Book Description
Every player has heard the saying, "Chess is 99 percent tactics." It isn't.
It's 99 percent calculation. But until now there has never been a book devoted entirely to this most mysterious and essential chess technique.
This book examines both the technical and practical aspects of how to think ahead -- the selection of candidate moves, the evaluation of end positions, finding the proper move order, and the like.
Special attention is paid to the broad range of calculating mistakes, such as overlooked zwischenzugs and "quiet moves," visualization blunders, and "believing" your opponent.
Customer Reviews:
Not just numbers, this book can *actually* be read--and a pleasure at that!.......2006-02-04
Evaluation of chess books suffers from an incredible amount of subjective judgment. There are people who are quite skilled after playing for years who seem to be rather critical of this book. I, on the other hand, am a proudly proclaimed intermediate level player. For the short time in college (10 years(?!?) ago when I played regularly, this book boosted my chess competence and ability to the consternation and suprise of fellow players.
This was the very *first* chess book I read. It has spoiled me. I've read about 12-15 books since this one and what I've found is that that vast majority of books in this area are boring. Dry. Lacking tempo. Soltis's book is *not*. It flows! Has life! It doesn't limit itself to an endless series of positions and problems; rather, Soltis approaches the game from a *thinking* perspective. But not a development of grinding calculations--no: a problem is addressed from the simple but key angle of: "I sure would like my queen to be 'there'. In what way may that be accomplished?" This may sound overly simplistic but this idea is built upon in various manners until you see a variety of ways in which you can attack and feint.
Drawing from poker in a sense, Soltis gets into a player's head. In my opinion, the book will help get you into yours. I credit the reading of this book to one night where I saw how to checkmate my opponent 32 moves before it happened, and it started with an obscene looking sacifice of my bishop just to move his pawn.
I've recently gone through a few chapters again and the material just clicks all over again. Chess is a *hard* subject to make for interesting reading. Soltis is one of a few that makes the pages fly. :-)
Okay book on thinking process, but not much advice........2003-05-23
This book started strong. GM Soltis started out by describing when calculation is used and when it is not, and in general what the meaning of calculation was. He finished the chapter with an exercise in visualization which I really thought was a great start to a book which would help me calculate better.
As the book went along, he discussed different parts of the calculation process, such as ideas, force, counting out, errors, and practical calculating. He used pretty good examples to illustrate his points. At times, he had exercises which helped train tactics and visualization (but not many). He did a fairly good job and "describing" different steps in the calculation process.
However, as I went through the book, I found that he didn't really give too much advice as to how to train one's calculation skills other than to describe different mistakes in calculating and some concepts which masters use in calculation. I didn't feel it had many recommendations on how to improve this aspect. In the summary, he finishes by saying that different methods of calculating work well and that we all have to develop our own way! How do I do this? Why did I even read this book? These were questions that the book did not answer.
However, despite my criticism, I think it is a decent book. I think by assessing the concepts he presented and comparing it to my own play and thought processes, I thought perhaps I could glean some advice from the book. Also, in this particular case I visualized many of the positions without using a board, so I felt I improved my visualization skills. However, these benefits don't have too much to do with this book in particular, but instead my method of studying the book.
In any case, if you want to learn a little about typical calculation errors and different methods of calculation, this book may be okay for you. However, if you want to improve your own calculating and visualization skills, you might be better off studying tactical problems and analyzing your games and assessing your own particular style of calculating. That's what GM Soltis says on the last page anyway!
Read the book as a general advice........2002-07-19
Well,
If you hope this book will teach you how to calculate,no it isn't.
There are many views that rate the book higher but I think the book is not worth for your money.
Ok,calculation is important in chess.Imagine you can calculate 10 or 15 moves ahead in a position.Sure that's a pride....
But in the book, you will not be coach how to do it.
Instead,the author will tell a different story:that is what calculation is.
Myself,still looking for a good book on HOW to calculate.
Finally,don't buy this book.[If you want to find books on how to calculate]
I gave 3 stars because there are a few positions and advices that is good.
Is this book 1950's Soviet research in Chess?.......2001-10-20
As part of the propaganda campaign in the 1950's, the USSR devoted an enormous amount of energy to research in chess,
including psychological research in the lab, to make sure USSR
players dominated world chess. Soltis discusses the psychology
of chessplaying with a sophistication that would seem to be a
1990's rebirth of the old Soviet research. This book is both
unique and indispensible.
Live in the Details!.......2001-07-15
I've studied The Inner Game from cover to cover three times in the last 2 years, always profitably. My ability to successfully calculate attacking or defending variations has greatly increased because of practicing what Soltis preaches. I strongly agree with his statement "...calculation can be invaluable. It can be a substitute for "book knowledge" you never learned" since few nonprofessionals can know every opening or endgame position.
I am surprised at some of the few negative comments in the reviews of the book. I suspect that those reviewers have not read The Inner Game to the end - at least they give no evidence of having done so. One reviewer wrote that "the familiar theme of attacking a castled king" was monotonously used in many examples but really there are few problems that have that as their main theme. Another reviewer said, "There are not enough practical examples. Therefore, I doubt the reader will be able to apply the tips ...in a real game." Actually, there are over 200 examples; most labeled "White to play" or "Black to play" presenting positions from Grandmaster games to analyze before reading the accompanying text.
This same reviewer stated The Inner Game has the "right appealing chapter names. But the content ... is not well developed" although he doesn't clarify what he means by that. Yet in every chapter Soltis clearly states his theme and then provides a great deal of examples. For instance, look at chapter 2 ("Ideas"), where Soltis discusses how calculation is inspired by ideas and ideas come from recognizing patterns and weaknesses. Examine chapter 3 ("Trees and How To Build Them"), in which Soltis shows you in a very detailed fashion a possible way of mentally organizing all those ideas. Disagree with the chapter contents but don't say they're not well developed.
In that reviewer's opinion the Dvoretsky series of books, Jonathan Tisdall's "Improve Your Chess Now" and Buckley's "Practical Chess Analysis" are all "certainly better than Soltis" - but he doesn't bother to say in what way. My impression is Dvoretsky's books are written for very experienced players, Tisdall is not focused on calculation and while Buckley's book is all about calculation it is far shorter, with much fewer examples and less text.
One reviewer said the book was "not coherently organized." Huh? Soltis begins logically enough by defining his terms: what calculation is and isn't. He follows with a second chapter on how ideas inspire calculation. The third chapter presents a method of organizing those ideas. Having set up the basic groundwork, Soltis expands on the methods: finding forcing sequences that make calculation easier, evaluating resulting positions, "monkey wrenches" that upset the calculations, practical considerations. Where's the "lack of organization"?
The reviewer claims the book has so many analytical mistakes (he has 2 examples) their "sheer number" proves "Soltis hadn't done his spadework." He cites Piket-Sosonko, 1993 and says 3...Bf5 "holds the game for Black." Well, I'm no GM like Soltis but I do have Fritz 6 and a 950 MHz computer and it begs to differ with that assessment (in one variation winning Black's queen). Similarly, the reviewer says in Ljubojevic-Stein, 1973 the move 11 Qf4 works fine for White but Fritz's deep position analysis finds that 11...f5 12 Nd4 g5 13 Qg3 f4 leads to an uncomfortable White position where his queen is in the path of both Black pieces and pawns. He announces "The examples that are correct are frequently so because they've been pulled, with analysis, from other sources" but doesn't name those sources! He adds "many of the examples are hackneyed" without saying in what way (Perhaps he skimmed the first chapter; saw a diagram from Nimzovich-Marshall, 1927 and another from Reshevsky-Botvinnik, 1955, and didn't realize most of the book's examples are from GM games played circa 1970-1993.)
I strongly agree with A.J. Goldsby's review: this isn't a book for novices, a couple of primers on tactics and elementary books like Chernev's Logical Chess should be studied first. I strongly agree with the reviewer who said to benefit from this book you'd really need to study and practice although he is wrong when he says "Soltis emphasizes visualization" since Soltis only has one visualization exercise in the first chapter and rarely mentions it thereafter. Again, read the entire book before you make the claim!
Book Description
Former Unrestricted World Checker Champion introduces you to the game and lets you in on championship secrets. Shots and traps, opening "blitzkrieg" moves, end game, more.
Customer Reviews:
Win at Checkers.......2006-02-26
The strategies and tactics in this book are great; however, the writing style of the author is a little stiff and makes it a bit more difficult to follow through parts of the book.
It should be noted that there are actually few good checkers book published at all. Chess is more complex, and therefore tomes upon tomes have been published about it. However, the relative simpleness of the game of checkers should then draw many more people to learn how to play this game.
Becoming skilled at checkers, then, is one of the objectives the author has achieved (the book was first published in 1956 and is a revision of the work originally published by A.S. Barnes in 1941).
This book, truly, is a classic.
A Great Way to Get Started.......2002-05-20
If you know little about "real" checkers this is the book to get you started. It is entertaining and witty and helps you learn conceptual thinking about the game. It covers tactics ("pitches" and "shots") and important endgame positions. I didn't rate it 5 stars because it is really light on opening play; you'll need another book such as Reinfeld's for that. The book is inexpensive yet contains hours of useful instruction. If you've played on-line, stared at the board and wondered "what next" or if you're losing because of blunders, this is THE book to read first.
No Longer Dog Meat!.......2001-01-12
I began playing checkers at YAHOO a few months ago. Got killed. When I was a young boy (48 now) I remember getting beat at checkers by my older sisters to the point where I would get so angry that I'd throw the board across the room during the game. And so, once again I was getting stomped by 15 year old Austrailians. I read this book. And re-read it. And studied it. Now I WIN most of the time. It's a very fast way to become a good intermediate player. Buy it!
An Excellent first book.......1997-02-21
Hopper's book is one of-if not the-best available for the player who wants to become" a pretty good" player. It contains basic information about the the game that will take you a step above the average player. For example ,there are several common techniques for pulling off two for one and two for three jumps. After finishing the book--and practicing a little-- you will be a better player and have a better understanding of this much misunderstood game. It's a rare book: good and cheap
Product Description
The London System is a perennial favourite of club players, as it is a very sound and solid system with a real practical sting. The authors of this new book seek to maximize this sting in two principal ways. Firstly, by explaining in detail the typical plans for White, they help readers to make the most of their chances, whether they are based on a kingside attack, queenside penetration, central play, or transition to a favourable endgame. Secondly, they advocate some subtle move-orders that limit Black's options, and give White possibilities to change the nature of the game and go straight for the kill if Black responds casually or inappropriately. These move-orders have been tested successfully by co-author Kovacevic at grandmaster level, and much of the analysis presented here is of totally new variations, and is previously unpublished. Covers all responses to 1 d4 against which White can use the London System.
Customer Reviews:
Best London System Publication.......2007-08-09
I've been playing the London as a complete repertoire for White for almost 2 years now. The is perhaps the only book a tournament player needs on the London and I haven't been this excited about a chess book in quite some time. Most opening books (in my view) contain WAY too many variations, annoying sidelines, and simply do a poor job of explaining concepts in a digestible fashion. This book is different. It starts out with a brief but clear explanation of the opening. Then it has 30 annotated London games where White won. This is the section I'm reading now and it's outstanding. There's plenty of clear prose to explain the ideas and pretty much all of Black's replies are covered. Furthermore, most of the games are from non-GMs, giving realistic positions that you will see in actual tournament play. That's a crucial point in my view.
The second part of the book is the "analytical section." Here, there are lots of variations and sidelines that I typically find laborious, but it doesn't matter. After skimming this section, I feel you can play over the main lines, and just look at the variations as needed. Looking at the 30 annotated games alone should help tremendously. I'm halfway through them and my copy is already highlighted and dogeared a great deal! If you play the London, this book is worth it's weight in gold.
This is a good book on this system.......2007-08-09
I have added the London System to my opening repertoire because I want to use it as a surprise weapon. If I know my opponent plays a nice line vs my other white opening system, (the English). I can play this as a change of pace.
Even if you are an 1.e4 player, you can take up the London as a change of pace. There are some basic positional plans in the London and this book covers them. It is not the strongest opening for white, otherwise you would have Super GMs playing it all the time. But it is not as bad as it's reputation. So if you want to play the London this is the book to get!
Best on the London.......2007-07-15
My criteria for recommending or not recommending a books is rather simple. I ask myself would I replace this book if I should lose it. The answer to this book is a definite yes. I currently own 3 books on the London System and find this one to be the most informative. In their book the authors treat the London much like the Colle except white has the problem of his queens bishop solved. The second player really has nothing to fear from this system unless he allows white to completely dominate the diagonal from f4 to b7 uncontested. Once black has eliminated the troublesome bishop blacks game is pretty much straight forward. Whites game plan usually involves getting a quick kingside attack going before black can counter on the queenside. Its a good opening for white but does incur the risk of leaving the queenside vulnerable. I recommend this book highly, mostly for the class c player.
A pleasant suprise.......2006-12-04
I must agree with other fellow reviewers on this one. The book about London is truly excellent book. Young Sverre Johnsen is gifted explainator and, I could say very good narrator of whites discussed strategies, and GM Kovacevic had been a guarantee of line viability and profound knowlege of the opening as its greatist practisioner in last 4 decades of playing it. I myself had been an avid spectator at Solin 2001 tournament (I live in Split which is 6 km apart) where he played a game Kovacevic-Kozul (Kozul is current european chess champion for 2006) and he crushed Zdenko Kozul with 2.Lf4 in under 30 moves (i think).
I reccomend warmly this book, and it may especially be good to black french players because of its familiar pawn structures.
P.S. If u dont know the caliber of Vlado (Vlatko) Kovacevic, just watch his game vs Bobby Fischer at Zagreb 1971, where he beats Bobby with french defence. It was a shocker that year.
The best repertoire book ever!.......2006-10-26
I have to admit, that I have never played the London system before buying this book. This is the book I don't want my opponents to read. This book consists of two sections. The first one contains 30 games where white is using the London system. I can see that some claims that it is illogical that in all of the 30 games, white is winning. My friends, this is not a repertoire book written for black side, but for the white side. Each game is ended with a summary lesson. It simply describes what is best for white. The second part of the book is the analytic section. The analysis of each variation is described easy, clear and not to deep. That's why I think it is brilliant to split the analytic section and the games section. I would like to se more repertoire books like this one. "Win with the London system" should be a part of every players white repertoire, especially for the "1.d4 player".
Customer Reviews:
A very good SHORT book on openings.......2007-01-18
There is an excellent kid's review of this book which I believe raises many valid negative points, I agree with them and I won't repeat them here. I also concur that "Understanding the Chess Openings" by Sam Collins is an excellent and more up-to-date book that is well-organized and relatively short with a logical structure and lots of diagrams with a minimum of unnecessary text.
What I would like to say about "How to Win in the Chess Openings" is that despite the book being somewhat outdated, it is short at less than 200 pages and covers a lot of ground. What is most useful about it is the good commentary which illustrates many important principles of the opening. Since there are more than a 1,000 trillion ways to do an opening, gleaning principles and themes from as many points of view as possible is an important road to simplifying all the possiblities.
This book covers about 15 popular openings and some of their variations. I have found the commentary to be complimentary to the book "Understanding the Chess Openings" by Sam Collins. However, the text is a bit more dense in the book I'm reviewing in terms of move-by-move commentary and I think this is very useful for a beginner and will help a more advanced player consolidate concepts.
I own several books on openings and for me this is essential. I need to see different openings from a lot of angles to truly internalize the principles. I realize not everyone learns like me, but for those of you who do you will probably find this a good text. In addition, it is often available for next to nothing used so why not pick it up along with "Understanding the Chess Openings" by Collins?
Teaches General Ideas behind some selected openings.......2006-07-31
This is not really a book on "How to Win in the Chess Openings" as the title says. It is a book that covers ideas behind some selected openings. You should not plan to "force" a win in the opening, but to be prepared for tactics at all parts of the game. But, to best be prepared for Tactics in the Opening you should be looking at a book on Opening Traps (there are a couple good ones published).
This book, which is not up to date on the openings, is written in the old form of Descriptive Chess Notation - these should be fixed by an updated version. I personally like "Understanding the Chess Openings" by Collins far better as a general book on the openings since it covers a lot more material and is up to date. I feel Collins book and an opening traps book together is the most ideal way for someone just starting out learning openings to get started.
Not bad for the beginner........2002-12-09
The first chess book I ever waded through, was all about tactics, mating patterns, etc. After reading it, I schooled all of my friends. But I had a rude awakening in my first tournament when I got had by fool's mate in the first game. So I commenced on learning openings in order to get into position to use my tactic skills. How To Win in the Chess Openings is a book I've studied in two phases. The first phase was just learning the different patterns and typical sequence of moves. I really didn't understand the theory and logic behind most of the opening moves. So at first, I was pretty disappointed in the book and left it alone. But now, 5 years later, I've been using the book to really get the logic behind the opening moves and it's finally making sense.
As some of the other reviews have stated, it only goes over a few different openings and not to a depth of being able to learn every variation. However, the openings covered are very common and the knowledge provided is very good for someone trying to get into the middlegame.
The most helpful chess book I ever read.......2002-08-03
If you are a beginner at chess, you need to read this book. After reading it, and using a reasonable amount of diligence on your part, you should have a workable knowledge of the very important principles of opening chess. Without "talking down" to the beginner, Horowitz uses an easy to understand language and very appropriate examples to explain his lessons. He makes learning the openings of chess what it should be- fun and helpful.
Every great chess player must master this book's concepts.......2001-05-29
Simply put, this is a classic. It is great for beginners, but if you feel you are an advanced chess player, then it will be a good review! I had this book recommended to me by a couple of players with a rating close to master when I played in high school. If it was good enough for them, then it is certianly good enough for me. Now that I have long since graduated from college it is still one of my favorite chess books. The notation is old, but that will prevent only the weakest from learning the time tested concepts shared by a great grand master who understands the game!
Average customer rating:
- Great beginner book, but...
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Chess for Kids : How to Play (and How to Win) (Troll Discovery Kit)
Mcquinn
Manufacturer: Troll Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Board Games
| Games
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General
| Games
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| Ages 9-12
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ASIN: 0816744645 |
Book Description
Discover the exciting game of chess!
First you'll learn about all the pieces in the game -- from the lowly pawns to the all-important king and powerful queen. Once you know how all of the pieces move, you can leap into action. The beginning of the game, the middle game, and the endgame are all illustrated with examples of good (and bad!)moves.
In these pages you'll also learn about forks, pins, skewers, castling, and more. From strategies to traps to sneaky attacks, author Conn McQuinn gives you the tools you'll need to achieve a winning game.
This kit comes with a fully illustrated book, chessboard, and all the chess pieces.
Customer Reviews:
Great beginner book, but..........2000-03-22
There's a lot of "how to play" and very little "how to win". My kids already know the moves; they'd like to know how to win. This book was too elementary for them. It would be a great book for the beginner, though.
Book Description
The only published book that investigates the popular five-minute blitz chess time control. Draws original strategic conclusions, then provides corresponding unprecedented strategies assisted with abundant diagrams. Quiz sections enclosed. Forward written by US champion Walter Browne.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book.......2006-01-17
If you play blitz chess or even 10 or 15 minute games regularly like me, this is definitely a good book. It includes invaluble lessons on what to do with certain amounts of time on your clock, and some different openings, that while not neccesarily the most sound opening to try in a slow game, are perfect for intuitive tactics to come out of in five minute games. Get this book if you like blitz chess!
good book, smooth read........2005-09-03
i liked this book a lot. easy to understand. very original conclusions.
What a great book!.......2005-08-20
just when i thought all chess books were painful, along comes a book rife with enthusiasm, earthy description, and practical strategies. it's very original and insightful. i just love this book. when you read it you'll see what i mean.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent coverage of basic principles
- Good Beginner's Book
- Good Basic Advice For Novices
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How to Win At Chess
Daniel King
Manufacturer: Scribner Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chess
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess, Third Edition
ASIN: 1857440722 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent coverage of basic principles.......2002-10-15
If I were to pick one short (127 page) book for the person who knows how the pieces move and wants to know, "what do I do next?" this would be it. Three principles to guide opening play, four for the middlegame, and three for the endgame. The author provides plenty of exercises for practice. Someone looking for a meatier text would be advised to take a look at "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess," by Patrick Wolff, but King covers the essentials quite well for those who just want to play a reasonable looking game, or get some ideas for teaching a child.
Good Beginner's Book.......2001-09-08
I would recommend this book to chess beginners.Daniel King has done a good job for writing a beginner's book.It will teach ten of the most important things to do in chess,opening with a center pawn,castling quick,looking for captures,knowing basic checkmates,and so on.Good for chess amateurs.
Good Basic Advice For Novices.......1999-08-27
Novices will benefit most from this simple introductory text that clearly explains basic winning principles. This is the sort of stuff you'll need to know before you can look back on this with knowing contempt.
Book Description
Master chess psychologist Amatzia Avni knows every trick in the book—and several more you’ll find only in his book. Unlearn everything you’ve learned so far and adopt a fearless attitude toward the game. Take your opponent into virgin territory. Raise the tension to the boiling point. Master the ruses of the coffeehouse players. Discover the magic of peculiar moves. Has your opponent just made a blunder—or is it a trap? Here’s a reliable way to answer that question and turn the tables. All the rule-bending strategies and devious tactics are illustrated with fully analyzed examples from real games.
Customer Reviews:
Refreshing and Inspiring.......2006-06-07
I liked this book very much. It contains a lot of fresh material - kind of chess that we don't see much in magazines or standard books.
Years ago I've read "Creative Chess" by the same author - the present book seems to be a natural sequel. My favourite parts were "Coffeehouse Chess" (the Chepukaitis episode on page 32 is great!)and the chapter about "Twists & Turns". Also the illustrative game Tate-Ashley is facinating.
The selection of material to the book is excellent: I wasn't familiar with most of the games and I'm an old hand.
From my own experience, reading such books has a positive effet on my play. One point of criticism - I wish the book were longer - I felt I wanted to look at more examples, more out-of ordinary games.
Improve your chess creativity .......2006-06-06
This a nice and inspiring book with a collection of stunning games which do a lot for developing one's imagination. As in his other works, the author gives an emphasis on creativeness and imagination. I particularly liked the chapter about " coffeehouse chess" from which one learns that even an unsound play can lead to positive results! Enjoyable and recommended.
Average customer rating:
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How to win in the middle game of chess
I. A Horowitz
Manufacturer: D. McKay Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0007EG4YK |
Book Description
Newly revised, enlarged edition of first book on great Russian chess master focuses on the tactics, strategy and even psychological approaches employed by Karpov in winning against Bronstein, Smyslov, Browne, Gligoric, Spassky, Korchnoi and other greats. 100 games analyzed simply and clearly, showing exactly how Karpov won. Indispensable for players seeking to improve their own games. Over 300 chess diagrams.
Customer Reviews:
An essential peice to mastery in the KARPOV STYLE!.......2006-04-29
You can easily get opening repertoire books [try Batsford due to their excellent track record] on the Ruy Lopez, Taminov Sicilian, Queens Gambit Declined (for black)- these are Karpov's main opening and defensive weapons in this text, Buy a program that builds tactical motifs and endgame motifs (most of us all need this, unless were GM / IM), and finally this book will show us how to work them all together as a cohesive unit. And you should have a clear path to mastery, inspired by Karpov. All you have to do now is just devote whatever precious time you have left for chess into this system. I've improved A LOT (went from 1600 level to near-Expert) and still haven't scratced the surface yet. The reason I have it 4 stars instead of 5 was that, I don't mind the descriptive notation and Edmar Mednis's analysis which is very helpful and clear. However, what I would like to see in the NEXT edition is algebreic notation and having Anatoly Karpov himself throw in some of his own comments on the book. Don't discount the comments of the late Mednis, but hearing from THE MAN himself about his own chess thoughts and what he is trying to accomplish would be ideal. I highly reccomend this title! Definitely on my stranded island list.
Karpov's Technique.......2005-09-16
This book covers one hundered of Karpov's games up to 1972. The games are outdated but the book has got excellent annotations and reasoning behind Karpov's moves. It shows how Karpov uses his technique to grind out a win. It is a good example of how to win from a winning position. Another similar book is Turning Advantage into Victory which shows how to use technique to win a won game. Both books are best read side by side. You can learn to improve your technique by playing through these games and see how GM Karpov wins in effortless fashion.
Enjoyable book.......2005-09-13
Just like the title this is a most have for chess lovers. Im enjoying every game . I think this is not for analisys freeks. Its a sensitive and nice recount of the psychological factors and practicals factors of Karpov strategies. I think it is a most enjoyable book and sure it is improving in my understanding of the game
Karpov is Dissected with this book.......2002-08-31
Full Packed book on Karpov! It has statistics on Karpov's chess records during the 1970's era, which includes favorite openings used, wins / losses / draws against IM's and GM's, etc.
The work done by Mednis here is more for the "easy reading" type of chess player, unlike Botvinnik or Kotov's books which are jam-packed with variations and analysis and more analysis. The reader is to be entertained. Mednis often praises Karpov here when Anatoly makes those "multi-purpose" moves. Karpov has a knack of making such moves. Learn some of those tricks from this book.
I am a 1800 - 2000 rated player, and regularly play in the school-university tournaments. I used the material in this book (the openings Karpov plays, the karpov Middlegame Technique, the 'How -to-win-ala-Karpov' commandments that Mednis gave) to capture the gold medal in the year-round tournament.
I didn't know Karpov this way.......2002-06-24
Before reading this book I thought Karpov was a kind of "Chess Beast". But now I know he became great 'cause of his patience and ability to read correctly the position without taking unnecessary risks. I was astonished to see the number of games he won in quite balanced positions because his adversaries were not able to keep the balance and let the draw run away.
The comments of Mr.Mednis are generous and easy to grasp.
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- The Red Dragon Cast Down: A Redemptive Approach to the Occult and Satanism
- The Sociopath Next Door
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
- The Lost Colony
- The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 1997
- The Inner Jefferson: Portrait of a Grieving Optimist
- The Millionaire Next Door
- Waiting: A Novel
- The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It
- Accounting for the Environment: Second Edition
- The Complete Guide to Contract Lawyering
- The Passionate Mistakes and Intricate Corruption of One Girl in America
Pawn Structure Chess
The Art of Defense in Chess
How to Choose a Chess Move (Batsford Chess Books)
Art of Attack in Chess
My System (Chess Classics)
