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.
Customer Reviews:
Very Valuable If Used With Caution.......2006-04-07
I found this book so compelling that I read it through in practically one sitting. Why, then, three stars instead of more?
Because the *chess* advice is very general, and in fact at times so general as to be suspect ("always capture an enemy piece if it is safe to do so"); and as a *chess* book it is at a rather elementary level, spending a lot of time on the rules and basics of movement.
Comparing chess to martial arts is not new, but here it is done in a more comprehensive, appealing, and gripping manner. In terms of *chess* advice this translates to a handful of general principles, such as "seize the initiative," which the book does not illustrate very well with practical examples or "how-to" advice. This has disappointed many previous reviewers and will likely disappoint many readers.
Instead, to get the most from this book, you need to think in terms of changing your philosophy of play, and turn to other books to help you do that. If you are a passive player, as I was for a long time, take the "seize the initiative" principle for what it's worth and then go out and study other books on tactics and the art of attacking. In other words, use this book as a guideline for how you think about your approach to chess, and seek detailed knowledge elsewhere.
Especially useful is the wholistic approach this book espouses. Information on diet, physical conditioning, meditation, pre-game physical exercises (they recommend stretching before play, something I had never before considered) can all be found elsewhere but nowhere in a *chess* book; and though you might initialy be skeptical, it makes a great deal of sense.
Should you buy this book? I think so. It is relatively inexpensive on the used market, and if approached correctly, will teach you many things which apply to chess, even if it won't teach you a lot about chess itself.
Martial art of the mind.......2005-10-12
This is a fascinating book for the beginner in chess, and one that the more proficient in chess may find interesting, too. It not only covers the basics in chess, but also deals with some of the philosophical ideas that one might apply to chess playing. This is a creative synthesis by authors Michael Gelb and Raymond Keene of the teachings of Samurai warriors and the basic layout of chess - an intriguing idea, given the martial nature of chess playing.
Chess can be many things to different people. One legal scholar described chess as an exercise in petty larcency (taking or stealing pieces!); many military strategists have seen chess as a system whereby one sharpens skills for thinking ahead, well past the next move tactically. This would be more in the spirit of what Gelb and Keene are doing here.
As the authors state, 'We are not likely to wield a Samurai sword in a life-or-death situation. Samurai swordsmanship will always remain beyond our personal experience.' So, how does one get this kind of experience, if one wants it? For Gelb and Keene, this can come from chess. 'Chess offers the experience of real victory, without killing, and the parallel experience of real defeat, without having to die.' Thought and skill are key in both Samurai and chess practice.
Gelb and Keene develop the idea of martial arts mindset and the seven Samurai principles to be applied to chess, but this is in many ways designed for the beginning chess player (the more experienced player will be able to gloss over the second section, 'White Belt Chess', which develops basic movements and elementary middle-game and end-game ideas). The authors give a good brief synopsis of the history of the game of chess, from earliest history through to the tempestuous twentieth century, showing the transformation from a slow-moving game inspired by Indian and Islamic cultures to the rapid-fire pace of many master games today.
It is perhaps in the application of the Samurai principles that this book reaches its height. The Seven Samurai principles are really an extended analogy to the game, but one can see immediately, even as a chess novice, how the seven principles might be applied:
1) Take the Initiative: Attack
2) Follow Through: Go for the Knockout
3) Impenetrable Defense: No Openings
4) Timing: Control the Tempo
5) Distance: Control the Position
6) Master Surprise and Deception
7) Yield to Win: The Art of Sacrifice
There are many good insights, and this book is a fun one to read. If one is expecting a systematic tome on how to play better chess, this is not the book. However, if one loves the game of chess and is interested in a new perspective, this book is one that is fitting.
More than just a game.......2005-09-11
I've been dabbling at chess for nearly forty years, and this is the chess book I've been waiting for all my life. To me, chess is more than just a game; it can be a metaphor for life, and its principles apply indirectly to most everything else in life. This book focuses on seven Samurai principles, which are also seven chess principles, which are also seven principles of living life effectively.
If you don't care about life but just want to get good at chess, this may not be the book for you. If you do care about life but insist that chess has nothing to do with it, skip this title. But if you see--or want to see--a strong connection between chess and life, give this wonderful book a good read.
All levels can get something from this book.......2005-08-11
I have read a few of the reviews, and all seem to think this is a beginner book. Actually, there are better beginner books out there that will rapidly improve one's game (if you are among the beginners)- such as Seirawan's Microsoft Press series. The underlying idea of Eastern Philosophy's place in chess is quite revolutionary and has been accepted by Josh Waitzkin (the real "Searching for Bobby Fisher" kid) as taking his game to the next level. If one really uses the lessons from this book I think they will be pleased - I know I was. The system really challenges the player to throw away some tradition rules and gain new insight (especially in the middle game). The book does have its place in an overcrowded genre and is not too heavy for the beginner. I feel the fault of this book is that it does not delve quite deep enough - does not force the reader to apply the principles in practice.
An Interesting Book.......2003-01-16
Truly an interesting book to a person how does both Martial Arts and chess (As a side note a have been studying both now for a number of years). The theme was interesting because one of my Teachers actually talks like a chess person when going about how to get in an attack in sparring although he does not play chess, so I have seen this connection before.
As a straight chess book it would be on a beginner to an intermediate level. If you take into consideration the philosophies of the book though it becomes more profound. I have read most of the books they use as exerpts and found it to really help blend these two worlds together.
It has been said that If you read The Book of Five Rings once you will get something out of it. Twice, you will get something different again. Etc. These books (The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings) are also business books and found in this section if you go to Indigo. So not only is this book talking about chess, it discusses Martial Arts, Business and Life as a Whole (ie. "The Way").
If you can look at this book in this light then it becomes much more than "just a chess book", it becomes something of a reminder of how to live life.
Perhaps I lost a couple people there but it boils down to is there are some people who all they do is chess, this book could be an introduction to a new way of looking at things, and new philosophies. So Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Pocket Book of Chess Pleasure.......2005-05-29
S&S Pocket Book of Chess is an excellent reference book for the game. The author, International Chess Grandmaster Raymond Keene, has penned a book that is clear and insightful. This book is aimed for beginners from ages 9 to 99. The pages jump out at you with over a hundered color board diagrams, artwork, and play. It covers the basic rules, moves, stages of the game, strategy, and common pitfalls to avoid. The review quizes are a nice touch too, allowing you to fully comprehend the lessons. In addition, there are also sections on the history of the game, champion biographies, greatest games, computer chess, competition play and recommendations of further reading. This pocket book is full of little pleasures. Enjoy!
Great illustrated guide for older children.......2004-10-29
Not only a great childrens book but also one of the best books written by grandmaster Raymond Keene (who has written more than 100). He seems to have picked the eyes out of the best of his previous works and summarised them in an easy to understand guide that appeals to kids and adult beginners.
As the other reviewer says its many many illustrations are terrific and designed to catch the eye encouraging kids (and adults)to read on. Almost every page has at least one picture or chess board shot.
It starts with an interesting history of the game and ends with biographies of world champions, discussion of computer chess and resources for further learning about chess. In between it covers the basics of pieces and how they move, and has quite comprehensive sectiions on openings, the middlegame, and endgame/checkmates.
It goes into detail that is a welcome surprise for a childrens guide. For example he covers the "more difficult" checkmate by knight and bishop briefly in an easy to understand illustrated way when adult books on checkmate endings written by so called experts avoid discussing at all! So Ray Keene really know what he is talking about and explains it simply and well.
As well as the many illustrations, there are plenty of summary boxes, and quizzes with answers at each step of the book. There are also several complete classic games which are used to explain key concepts. This makes learning easy and it proceeds in simple steps from basic to progressively more complex concepts.
The edition I have is from the 1980s which you might think makes it out of date. But for a beginner to intermediate it is still one of the best books to learn from particularly for children. I rate this as a classic childrens chess book which will be hard to equal. (A worthy and up to date competitor is the Usborne Complete Internet Chess Book (see my review)). This book by Ray Keene is more suitable for older children as it is more wordy and goes into more detail for more difficult concepts (eg the bishop and knight checkmate mentioned above)
In short a great book. You may need to buy it second hand or search the net for a copy as it may not be readily available. But it will be well worth the effort to get it and enjoy every page.
very good book for just starting out in chess.......2002-09-28
This is one of the best books to give someone who is thinking about getting into chess. Its very eazy to read and has wonderful full color pages. I got this book because its the best looking chess book that i have ever seen. It screems read me, learn about chess!
Customer Reviews:
An excellent way to explore 1.d4.......2004-12-06
This is book gives very playable lines with 1.d4 without giving highly analyzed lines that are constantly revised. This is invaluable for me because I want a readily playable repertoire without going deep into every possible reply. I especially like the repertoire for the Nimzo-Indian and the King's Indian, which I have had difficulty playing against until I used this repertoire.
My only criticism with the repertoire is that sometimes the lines are somewhat tame for my style--for example he chooses a Slav exchange variation.
However, I supplement this repertoire with Steffen Pederson and Graham's QGD for the attacking player. Between these books, I have basically everything I need to play 1.d4.
A real killer repertoire..........2003-08-19
If you are looking for a repertoire that is solid and agressive, this book is a very good choice.
The lines with 1.d4 and 2.c4 are timeless, good and tested in GM play. To avoid memorization and the need to keep up with opening theory, the authors recommend lines that are relatively less used by GMs. Such lines are, nevertheless, very good (the line against the King's Indian with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nge2 is relatively unknown (among amateurs) and can generate a powerful attack which is not easy to stop - namely the "h" pawn push. White can, in many instances, transpose to favorable lines of the Samich).
What I like best about this book is that most of the lines are easy to learn, positionally sound and strong (white gets a firm grip of the center in almost every line) and fun to play (almost all of them lead to logical strategic plans for white to attack against black's king).
If you are rated between 1300 and 1900, this book alone will provide you with all you need to learn from the white side of the board. If (when!) you reach 1900 +, you can expand and add variety to this repertoire, which is, in spite of the small size of the book, complete enough for any club player.
Decent one volume reference for club players rated 1400-1900.......2000-02-11
This is a repertoire book (I guess that's why the title, huh?) that picks one variation for white in response to each black defence.
The repetoire is based around the Queen's pawn opening (1. d2-d4 followed normally by 2. c2-c4).
The lines featured are typically fairly solid - the authors tend to avoid the highly complex, overly sharp lines that require a lot of memorization.
I have personally had pretty decent results by following the recommendations contained in the book.
The book has an explanation at the beginning of each chapter outlining the ideas behind the opening. This feature alone makes the book valuable, especially for lower rated players who will get nothing out of the typical opening monograph with no words and all symbols.
The books limited size means that a higher rated player, such as 1900+ will definitely have to supplement the book with more specialized materials in order to be prepared for that exalted level of opponent.
There seem to be few (if any) typos in the book and the selection of illustrative games are pretty good.
The only reason I subtracted one star was for the lack of depth in certain chapters.
Average customer rating:
|
Gary Kasparov's Best Games (The Batsford Chess Library)
Raymond Keene
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Chess
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ASIN: 0805030506 |
Book Description
Traces the development of combinational thought from the early days of chess events up to the reign of world champion Anatoly Karpov. By identifying key recurring elements in the decisive combinations of the champions, Keene shows how to pull off crushing finishes.
Customer Reviews:
Synopsis.......2007-07-09
In this book Grandmaster Ray Keene traces the development of combinational thought from the early days of chess events up to the reign of world champion Anatoly Karpov. By identifying key recurring elements in the decisive combinations of the champions, Keene shows how readers can recognise these elements and pull off crushing finishes in their own games.
Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships.
Very good for the average player........1998-09-05
This book can help you understand what to seek on the chessboard and how to achieve it, using excellent paradigms of great chess-masters. The author's comments are easy to read and understand, and can make you really love this "game". There are games in there, you'll never forget about. The combination in chess is what we call "magic" in life. Excellent gift for young players.
Customer Reviews:
Not Worth it.......2003-06-01
This book is simply not worth it if, of course, you're not under 900. I got the book for free, so it didn't really matter with me, however, the tactics in the book are very elementrary, so I would not have payed more than five dollars on it. I learned nothing more from this book on combinations than I did in any other beginner's chess book
CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!.......2002-12-18
Raymond Keene stopped writing original books on chess as long ago as ARON NIMZOVICH: A REAPPRAISAL (1975); Eric Schiller's work has been described by late GM Tony Miles as "utter crap". To quote chess historian Edward Winter, "Recycling old trash into new trash is a notorious book-spawning trick of Keene's... Only Keene and Schiller can make copying look so difficult." AND the book sorely needs basic editing which was omitted in the haste of making it. Ask any chess master about this book, if you don't believe me! Get yourself a good book on tactics like the Reinfeld 1001 series instead. (I am a USCF 1800 OTB player.) My rating for this book? ZERO STARS. Save your money.
Raise You Rating.......2000-09-23
This book was an outstanding help in my quest for better tactical skills. The diagrams and excellent writing allowed for quick improvement. If you go over a few pages a day your chess rating will rise at least 100 points. Within a few days you will see a large improvement in your tactical ability. You will see the board better and you will win more games!
Customer Reviews:
Interesting.......2000-08-21
From a historical standpoint, this is a good book. There are a few Gambit lines that are covered in good detail because quite simply they are considered sound or at least popular. The lesser known Gambits are not handled with the same enthusiasm. Listing them in alphabetical order makes it easy to locate as well. Even though Raymond Keene is a great chess writer, he is not infallible. Under the 'Grob' (1.g4) he states this may be the worst opening move if 1.f3 isn't. Of course this was published back in 1992, and recent trends show that a g4 pawn spike can be rather effective even if castled Kingside. My question to Mr. Keene would be: what about 1.h4, 1.Nh3, 1.a4, and 1.Na3? A trivial matter however which just goes to show you don't have to believe everything you read no matter who's writing the book. Buy it if you can find it for less than $10 US.
A Pleasant Survey of the Gambit.......1999-12-15
In this book, the gambits are catalogued variation by variation, with assessments of playability and potential refutations. This is not an in-depth coverage of the gambits involved, but a light, surface volume. Keene's style is, as ever, pleasant, and yet the work is a tad surface for anything other than perhaps a quick look at potential odd blitz weapons one might face.
Customer Reviews:
Synopsis.......2007-07-11
Tony Miles was a phenomenon in English chess. From an early age it was apparent that he had no respect whatsoever for the vaunted Soviet School of chess and held their grandmasters in scant esteem. At the very start of his career victories came in quick succession against such renowned opposition as Bronstein, Geller, Smyslov and Spassky. The culmination was a victory at the head of the British Chess Federation team in the European Team Championship at snow bound Skara in Sweden against the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov. For the very first time in any anthology of Tony Miles' games this win appears here with Tony's own profound notes. This was an historic win with Miles using the iconoclastic 1...a6 to defeat the champion's habitual 1e4. Amongst Tony's exploits were winning the Junior World Championship, becoming the UK's first FIDE grandmaster in over the board play and leading the BCF team to silver medals behind only the USSR in the prestigious Chess Olympiads. Miles also won numerous first prizes in international tournaments. He feared no-one and his will to win was legendary, as exemplified by the front jacket photograph of this book. Taken at the Tilburg 1985 tournament, this shows Miles in play on a form of stretcher against grandmaster Djinjihashvili. Although suffering from terrible back pain, Miles insisted on competing, even from this unorthodox position, the only one in which the pain subsided. Characteristically Miles went on to win shared first prize in the event.
Tony Miles died tragically early in November 2001. This book is a memorial to him, written by a Grandmaster rival who faced him many times over the board.
Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships.
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- Prom Nights from Hell
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- Rash
- Redwall (Redwall, Book 1)
- Sex and the Perfect Lover: Tao, Tantra, and the Kama Sutra
- Shadow Dance: A Novel
- Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea
- Sole Survivor
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