No comments about My best games of chess, 1908-1923.

No comments about The Najdorf Defense with 6 Bc4 (Syzygy paperbound chess opening series).

1 comments about C.O.O.L. Chess (New American Batsford Chess Library).

1. I contend that Paul Motwani produced more great chess literature in a three year period (1997-2000) than any chess author in history (HOT Chess, COOL Chess, STAR Chess, Chess Under the Microscope and Most Instructive Games of the Young Grandmasters). His annotations are alive with enthusiasm and insight, are a tremendous combination of variations and text; in short, they have everything that great annotations should have. But he goegoes further than this, constantly posing challenges to the reader, drwaing comparisons to other positions, and generally inspiring the reader to tacked the difficult subject of chess. These are all great books, and C.O.O.L. Chess is as good as any of them. The emphasis is on exploring creative opening lines. He shows how people have succeeded with this idea of finding your own opening niche and creating something personal for your repertoire. Finding an opening repertoire has always been a battle for me, and Motwani has inspired me to try things I never thought I would try. For instance, the French Defense. I have always hated the French, but Motwani's chapter in this book on the French ("French Connection") will have all of its readers playing the French. I cannot say enough about his books. For those three years, he put out nearly 1000 densely packed pages of high intensity chess literature. He is like the Beatles at their peak. The difference is that he has been almost universally condemned by most chess reviewers. He is too original for them. For instance, Motwani occasionally mentions God in his writings. This really rankles chess traditionalists, who contend that chess should not contain any such personal references. But if you are open minded, and enjoy striking an doriginal chess literature, of a very intense and demanding style, I suggest you gobble up all these books by this genius, Paul Motwani.

No comments about A selection of the best games of Vassily Smyslov, world chess champion.

No comments about The chess psychologist, world champion Tal.

2 comments about Delights of Chess.

1. I learned about the book through a friend who is an aspiring chess player. At first, I wasn't really interested but my friend gave me a little background info on the author so I decided to check it out. The author has written it in a very witty tone showing a lot of cleverness. It contains profiles of all the chess greats. The author doesn't bore you by going into a lot of detail so this book can be read in your spare time.
   Heinrich Fraenkel, who went under the pseudonym of Assiac, was a German chess expert who fled the Nazis to take up residence in the UK. Heinrich was a regular at all the major chess events. Fraenkel had a particular love for the endgame study and for the charming anecdote in chess. He became chess editor for the New Statesman, and authored several books including the English translation of Lasker's biography and best games. This was a pleasant read and I recommend it to anyone even if you don't have the slightest interest in the game itself.



2. Delights of Chess is Assiac's enduring monument. Wit, erudition, grandmaster gossip and profiles of the greats are the staple fare, rather then gruelling analysis or reams of variations. This is the elegant fireside of chess to be savoured with blazing logs and a glass of fine cognac. Heinrich Fraenkel, who went under the pseudonym of Assiac, was a German chess expert who fled the Nazis to take up residence in the UK. Always at the epicentre of every major chess event in his chosen country, Fraenkel had a particular love for the endgame study and for the charming anecdote in chess. He became chess editor for the New Statesman, and authored several books including the English translation of Lasker's biography and best games.

No comments about Beginning Chess.

No comments about Great Moments in Chess.

No comments about Chessmaster.

No comments about White Is Ok: New in Chess Yearbook.