5 comments about Imagination in Chess: How to Think Creatively and Avoid Foolish Mistakes.

1. This book is a collection of chess problems. "Imagination in Chess" is for the chess player who has worked through Reinfeld, Combination Challenge!, and the other problem books by Emms, Nunn, and Archangelsky. The problems in here are very difficult. The only reason that this book fails to get five stars is because of the inaccurate title. This book has very little about imagination and thinking creatively--it is almost all chess problems.



2. I agree with the previous reviews but I wanted to emphasize(unnecessarily? perhaps) their point that this interesting and worthwhile collection of problems does not have much in the way of actual text demonstrating "how to think creatively and avoid foolish mistakes" - this is primarily a tactics collection. Solving the tactics exercises would require you to apply your creativity and probably learn to avoid mistakes by not allowing these situations to go unexploited, but honestly, if you have a tactics book already, then you have the basic idea already: practice, practice, practice.
   
   I'm glad I have the book nonetheless because these problems do require imagination to solve and are not "composed" problems, they're from actual games.
   
   Four stars for the reasons other people have given: the instructions are rather sparse and the book doesn't indicate beforehand that these problems are for intermediate players or better.



3. Gaprindashvili's examples are exceedingly difficult (I wouldn't recommend this to players under USCF/FIDE 1800), but it's an extremely well-done collection of critical positions ORGANIZED BY THE THOUGHT PROCESS NECESSARY TO SOLVE THEM EFFICIENTLY.
   
   In many cases, the obvious move doesn't work, but the obvious move suggests a move that wasn't one of the original candidates.
   
   We are not computers--we can't possibly look at every move three moves deep. Gaprindashvili's method is to drill the student in a METHOD of finding critical moves and analyzing them in an efficient fashion.
   
   Valeri Beim's How to Calculate Chess Tactics teaches a similar approach, somewhat more accessibly.
   
   Serious players should read both books (Beim first). Both books demand serious effort--both books will make you a much stronger tactician.



4. I love to solve problems, so I bought a lot of books on combinations, tactics etc. For some classics, like " combinative motifs ", I even bought two. One use as exercises ( I think most reader would do the same, after finishing one question, one would take it ). The second book for collection. Today I receive with thrill to this book, but on seeing those questions, I only manage to solve one or two without *!!! I have already finished John Nunn's Learn chess tactics, about two third of those two stars questions of " Sharpen your tactics". I think the name of this book should be called, "tactics, stretgy or puzzles for advanced players!!! But I still give it 5 stars for author's enthusiasm.
   Also, I think I should work harder!!!



5. A book for those who want to improve your chess in a high level!

4 comments about ELISTA DIARIES: Karpov-Kamsky, Karpov-Anand, Anand Mexico City 2007 World Chess Championship Matches.

1. I just got my copy of the new Elista Diaries. I haven't had a chance to dive into it yet; I've only gotten as far as the Intro (found a few typos, but nothing that detracts). But from what I've seen so far, this promises to be a more exciting read than the original classic edition with more pages, up-to-date games (can't wait to read their take on the Anand Mexico City match!) and more instructive material.
   
   I've got my holiday reading taken care of with this one...



2. Was always a big fan of the original book, which discussed Karpov's final "true" World Championship match in vivid detail. This update is especially important, given Kamsky's roll in Khanty-Mansiysk World Cup, as well as the great trimuph for Vishy Anand in Mexico City this year.
   
   Super book by excellent authors. Great read!



3. As a beginner yearning to gain a true understanding of strategy, I find it best to learn by example and the notes are clear and concise. The insights are outstanding and the writing is easy for a novice to understand.
   
   This is definitely good stocking stuffer material written by some talented authors.



4. Being not only a writer but also a chess grandmaster, Ron Henley has provided unique insights into the multiple dynamics of the matches.
   
   I was president of the high school chess club in Houston Texas where Ron and I were students. Even then Ron had the ability to provide all the members with analysis and explanations of strategy that we could each immediately utilize. Under his tutelage we won the Houston high school chess championships against much stronger competition.
   
   I was delighted to find that Ron's ability to communicate his observations and skills as a chess grandmaster to those of us without his chess ability has only gotten better with time. His thorough explanations and clearly understandable writing style will allow the reader to have a much greater appreciation for the marvelous complexity of the matches. I know I sure did, and I am certain that the other readers/chess players to whom I will be presenting this book will also.
   
   F.D.Garcia
   San Antonio TX

No comments about Half a Century of Chess.

1 comments about Play Stronger Chess by Examining Chess960: Usable Strategies of Fischer Random Chess Discovered.

1. This is a chess book, one that uses chess960 (FRC) as tool to better understand chess. Traditional "chess1" is a subset of chess960. Thus chess1 has revealed to us only a subset of what there is to learn about fundamental chess.
   
   The first World Checkers Championship match was won by Andrew Anderson in 1847. Did you know that in 1900 the Checkers world switched to their version of the same idea as chess960? Checkers156 anybody?!
   
   There is a lot to say about chess when viewed through the lens of chess960. As just one example, the setup attribute named "knight opposition" has never been so clearly identified before as in this book. The one setup reused in traditional "chess1" has the value of "Full" for this attribute, but only 11% of all chess960 setups have that exact same value. The other 89% of setups have something interesting for chess enthusiasts that they have been missing out on.
   
   This book is rather visual as chess books go, containing many tables, charts and graphs. For instance, the section comparing "king fort" designs between chess960 and chess1 is eye-opening.
   
   A companion setup id conversion program is available for download from CastleLong.
   
   - - - - - - - - - -
   
   TABLE OF CONTENTS
   
   Introduction
   
   PART 1: Beyond the Board
   1 Terminology and CRAN Notation
   2 The Tyranny of Tradition
   3 Formalizing the Rules of Chess960
   4 Setup Id Numbers
   5 Additional Rules to Consider for Chess960
   6 FEN and Chess960
   
   PART 2: New Chess Principles Discovered
   7 Strategies for the Modified Setup Phase
   8 From Setup Attributes to Opening Moves
   9 Is the Middle Game Really the Same?
   10 Influences on the Endgame
   11 Winning Comparisons
   12 Reviewing Our Broadened Understanding of Chess
   13 Annotated Games
   
   Diagram Classification Answers
   Bibliography

No comments about Comprehensive Chess Course/How to Teach Chess to Beginning and Intermediate Players/Volumes I & II in One.

1 comments about Chess Bits and Obits.

1. I have all of his books and this is another great addition. CJS Purdy really knows how to teach chess secrets like no one else. Even Bobby Fischer gave praise to his work when he was starting out in chess. Book is very enjoyable and you always learn chessic knowledge to apply in your own games.

1 comments about The Richter-Veresov System: The Chameleon Chess Repertoire 1. Dr Nfg 2. Nc3 D5.3 Bg5.

1. This is a well laid out attractive book. It is obvious that alot of work has gone in to it.You can tell the Thinkers Press take alot of pride in their books.. What is disappointing is the opening itself. I knew little of this opening before I got the book..the statistics given for the variation 1/d4 Nf6 2/Nc3 d5 3/Bg5 c5 gives, based on 159 games, 25 % wins for white and 40 % for black ! Not very encouraging for a supposed repatoire weapon

No comments about How to Crush Your Chess Opponents.

2 comments about Chess.

1. I own 300+ chess books, and this one is my absolute favorite. To give you an idea of others in my top 10: The Amateur's Mind by Silman, Middlegame Planning by Romanvosky, My System, 300 Chess Games by Tarrasch, Grandmaster of Chess by Keres, Alekhine's Best Games. My version of "The Game of Chess," by Lasker (which has been re-named The Complete Chess Self-Tutor in this new edition) is from 1972 (I am not famililar with the edition that is currently in print but I understand it to be superb). This book is an utterly brilliant (and very demanding) chess course. It uses a unique method of instruction. The reader is given some textual introduction to a problem, and then is presented with three options for moves to pick. Depending on which option you pick, you are referred to a different section of the book. That new section will tell you if you picked the best move. If you picked the wrong move, it referes you back to try another choice. But even on the wrong choices, Lasker goes to great lengths explaining to exactly why it is not the best move. He presents variations of likely scenarios to make his point. He does this in a style that instructs, enlightens, and informs, always referring you to general principles to follow. Then, when you finally pick the right answer, you are presented with the next problem, which logically follows from the prior one. As a result, you gradually work your way through the book. There are large sections on the opening, the middlegame, and the end game. This is the greatest chess instruction book I have ever seen. Unlike so many chess masters, Lasker is a brilliant writer as well. His style is articulate, patient, and comprehensive. He does not "dumb-down" to you, but presents things more clearly than I have ever seen in the whole history of chess literature. He published this book when he was 84 years old! It has the feel that he wanted to sum up his life's work in chess in a manner that would leave a legacy to the aspiring player. Well, he did an amazing thing for chess players: he poured himself into this work with a sincerity and devotion that is unparallelled in chess history. His career was so long that he played against Em. Lasker, Capablanca, Nimzowitsch, and Alkehine, and here he is analyzing Bobby Fischer's famous 5. 0-0! in the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Lasker is the Bertrand Russell of chess: a man who lived for 95 years, who saw the richest epoch in the development of chess, and who knew how to assimilate it and summarize it in an instructional format that would be of maximum value to the student. This is that rare work that demands hard work of the student, but constantly inspires you to continue tackling it. You will emerge from its hallowed pages a far stronger player. This is a stupendous work, that for some reason is almost unknown. If I had one book to take to a desert island, it would be this one. I could go on and on, but you get the point. Get the book!



2. As a high school chess coach, this is the greatest book on chess that I have ever found. It unfolds like a "choose your own adventure" book, with the reader analyzing a scenario, and making a "move" by turning to a certain page. That page explains why the move was correct, or why it wasn't, in detail so that the reader can understand the strategy behind the reasoning. I picked this book up ...on sale... and immediately bought 5 more for my team! Buy this if you can find it!

4 comments about Chess: A Psychiatrist Matches Wits with Fritz.

1. Over the years, I have read many, many chess books. Dr. Pecci's is the first to keep me up at night - yes, just like a great thriller! This is truly a terrific book. It is extremely well thought out and brilliantly written. I was having all sorts of problems beating Fritz (6 or 7) as well as Shredder 6, on their highest levels. After reading and studying Dr. Pecci's book - I now kick butt!! The ideas put forth in Chess: A Psychiatrist Matches Wits with Fritz, also works well against opponents that eat and get angry. And they do get angry when you beat them with a King Side Attack with your entire force when theirs is split between offence and defense ý on opposite sides of the board. Let me also mention that the book is put together like a $100 coffee table book. It is made of the finest paper, is heavy weighted and a beautiful book to behold, even if you know nothing about E4 or Nf3. If you like chess, get this book ý youýll love it!



2. Create a V barrage and attack kingside with a pawn storm, this is the idea. Birds opening and variations of the English are perfect according to the author for such an attack based on the computer grabbing material on the other side. It's an interesting idea and the author pursues it through a variety of openings with every move pictured. But let's be clear, this is not a book to learn from. Readers will not gain an understanding of the game beyond Pecci's basic strategic idea outlined above. It's an idea that fails quickly if you don't mate the machine. Fritz 7 blew many of the book's ideas out of the water fairly easily so I wonder how practical the book remains given that Fritz 7 (according to Chessbase and to Kramnik) is stronger by far than version 6. Kasparov's foreward basically says, "interesting idea." but not much more.
   If you are interested in computers and want to see how this guy beat them, well it's a fun read. If you are rated under 1800 and want to LEARN, then head for another book.



3. I am class A USCF (around 1900) chess player who is usually crushed by Fritz. Yesterday, I picked this book up in a bookstore and looked at it for about 30 minutes. I found it quite interesting.

   Today, the first game I played with Fritz 6 ended in a crushing 25 move defeat for the Silicon giant. I am running a very fast computer with a gig of RAM. I haven't played any other games yet....

   Fritz 6 - ,T
   Level=Blitz:5'. MyTown, 27.11.2002

   1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Nbd7 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.Ne5 c5 8.c3 c4 9.Bc2 Qa5 10.g4 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Nd7 12.h4 Qb5 13.Rb1 Qa5 14.g5 Qxa2 15.h5 Nc5 16.g6 h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.gxf7+ Rxf7 19.Rg1+ Kh8 20.Qg4 Bg5 21.f4 Rg7 22.fxg5 Rxg5 23.Qf4 Rxg1+ 24.Kf2 Rxb1 [24...Rg7 25.Qf8+ Rg8 26.Qxh6#;
   24...Nd3+ 25.Bxd3 cxd3 26.Rxg1 Bd7 (26...Kh7 27.Qf7+ Kh8 28.Rg8#) 27.Qxh6#] 25.Qf8# 1-0




4. This book is written mainly for those who love to play (and beat) their silicon buddies. There are lot of unusual examples how to play vs computer programs (mainly Fritz 5 and 6, unfortunately), whitch can do the job. There is also the fine intro written by Kasparov himself, and one chapter about chess helping the mentally disabled kids, whitch is nice. But that is it! You wouldnt get any info about chess strategy and tactics that can improve your game at all. The book is of limited use.