1 comments about Dangerous Weapons: The Benoni and Benko: Dazzle your opponents! (Dangerous Weapons).

1. I haven't got the book yet but it does look interesting. The Benoni and Benko Gambit are two fighting openings and it would be cool to see what new, fresh, and original anaylses there. However since this just came out, I'll wait to there are some more reviews out on amazon as this is the first one( although this is not techinically a review). Someone take the leap of faith and buy it!

5 comments about United States Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, Fifth Edition (Chess).

1. I got this book just before going into my first rated chess tournament. It was hard for me to make heads or tails from what was important to learn and what wasn't. I also found some of the explanations to be long and difficult to understand. This book is not very beginner friendly. Is there another book out there that makes things more clear for a newcomer?



2. You will find a very good index and table of contents making everything you are looking for easy to find. This book is a must for very serious tournament player, chess coach and required for tournament directors who run tournaments under the United States Chess Federation.
   I agree that the book is so huge it is hard to pinpoint what rules are more important than others to focus on for a chess player. Most scholastic tournamnets use a "sudden death" time control but with digital clocks having time delay it is complicated to understand for a beginner to chess tournaments. There are a couple of books that do explain "chess tournaments" in a more simplified way already published. But no book can replace owning a copy of the "United States Chess Federation's Official Rules". My suggestion is for them to do a future edition with a chapter for the beginner to point out which sections are most important, especially for the scholastic player.



3. It appears that it isn't understood that the "United States Chess Federations'Official Rules of Chess" is NOT a book for a newcomer to be learning the rules from. It is a technical book suited for tournament directors and experienced chess players. Overlooked, is another book in it's first edition by the same publisher (Random House), "Winning Chess Tournaments for Juniors" look looks at the rules on a more basic and practical level for the non tournament director. I have read it will also be availlable in a new second edition. The rules are many, and the wording is important, just like the wording of laws, or the directions to putting together complex machinery. Do not expect an advanced guide, which it is intended it to be, and does a great job, to be easily understood by a beginner. I hope this review has taken a little confusion out of what this book is all about.



4. This book is a very interesting to review. I read it so that I could become a USCF tournament director, but it is still a useful book for anyone interested in chess. It is especially good to glance over if you want to start going to tournaments, but is not necessary. If you are looking for a story or anything of that nature, it is not a book for you.



5. The book is a necessity for every tournament director or club president. If you play in a tournament, it wouldn't hurt to have it either. Those are the reasons to buy it. So the real consideration is where to buy it.
   
   There are the usual choices, the most obvious being the US Chess Federation. Amazon's better, cheaper, and the product's easier to find here than anywhere else.

1 comments about Dangerous Weapons: 1e4e5: Dazzle Your Opponents in the Open Games! (Everyman Chess).

1. This is a great book that offers excellent and very thorough coverage of many openings or specific variations that otherwise have received insufficient treatment in the literature. I was especially happy to see Flear's chapter on the Bird Defense vs. the Lopez, which updates his previous work in Offbeat Spanish (which had been itself, IMHO, the most up-to-date treatment previously). I think he also wrote the chapter on the ...g6 system for Black in the Open Games (especially versus the Scotch and Four Knights). For that alone, this is a great book and worth having. But there is so much more -- and every line is not only interesting and sound but very thoroughly treated. There is stuff on the "Modern" way of playing the Max Lange Attack as White, the Center Game (where White typically sacs the e-pawn), the Bishop's Gambit (though not as good as The Fascinating King's Gambit -- but it is just an article, of course), and the Four Knights for White versus the Rubinstein (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.O-O!) I have written a much longer review online elsewhere, but that about sums it up. If you play 1.e4 e5 as White or Black, this is a must have! And what else would you expect from Emms and Flear?

3 comments about The Pirc in Black and White: Detailed Coverage of an Enterprising Chess Opening (Everyman Chess).

1. Former British Junior Champion James Vigus presents The Pirc in Black and White, an in-depth strategy guide for intermediate to advanced chess players concerning the special counterattack to White's most popular opening move, 1e4. Built upon a strategy of allowing White to build a large pawn center only to undermine it by attacking with pieces and timely pawn strikes, the Pirc is potentially devastating yet carries a heavy risk of simply being swamped by the central attack. The Pirc in Black and White explores the many variations of the pirc and how to defend against it, with numerous diagrams and sample games to illustrate principles and examples - indeed, virtually every page of The Pirc in Black and White is devoted to displaying sample games. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone seeking to fine-tune their chess-playing skills.



2. This is not a book you will read cover to cover. It is a highly technical and comprehensive resource book for this Hypermodern chess opening. If the library treated it like other books, it would be in the "reference" section and they wouldn't let you check it out! For the same reason the library makes you use Atlases, Dictionaries, Thesaurus, etc on premises. You would have keep the book there, because it's simply too valuable to allow one person to take it home. If you use this opening as Black or fight against it as White, you simply must have this. It's a very THICK book because it is providing broad and deep coverage of one of the most confusing, slippery and dangerous opening motif's in all of chess. You won't be sorry you invested in this critical resource!



3. I have found this a very useful book. It is comprehensive and balanced, and that is important if you are playing the Pirc as black. One needs to be realistic. This author is realistic.
   
   The book teaches the various pawn structures that are likely to appear, with each having a its own charasterics. While I rate the book as excellent, my only regret is that the author does not spend more time - including diagrams - showing the various key squares, for black and white - in these pawn structures. That might help a reader learn the key squares and themes.
   
   Other than this, I am highly satisfied the book and have spent quite a bit of time with the book.

5 comments about Three Moves Ahead: What Chess Can Teach You About Business.

1. This is one of those rare business books that is both entertaining to read and offers valuable insight into how companies make decisions in today's faster paced business environment, particularly in the high tech world. I enjoyed learning about the limitations of strategic thinking shared by great chess players and great business executives. I'd recommend this book to both seasoned business executives and younger business people. It will remind veteran decisionmakers how to focus on what's ahead of them and provide younger managers (particularly young entrepreneurs) with context for why business plans most often have to change. A fun look at business strategy from a very unique perspective.



2. This is an extraordinary work. Aside from being extremely well written (something that one can rarely say about business books), the central thesis here is that in a rapidly changing business environment it is no long sufficient to give 'cookbook' answers to solving problems. Instead, by apply chess theories (NOT 'rules'), Three Moves Ahead gives business executives (and particularly entrepreneurs with early stage companies) a framework for developing their overall business strategies in a world that is morphing faster than we can understand it. The concepts are rock solid, the 21st century examples to which they are applied are brilliant, and the result is a gem of a book that has the potential to reframe the entire discussion of success factors in business.



3. I just purchased the book and am looking forward to some good reading. Can't wait! Once I finish, I'll come back and post an update.



4. Great business book. It gives a fascinating account of how the author's personal experiences as a grandmaster chess player apply to the world of business. The book is a testament to how the knowledge and experience gained in one area of human activity be transferred to and enrich a different field. The author, a successful startup CEO, received his business education at the chess board, and that's what makes his style of thinking very unique. If you are an MBA student or in your early years of the business career you will enjoy this book and view the corporate world from an unusual angle. The book refers to many well known examples from the lives of AOL, Microsoft and the like, but by far the most interesting case studies are from the author's own experiences as a CEO.



5. I read tons of business books, and so many of them suffer from the same fatal flaw. They are really aiming for a high executive or an entrepenuer. Go attack this market segment, divest this business, etc. That's all well and great, if you're in this demographic. But what about the people out there that often read these books - middle management trying to make the jump to the executive ranks in their Fortune 500 companies? Sometimes these business books don't always scale to that level. I read them, frustrated, and out of time and money.
   
   This book was a unique read for me. If is the first business book focusing on strategy that really changed the way I looked at the problems I face on the daily basis. As a cog in the machine, I don't have the ability to make aquisitions, divest services that aren't profitable, etc. But I do have the ability to EXPAND my service offering by securing strong squares, identifying dream positions, and getting rid of bad bishops. The first thing I did when I finished this book was bought a copy for each of my direct reports, then we've torn my 18 month plan down and started from scrach. Nothing Rice tells you in here is that hard to figure out on your own; there are no ridiculous correllations between successful companies and specific moves that other books rely on. Rice just uses a few chess antecdotes here and there, and makes an analogy to the business world, demonstrated by some winners and losers. The way this is all presented is so different, and fresh. Nothing rocket science, just a different way of seeing the same thing.
   
   I haven't played chess since I was a teenager. After reading this book, I am so impressed by Rice's passion that I think I may just need to pick it up again!

5 comments about The Game of Chess (Algebraic Edition).

1. This book is simply a classic. It was given to me by an older friend who played during the seventies mostly, when I showed an interest in the game. It goes from complete basics (the endgame with 2-4 pieces usually) all the way to intermediate club player level.
   This book was a joy to read, Tarrasch is truly one of chess's greatest teachers that has lived. His passion and infectious love for the game is captivating. Tarrasch teaches the game in a highly instructive, concise, and understandable fasion aimed at the complete beginner all the way up to someone who plays in chess clubs.
   I wish they'd release an algebraic version of this book, as it would make it slightly easier to read. The descriptive notation is more old school and not used so much anymore.
   If you haven't read this, or know someone who wants to get more into chess theory and become a better player, then BUY THIS.
   I cannot recommend it enough.



2. I'm 41 years old, and I'm a Portuguese lawyer. I became acquainted with the game of chess when I was a child, but I learned how to play it when I was already a law student. By then, my father offered me a copy of the (not very good) French translation of Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch's «The Game of Chess». Before that, I read many, too many books and articles on the subject, without any pleasure or profit. After the careful study I did of this specific book, I ventured to play my first official tournament: it was a good enough one, and I did so well I got immediately over 1600 (portuguese) ELO! In spite of that, I never took Chess very seriously: while I was a student I seldom played official games, and after my graduation I virtually had to stop. Since my personal and professional life stabilized in the meantime, I decided to try it again a couple of years ago. For that purpose, I studied once more «The Game of Chess», never dreaming of what was really going to happen. The weekend before last, I played my very first international «Open»: five sessions with forty players, of which twenty-six with (high) ELO FIDE, two with FM titles and three with IM titles. Having just 1913 (national) ELO and looking at so strong a competition, I estimated the best I'd get would be something around 1,5 points. Surprise! I've finished 8th (3rd «ex aequo»), with 3,5 points (+3=2−1) (1,5 points against three international ranked players, of which one with IM and another with FM titles) and a performance of 2293 (!) (the second best in the tournament) which earned me the right to get my first ever ELO FIDE. The next player like me finished only 22nd, with 2 points. I left behind one player with a FM title and twenty players with ELO FIDE. I was flabbergasted: how could a simple amateur obtain such a good result?! The answer was: Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch's «The Game of Chess»!
   Many critics consider this the finest all-round manual on the game: I think they're right. It had an outstanding success when it was first published in Germany in 1931 and in Great-Britain in 1934. Such a success was largely due to the apparently unorthodox but extremely effective teaching method the author used, one «analogous to that a mother uses to teach her child to talk»: «the intuitive method of instruction». After dealing with the elements, the author proceeds not to the opening but to the end-game, «since obviously it is easier for the beginner to deal with a few men than with the entire thirty-two». Dr. Tarrasch doesn't waste any time with «all those eng-games which do not occur in actual play»: he goes right through explaining the fundamental positions of this part of the game, doing it so simply and clearly that one finds himself quite able to understand some longer end-games (four in number) with which he concludes this part of his book. After the end-game comes the part dealing with the middle-game, «the most important part of the game». He not only traces back «to fixed and constantly recurring types the manifold combinations of chess», but also gives the standard positional concepts of the game: through the «study of the typical combinations and attacks», one makes himself familiarized more than enough «with the raw material» for «the conduct of the middle game, as regards both tactics and strategy». Finally, Dr. Tarrasch comes to the opening, «the most difficult part of the game». After presenting a general theory of the opening, he deals «with the important lines of practically all the openings», though not pretending to be «exhaustive». (More than seventy years after the first edition of this book, the section on the various openings is somewhat dated, particularly on the Indian Defenses; but, to my mind, not as dramatically dated as critics say). A few games (seven in the german edition, twelve in the English edition), «very fully annotated», form the concluding part of the manual.
   Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch's «The Game of Chess» is «A Systematic Text-book for Beginners and More Experienced Players». To me, it's more than that: it's the true Chess Bible. Besides, it's the culminating point of the literary production of the greatest chess teacher of all times: the «Praeceptor Germaniae seu Mundi», as he is known even today. «Naturally, for further progress the study of master games is most important - but only those games which are accompanied by the most complete and apposite notes.» In my case, I decided to study Fred Reinfeld's «Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess»: there were no other Dr. Tarrasch's books translated to English when I finished reading his manual. Again I made great progresses: in fact, I learned more and more about the game with the same teacher, since Reinfeld in many cases merely follows Dr. Tarrasch's own analyses and comments. Now, at long last, «Three Hundred Chess Games», «Montecarlo 1903» and «St. Petersburg 1914» are available in English (not yet «Die moderne Schachpartie», which is a pity): once read both «The Game of Chess» and «Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess», these are the next books to study, preferably by this order. After this (and, if I may say so, only after this), one may go on to other authors - above all Alekhine. But don't you forget to start with the Chess Bible: Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch's «The Game of Chess»...



3. I read this book after Chess Fundamentals, and found it was very similar in its layout. The difference is that this book is much longer, because of its smaller type, and it answers many of the questions that Chess Fundamentals left unanswered; for example, from Chess Fundamentals I learned a few openings, the Ruy Lopez, Queen's Gambit, Petroff, French Defence, and a couple others, but The Game of Chess discusses 28 openings. Part 3, on the middle game, covers a few details not found in other books, like illusory protection and the point QB6 as a target for attack. This book was very helpful to me, a player who finished reading Chess Fundamentals and wanted a more thourough lesson.



4. The older editions of this book are wonderful. Tarrash's teaching methods are both unique and powerful. Unfotunately the "amatuers" that tried to reformat the new algebreic version essentially trashed it! Juxtaposition a Dover copy with the "new" version and see for yourself. If only they would have solicited some advice from John Nunn with respect to typesetting, or failing that, just convert the descriptive notation to algebreic. An opportunity missed.



5. Want to gain a deep insight into a book written by one of the better writers and players of all time? Tarrasch was a top notch tournament chess player. He wrote this book to help the intermediate player really learn about the game without just trying to make a buck off of a book! If you are an adult reader, who wants to gain an insight by an oldtime, but smartimer, then enjoy this book! I can certainly recomment "Understanding Chess" by Nunn, both "Unbeatable Chess Lesons for Juniors", "More Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" and "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" by Snyder, and "The Art of Checkmate" by Renaud, but this book is right up there with them as equals.

5 comments about Understanding Chess Tactics.

1. This is a very good book. I've read MANY books on tactics, and have done countless drills and puzzles. This book is unique, however, because it made me look at tactics from a real game perspective. it didn't just say "find the pin", but it showed how to look through the clutter of the board and find all the elements that constitue a pin, and even how to create one where none exist. The one complaint I have is with the diagrams. they never indicate who's move it is, therefore, it doesn't give me the chance to see if i can find the tactic before he lists the candidate move. Otherwise, it is very helpful and enjoyable.



2. Were not too few exercises I would give this book 5 stars. From the content of the book, Martin Weteschnik had in fact pay a lot of effort trying to teach us tactics. But unfortunately he forgot the proverb " practice makes perfect. " Just 4 exercise per chapter is not enough!!! I think any kind of this book should include at least 200 exercises, may not need to be from real games, but it should gives us more practice. May be in the second edition of this book, Martin Weteschnik can give us more examples. So for those one who has finished reading this book, they should buy, John Nunn's Learn Chess Tactics, another two books is one from Lev Alburt's pocket book for traing and most of all, " Sharpen your tactics, " in this book you would find 1125 ground - breathing exercises. ( Though I would say in fact most and not all 1125 exercise are all that exciting ).



3. This is a gem. Its strengths are the highly interesting examples and its ability to improve your board vision. No chessboard or computer needed.



4. I've followed the Michael de la Maza method (he used to play at our club) "400 points in 400 days" tactic improvement strategy, published on ChessCafe.com a few years ago. And, I have used CT-ART, done the puzzle books, etc. However, there was something missing (for me anyway) in that I felt I was just learning a few tactic patterns without understanding how it all fits together, how various tactical operations build on each other.
   
   This book fills that void of understanding tactics, and is loaded with real game examples that the reader is walked through step-by-step. To some, the scarcity of extra "black to move, what next?" practice puzzles takes away from the book, but I do not think so. There are plenty of raw puzzle practice books out there.
   
   What would make the book perfect is to have a PGN file of the games he uses for illustration, so we can go to the move number, and play the tactics (and all the variations) against a computer for practice.
   
   All-in-all I highly recommend the book!



5. Chess tactics is difficult enough. This book makes the subject even more so. The review of tactical themes and specific examples is okay, but you can get the same from any number of books. This book does not simplify. I sent it back.

5 comments about The Reassess Your Chess Workbook.

1. I do not believe one can get a true appreciation for Silman's 'Reassess Your Chess' without also working through this Workbook. The games examined provide many opportunities to exercise the knowledge of imbalances acquired in the previous book. As a stand-alone instruction manual, it dispenses copious useful insights into the game of chess, including a VERY enlightening tutorial on endgames involving Bishops of opposite colors. Although also quite time-consuming, it is a good improvement over the long-winded ways of 'Reassess Your Chess' with most of the middlegames studied much more to the point (see my review on 'Reassess Your Chess').
   
   Alas, it is not without flaws. Besides minor issues like typos and misspellings, there are a couple of incorrect analyses; most notable is the one in Problem 131 (the very last in the book). Silman insists in the question that White had missed a great opportunity, namely a Bh7+, or "Petrosian check," which would ensure a quick win for White. However, after investigating the position with Chessmaster 10, I do believe Silman is incorrect. In fact, the follow-up position actually gives Black a winning game. These misdiagnoses are annoying, but also can be very confusing to a lower-rated player.
   
   Even with its faults, the many in-depth tactical and position dissections should not only heighten a chess player's senses to the issues he needs to look for and be aware of in every phase of the game, but, if nothing else, add to his intuition, a very important weapon in the player's arsenal.



2. This was a great book to get after I read "The Amateur's Mind" by Silman. Silman's system of looking for and creating imbalances, then exploiting the imbalances, has given me a framework for thinking about chess. Much better than books like "How to Think Like a Grandmaster," which really didn't teach me anything.



3. IM Silman's "imbalance" method of chess instruction is justly popular. I shows the amateur--usually for the first time--what is *really* going on in a high-level chess game: to wit, the creation and exploitation of different imbalances (superior pawn formation vs. two bishops, say) around which the two sides make their plans.
   
   This book begins with a summary ("crash course") of his thinking techinque and imbalances from "How to Reasses Your Chess" (HTRYC). Then, a selection of over 110 problems (comprising opening, middlegame, and endgame positions as well as complete games to annotate); and, finally, their solutions. The book's great strength is in this last, very detailed, part. Every solution gives not only the correct move, but explains why: how the move helps one side use his positive imbalances or minimize his negative ones, and how the move fits with his overall plan. In addition, the solution of course offers data about the game: players, date, tournament, etc.
   
   Clearly, Silman put a lot of effort into his book: not only does he give original and detalied analysis of every position (including a re-analysis, from the point of view of his "imbalances" method, of some of the most famous games in chess history), he also chose a very wide range of players--from Fischer and Morphy to obscure correspondence players to 1500-level amateurs--if the game edifies the reader. I wish more chess writers would do this: one learns just as much (and more) from Silman's down-to-earth "Why is this move, which looked perfectly logical to the 1500-rated player, simply wrong?" than from the typical "What marvelous combination did Fischer find here?" one usually finds.
   
   To those who want to learn or practice Silman's thinking technique, which is well worth knowing if only in order to understand masters' games better, this is a very good book. Apart from the hard work and originality, I commend Silman for not being greedy and trying to squeeze more sales out of a previous book: instead of referring the reader to HTRYC for an explanation of his method, the Workbook is a stand-alone book that includes a detailed explanation of it, even if it might hurt sales. (It also has a larger, clearer format and far fewer typos than HTRYC). Such ethical behavior by authors should be the (Grandmaster) norm, but isn't.
   
   One problem, though, is the quirky design: candid photographs of famous chess players are printed in the book apparently at random, and the "solution" section reprints every question before giving the solution to it. The first oddity is due to Silman's desire to show chessplayers as they really are. The second is probably because, on the one hand, Silman doesn't want people to read the problem with the solution "tempting" them on the bottom of the same page, while, on the other, once they *do* decide to look at the solution, he doesn't want them to go back and forth between different pages to make sure they see what bishop or pawn the solution is talking about. In my view, it would have been better on balance to omit both as unnecssary and distracting rather than helpful. That said, this is a minor issue, and perhaps a matter of taste.
   
   If you are interested in chess strategy at all, this is a great book to get.



4. "How To Reassess Your Chess" (hereafter referred to as "Reassess") was, for me, the single most important book of my chess "career" (I'm not a professional, just a casual player). Without going into depth about "Reassess," I can simply say that it helped me to master all areas and facets of chess, and, as a result, my rating has been going up since I recently reread the book.
   
   "The Reassess Your Chess Workbook" (hereafter referred to as "The Reassess Workbook") is an excellent companion volume for "Reassess." Although "Reassess" does have exercises at the end of each section, this workbook will help you to further hone and employ the things that you have learned. Additionally, many of the exercises are very difficult, as they require advanced thinking, and thus, this book can also be viewed as a chess puzzle book as well.
   
   Before the exercises comes a written segment on "thinking techniques," followed by a section dealing with many of the major points of the entire game (this section is not very thorough - it's not supposed to be - but it is useful for reviewing what you've learned from "Reassess").
   
   After you've read this section (which shouldn't be a problem since Silman is such a humorous, fun-to-read writer!), you will do some opening exercises, a quiz on imbalances, middlegame and endgame exercises and even some self-annotations (which are actually quite fun, trust me!). In the back are the answers, so that none of the problems will be left eternally unanswered. And if you ever come into contact with a term you don't know, simply consult the glossary in the back of the book for a definition.
   
   The content is well-chosen: Silman uses positions from actual games as well as position he himself has created. Futhermore, each position is like a mini-lesson, so approximately 130 lessons in one book is quite a deal! The answer key is very well-written, as Silman helps us to mine the secrets and subtleties (and to spot the mistakes) of each game so that we can become better players in the future.
   
   In conclusion, "The Reassess Workbook" is a fine volume, but not an essential book for a chess-player's library. If you have read "Reassess," you will find this book to be very helpful, and I wholeheartedly recommend the purchase of these two books together, as this workbook utilizes much of the material learned in "Reassess".



5. This book is awesome. I'm only 1/3 of the way through it. I have a bunch of chess books. The value of this one book exceeds them all. There is so much information packed into these pages. Each puzzle is like taking chess classes with a grandmaster for a month. The best piece of advice in the book that I've read so far is to do self annotations. It forces you to improve your game no matter what. I've gotten so much better just by doing this. Don't waste your time, get this book and throw all your other books in the trash.

5 comments about The Art of Checkmate.

1. The Art of the Checkmate is a book I purchased about 10 years ago and feel this book deserves to be an essential part of any chess players library. The book focuses on checkmates (no surprise) that at some point you will face as a chess player. Don't think that these moves are just a novelty and not played in todays games, many examples in the book show GM's being defeated from these moves. With smothered mates, corridor mates, Boden's mate, pseudo-sacrifice, and double checks, as well as a host of others you will benefit from knowing these moves. The book can be purchased for less than a few days lunch so there's no reason to skip this one. Overall I think this book is required reading by all ratings from novice to GM.



2. I have bought and sold hundred's of chess books over the years, this one is a keeper . My copy is well worn from heavy use. It is the best book of its type I have ever come across! Teaches ALL the basic mateing patterns, and how to apply them, in a very simple, but USEFUL way.



3. Art of the Checkmate is an awesome book. I've read it, put the patterns and quizzes into "Chess Workbook" software, and I've drilled through it at least 5-6 times. If there is one thing that you need to learn how to do in chess, is to checkmate your opponent. Each form of the mating patterns should be memorized. I found that after drilling through this book a couple of times, I am far more dangerous than before. I instantly, recognize and operate my pieces toward checkmating the king. It became effortless for me to become a dangerous player. After I read this book the guys at my club were suddenly shocked to find their king so often in my cross-hairs for potential checkmates. Against good players, these threats rarely lead to checkmates, but they lead to bad trades, bad sacrifices, loss of tempi, and bad moves by my opponent which ultimately weaken my opponent.
   
   Get this book and become a dangerous chess player. It's for beginners, but the only problem is the descriptive notation.



4. What's the point of writing yet another review for this book? Well, I couldn't help it! This book is fantastic. Two features I really enjoy: the patterns are mostly explained through entire game miniatures and the authors give extensive historical notes on the players.



5. This book turns out to be far more than a mere catalogue of mates. There are many fully analyzed games, colorful comments on history, and many exercises to help cement the ideas. You would think that everybody has read this book and therefore it would be impossible to place these mates. However, the authors show you how to find the essentials in a position so that you can create new variations that aren't in the book.
   
   Conclusion: Far more than a mating manual, also serves good introduction to tactics in the middlegame. An excellent value.

5 comments about Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How A Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine (P.S.).

1. This is the 2nd book I read by these 2 prize-winning journalists and authors and I praise this work once again as a brilliant tour of famous chess match between Spassky and Fischer!
   The book has multiple focuses. While the matches themselves are not described in stark detail, the atmosphere around is. Included in this are brief biographies of these 2 chess superstars, pre-match and post-match reactions as well as its influence and possible involvement in the Cold War.
   
   In it, one discovers the passive, gentle and cordial personality of Spassky - a gentlemanly figure, in contrast to a demanding, bad-boy personality, yet a prodigy, of Bobby Fischer. The book recounts all the relevant events prior to this championship in Iceland in 1972, as well as reactions to it afterward. While there is some allusion to the matches themselves, as well as precise moves and brief analysis, the book in no way targets chess players as their primary readers. The book is targeted for anyone interested in history, particularly one having to do with chess and Cold War.
   
   The book is a real page turner and hard to put down. The style has a fast pace to it, yet thorough enough to capture even minute details. Overall, a great read for anyone and I highly recommend it!



2. If Bobby Fischer's name is affiliated with a book, it comes to reason that there is some amount of weirdness forthcoming. I am not referring to the chess books Fischer wrote, as those are guidelines to chess perfection. This refers to any discussion of his life, which this book does. The world's greatest chess player, Fischer, has lived his personal life much less logically than his life is an eight by eight square cell.
   
   To help the nonchess reader sort out the menagerie, authors David Edmonds and John Eidinow provide a "Dramatis Personae," listing 21 Americans, 24 Soviets, six Icelanders, four match officials, and six sundry others, explaining their relationship to the Reykjavik, Iceland chess match. They also include a short glossary to educate us in the vocabulary of competitive chess.
   
   The book begins with a vital quote by Boris Spassky, "When you play Bobby, it is not a question of whether you win or lose. It is a question of whether you survive. This sets the tone for all that follows.
   
   Edmonds and Eidinow lay out the social mire Fischer was growing up in, and his quick rise to chess dominance.
   
   In 1954, when Fischer was 11, he was attending matches and doing well enough but not at his later prodigy level. In that year, as he is quoted, he "just got good." Modern chess history, or at least for one its most colorful characters, begins then.
   
   1972: Boris Spassky was the champ. He deserved to be there. Bobby Fischer was the contender. He deserved to have the opportunity. Between these two men stood a world of complex politics, money, national pride, idiosyncrasies, and suitors to the game. Reykjavik, Iceland was the location of what has become one of the most legendary chess matches ever, between Spassky and Fischer.
   
   Early on during Fischer's career, he had the same impact Michael Jordan would later enjoy later enjoy as professional basketball player. "Fischer-fear" was the description of some players' psychosomatic illnesses from Fischer's intimidation. Opponents would make mistakes as a result. Fischer had the bravado of Muhammad Ali, but none of his class. He would take this personality and boorish demands to the match.
   
   Boris Spassky is painted differently. A product of the Soviet support system, he became professional about the game. Affable and popular, an opposite to in every way to Fischer, he still had what Fischer lacked -- the title "World Champion."
   
   The bulk of the book moves on from biography and personality profiles. It follows the path the chess culture -- all chaotic in its apparent systemic approach. Going from the need to compete to the actual match turned through every convoluted corner, with Kissinger's involvement, the FBI, the KGB, and as much intrigue as a James Bond movie.
   
   The travails of the match are outlined as needed (but not heavily), highlighting the most interesting parts and never boring nonchess players. The psychology of the players and chess players in general is discussed, as is the history of modern champions, providing a field for tension and a framework for the match.
   
   This was in the midst of the Cold War, and the Soviets -- not just Spassky, owned the chess champ title. Nixon was president. Fischer, the bombastic, arrogant American who hated Russia, had a knack for successfully risking it all on the board by knowing the principles of chess as a sublime art form. Spassky, the methodical Russian, against Fischer, became a symbol of the Cold war itself. The image of the match was only half of the matter. Neither man was the caricature the press saw them as, but such are the stories of legend.
   
   I fully recommend "Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time," (title from the hardback edition) by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. Oh, and if you somehow missed the big news back in 1972, Fischer won the match.
   
   Anthony Trendl
   editor, HungarianBookstore.com



3. I was pretty excited about buying this book, because who wouldn't want a book about how one man stood up to a Superpower at the height of the Cold War and won?
   
   But then, when you get into it, the book becomes more of a breakdown of the Fischer/Spassky match, only one written for non-chess players. Apparently most all of the story comes from interviews and the recollections and memos of the participants
   
   The problem with that is that they couldn't get an interview with Fischer, and the book shows it. In terms of pages, "Bobby Fischer Goes to War" is 40% about Spassky, 20% about chess, 30% about the reporters or other GMs at the match or whatever, and maybe 10% about Bobby Fischer. Which would be fine if it wasn't put out there as a book about Bobby Fischer, but it was and its not that at all
   
   Written by 2 co-authors and apparently not edited at all, the book meanders from place to place and anecdote to anecdote, and the last 100 pages are intolerably slow. They cover the post-mortem of the match; what went wrong and where the participants ended up. The main problem with that, again, is maybe 10 of those 100 pages are about Fischer. I mean, its really great to know that some Soviet minister of whatever retired and had a good life, but to my mind the book is crippled by long detours into side characters' lives, and I think the authors only indulged in those detours because they had next to no information about Bobby, so they had to talk about something to run up the page count
   
   The first half of the book is interesting and relatively fast-paced, and actually does illuminate the Spassky/Fischer match, even if it doesn't offer any actual insights into Bobby Fischer, beyond what some people who met him once or twice think of him. The second half is just a re-hash of things already stated, and a "where are they now?" type piece on each of the officials of the various organizations who put the match together
   
   So to sum up: this book is basically just a story about that historic match up, and its more told from Spassky's side than anyone else's. If that's what you want, great. Here it is. If you wanted a book about Bobby Fischer, about any part of his life other than those few months in Iceland, you won't find it here. If you wanted his insight into the matches, or analysis of the matches, that's not here either
   
   Also, you should be warned that the story is told about 75% from the Soviet side of things, so there are alot of Russian names and governmental titles. That might bother some readers; I found it difficult after awhile to differentiate between the various Russian officials, especially since some are referred to by nicknames at one point, then by their given names, then by title, etc.
   
   Hope that helps you make an informed decision on whether or not to buy the book



4. I first noticed this book on a stand at a bookstore because of its bright red cover. When I walked up to the stand and read the title I was surprised and excited to see that the book was about the famous Fischer-Spassky chess match held in Reykjavik, Iceland in the summer of 1972. I lived in New York City and was 14 years old then and I didn't know who Bobby Fischer was, neither did I know anything about chess, which goes for everyone I knew at the time also. I was aware of a cold war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R though. The hype in the media is what got me and my friends interested in the match and chess, especially since Bobby Fischer was a New Yorker from Brooklyn. Before the Fischer-Spassky match I didn't know anyone that played chess except the elderly men I would see playing chess on stone tables in the neighborhood park. The serious expressions on the elderly men's faces as they played made me think chess was a boring game that lacked any fun. But, the same way that Tiger Woods got younger people and minorities interested in golf so did the match with Fischer and Spassky got me and some of my friends to learn to play chess and a good thing that was because it was a long, hot, boring summer and learning chess along with the Fischer and Spassky match kept us out of mischief.
   I had often wondered how this historic chess match came to be played in Iceland of all places and this book tells you how that happened along with the whirlwind of behind the scenes preparations, accommodations, negotiations and drama regarding Fischer's demands and the demands of other parties involved with this match. I felt sorry for the Icelandic people because the Fischer-Spassky match disrupted their obscure peaceful lives but they adapted gracefully.
   Even though this book is mostly about the people, events and issues surrounding the famous chess match it also provides some general background information about Fischer, Spassky and the chess world leading up to the match. There is more information concerning the Russian side than Fischer's side but that's only because Russian chess was a well-organized government funded sport that involved several committees, trainers, doctors and other Russian chess grandmasters. Bobby Fischer on the other hand was a loner who took up chess at the age of six and got deeply and passionately involved with the game and who mostly studied and taught himself chess. At a young age Bobby set the chess world championship title as his goal and he relentlessly pursued the title with intensity. Besides Bobby's passion and talent for chess I don't believe Bobby's life was interesting or special in any way. In fact, he grew up relatively poor with no father and dropped out of school to devote as much time as possible to the pursuit of excellence in chess. This is a guy that always carried a pocket chess set with him and he would pull it out anywhere and anytime he was bored or uninterested with his surroundings. One of Bobby's famous quotes is "Chess is life" at least chess was Bobby's life.
   The Russians knew years before the famous match that they would have to contend with Bobby Fischer for the world chess championship title and when he finally did achieve the right to challenge the Russians for the chess championship at the relatively young age of 29 he had become a juggernaut, mowing down all of the grandmasters in the candidates round, a feat without precedence in the history of chess
   Were the Russians concerned? You better believe it. But, since Fischer had never defeated Spassky in the past Spassky wasn't that concerned and that was part of his undoing. As we all know Bobby Fischer won the match convincingly and the repercussions were felt everywhere because the media had hyped this event as an east vs. west cold war showdown. The Soviet chess machine was dethroned and shaken to it's foundation, Bobby Fischer went from unknown to an instant heroe and international superstar celebrity overnight in a way that hadn't been seen since unknown pilot Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic ocean from New York to Paris non-stop to win the Ortieg prize in May 1927. The big difference is that Lindbergh basked in his new found celebrity status and prospered well and went on to promote aviation for many years. Bobby Fischer disappeared and forfeited his title to Karpov in 1975 when he refused to defend his title because the FIDE agreed to only 178 of his 179 demands thus adding more mystery and confusion to the enigma that was Bobby Fischer. Some people say Bobby didn't defend his title because he was afraid of losing, I don't believe that for a minute because as I wrote before Bobby had become a juggernaut and was in his chess playing prime. I will add another Fischer quote "The Russians have held my title for ten years and they're going to be in for it when I win the Championship. They're going to have to wait and play under my conditions." Besides Bobby's intense animosity towards the Soviet commies, and his desire to be in control due to his distrust of chess organizers, Bobby knew that the Russians were masters at drawing games and the one demand that the FIDE would not agree to was for draws not to count for half a point that way there would be more pressure to win a game than draw a game also Bobby believed it would truly decide the superior player and matches wouldn't last as long due to more decisive games and fewer draws. The FIDE thought the opposite way; they believed that with draws not being awarded half a point could cause matches to last indefinitely. I believe Bobby was right, thus Bobby's attempt to change some tournament and match game rules for the better was negated and he truly withdrew from chess competition.
   No one in history has done more for chess than Bobby Fischer. Even today using Bobby Fischer's name will sell books, DVD's and magazines. For the first time since the Fischer-Spassky match people were able to make a living from chess because of its increased popularity. It took someone like Bobby Fischer with his antics, demands, brashness and genius to get the chess world noticed in this country. Bobby Fischer was the perfect person to take on the Soviet chess machine because he was totally unpredictable. Even the Russian psychologists after studying the profile they had on him came to the conclusion that he was a psychopath.
   How do you play against a psychopath? to quote Spassky, "When you play Bobby, it isn't a matter of win or lose, it's a matter of if you survive" Spassky claims it took him a year to recover from the match with Fischer.
   The losers to Bobby's withdrawing from chess competition is all of us who enjoy playing and love the game of chess because one can only imagine the wonderful games and brilliancies he would've performed had he continued to engage in chess competitions. Thus, when Bobby stopped playing chess, I stopped playing chess also but, I started to have another interest and my new interest was girls. Since no girls played chess and no girls were interested in chess and no girls were interested in guys that played chess, I stopped playing chess completely until I bought and read this book two years ago and started to take up the game of chess again and it was such a joy to relive the summer of 72 again. Thank you Bobby Fischer, you are the immortal king of the immortal game. RIP



5. It's a really interesting book, full of details and easy to read.
   The cover describes Fisher as a lone hero, but inside the description of the two competitors is much more balanced.
   Probably it could include some more details about the chess games: even if I'm not an expert, I was forced to find elsewhere the moves of the games which were described as particularly good or bad.