Find the Checkmate by Gary Lane, 176 pages, Batsford, £14

EVERYMAN BOOKS ARCHIVE

Dangerous Weapons: the Nimzo-Indian, by John Emms, Chris Ward and Richard Palliser, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 272 pages £14.99

and

Dangerous Weapons: the Sicilian, by John Emms and Richard Palliser, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 304 pages £14.99

These are the first two titles in a new series from Everyman, a bit reminiscent of the SOS series from the New in Chess stable, but generally less “off-beat”. I found both books interesting and useful. The Nimzo title has 17 chapters, featuring nine “weapons” for White and seven for Black. The Sicilian has 14 chapters, with eight white tries and six black.

The Nimzo book deals with:

4.Qc2
1 A Dangerous d-pawn: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.Bg5 c5 6.d5!?
2 Seizing the Initiative with ...b5!: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qc3 b5!?
3 Wanting it all (Part 1): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? d5
4 Wanting it all (Part 2): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? c5 and 5...d6
5 The Romanishin Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 c5!? 7.dxc5 d4
6 The Topalov Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 c5!?

4.e3
7 A Modern Twist: 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.a3!?
8 Another Vitolinsh Specialty: 4.e3 0-0 5.Ne2 b5!?
9 Baguio City Revisited: 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.d5!?
10 An Idealistic Advance: 4.e3 Ne4!?

4.Nf3
11 A Break from Kasparov: 4.Nf3 c5 5.d5!?
12 The Milov Gambit: 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.Nd2 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.d5!?
13 Going Dutch: 4.Nf3 Ne4!?

Saemisch/4 f3
14 The Undershooting Bishop: 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6!?
15 A souped-up Blumenfeld!: 4.f3 c5 5.d5 0-0 6.e4 b5!?

Others
16 An Original Leningrad: 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 c5 6.d5 d6 7.Nf3!?
17 A Radical Queen Adventure: 4.Qd3!?

The Sicilian book covers:

1 A Swedish Specialty: The Gaw-Paw (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qb6!?)
2 Taking a Break from Refuting the Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 0-0 8.Qd2!?)
3 Vallejo's Viable Lowenthal (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6!? 6.Nd6 Bd6 7.Qd6 Qf6)
4 Danger in the Taimanov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f4!?)
5 Silent but Violent (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 Nf6 8.a3!?)
6 The Koblencs-Goletiani Kan (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Bd6!?)
7 Take my Pawns! (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.0-0!?)
8 Taking the Sting out of the Open Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 d5!?)
9 Karklins against the Najdorf (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qf3!?)
10 Baklan and Epishin's Sozin Antidote (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e5!?)
11 The Prins Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.f3!?)
12 The O'Kelly Variation: Not Just a One-Trick Pony (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6!?)
13 A Cure for Indecision? (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.f4!?)
14 Surprising the Sveshnikov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Nde2!?)

I thought the treatment was pretty objective in all cases, so that, for instance, the material on 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0-0 5 e4!? Will be very useful to anyone playing this for either side. As the main seams of these popular openings become worked out more and more deeply, it is possible that some of these “dangerous weapons” will increase in importance at master level; meanwhile, most of them look very playable at lower levels of the game. Typesetting and layout of these books are similar to in the “Starting Out” series from the same publisher and both series also have in common that there are plenty of verbal explanations and tips throughout the text. Future titles in the series include one on the French by John Watson.

Verdict: A promising start to this new series. Recommended Rating: **** 10--Jan-2007

Starting Out: 1 d4! – a reliable repertoire for the improving player, by John Cox, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 238 pages £13.99

English IM John Cox has adopted an approach that at first sight seems surprising for a book in the “Starting Out” series: no nursery slopes here – Cox takes us straight out on to the main pistes of the modern interpretation of 1 d4 from the white point of view:

King's Indian (Classical Bayonet 9.b4 with10.Re1)
Grunfeld (Exchange Variation with 8.Rb1)
Nimzo-Indian (4.Qc2)
Modern Benoni (Modern Main Line: Nf3, Bd3 and h3)
Benko Gambit (Accepted with 7.g3 and 8.Bg2)
Queen's Gambit Declined (Exchange Variation with Nge2)
Queen's Gambit Accepted (3.Nf3, 7.Bb3)
Semi-Slav (5.Bg5)
Slav (6.Ne5)
Dutch (main lines with g3)

Readers who are normally reluctant to construct their repertoire from main-lines should read Cox’s introduction, where he sets out his case convincingly (as you would expect – Cox is a lawyer in his other life).

The author also deals with a variety of minor lines in his eleven chapters. In each chapter the material is conveyed through an explanatory section followed by illustrative annotated games.(36 in all). As with all the books in the expanding “Starting Out” series, so there is a wealth of explanation and highlighted tips and warnings to help the reader. The author certainly provides enough material and guidance here for the reader to start playing these lines, but the serious “improver” is advised to supplement it with more specialized books, databases and internet sources. There is a bibliography, an index of variations and a list of the complete annotated games.

Verdict: A reliable repertoire based on main lines. A strong recommendation. Rating: **** 10--Jan-2007

Starting Out: 1 e4! – a reliable repertoire for the improving player by Neil McDonald Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 200 pages £14.99

Neil McDonald aims to provide a “serious” repertoire for the market which is apparently now known as the “aspiring” player (from the blurb on the back cover): no tricky crap, no quick fixes, just tried and tested, sound stuff with some ambition, that a player can continue to employ as he moves up the ranks.

Designing a repertoire can be great fun, a sort of chess “fantasy football”. I can tell you are itching to know what he is recommending, so here goes:

1 e4 e5: the Scotch (also deals with Black’s alternatives on move 2; gives 5 Nc3 against the Petroff)): 40 pages

1 e4 c5: Open Sicilians: 60 pages!

1 e4 Nf6: Exchange Variation: 9 pages

1 e4 c6: Panov Attack: 12 pages

1 e4 d5: 2 exd5 a) 2...Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Bd2;

b) 2..Nf6 3 Nf3 Nxd5 4 d4: 15 pages.

1 e4 d6 and 1...g6: Be3, Qd2, 0-0-0: 12 pages

1 e4 e6: Tarrasch, aiming for the Korchnoi Gambit: 12 pages

There can few arguments that the Scotch is a sound and ambitious opening which can be played at all levels of chess. There is a snag though – the great attention that the Scotch has received since its modern “re-launch” in the 1990 Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match has led to complete metamorphosis. From being considered a strategically simple opening suitable for beginners, with relatively few variations for either sides to learn, it has become a vast complex of lines which are both strategically and tactically complex and where the best moves for White are often counter-intuitive, paradoxical or apparently anti-positional. In other words, the Scotch has become a prime example of the trend in modern opening play pointed out by John Watson in “Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy” towards concrete “move by move” play, rather than play based on positional principles.

Is McDonalds’ choice of the Mieses Variation, for instance, really suitable for juniors or other “aspiring” players? Just look at it: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 e5 Qe7! 7 Qe2! Nd5 8 c4. In the first eight moves, White makes four pawn moves, three knight moves and blocks his f1-bishop with his queen! OK, you can argue that this is modern chess; it may be weird by classical standards but we know it works in practice (such apparently paradoxical positions have their own internal logic), and in modern chess that’s the only thing that matters.

Yet as a teacher I have always believed that it is best to start from the simple and logical and gradually help the student move towards the complex; I would thus feel very uncomfortable recommending the Mieses as part of a student’s first opening repertoire. I think it is worth noting that many current Scotch experts such as Rublevsky started with the Scotch Four Knights rather than the Mieses. (What? Scotch Four Knights? Isn’t that boring and drawish? Well it depends. Check out this junior game by the future super-GM: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 c6 11. Qf3 Be7 12. Rae1 h6 13. Bxh6 gxh6 14. Qe3 Be6 15. Qxh6 Bd6 16. Qg5+ Kh8 17. f4 Re8 18. Rf3 Ng8 19. Qh5+ Kg7 20. Rg3+ Kf8 21. Rxg8+ Kxg8 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Bh7+ Kh8 25. Bf5+ Kg8 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qh8+ Ke7 28. Rxe6+ 1-0 Rublevsky, S - Novik, M, USSR-ch U20, Sochi 1990.)

I would also be unhappy recommending another of McDonald’s Scotch lines: 4…Bc5 5 Nxc6 Qf6 6 Qf3 – how do you explain this to an inexperienced player in a way that really adds to the fund of chess knowledge that he or she needs at that level?

It is clear from the introduction that McDonald has made a conscious choice of these lines in preference to (say) the Ruy Lopez; yet a very strong case can be made that the rapid and aggressive development that is typical of the Lopez, along with the simple, logical but powerful plan of building up a pawn centre with c3 and d4, is actually pretty easy for an inexperienced player to get his head round. Despite the huge strategic complexity of the Lopez at professional level, it actually provides a framework within which an inexperienced player can express himself without too much risk (not that I recommend the Lopez as one’s very first 1 e4 e5 opening). In contrast, the Mieses requires a large amount of detailed concrete knowledge – “the value of each move is very high” as they say. The positions in the Mieses are far from straightforward to handle – White has the better pawn structure and will have a clear advantage if he can consolidate; Black is ahead in development but has a bad structure and risks being strategically busted unless he can create enough activity.

McDonald’s other controversial choice is the Open Sicilian. He has clearly put a lot of thought into selecting the lines he recommends in this section. He writes: “I am convinced that at the beginning of your 1 e4 career you should play the bold 2 Nf3! and 3 d4! It means more work for you, but the rewards to your chess understanding will be enormous. The resulting positions will expand your feel for the initiative and your tactical imagination, both of which are essential for your development as a player.” He is right, of course, but it is not every player who will be willing to make the investment of time and energy required. There is also the issue of the large “maintenance bill” that you have to pay to stay up to date in such sharp and fashionable lines.

McDonald’s other lines all seem sensible and relatively uncontroversial, with the possible exception of the Korchnoi Gambit against the French; it is not certain that this will stand the test of time. In contrast to McDonald’s treatment of the Sicilian, this seems to be one suggestion motivated more by reasons of economy rather than based on its intrinsic merits. With such a large slice of the book devoted to the Sicilian, coverage of the other defences is inevitably superficial, but McDonald generally points the reader in the right direction.

I thought that McDonald’s dismissal of the Petroff as “a boring, turgid opening line used at the highest level to neutralize the advantage of the first move” was a bit misleading (although perhaps tongue in cheek). Consider this recent game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Bg4 8. c3 Bd6 9. Re1 f5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Qb3 Kh8 12. h3 Bh5 13. Qxb7 Ne7 14. Qb3 Ng6 15.Bf1 c5 16. g3 Rb8 17. Qd1 cxd4 18. cxd4 Qc7 19. Bg2 Bxg3 20. fxg3 Qxg3 21. Re2 Nf4 22. Qe1 Rbe8 23. Nxe4 Nxe2+ 24. Qxe2 fxe4 25. Qe1 Rxf3 26. Qxg3 Rxg3 0-1, Areshchenko,A (2653) – Jussupow,Ar (2595), Bundesliga 2005. Turgid, huh? In any case, at lower levels of chess the Petroff is a perfectly sensible choice that can lead to interesting and lively games. How about this: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Bg4 8. c3 Be7 9. Re1 f5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Nf1 Bd6 12. Ne3 Bxh2+ 13. Kxh2 Nxf2 14. Qe2 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Qh4+ 17. Kg2 Qxe1 18. Nxd5 Rae8 19. Nf4 g5 20. Bd2 Qxa1 21. Qc4+ Kh8 22. Ne6 Qxb2 0-1, Westra, R-Van Kemenade, R, BCF- rapidplay championship, Leeds 2000.

This book is part of the “Starting Out” series, so whilst the coverage is inevitably limited, there is a wealth of explanation and highlighted tips and warnings to help the reader. There is certainly enough material here for the reader to start playing these lines, although the serious “aspiring” player will need to supplement it with more specialized books, databases and internet sources. There is an index of variations and a list of the fifty-six complete annotated games through which the theory is conveyed. For so prolific a writer, I have to say that McDonald maintains a remarkably good average standard of work so, although I have doubts about some of his repertoire suggestions here, I am happy to recommend this book

Verdict: an interesting repertoire book for the “aspiring” player but with some controversial elements.

My Great Predecessors, Part V by Gary Kasparov Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006,480 pages, Hardback, £30.

Volume 5 of this landmark series by Kasparov deals with the careers of Korchnoi and Karpov, culminating in the three tough matches they contested between 1974 and 1981. It contains history, anecdote, opinion, controversy but above all 106 important games and positions analysed and commented by Kasparov.

It might be useful to catalogue the series so far: Volume 1: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, and Alekhine are the main focus, but Kasparov also examines the play of their chief rivals, such as Tchigorin, Tarrasch, Rubinstein and Boguljubow. Volume 2: Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal, plus Keres, Bronstein and Geller. Volume 3: Petrosian and Spassky, plus Stein, Gligoric and Polugaevsky. Volume 4: Fischer, plus Reshevsky, Larsen and Najdorf.

It is impossible for me to summarise a book like this – all I can do is try to convey the awe and fascination I feel as I read. Some of the factual content of this series has come under criticism but I would not let that put you off – these are among the most important chess books ever written.

Verdict: Much of what I wrote about Volume I in this series holds for the subsequent parts. I concluded that “it is not an everyday event when one of the greatest players of all time examines and writes his critical appreciation of the best players of earlier times. For any serious student of the game, this book is a must.”

Rating: *****

Starting out: Sicilian Najdorf by Richard Palliser 240 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2006, £13.99.

The Najdorf, sometimes described as the Rolls Royce of chess openings, has been the chosen weapon of large numbers of the chess elite since its emergence after World War 2. It tends to produce complex, unbalanced middlegames, giving the stronger (or better prepared) player ample scope to play for a win. Although in this computer age certain variations of the Najdorf have been analysed to a forced draw, the system as a whole shows little sign of petering out into sterility and in fact in recent elite tournaments has been more popular than ever.

Palliser’s book deploys all the features of the “Starting out” series that we have come to expect: a very clear structure, useful chapter introductions, anticipation of readers’ questions, highlighted tips, notes and warnings, use of statistics to show how successful or popular each line is, advice on how “theoretical” a particular line is, plus 59 instructively annotated games. There is a six-page index of variations and a list of the complete games. Palliser has a reputation in the UK as a good theoretician and he has long played the Najdorf himself as his main defence to 1 e4 – I found over thirty of his Najdorf games in my database – so we can be sure that he has a good grasp of his material. Even with 240 pages to play with, anyone writing about the Najdorf has to be very selective and thus highly skilled at distinguishing the wood from the trees.

Strictly speaking this is not a repertoire book, but the author has taken the decision to concentrate on lines where Black plays the typical Najdorf 6....e5 where possible, rather than transpose to the Scheveningen complex with 6...e6. (Interested readers should consult Emms’s fine book ‘Play the Najdorf – Scheveningen style” (Everyman, 2003)

But is it advisable for weaker players to play the Najdorf? For young and ambitious players of say 1900 FIDE and rising fast, with a good work ethic and reliable memories (perhaps not unlike Palliser himself a few years ago!), the Najdorf will probably be very appropriate and this book will be just what they need. Older strong players who perhaps already have some experience of other Sicilian variations could also consider a switch to the Najdorf, which has never looked in better shape. But from my coaching experience, I would say that the Najdorf may be just too demanding for many players, not only in the amount of detailed preparation necessary but also in the defensive skills required during the game – in a great many lines Black has to weather a fierce tactical storm in the middlegame before he can play out his own trumps. I can’t help recalling some comments of the great Bent Larsen in his article in the legendary book ‘How to Open a Chess Game’: “The trouble with chess is the opponent! If you know only the ‘ideas behind the openings’, and he knows the ideas AND a lot of variations, he is likely to beat you.” and “I remember a young player who said that he had lost three years of his life studying the Najdorf! He realized that he had learned variations, not chess.”

However, for those who persist in wanting to learn (or brush up on) the Najdorf, I can think of no better introduction than Palliser’s. Thus it becomes my top recommendation in the field of introductory books on the Najdorf, ahead of the also excellent but now dated books by Kosten and King.

Verdict: a great introduction to a high-class chess opening. Strongly Recommended. Rating: *****

Alexander Alekhine, Master of Attack by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik, EVERYMAN CHESS (www.everymanchess.com), 176 pages, £12.99

I must say I sense a potboiler here from the prolific Russian pair. That first impression receives some confirmation when I find mistakes such as ‘Alekhine was both (sic) on 31st October 1892 in Moscow.’ (page 7). There are also some bizarre spellings of the names of some of Alekhine’s opponents, such as Kakiato (should be Casciato) (page.49). The translation also reads a little odd in places. Nevertheless, I’m sure that the 150 or so combinations by this wonderful player would provide useful material for a keen student.

Verdict: Not actually a bad book, but here are better ones of this type and better use for your available study time. **

Bird’s Opening , by Timothy Taylor, 224 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

Many club players prefer to avoid main-line openings. On the one hand there are the droves of players who spend their years wheeling out solid but unambitious lines such as the Colle or the London; on the other hand, there are the gambit fanatics who spend their spare time analysing obscure tactical lines in the Blackmar-Diemer or the Max Lange, openings that strong players generally would not touch with a barge-pole. Where does Bird’s opening fit in this spectrum? It has certainly never been a mainstream opening, yet it has been played by some strong players from time to time. Pre-1914, Tartakower played many of the key games that developed the important strategic ideas of the Bird, even foreshadowing post-war developments in the hypermodern Nimzo-Indian and Queen’s Indian defences. That great practical player Bent Larsen played it about fifty times, with a score higher than 60% for White, including wins against Spassky and Petrosian! British chess players with long memories might recall that David Rumens used the Bird’s to great effect in Opens of the mid 1970s to help him twice win the (then) lucrative Cutty Sark Grand Prix. In recent years, the main champion of the Bird has been the Danish GM Henrik Danielsen (2520, born 1966). The American IM Timothy Taylor has also played the Bird many times, often in critical “money games”, and is thus well qualified to write the first major study of the Bird since Taimanov’s Hollaendisch bis Bird-Eroeffnung (1982) and Soltis’s Winning with the Bird Opening (1982) – neither of which is mentioned in the Bibliography incidentally.

Taylor presents his material via 53 complete annotated games, divided into three main sections: Reversed Dutch Systems (pp 27-133), From’s Gambit (pp 134-176) and Sicilian and Less Usual Defences (184-219). The author himself generally prefers systems based on developing the king’s bishop on the f1-a6 diagonal, whilst most other titled players who play the Bird tend to opt for reversed Leningrad set-ups with g3 and Bg2. The author has noticed that Danielsen is one of the great specialists of this line and quotes many of his games and ideas, but I was bit surprised not to find any references to the games of other prominent Reversed-Leningrad players such as Beim, Malaniuk and (especially) the Polish GM Artur Jakubiec. (By the way, some players heading for this set-up with White open with 1 g3).

According to Taylor, From’s Gambit (1 f4 e5) remains playable and of theoretical importance for the status of Bird’s Opening. This section of the book is interesting and entertaining! However, it seems the From is actually of little importance in the practical sense, since it requires such good preparation by Black that, given the rarity of having to face the Bird’s, it is hardly worth the effort; also Black needs to be prepared to defend the King’s Gambit (1 f4 e5 2 e4!?), which is enough to put many players off even considering the From!

In practice, the Bird’s player is far more likely to face 1...d5 and 1...Nf6 (especially from players with a 1 d4 repertoire as White) as well as 1...c5 (especially from players who answer 1 e4 with the Sicilian). Concerning the latter, Taylor has some interesting suggestions for reviving the Grand Prix Attack/Big Clamp with 1 f4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 e4! (A move order that avoids the annoying gambit 1 f4 c5 2 f4 d5! whilst - by delaying Nc3 - leaving the c-pawn free to advance) 3...Bg7 4 Be2! Nc6 5 0-0.

Overall the book is a typical Everyman opening book, generally of a high standard of production, but some errors have crept in this time, for instance in my copy the page headings for the odd pages 203-219 are incorrect.

Verdict: The first important study of Bird’s Opening for many years, this book will provide players of all levels wishing to avoid the beaten track with a wealth of interesting and playable ideas. ****

Breaking through , by Susan Polgar with Paul Truong, 320 pages hardback, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £20.00

Former World Women’s Chess Champion Susan Polgar has recently been working very hard to popularise chess in the USA. This handsome hardback can be seen as part of that campaign but is of considerable interest in its own right, since it is the first detailed account of the “Polgar phenomenon” by one of the three sisters. The bulk of the book consists of three sections, devoted to each of the sisters in turn: Susan, Sofia and Judit. In each case a biographical section is followed by a section of annotated games and positions. Thirty games (ten by each sister) are annotated by Susan, with the emphasis on verbal explanations rather than detailed analysis. The book is rounded off by an account of the concrete steps that Susan Polgar and her associate Paul Truong are taking to raise the profile of chess in the USA and in particular to develop girls’ chess. I was struck by this snapshot of the problems that young chessplayers (particular girls) often face in their teenage years: “On being asked why, when she was in the 9^th and 10^th grade (age 15-16) she refused to have her name published in the school yearbook for being a good chess player, she said that she did not want anyone to know she plays chess. (...) She wanted to protect her social standing in school.” Sadly, this is also an all too familiar story in the U.K, as I can testify from my experience as a coach.

The book is nicely printed, with many chess diagrams. There are eight pages of photographs, some in colour. There is an index of players and the openings are indexed by name and ECO keys.

Verdict: An interesting insider account of the Polgar sisters’ careers, with plenty of instructive and entertaining chess content. Recommended. ***

The Catalan, by Alex Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), 192 pages, £14.99

The Catalan has a lot going for it; in my database of games played in the last 25 years of players rated above 2350, White scores an impressive 58%. As GM Ribli pointed out in an Article in BCM some years ago, "the main features and plans for those who choose the Catalan are as follows:

1) building up a strong centre;

2) the bishop on g2 hinders the plans of Black on the queenside;

3) the main goals of the white attack are Black's weakened pawns on the queen's wing;

4) White's king can hardly be attacked in an effective way".

One could add that the Catalan also enables White to avoid the Nimzo0Indian and Queen’s Indian! A further point is that, as John Donaldson pointed out in his useful little book ‘A strategic opening repertoire’, “Few, if any, players below the professional ranks have a well-thought-out answer to this opening”

This is a standard Everyman-format opening book, based on complete annotated games (95!) arranged in chapters by variation (12), but with some important differences. 1) At 192 pages, the book is longer than usual in this series; this seems to be due to the extra games fitted in rather than the wordiness of the annotations (cf. Dunnington’s new book on the Nimzo with 4.e3); 2) some of the chapter summaries are far more detailed than is usual in this series; 3) both co-authors (both rated 2400 plus) actually play this opening for White! (If other recent Everyman books are anything to go by, this is quite rare, and most welcome!). In my database, I found 66 games by Raetsky and 28 by Chetverik.

It should be noted that this book does not provide a complete repertoire for White, for instance after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 the boom gives no coverage to the cunning defence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 favoured by several strong GMs with Black. White also needs to be able to cope with the Bogo-Indian and the Modern Benoni.

There is a list of games and a bibliography, with an indication of the cut-off point for the research – always very useful, but sadly not yet automatic in openings books. There is an unfortunate mistake in the schematic diagram at the top of page 8: White is missing a pawn on d4

Verdict: Useful material on a key modern opening. Recommended. ****

Catastrophe in the Opening, by James Plaskett, 144 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

This book consists of 88 lightly-annotated short games in which an early mistake is punished, often violently and dramatically. The title seemed familiar, and a quick check revealed that it had already been used for a book by Iakov Neishtadt published in 1980 by Pergamon. Of rather more concern is that the title is not the only thing that has been recycled. At least one of the games appears in another book of Plaskett’s: Nguyen Ngoc Trungson-Banusz, Budapest 2004 appears with very similar notes in “The Queen’s Bishop Attack Revealed” (Batsford). Frequent use of first-person pronouns is evident in the book, although Plaskett seems to have restrained himself somewhat this time, using only 19 of his own games as examples. Plaskett can write expressively, but occasionally ties himself in grammatical knots of his own making, as in this inelegant example of a dangling participle (cf. Walking home yesterday, a tree nearly fell on my head): “Faced with what was then to a Yankee an unusual system, it is his lack of familiarity...”. However, I don’t wish to be completely negative about this book. Such miniatures have always provided chess entertainment and can be quite instructive. An additional useful feature here is that games are indexed in three ways: by player, opening and ECO code.

Verdict: an entertaining and potentially instructive collection of (mostly) modern miniature games. Overpriced. **

Dangerous Weapons: the Nimzo-Indian, by John Emms, Chris Ward and Richard Palliser, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 272 pages £14.99

and

Dangerous Weapons: the Sicilian, by John Emms and Richard Palliser, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 304 pages £14.99

The Nimzo book deals with:

4.Qc2
1 A Dangerous d-pawn: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.Bg5 c5 6.d5!?
2 Seizing the Initiative with ...b5!: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qc3 b5!?
3 Wanting it all (Part 1): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? d5
4 Wanting it all (Part 2): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? c5 and 5...d6
5 The Romanishin Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 c5!? 7.dxc5 d4
6 The Topalov Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 c5!?

4.e3
7 A Modern Twist: 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.a3!?
8 Another Vitolinsh Specialty: 4.e3 0-0 5.Ne2 b5!?
9 Baguio City Revisited: 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.d5!?
10 An Idealistic Advance: 4.e3 Ne4!?

4.Nf3
11 A Break from Kasparov: 4.Nf3 c5 5.d5!?
12 The Milov Gambit: 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.Nd2 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.d5!?
13 Going Dutch: 4.Nf3 Ne4!?

Saemisch/4 f3
14 The Undershooting Bishop: 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6!?
15 A souped-up Blumenfeld!: 4.f3 c5 5.d5 0-0 6.e4 b5!?

Others
16 An Original Leningrad: 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 c5 6.d5 d6 7.Nf3!?
17 A Radical Queen Adventure: 4.Qd3!?

The Sicilian book covers:

1 A Swedish Specialty: The Gaw-Paw (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qb6!?)
2 Taking a Break from Refuting the Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 0-0 8.Qd2!?)
3 Vallejo's Viable Lowenthal (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6!? 6.Nd6 Bd6 7.Qd6 Qf6) 4 Danger in the Taimanov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f4!?)
5 Silent but Violent (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 Nf6 8.a3!?)
6 The Koblencs-Goletiani Kan (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Bd6!?)
7 Take my Pawns! (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.0-0!?)
8 Taking the Sting out of the Open Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 d5!?)
9 Karklins against the Najdorf (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qf3!?)
10 Baklan and Epishin's Sozin Antidote (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e5!?)
11 The Prins Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.f3!?)
12 The O'Kelly Variation: Not Just a One-Trick Pony (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6!?)
13 A Cure for Indecision? (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.f4!?)
14 Surprising the Sveshnikov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Nde2!?)

Verdict: **** A promising start to this new series. Recommended

Fire on Board Part II: 1997-2004, by Alexei Shirov, 192 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £17.99

Fifty-three games of one of the world’s best and most exciting players, analysed and annotated by himself – a mouth-watering prospect for any true chess fan. Shirov does not disappoint; the games are fantastic, the analysis is detailed, the verbal comments are frank and fascinating. There are bonuses too: a nine-page autobiographical essay recounting his triumphs and tribulations during the period in question, and a four-page discussion of chess creativity. There are indexes of opponents and openings.

Verdict: an indispensable addition to the library of every serious player and any true chess fan. Highly recommended. *****

Inside the chess mind, by Jacob Aagaard, Everyman chess, 157 pages, £16.99

How does he do it? The Danish IM has written a large number of chess books in a very short time, yet somehow manages to maintain a good standard of work. The present book has some original features; I can do no better than reproduce part of the blurb: What separates a Grandmaster from an International Master? How do the thought processes of a strong club player differ from that of a middling club player? What techniques can an enthusiastic chess player employ when striving to reach the next rung on the ladder? (...) The material is based around numerous carefully-selected tests which are offered to a group of players of a very wide range of ages and playing strengths. Once all the participants have attempted the tests, their discoveries, solving methods and difficulties with the exercises are evaluated and compared, and conclusions are drawn. The players are also quizzed about their exercise techniques, ideas and opinions about chess in general. The reader is challenged to attempt the test positions and compare findings with the panel of players and the author.

Verdict: an original and interesting book which should repay careful study. ****

Italian Game and Evans Gambit by Jan Pinski, 160 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

Whilst the Ruy Lopez still rules the open games roost at professional level, in the amateur game the tricky 3 Bc4 has always been popular and is likely to remain so, as long as the rules of chess continue to result in the f7 square being guarded only by the black king. In a previous book for Everyman, Pinski surveyed the Two Knights Defence complex 1 e4 e5v2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6. Here he surveys all the main lines of the Giuoco Piano 3 ...Bc5, plus the Hungarian defence 3...Be7 and the rare tries 3...g6, 3...h6, 3...d6 and the club players’ trap line 3...Nd4. The first chapter deals with that old junior favourite the Giuoco Pianissimo. Pinski concludes, unsurprisingly, that Black is OK, but it is interesting that strong players such as Short and Larsen have employed the old Canal Attack with White: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 d3 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Bg5. Chapter 2 deals with the old Closed Defence 4 c3 Qe7 5 d4 Bb6, a favourite of Alekhine and Euwe in their day; Pinski concludes that White has chances for advantage here. Chapter 2 also covers the old Steinitz line 4 c3 Nf6 5 d4 exd4 6 e5, revived recently by Sveshnikov; Pinski shows that there are chances for both sides in this line. Chapter 3 deals with the forcing lines stemming from 4 c3 Nf6 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4 Bb4+ 7 Nc3 and 7 Bd2; play can become complex but Black is quite OK. Pinski concludes that if White wants to play for a win in the Giuoco Piano, he has to choose the slow manoeuvring line 4 c3 Nf6 5 d3, aiming for Spanish-like positions, but once again Black is theoretically OK. The next five chapters all feature the Evans Gambit, about which the great David Bronstein once wrote: "If I was obliged to give only one recommendation to enthusiasts, then, without hesitating for a second, I would say: play the Evans Gambit. (...) The Evans Gambit is not a variation, it is a chess-playing style." Pinski’s verdict is equally upbeat: “Although the Spanish gives more promise of a theoretical advantage, the Evans Gambit gives better chances of actually winning the game.” The final chapter wraps up with the Hungarian Defence 4 ...Be7 and other 4^th move options for Black. As usual with Everyman opening books, the material is embedded in 58 complete annotated games. each chapter starts with an introduction and ends in a summary. There is an index of the games. The Italian has been in the shadow of the Spanish for the past hundred years, but this opening remains popular with juniors and club players. It can also be argued that many of these lines provide a real chess education, not only providing good practice in tactics and calculation, but also dealing with such important subjects as the centre, king safety, the initiative and the trade-off between material and position. Unfortunately there is no bibliography and no indication of the cut-off point for the author’s research in the two standard sources: Chess Informator and New in Chess Yearbook.

Verdict: a useful guide to the parts of the Italian complex not covered in Pinski’s companion volume on the Two Knights defence. ***

My Great Predecessors, Part II, by Garry Kasparov, 480 pages hardback, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), £25

In this, the second volume of the series, Kasparov examines the play of World Champions Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal and the contribution of three top-class players who never reached the very top: Keres, Bronstein and Geller. The real chess “meat” of the book is the examination of the 149 games and positions, but there is also much of interest in the background material: historical, social, psychological. The material on Botvinnik is especially interesting, since as a junior Kasparov was trained by Botvinnik and knew him well. The translation is by Ken Neat, and generally reads well.

In addition to the “bonus material” on Keres, Bronstein and Geller, I should have liked to see equivalent treatment of Reshevsky, who matched these three, both in terms of playing strength and in length of career near the pinnacle of chess.

Verdict: Much of what I wrote about Volume I in this series holds for this second part. I concluded that “it is not an everyday event when one of the greatest players of all time examines and writes his critical appreciation of the best players of earlier times. For any serious student of the game, this book is a must.” *****

Mikhail Tal Tactical Genius, by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik, Everyman Chess, 160 pages, £12.99

The meat of this book consists of 163 test positions taken from the games of the legendary Latvian Mikhail Tal. The answers are at the back of the book, along with a section of “Tal Tips” to point you in the right direction if you get stuck. There is also a short biography of Tal, and there are some complete annotated games.

Verdict: a nice set of tactical exercises, for entertainment and instruction. ***

My Great Predecessors, Part V, by Gary Kasparov, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006,480 pages, Hardback, £30.

It might be useful to catalogue the series so far:

Volume 1: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, and Alekhine are the main focus, but Kasparov also examines the play of their chief rivals, such as Tchigorin, Tarrasch, Rubinstein and Boguljubow.

Volume 2: Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal, plus Keres, Bronstein and Geller.

Volume 3: Petrosian and Spassky, plus Stein, Gligoric and Polugaevsky.

Volume 4: Fischer, plus Reshevsky, Larsen and Najdorf.

The Nimzo-Indian Rubinstein by Angus Dunnington, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), 160 pages, £14.99.

At first sight, this is a typical product from the Everyman stable, based on complete annotated games divided into chapters. However, closer examination shows that the material is packed into just 18 illustrative games, instead of the usual 50 plus. I think this is because Dunnington has chosen to give the reader much more explanation than usual, reminiscent of Sadler’s fine books on the Slav and Semi-Slav. I find his explanations to be clear and useful; I have the feeling that, given a better brief, Dunnington could become an outstanding writer of opening books.

As I have written elsewhere, I tend to be a bit suspicious of openings books written by authors who do not play the opening in question. In my database I could not find a single example of Dunnington playing this opening with either colour. This does not mean that the book is no good, just that it lacks that extra dimension of realism based on experience that one gets from, for instance, Golubev writing about the Dragon Sicilian, or Yusupov discussing the Petroff.

Readers should be warned that Dunnington does not deal with the frequent (and critical) transpositions to Saemisch lines that can result from White’s choosing to play a3 on moves 4 or 5. Also the final chapter on the ‘tabia’ 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0–0 is ridiculously skimpy for such an important line.

There is a short bibliography, but no indication of the cut-off point for the research. Notable absentees from the bibliography are major studies by Pliester and Taimanov.

Verdict: With some caveats, this is an interesting, instructive and well-written book that could serve as a good introduction to some of the key variations and typical positions of the Nimzo-Indian. ***

Offbeat Nimzo-Indian by Chris Ward, 144 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

In this book popular chess writer Chris Ward provides useful surveys of pretty well all White’s less popular weapons against the robust Nimzo-Indian Defence 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4. Since GM Ward plays both sides of the Nimzo, the reader can be assured of competent coverage based on a lot of personal experience, all illuminated by Ward’s unique writing style (which you either love or hate!). Ward is sometimes criticised for a lack of rigour and thoroughness in his coverage, but whatever the truth of this he more than makes up for any shortcomings with the humour and expressiveness of his writing; and when Ward is writing about a line he knows well from personal experience, there are few better chess writers anywhere. The bulk of the book (75 pages) is devoted to 4 f3 and the related Saemisch system (4 a3). Then we have shorter chapters on two systems that Ward himself has employed: 4 Bg5 and 4 g3. Then there is a short chapter on 4 Qb3. Finally we have a round up of rare 4^th move tries, of which the most important for club-level players are probably 4 Bd2 and the gambit 4 e4. So, to be clear, the white systems NOT dealt with in this book are 4 Nf3 (about which Ward has already written another book for Everyman), 4 e3 and 4 Qc2. Each chapter starts with a short but useful verbal introduction and finishes with a summary. The theory is embedded into 47 annotated games; these are indexed at the end of the book. I am pleased to see there is also a bibliography which indicates the cut-off point for the research – this should be standard in all opening books, but unfortunately is not.

Verdict: an interesting and instructive book, examining some of the less frequented but still important byways of the evergreen Nimzo-Indian. Recommended if you already play or wish to play the Nimzo for Black, or if you are looking for a new weapon for White. ***

Petroff Defence by A Raetsky and M Chetverik, 190 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

Slowly but surely from the late 1960s onwards the Petroff Defence has risen in status and popularity to its present pinnacle. It is now played in nearly all top-level tournaments, particularly in games (such as head-to-head matches) where a draw with Black is a satisfactory result. The result of its steep rise in popularity with the elite is a vast expansion in the development of its theory; the good old Petroff has become a principal arena of the chess “arms race”. The two prolific Russian authors use the familiar Everyman format of embedding the theory within 74 annotated games. Each chapter starts with a brief verbal introduction and ends with a summary. There is an index of the complete games at the end of the book. It is reassuring to find that both authors have actually played the Petroff with Black, Raetsky in particular – I found over 50 of his Petroff games in my database. At points in the book the reader definitely gets the impression that he is receiving “insider” information. There is also a bibliography which usefully indicates the cut-off point for the research in the two standard sources: Chess Informator and New in Chess Yearbook.

Verdict: a typical Everyman-format opening book, providing a useful survey of a popular and sound opening. Good value at nearly 200 pages for £14.99. ***

Play 1 e4 e5! – a complete repertoire for Black in the Open Games, by Nigel Davies, 192 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99.

Once known as a devotee of the provocative Modern Defence, GM Nigel Davies has begun to appreciate the benefits of space and has more and more in recent years been answering 1 e4 with 1...e5. At the heart of the proposed repertoire are the Two Knights Defence against 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4, 4...Bc5 against the Scotch, and the evergreen Closed Defence against the Spanish, specifically the Keres variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7. The plan of the book is:

Page 7: 1. Ruy Lopez Keres Variation: 12 Nbd2
Page 27: 2. Ruy Lopez Keres Variation: 12 Others
Page 43: 3. Ruy Lopez: Ninth Move Alternatives
Page 66: 4. Ruy Lopez: Fifth and Sixth Move Alternatives
Page 90: 5. Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation
Page 109: 6. Two Knights Defence
Page 132: 7. The Scotch Game
Page 156: 8. 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6: Third Move Alternatives
Page 169: 9. 1 e4 e5: Second Move Alternatives

There are a few slightly controversial elements to the repertoire. Davies proposes the Graf variation of the Keres 11...Nd7 12 Nbd2 exd4!? 14 cxd4 Nc6, which tends to produce very unbalanced positions that may eventually prove to be refutable by computer analysis. A better long-term investment might have been one of the more solid lines of the Tchigorin defence 11...Qc7 or perhaps Breyer’s 9...Nb8. However, the author’s detailed coverage of White’s earlier deviations in the Ruy Lopez should prove extremely useful to any player who defends the Spanish with any version of the Closed defence.

Davies’s general approach to gambits is to save labour and decline them, thus he proposes 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 d5 and 1 e4 e5 2 f4 Bc5. At GM level where such gambits are rare these days, it makes sense to have such solid, economical lines available. However, at club level these gambits are much more common and it is reasonable to invest in sharper defences aimed at securing a definite advantage for Black. Of course you don't have to use all of Davies’s recommendations; you can pick and mix, perhaps also using lines from Emms's or Kaufman's black repertoire books.

It is always re-assuring when an author of an opening book actually plays the lines he recommends, and indeed here I see that 14 of the 65 complete annotated games are by Davies himself. As usual, Davies’s annotations are apposite and instructive. Each chapter has a brief but useful introduction and a tabular summary at the end.

Verdict: a generally excellent long-term buy for anyone who answers (or is considering answering) 1 e4 with 1...e5. Highly recommended. ****.

Play the French, 3^rd Edition, By John Watson, 272 pages, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), £16.99.

As I’ve mentioned before, these days any chess book by John Watson is an event. His openings books are absolute models of their kind, featuring: careful selection of lines, thorough research, original analysis, clear verbal explanations, full disclosure and complete honesty.

A few details of the new edition: The coverage of the currently very popular Advance variation is awesome. For the first time, this edition deals with some Classical French lines, dealing with the Steinitz 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 and the Burn 4 Bg5 dxe4 (specifically the solid 5 Nxe4 Be7 6 Bxf6 Bxf6 a la Bareev, instead of Morozevich's pet 6...gxf6!?).

Also for the first time, Watson gives a Winawer repertoire with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0, but he also provides an update on the 6...Qc7 7 Qg4 f5 which made its first appearance in the 2^nd edition. Even my own pet, the once obscure 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 dxc5!? receives nearly six pages of attention!

Against the Tarrasch the lines given are 3...c5 4 exd5 Qxd5 (as in the earlier editions) and the trendy, tricky and flexible 3...Be7.

Whatever your opinion of the French as a defence, it isn't going to go away, and this book makes a great contribution not only to the theory, since it is full of original analysis, but also to our understanding of several previously unclarified lines.

Verdict: For French Defence fans, the brand new 3rd edition of Play for French is simply a must. All 1.e4 players should also strongly consider getting hold of a copy, since they are likely to be staring at Watson's recommendations from the white side of the board for some years to come. A top recommendation. *****

Play the King’s Indian Defence by Joe Gallagher, Everyman Chess, 208 pages, £14.99

Since Kasparov’s abandonment of it following some difficult games against Kramnik in the early nineties, players have been deserting the KID in droves to take up less demanding defences such as the Nimzo or (especially) the Slav. This is partly a question of fashion, partly a paradigm-shift back to the old strategic thinking that “space is good”, and partly due to some specific difficulties that Black has experienced in the last decade, principally in the Classical variation known as the Bayonet. If the flight from the KID is to be arrested, it will probably happen when one of the world elite is once more winning games with it. Meanwhile, GM Gallagher, a career-long King’s Indian player, is doing his best to plead its cause with his latest book, in which he arms us with a complete Black repertoire with his favourite counter-punching defence against 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4. Gallagher is one of my favourite chess authors – I can hardly recall a book of his that I haven’t liked – and he is usually at his very best when writing about openings he himself plays. This book is no exception. Instead of the disgraceful, soulless database dumps that some authors have presented us with in recent years, Gallagher has the skill of taking a huge amount of data and somehow fashioning it into something coherent. Not only that; without losing objectivity or playing down the difficulties, he somehow makes you want to play this opening and to believe in it. Against the KID’s main challenge in recent years, the Classical system, Gallagher offers two lines: the tradional 7...Nc6 and the modern 7...Na6. Against other lines, such as the Saemisch and the Fianchetto, he gives is just a single line, normally the one that he himself plays. Gallagher is one of the best at explaining clearly what is going on and he succeeds admirably here in providing a good blend of factual detail and verbal explanation. If anyone can draw the crowds back to the KID, Gallagher can. Hint: if you are new to the KID, it’s probably best to begin with Gallagher’s earlier “Starting Out: the King’s Indian” and then move on the present book.

Verdict: another winner from Joe Gallagher. Highly recommended. *****

Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzystof Panczyk & Jacek Ilczuk, 192 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £14.99

The authors provide a standard Everyman-style guide to the Exchange Lopez 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6. The material is embedded in 74 complete annotated games aranaged in six chapters. Each chapter starts with a short introduction and ends with a summary. Unlike Kindermann’s recent book on the same subject, this is not a white repertoire book; all lines are covered, even such rarities these days as 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6.dxc6 5 d3, 5 Nc3 and 5 d4. The Exchange Variation has never been as popular as 4 Ba4, but inb the hands of spoecialists such as Rozentalis it scores well for White. In theory Black should be fine with his two bishops; in practice Black’s task is not so easy , so anyone who defends the Lopez with a line beginning 3...a6 needs to have a well-honed defence against the Exchange Variation. When reviewing opening books, I am always re-assured if I find that author(s) have some practical experience of the lines they are writing about; in this case, I could find no relevant games in my database with either colour by Ilczuk, but Panczyk has defended the black side of the Exchange Spanish many times. There is also a bibliography but no indication of the cut-off point for the research – this should be standard in all opening books.

Verdict: a useful round-up of developments in this Ruy Lopez Exchange. Good value at nearly 200 pages for £14.99. ***

Starting Out: 1 d4! – a reliable repertoire for the improving player, by John Cox, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 238 pages £13.99

Verdict: **** A reliable repertoire based on main lines. A strong recommendation.

Starting Out: 1 e4! – a reliable repertoire for the improving player, by Neil McDonald, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com), 2006, 200 pages £14.99

Designing a repertoire can be great fun, a sort of chess “fantasy football”. I can tell you are itching to know what he is recommending, so here goes:

1 e4 e5: the Scotch (also deals with Black’s alternatives on move 2; gives 5 Nc3 against the Petroff)): 40 pages

1 e4 c5: Open Sicilians: 60 pages!

1 e4 Nf6: Exchange Variation: 9 pages

1 e4 c6: Panov Attack: 12 pages

1 e4 d5: 2 exd5 a) 2...Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Bd2;

b) 2..Nf6 3 Nf3 Nxd5 4 d4: 15 pages.

1 e4 d6 and 1...g6: Be3, Qd2, 0-0-0: 12 pages

1 e4 e6: Tarrasch, aiming for the Korchnoi Gambit: 12 pages

Verdict: an interesting repertoire book for the “aspiring” player but with some controversial elements. ***

Starting out: Alekhine’s Defence, by John Cox, EVERYMAN CHESS (www.everymanchess.com), 192 pages, £12.99

This is a slightly unusual topic for the “Starting out” series. The Alekhine is not particularly popular at any level of chess, and is certainly not the sort of opening that coaches generally recommend to “improvers”, since it involves sophisticated “hypermodern” strategy and requires understanding of a very wide range of pawn structures. Nevertheless, Cox makes a good case that the Alekhine deserves to be more popular and is capable of appealing to different types of player. In fact a useful feature of the book is that Cox suggests various repertoires (for both colours) to fit different styles of play. The Alekhine was once my own main defence to 1 e4, and I thought I knew a great deal about it, but even so I learnt a lot from this book.

After reading the book, what do I think are the problematic areas of Alekhine theory? Well, I don’t share Cox’s optimism that Black is OK in the main line of the Voronezh variation 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 0–0 9.b3 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.c5. I also have the feeling that Sveshnikov may be right in feeling that the Four Pawns Attack will one day prove the refutation of the Alekhine.

John Cox can be proud of this, his first chess book. His coverage is good, his style is lively and interesting, and he is not afraid to question authority and use his own judgment. By the way, another plus point is that Cox has been playing the Alekhine himself in 2004-5, always a reassuring sign for an opening book.

Verdict: The Alekhine deserves to be more popular and this book will certainly help. Good value for money. Recommended. ****

Starting out: Benoni Systems by A Raetsky and M Chetverik, 239 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £13.99

The prolific duo of Raetsky and Chetverik provide a useful introduction to a variety of Benoni systems (essentially tackling all such systems except the Modern Benoni, already dealt with in another volume in this series by Vegh). The largest section of the book (about 100 pages) deals with the Benko Gambit, which the authors insist on calling the Volga Gambit. [In the English-speaking world it has been known as the Benko Gambit for over thirty years, despite Benko himself modestly calling it the Benoni Counter-Gambit when annotating his first games with the line. The term Volga Gambit should be reserved for the line involving an early ...e6 for Black: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 e6.] The rest of the book covers the Blumenfeld and other combinations of ...c5,...b5 and ...e6; the Czech and other closed Benonis; the important line 1 d4 Nf6 2 N3 c5 3 d5; the Schmid Benoni, important because it can also arise from the Pirc and the Hyper-accelerated Dragon Sicilian; the Benoni/King’s Indian hybrid, and finally some irregular lines. The coverage seems pretty good, and there are lots of insights and useful tips. I found the author’s description of such lines as the Czech Benoni as “respectable” rather amusing. This opening has been under a positional cloud for years and I am reminded of Matthew Sadler’s story in New in Chess Magazine about Michael Adams even using Czech Benoni as a synonym for positionally suspect: “You might have a long row of variations and then Mickey would just come out with a comment like 'Hmm, that square looks a bit Czech Benoni [bad] to me...'” There are 75 complete games, and indexes of variations and players. There is no bibliography and no indication of the cut-off point for the research – these should be standard in all opening books.

Verdict: a useful introduction to some interesting (if not entirely “respectable”) opening systems. Good value at 239 pages for £13.99. ***

Starting out: defensive play, by Angus Dunnington, 151 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £13.99.

In this age of the database and the analysis engine, it is pretty easy to put together a decent opening book. It is far, far harder to compile and select the material required for a book such as this, on defence, and the author deserves a lot of credit, not only for taking on this task, but for his success in producing a book on a classical theme that is not only readable and instructive but also seems fresh – all the examples chosen are relatively recent. English IM Dunnington has chosen 37 illustrative games or positions and organised this material into six chapters: Active Defence, Simplification, the Castled King, Relocation, Holding on, and Provocation. As usual in the “Starting out” series, the text is packed not only with plenty of explanatory prose but with highlighted tips; I was struck with this one which I had not heard before but which rings true: “When the defender has invested more than a piece, the defender should keep an eye out for attempts to win his queen, as such threats (...) tend to result in the attacker paying too high a price.”

Verdict: A useful addition to the “Starting out” range, of far more practical value to an “improver” than an opening book. Recommended. ****

Starting out: the Dutch Defence, by Neil McDonald, EVERYMAN CHESS (www.everymanchess.com), 172 pages, £12.99

I am getting a bit worried at the rate at which Neil McDonald is churning out books, but I have to say that in general he seems able to maintain a surprisingly high quality of output for one so prolific. This latest, an introduction to the Dutch, is no exception. It follows the now familiar “Starting out” format, apart from the fact that this book lacks the usual database statistics. The book is quite up to date, even mentioning recent developments in the Classical Dutch involving an early ...Nf6-e4. McDonald has played this opening (particularly the Leningrad Variation) many times, so we can be confident that he knows what he is talking about, and in my opinion his explanations are very good.

Verdict: A useful primer on aggressive and popular opening for Black. Good value for money. Recommended. ****

Starting out: the Gruenfeld, by Jacob Aagaard, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), 176 large pages, £12.99

I have heard this series criticised as being too far detailed for newcomers to the opening, yet not detailed enough for more experienced players. Nevertheless, there have been some good books in the series so far, especially those by Gallagher. Some of the problems with the series seem to come from the brief given to the author: for instance, a brief to deal with the whole of the Sicilian in one volume (John Emms) is a far cry from taking on a very self-contained and strategically limited system such as the King’s Indian (Gallagher). Another problem seems to arise from uncertainty as to the target audience. What level do you aim at? How far do you simplify matters in the interests of pedagogic effectiveness? How do you distribute the space between the variations? How much cutting edge theory do you include? Do you focus on the main lines to the neglect of minor lines? In fact, should you focus on variations at all, even though the opening in question might lend itself more to a study of type-positions? These questions are not easy to answer.

As regards the Gruenfeld, Rowson’s Understanding the Gruenfeld (1999) must have been a hard act to follow. Aagaard in his introduction states that his aim has been to write an “introduction, both historically and theoretically (...)” that “will also make sense in five year’s time”. Basically the book consists of 47 complete annotated games, exemplifying various important lines in the Gruenfeld. As usual in this series, use is made of database statistics to show how well/badly a certain variation scores in practice. There is also a useful section in each chapter which tell the reader how “theoretical” each line is; this can indicate a) how much sheer memorisation is necessary; b) how fashionable and therefore volatile the line is – i.e. how much “maintenance” will be need to keep up to date.

I generally like Aagaard’ books very much, but for some reason my reaction to this one was a bit lukewarm. Perhaps I expected too much in terms of revelation. One thing that struck me was that the vast majority of the TIPS, WARNINGs and NOTES scattered throughout the book do not refer specifically to the Gruenfeld. Perhaps this is because, although Aagaard has been known to play the Gruenfeld, it has not been his main defence in recent years, and so his knowledge of the opening is largely theoretical and at one remove, i.e. based on the games of others more expert in this opening, rather than filtered through his own experience.

Verdict: Despite some misgivings, I am sure that this will prove to be a useful introduction to the Gruenfeld for players of a wide range of playing strength. Quite good value for money at £12.99.

Starting out: Modern Benoni, by Endre Vegh, EVERYMAN CHESS (www.everymanchess.com), 176 pages, £12.99

I had very mixed feelings about the “Starting out” series based on the first few volumes. In particular I felt rather negative about Emms’s Starting out: the Sicilian Defence – Emms is a good author but I felt that the topic was just too wide to be dealt with usefully in one volume, even for an audience of lower-rated players. Since then, the concept seems to have been refined, and the authors given much narrower (and more realistic) briefs. This Benoni primer is fairly typical of the series in its mature phase, apart from the fact that the author has provided an unusually long introduction, explaining the typical plans, manoeuvres and tactics. I’ve heard bookstore browsers dismiss this whole series as “beginners’ stuff) but I think such comments are generally misguided. I am sure that even strong players wishing to take up the Benoni for the first time would find Vegh’s introduction very useful. I’m not a Benoni expert, so I can’t really comment on the quality of the theoretical sections of the book, but they seem well organised and well up to the usual standard for this series. My only slight caveat is that the author, an IM and trainer from Hungary, is not known as a Benoni player. I’m always re-assured when an author actually plays the opening he is writing about (such as Gallagher on the King’s Indian).

Verdict: A useful introduction to aggressive opening for Black. Good value for money. Recommended. ****

Starting out: the Queen’s Indian, by John Emms, Everyman Chess, 176 large pages, £12.99

One of the attractions of the Dutch, or the King’s Indian,say, is that that’s all you need – just one defence against 1 d4. In contrast, if you like to play the Nimzo-Indian 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4, that’s not enough on its own – you also need a system against White’s other popular choices at move 3, the Catalan 3 g3 and, especially, the sensible developing move 3 Nf3. The overwhelming choice of most of the world’s strongest players is to answer 3 Nf3 with 3...b6, the Queen’s Indian, which is the subject of this latest book from the prolific (but generally reliable) Grandmaster John Emms. The original concept of the QID was to use the slight breathing space offered by 3 Nf3 to increase Black’s grip on e4 by fianchettoing Black’s queen’s bishop. This is still played, but in recent years the world elite have mostly preferred to answer White’s main move 4 g3 with the strange-looking 4...Ba6, an experimental move invented by the fertile rain of Aron Nimzowitsch. Emms devotes 30 pages to 4...Bb7 and 43 pages to 4...Ba6. He then covers lines Nc3, Bg5 and Bf4, the Petrosian system 4 a3, the deceptively quiet 4 e3, and finishes with a short chapter looking at move orders and transpositions. As usual in this series, there are lots of explanations and tips to flesh out the analysis of the complete illustrative games (45 in all). Emms also makes use of database statistics as an indication of the reliability of the lines under consideration.

Verdict: a useful introduction to an important defence, Recommended. ****

Starting out: Rook Endgames, by Chris Ward, EVERYMAN CHESS (www.everymanchess.com), 128 pages, £13.99

Are rook endings so complex that even a “starting out” book requires so many pages? Personally I doubt it. The standard work for “improvers” in this field is Practical Rook Endings by the late Edmar Mednis. He managed to pack all the basics into a fantastically instructive 70 pages. So I approached Chris Ward’s new book with a certain amount of scepticism. Well, I still like Mednis but can recommend Ward without much qualification; he’s a good coach and a lively writer and his book is packed with good advice and useful examples. (But Mednis fits into my pocket a lot more easily!)

Verdict: A useful primer on rook endings. Recommended. ****

Starting out: Sicilian Najdorf, by Richard Palliser, 240 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2006, £13.99.

Starting out: Slav and Semi-Slav, by Glenn Flear, 256 pages, Everyman Chess (http://www.everymanchess.com) 2005, £13.99

The English Grandmaster Glenn Flear takes on the daunting task of providing quite detailed introductions to two of the most currently popular defences for Black against 1 d4. I think this is his third book on the Slav complex; he also plays these openings himself, so I feel we are in good hands. Some lines (particularly of the Semi-Slav) are very complex, so it is inevitable in a book of this type and size that corners are cut and analysis-trees pruned. Nevertheless, I think this book can be recommended highly to anyone wanting to take up these openings, or anyone wanting a refresher course. Even quite strong players new to the Slav could do a lot worse than use this book as a jumping off point. There are 91 complete commented games, an index of players and variations and even a short quiz. The material is divided into 13 chapters; there is a lot of verbal explanation and a useful summary at the end of each chapter. Flear provides a bibliography and indicates the cut-off point for his research in the two standard sources: Informator and New in Chess Yearbook.

Verdict: a very useful introduction to two important (and related) openings which form the core of the black repertoire of many strong players these days. The book also manages to pack in a great deal of “real chess” and practical advice. Excellent value at £13.99 for 256 pages. Highly recommended. ****

Survival Guide for Chess Parents by Tanya Jones, 174 pages, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), £14.99

This is an instructive and amusing guide for “chess parents” written by the mother of well-known English junior Gawain Jones. The style is witty and ironic and is written from an English perspective, and so is likely to appeal (and be most useful) to English-speaking parents on this side of the pond. Nevertheless, much of the book is of general application. The book also contains twenty-five of Gawain’s games, annotated by him and representing different stages in his development.

This is an unusual type of book. In some respects, it bears comparison with the books on Nigel Short’s and Michael Adams’s early careers, also written by parents, but it contains vastly more information than either. In this respect, it bears comparison with Heisman’s A Parent’s Guide to Chess, written from an American perspective.

The material is divided into ten chapters. The chapter headings are largely self-explanatory, but I did not find it obvious where to find information on such topics as chess notation, time controls or grading systems, so the addition of an index would have been helpful.

Verdict: usefully fills an information gap for parents of young players and should go a long way to helping new chess parents adapt quickly, avoid mistakes, and support their children.

The Two Knights defence by Jan Pinski, 160 pages, EVERYMAN CHESS (everymanchess.com), £14.99

The whole Italian complex beginning 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 has a long history and can produce very interesting games. Traditionally it has been recommended that novices play these lines to develop their tactical skills, since there are often early complications based on trade-offs between time, space and material. Yet at the professional level, since the death of Steinitz in 1900, the Italian has been overshadowed by the Spanish 3 Bb5 (and recently even by the Scotch 3 d4). Why is this? Well, one reason is the enduring strength of the Two Knights Defence 3...Nf6. White now has to choose between a) the highly complex 4 Ng5, which demands considerable theoretical knowledge, good nerves and a willingness to grab material at the cost of conceding the early initiative to Black; b) the drawish 4 d4 exd4 5 0-0 Nxe4; c) the strategically more interesting 4 d4 exd4 5 e5 - however, against this Black seems to be holding in all of 5...d5, 5...Ng4 and 5...Ne4; d) the slow-burning 4 d3, with c3 to follow, aiming for Spanish-type positions after all!

I tend to be a bit suspicious of openings books written by authors who do not play the opening in question. Polish IM Jan Pinski does not appear to play this opening with White, and my database contains only two examples featuring him on the black side. This does not mean that book is no good, just that it lacks that extra dimension of realism based on experience that one gets from, for instance, Golubev writing about the Dragon Sicilian, or Yusupov discussing the Petroff.

Pinski has produced a standard Everyman-style opening book, based on sixty-six games grouped into nine chapters. There is a list of the games and a small bibliography (which indicates the cut-off for the research – always useful to know). I like the book – the comments are quite helpful and the author has annotated some games that I had not seen before. But I was left a bit dissatisfied with the coverage of the lines that I happen to know well. It is entirely possible that the Italian complex will become more popular again, for instance if players of the Spanish tire of banging their heads against the Berlin Wall 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6. If this happens, Pinski’s book will have its place, but serious players will be looking for more thorough coverage than he provides.

Verdict: a worth-while study of an opening that has been important historically and remains popular at club and local tournament level. ***