. The diagrams are clear; most ask you a question or two with the answers right there, no flipping pages to the back of the book to hunt for answers. Many answers are very detailed. This is a great study book for beginners. Reading it once is not enough. Good Luck.
A great start for visual learners.......2001-12-07
I am a very visual learner. Apparently, so are Russian children. This book is written in the manner that Russian children are taught: a chessboard is laid down, pieces placed, and a question posed, say, checkmate in two. Your job is to figure out how to get there. In the book, the first half is composed of pages of such diagrams, each geared towards either explaining visually how a piece moves, its value in trade, its best positions, etc. It is a great way to learn the game.
The book starts off slowly, explaining how the game works. You then work through various parts of the game: openings, middle moves, and closings. This game really helped me to develop a solid opening.
I have always had trouble with the middle game; this book gives the basics for that. The second volume gives a much more in-depth treatment of the game; openings, closings, and middle game strategy. But this is the book to get for a new player, or for one who always seems to get beaten. I started out losing to the computer on its easiest level, now I still lose, but at least I understand why, heh heh. Seriously, it is written in an understandable manner, and if you're a visual learner, the problem sets are really worthwhile.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Excellent help.......2000-12-04
Okay, before I read this I stunk at chess. I was getting beaten by a 12 year old and my cousin was champion of the family. The only thing I knew was piece movement, not the true intricate workings of the board and pieces, or how many points each piece was worth, or ways to checkmate a king. After reading this book, I beat my cousin in chess, whereas I hadn't before that time. What does that tell you?
Book Description
Increase your skill and understanding of chess with the tactics that have produced unparalleled Russian grandmasters.
Russia's dominance in modern chess was founded on a uniquely successful program of chess instruction. Now this program has been streamlined and adapted for American readers in a pair of books that will help readers develop, step by step, from total novicehood to an enjoyable and competitive recreational level.
Volume 2 goes beyond the basics to cover advanced strategy, hard-hitting openings, and classic attack and defense tactics. Both books sharpen and test your chess skills with practical, educational "chessercizes" that make your movements more muscular.
Advance in the game—and have fun doing it—using the techniques that produced a long line of Soviet champions.
Customer Reviews:
Chess 2.......2006-11-10
This is a very good book on chess that goes beyond the basics of the game. It is a "must read" for chess enthusiasts.
Vol 1 and 2 -Both Excellent.......2005-07-28
I really like the way Lev Alburt and Larry Parr have written these Volumes of the " Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters". I think reading Volume 1 is a must for beginners if you want to get the most out of Volume 2. I had no problem going from Volume 1 to Volume 2. Volume 2 (about the first 100 pages) starts mainly with more detailed Tactics and many helpful Diagrams. There are up to 3 diagrams on one page with the answers & explanations on the opposite page or just below the diagrams, no searching for answers. The last half of the book is mainly about Openings. There about 20 openings he explains and many have an accompanying Master Games ( Reti, Fischer, Tal ) which are easy to follow. I also like that he gives some specific Opening recommendations. Thus, this book explains Advanced Tactics and will prepare you for a more advanced Opening Book. Lev also gives a list of all the Chess Champions starting 1745(A.Philidor) to 1997(G.Kasparov). The book is 231 pages including a nice Index.
One of Alburt's best ........2005-05-19
This book teaches you elements of tactics. There are a lot of puzzles to solve and they are quiet challenging. The book is not for beginners, so take a note of that. Seems that most of the examples in this book were used to create Alburt's "300 most important positions" published later.
Fantastic book. Teaches chess the right way........1999-09-23
It's probably the quickest way to learn chess, and the right way to do it. Very pleasing to read and full of "Chessercizes" that help you test your understanding of the presented material. This volume enhances your knowledge of the game not through boring opening memorization but through tactics and tactical devices that can be applied to any game at anytime. won't believe how it will improve your game and playing style as well as your appreciation for the fine art of chess.
Book Description
Vast collection of great chess games from 1798–1938, with much hard-to-find material. Fully annotated, arranged by opening for easier study. 150 years of master play!
Customer Reviews:
Massive Collection.......2007-05-04
I haven't gone through all 500 games but that is my goal. The thing about game collections is not to see what mistakes a chess computer can find. But, what you can find while going through each game. That is what makes you a better player. Now, there is not a lot of annotations or long variations given in the games, which I like, but other may not like. The games are catagorized by opening which makes it easy for reference. If you want more modern game collections or game collections with high caliber players, which this book does have, then try Garry Kasparov's My Predeccessor's.
One of My All-Time Favorites.......2006-07-08
I believe I have heard more people choose this book as the chess book they would prefer to get stuck with on a desert island than any other. Next to David Bronstein's book on Zurich 1953, I'd pick this one.
About the only "negatives" in this book are the same ones most people under the age of 50 complain about: 1) Descriptive notation. I figure it's worth it to spend 20 minutes learning DN, rather than look for an algebraic version at double the price. 2) Tartakover was unable to access a 21st-Century computer and come up with a ton of analysis, which would, of course, have lengthened the book by about 1,000 pages and tripled the price.
If you can put up with those problems, you should find this book and probably 50 other Dover chess books worth your while.
Five-Hundred classic games with light to moderate analysis.......2006-01-02
This is a massive work containing 500 complete master games played mostly during the 1800s on up to the 1930s.
Strong Points:
1. The games are played by strong players (masters).
2. The most important and most interesting games games prior to about 1940 were selected.
3. The games in the book are arranged by type of openining (if you want to focus on openings in a certain area, this is easy to do).
4. Lot of games for the money - 500!
Weak Points:
1. Not in Algebraic Notation.
2. No games after the 1930s (not up to date openings).
3. There are some errors in the analysis.
4. There is is typically not much depth to the analysis - it is very light at points.
I consider the stronger points to be more important though. This is a book belonging in every serious players chess library. If you are looking for games with more and deeper analysis I would recommend first and formost "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" and "More Unbeatable Chess for Juniors" by Snyder, and secondly (only for experienced players) "Understanding Chess" by Nunn.
The Beauty of Caissa.......2005-09-03
Exhaustive and brilliant, "500 Master Games of Chess" is a landmark in Chess literature and is recognized as a classic among fans and practitioners of the game. First published in 1952, this Dover edition is an unaltered and unabridged reissue published in 1975. The book is divided into three sections: Open Games, Semi-Open Games, and Closed Games, the games being classified under the openings they were played in. International Grandmaster Saviely Tartakower and Chess editor and author J. du Mont have compiled some of the best games ever played in the game, the choices covering the 1600's to the 1930's. Here, one can enjoy and learn from the vast breadth of talent presented: Alekhine, Morphy, Capablanca, Lasker, Steinitz, and many others are well represented offering many facets of the sport at it's very best. Masterpieces fill the pages: Anderssen-Kieseritzky (London, 1851), the "Immortal Game"; Paulsen-Morphy (New York, 1857); Rotlewi-Rubinstein (Lodz, 1907); Alekhine-Book (Margate, 1938); and games from the dawn of Chess as we know it: Greco-N. (1622-1634); Bruhl-Philidor (London, 1787); Bowdler-Conway (London, 1788); and representative selections from historic matches ranging from the landmark la Bourdonnais-McDonnell clash to Alekhine-Euwe. The book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams and each important game is given extensive analysis by the editors. There are also games played by the masters at odds, blindfold, and simultaneous which are nicely included as an appendix.
I had the good fortune to come across a copy many years ago when I was first getting seriously into Chess and my wrinkled and browning possession has been with me ever since. Every serious player or lover of the game should have this treasure-trove in his library.
Fantastic Collection of important games.......2005-01-28
500 MASTER GAMES OF CHESS contains a fantastic collection of lightly annotated games. The games are arranged by opening making it easy for you to concentrate on games using openings you are interested in studying.
The games are all older and the book are not in Algebraic Notation. Though, with this in mind this book is a must for any series student wanting access to some of the most theoretically important games over a wide period of chess history.
Average customer rating:
- A Masterpiece Indeed!
- This is an art history book.
- Wonderful Book
- Wonderful Book
|
Master Pieces: The Architecture of Chess
Gareth John Williams
Manufacturer: Studio
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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
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ASIN: 0670893811
Release Date: 2000-11-06 |
Book Description
A beautiful tribute to the artistry of the game of chess
Master Pieces: The Architecture of Chess is a gorgeous gift book for any chess fan. The first full-color illustrated book devoted to the art and design of the individual pieces in a chess set, the book presents examples of the most magnificent pieces from around the world, both ancient and modern. Master Pieces sheds new light on the history, evolution, and symbolism of chess pieces and displays the artistry and craft of creating these miniature works of art. Featuring some of the most beautiful and famous chess sets from all over the world, Master Pieces is the ideal gift for chess players everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
A Masterpiece Indeed!.......2001-11-05
I just finished reading Master Pieces and I found it highly enjoyable.There are many beautiful pictures of Chess Pieces from around the world from ancient to modern.It is very informative and easy to read.I thank my friend (EP) for giving it to me.If you love Chess, this book is for you.
(VLS)
This is an art history book........2001-11-01
I bought this book, hoping it would contain detailed information on particular technical aspects of individual chess pieces. The only measured diagram is on the cover. The rest of the book consists of bits of chess trivia and continuous anecdotal descriptions of chess pieces throughout history interspersed with photographs and paintings of different styles of pieces. While the illustrations are nice, I would have liked to see more details about the chess "architecture" and less fluff. All we have here are objects. No effort is made to describe in detail the size or proportions of the pieces or to compare or contrast sets and styles beyond the photographic presentations of them. The most we are told is what material they are made from.
The book is a nice brief pice of art history. If this is what you are looking for, then it is the book for you. Perhaps a second volume could be published to accompany this one that actually speaks at length about the "architecture" of the pieces. They would make a nice set.
Wonderful Book.......2001-03-05
This is an excellent book for anyone even remotely interested in Chess. Not only does it describe the evolution of the design of chess pieces and boards, but it also provides many interesting historical tidbits. The book explains in detail why, where, and when changes were brought about in chess. I highly recommend this book to all people who enjoy chess or even just design.
Wonderful Book.......2001-03-05
This is an excellent book for anyone even remotely interested in Chess. Not only does it describe the evolution of the design of chess pieces and boards, but it also provides many interesting historical tidbits. The book explains in detail why, where, and when changes were brought about in chess. I highly recommend this book to all people who enjoy chess or even just design.
Book Description
Volume I
New ideas, technical novelties an more on the age old Italian game with 4,d4!, allowing the sharp and forcing "Italian Gambit" to emerge. This move, a surprising one to many, transforms the classic "Giouco Piano" or literally the quiet game into anything but its revered and somewhat sedate namesake.
Black's third move, 3...Bc5 seems "safe" and allows the second player plenty of time to develop (quietly) for positional play. This will occur on White playing almost any reasonable move, except for the center assaulting initiative gaining 4.d4!...being the main focus of this endeavor.
4.d4! is clearly a forcing move, Black must react! Whatever unfolds from this point, White will have central control, lead in development, the initiative and it is White not Black who will get the first emerging opportunitites.
Accurate play by Black is necessary to hold and neutralize the initial gains of opposition, and it will be difficult to demonstrate anything better than equality, or that White cannot claim real compensation for the gambit pawn.
This Book involves no less than three (3) years of study, Master analysis; including complete computer verification of all important variations.
Volume II
This masterful work is short, yet concise and to the point, guiding the 1.e4 player in handling and management of all of Black's classing opening responses.
1. Nf6 - Alekhine's
1. e6 - French
1. d6 - Pirc
1. d5 - Scandinavian
1. c6 - Caro Kann
1. c5 - Sicilian
1. Nc6 - Nimzowitsch
These lines have been studied and developed over many years by the venerable Chess Master and teacher Jude Acers, they are the essential and recommended lines for all play that commences 1.e4, but are especially effective for the new "limited" time controls in present and future tournament play.
All levels, whether they be the first or second side of the board will discover fresh arsenals for both attack and defense. As White, once you embrace (and you will) these "to the point" openings, this book will take you via clear reference to the sources of future study. As Black, you must be prepared. The reader will not be overwhelmed by masses of theory or endless analytical variations, but shall discover how and where to find such material.
- A clear opening guide for the newer player
- A no nonsense opening system for the more advanced player
- New concepts for the Upper Echelon of chess to meet the coming evolution of "Knockout" and "less time" in serious tournament play.
- STAY ON TOP, become a world super star in the global phenomena of mass appeal.
Author: Jude Acers
For more information please visit www.italiangambit.com
"There is brand new theory and some re-discoveries of old forgtten games and ideas...This is a very rich book."
"The Miami Variation (1. e4 e52.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5. Nxd4 Nxd4 6. Be3[6.0-0 Nf6 could transpose to Koltanowski's line]) was the brainchild of amateur George Laven."
Review by FIDE Master Allan Savage,
SQUARES Magazine (Fall issue, 2003)
FOREWORD by NM Randy Bauer
To read Jeremy Silman's review of this book please visit www.jeremysilman.com
Customer Reviews:
eccentric but fun.......2006-04-15
I enjoyed the references to classical games and the way the author showed how the theory developed. I play the Max Lange whenever possible but castle first before pushing the pawn. Knowing more of the theory here would have saved me working it out myself through a lot of trial and error over the years. There is much in this volume to think about.
That said, it is a rather eccentric piece of modern publishing. The layout and even the typefaces are all over the place. Some of the games referenced annoyingly don't have dates. The Classical Giuocco Piano header notation on page 128 doesn't match its diagram.
The book is a bit like Alice in Wonderland, things get 'curiouser and curiouser' although it is fun to look around.
Very badly organized.......2005-02-27
This book has a lot of original ideas and a lot of colorful stories, but the arrangement of the material is very bad. It is rarely clear what "best" play is supposed to be, and when Acers encounters a theoretical problem he will often cop out with a remark that the line gives good practical chances or is very strong in fast-time-limit games, rather than trying to get to the objective truth. The reader must do a great deal of work to construct a real repertoire from this book -- there are enough good chess ideas that it can be done, but a lot of irrelevant material is thrown in, because Acers can't resist name-dropping or showing some famous brilliancies that don't actually bear on the analysis in the book.
The main theoretical contribution is Laven's "Miami variation" -- 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 d4 Bxd4 5 Nxd4 Nxd4 6 Be3!, which appears to give sufficient compensation to equalize and good practical winning chances against an unprepared opponent. This means that 4.d4, previously thought bad, is actually quite playable, and has many transpositional advantages. The other valuable analysis is in the Two Knights variation 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5! d5!? 6 Bb5! Ne4 7 Nxd4, where it is shown that Black cannot fully equalize and White can maintain an endgame bind with a small advantage (and no losing chances).
A Unique and Entertaining Chess Book.......2004-12-16
This book contains much analysis not found anywhere else. How many currently published chess books can say that? What makes this book so entertaning is the collection of personal stories by Master Acers that permeate the volume. One sees a unique perspective on chess in the trenches and learns unique twists on classic games. This is a great chess book to study or just to read. I highly recommend it.
JUDE ACERS - Great Chess Player and Storyteller.......2004-02-15
It's Awesome!! The simplicity of the read is breathtaking! The Italian Gambit System is one of the best gambits I've ever seen. No other author writes like this!
Italian Gambit -awesome book.......2004-01-31
Jude Acers has written an awesome book ! I love the graphics, the chess stories, the chess analysis, and Jude's commentary. Jude brings to life many American chess players, who played the game with great heart and spirit. Jude's prose is filled with the fighting spirit of Bobby Fischer and Ken Smith. Jude's passion for the game comes out in his lively prose.
HIs chess stories remind me of the oral history style put to prose by the great Studs Terkel. This book is a must read for anyone interested in chess, or the history of its players, including many great american chess players who are not known that well. Honor is due Jude ACERS on his outstanding book ! I hope his book will spark a new american renaissance in chess!
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