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| Posted by derouin ability-tw.com 4/02/2003 23:04:54 play online chess |  Subject: Chess Books-HELP!Message: I went on amazon.com and found that they have 2078 chess books listed! I have some extra cash in the cushions of the sofa, and I am willing to have up to 6 books (I already have 'How to Win in the Chess Openings' by I.A. Horowitz). Now, I am a beginner (1181 rank here-goes up and down more than the temperature), so I already have a GREAT book on openings. I DON'T NEED another opening book to confuse me at this point in my chess playing career! This is how I currently play: I do an opening or a defense from Horowitz's book, and when the game goes past 15 moves or so, I then just THINK and THINK about what to do. No real strategy or combos that I have in the back of my head. Just alot of "ok, if i do this, then he can do this...If I do this, then I can do this-but then he could do this"etc etc etc. It is my understanding that the other 2 basic 'stages' of chess are the middle and end games. I also understand that there are books on tactics, as well as 'puzzles' or practice drills. QUESTION: Should I get great books on middle, end, tactics, and puzzles? (1 book for each plus another book) If so, WHAT BOOKS AND WHY? Or am I wrong in categorizing my need for books in this fashion? I need books for my level, but I would like to have a book or two that I could 'grow' into as well! Thanks! This was a rambling post! |
| Posted by peppe_l ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 02:19:45 play online chess | IMO Message: You have categorized your needs very well. I recommend starting from 3 books, one about TACTICS, one about ENDGAMES, one about (middlegame) STRATEGY. Something reader-friendly and not too advanced (you can always learn the complex stuff later heh). |
| Posted by theinvisibleman ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 04:56:21 play online chess | Some books that helped me... Message: A VERY good book on endgames for beginners is ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS by James Howell (published by Batsford). For the middle game and for a real understanding of chess I strongly recommend three books by Jeremy Silman: HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS, THE AMATEUR'S MIND and THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CHESS STRATEGY. Read The Amateur's Mind first and dip into the Complete Book Of Chess Strategy as you need (this book is more like a dictionary in form). All three are published by Siles Press. A word of warning: Don't go anywhere near THE REASSESS YOUR CHESS WORKBOOK. That hardly qualifies as a beginner's book. |
| Posted by myway316 ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 05:43:03 play online chess | Excellent recommendations,invisible... Message: ...especially the Howell book. The Silman books are also VG,but may be a tad too advanced for derouin at this stage. I recommend the following:Logical Chess Move by Move,by Chernev. 33 master-class games with an explanation after every move. 1001 Sacrifices and Combinations,and 1001 Checkmates,both by Reinfeld,are essential. The "303" series,by Fred Wilson,is also VG.The Art of the Middle Game,by Keres/Kotov is a good intro to that phase of the game.For the endgame,in addition to the Howell book,I recommend: Kere's Practical Chess Endings,Capablancas Last Lectures(best intro to King and Pawn endings),and Capa's 60 Best endings,by Chernev. Hope this helps,and good luck. |
| Posted by ironpawn ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 06:29:45 play online chess | Derouin Message: All books mentioned here are excelent recommendations. I would suggest that you take myway315's advice and first read "Logical Chess Move by Move". It was written specifically to get someone of your rating to jump up a couple hundred. "How To Reasses Your Chess" will raise you up the next couple hundred, but don't read it yet. Some topics in it are very advanced. |
| Posted by macheide ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 08:51:26 play online chess | derouin Message: Dear friend, The recommendations from theinvisibleman, myway316 and ironpawn are pure gold. I wish only recommend to read first: "Logical Chess, Move by Move" by Irving Chernev first. Indeed this was one of the first books IM Jeremy Silman read in his youth and it inspired him to write, in a very similar style his masterpieces: "Amateurs Mind", "How to Reasses your Chess", etc. Another reasons to read Chernev´s first: 1. It deals and explains every single move and the internal logic of each one. 2. It shows you the canon of the Steinitzian and Nimzowithschian schools of play. And these are the basis of the modern way to play. 3. This book, trought 33 well selected games, introduces you in the three stages of the chess: Opening, Middlegame and Endgame and because all of them are COMPLETE games, it gives you an insight between the relationship of one stage with the others. 4. It explains many basic but fundamental tactical themes. Besides, study TACTICS, TACTICS and more TACTICS. The best strategic plan can fall down because a single tactical error. "In life as in Chess, 40 good moves can not be sufficient to win a game, but 1 bad move can be more than enough to lose it" Best wishes, macheide. |
| Posted by peppe_l ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 08:59:45 play online chess | One good endgame book Message: Is Just The Facts by Alburt & Krogius. It starts from basic endings such as K+P vs K and gives lots of general rules and tips for more complex ones. The book is not only instructive but extremely reader-friendly and fun to read as well. |
| Posted by silverwolfwsc ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 10:06:05 play online chess | Good books altogether Message: "The Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters" volumes 1 and 2. They are beginner books, but are definitely worth reading. They are the first two chess books i read, and my play improved a lot. |
| Posted by tulkos ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 10:21:51 play online chess | this is all great advice. Message: I don't think you can do better than the books myway16 suggested. |
| Posted by derouin ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 15:31:55 play online chess | Thanks! Message: Hey thanks everyone! I now have my wish/debt list! |
| Posted by myway316 ability-tw.com 4/03/2003 19:59:56 play online chess | Anytime,derouin... Message: ...30 years of collecting books is a great help for recommending the good stuff! 1 last suggestion, for when you get much stronger-Zurich 1953,by David Bronstein,probably the greatest tournament book ever written. It's a one volume textbook on middlegame structues and patterns. |
| Posted by calmrolfe ability-tw.com 4/04/2003 00:06:27 play online chess | Also Message: To improve your general understanding of Chess you might like to consider "Chess Fundamentals" by J R Capablanca and "Kasparov Teaches Chess" (er...by Gary Kasparov !). For the openings I would recommend "Understand the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine. O.K. it's not state of the art theory any more but he explains what each opening is trying to achieve and identifies the key squares the battle will be fought over. For the Middle Game I would recommend "Art of the Middle Game" by Paul Keres and also "How to play the Middle Game" by John Littlewood. For the endgame I would recommend "Winning Endgame Technique" by Alexander Beliavsky and Adrian Mikhalchishin. To see first hand how each chess master thinks a good book would be "The Master Game 2" by Bill Hartston. This is the book of a televised Tournament where there is virtually one diagram per move and each GM records his thoughts and plans as each move is made. There are several GM's playing and each is brutally honest about what they saw and what they failed to see during the course of the games. Very enlightening. I have tried to add a different selection of books to the already excellent choices previously recommended to you. Hope this helps, Kind regards, Cal |
| Posted by vietnamese_girl_18 ability-tw.com 4/04/2003 11:23:01 play online chess | Message: Myway and Cal: Don't you think The Art of the Middle Game by Keres/Kotov is a little advanced for a beginner of 1180? The book is great, but I'd say you should go through books like Logical Chess or The Amateur's Mind before it can be clearly understood (and most beginners would have difficulty with its descriptive notation). I'm just asking because I've often seen this book recommended to beginners, but don't exactly agree... Sarah Tran |
| Posted by calmrolfe ability-tw.com 4/07/2003 01:46:14 play online chess | Keres/Kotov book Message: Yeah, on reflection you are probably right Sarah, it might be too tough a book for a beginner......it's on my list of recommendations because it is a personal favourite of mine rather than it's specific suitabilitiy for a beginner. Having said that, the Littlewood book would suit a beginner just fine, so one out of two ain't bad !!! :) I've just been away for the week-end and I managed to sneak a chess book into my hold-all when "the wife" wasn't looking.....It's called "Thinkers Chess" by Stephan Gerzadowicz, a Correspondence Chess Master and it is very quirky, but rather good, have you read that one Sarah or myway316 ? Kind regards, Cal |
| Posted by derouin ability-tw.com 4/07/2003 16:09:33 play online chess | great recomendations! Message: I've got quite the list now! I've ordered The Amateur's Mind (Silman) along with Combinations:The Heart of Chess (Chernev) from amazon.com. Many of the other recomendations were out of print! I guess that's what used book stores are for! That's it for now. Those two books will take up quite a bit of my time. No sense having many books that I won't read at this stage! As far as descriptive notation is concerned, I honestly don't know how anyone could be confused by it! It is quite simple. It is in my Horowitz opening book, and he offers no explanation, yet I figured it out in seconds thanks to the diagrams. If someone cannot decipher descriptive notation with some diagrams, then perhaps chess may be too much for them! |
| Posted by tulkos ability-tw.com 4/07/2003 16:43:24 play online chess | to true derouin! Message: I can't understand how people have a problem with the descriptive notation, I learnt it much faster than algebraic! |
| Posted by drgandalf ability-tw.com 4/11/2003 10:31:08 play online chess | Recommending chess books Message: I have been quite successful in teaching chess OTB. I have found the student learns more by simpler texts than more complex texts. What works for my students are texts with content they can thoroughly master and APPLY. While many books tend to be encyclopedic, containing way too much material, I recommend books which actually can be read cover to cover within two months. For someone under 1200 GK, I recommend "The Game of Chess" by Tarrasche for an overall understanding of the game. Although meant for rank beginners, the humble student develops a comprehensive viewpoint on which to build. For tactics, I strongly recommend "Basic Tactics for Beginners", by Fred Reinfeld. It is a very simple text containing just enough of the major tactical devices. One must COMPLETELY master every page, which means far more than reading. This book needs to be mastered BEFORE 1001 Sacrifices. For ending strudy, although Lev Alburt's book is excellent, it is more of a light intermediate text. I am unfamiliar with Howell's text. One of the best on the market today is "Pandolfini's Endgame Course". However, because I found all ending books too difficult for me to master completely in one text, I chose to write my own book, "Practical Endgame Weapons, Vol 1". Written primarily for my own benefit, I have shared my technique with others. They have raved about it and found it easy to apply in actual games. I use a method I call landmarks, simple elemental ideas on which I build larger endings. I also provide memory aids to help in actual application. Since my rating is only 1700, many dismiss my work. However, I do have the advantage of seeing from the perspective of a class player, and I concentrate both on the essential and often occurring endings and on a technique to build an ending vocabulary, unlike most other texts. Written in English and translated into Spanish, the book can be purchased direcly from me. If interested, please email me. |
| Posted by vietnamese_girl_18 ability-tw.com 4/11/2003 14:30:16 play online chess | Message: Cal, "Thinkers Chess" by Stephan Gerzadowicz -- No, I've never heard of it. What about it do you like? I'm always looking for more excuses to draw on my extremely thin savings to buy additional chess books on top of the ones I've still not mastered! tulkos: I think you're right that descriptive notation shouldn't be a problem (in fact, the first chess book I read was in descriptive notation and so, unlike most chess players my age, I learned it before algebraic), but it does take a bit more "mental effort" to use and I notice that many chess players really don't enjoy using it (and I've also come to much prefer algebraic as well). But, of course, no serious chess player can do without it, since so many great classic chess books have yet to be updated to algebraic. Sarah Tran |
| Posted by myway316 ability-tw.com 4/11/2003 18:32:53 play online chess | Excellent start,derouin... Message: ...especially the Chernev book,which is one I forgot to mention. For out-of print stuff,here are a couple of addresses you can try: Fred Wilson Books,80 E.11th St.,Suite 334,NYC,NY 10003,(212) 533-6381.Or try getting thru to Chess Digest thru ChessBase online. One of them should have some of the titles you're looking for,at reasonable prices. |
| Posted by myway316 ability-tw.com 4/11/2003 18:33:45 play online chess | Excellent start,derouin... Message: ...especially the Chernev book,which is one I forgot to mention. For out-of print stuff,here are a couple of addresses you can try: Fred Wilson Books,80 E.11th St.,Suite 334,NYC,NY 10003,(212) 533-6381.Or try getting thru to Chess Digest thru ChessBase online. One of them should have some of the titles you're looking for,at reasonable prices. |
| Posted by drgandalf ability-tw.com 4/18/2003 08:51:39 play online chess | Several players Message: have recommended "Logical Chess, Move by Move" by Chernev. I secured a copy and went through the first six games. In my opinion, this book is outstanding, and is the best book for understanding the opening for players through 1400. Even players up to 1800 can benefit from this lucid and engaging text. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 05:38:00 play online chess | Chess books Message: I really do not recommend “Logical Chess Move by Move” by Chernov I find it rather poorly annotated. In its place I would suggest “Winning Chess Brilliancies” by Yasser Seirawan. In fact would also recommend “Winning Chess Endings”, “Winning Chess Tactics” and “Winning Chess Strategies” all by Seirawan as execellent books for a beginner. “The Game of Chess” by Tarrasch is a very good book and a good value. A very good primer is “A Guide to Good Chess” by C.J.S. Purdy “How to Create Combinations” by Vladimir Pafneutief is a wonderful book. And a super puzzle book for a beginner is “The Genesis of Power Chess” by Leslie Ault he helped write “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” the problems and answers are structured to develop all aspects of your game. |
| Posted by tonlesu ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 06:47:45 play online chess | Message: Poorly annotated? In what way? |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 07:31:43 play online chess | Message: Chernov's comments are superficial and even contradictory at times. Full of platatudes without any real insight into the game. For a good example of annotated games look at: Three Hundred Chess Games - Tarrasch My Chess Career - Capablanca Masters of the Chess Board - Reti Alekine's Best Games - Alekhine 100 Selected Games - Botvinnik The Road to chess Perfection - Keres Fire on the Board - Shirov just to name a few |
| Posted by peppe_l ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 07:41:12 play online chess | Are you sure Message: A book like Fire On Board is better choice for 1100+ player than Logical Chess Move By Move...? |
| Posted by atrifix ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 07:57:07 play online chess | Well Message: I haven't read Fire on Board or most of the other suggestions, but I also don't really like Chernev's annotations on the grounds that they're too classical, simple, and generally dogmatic. I think study of, say, Fischer's My 60 Memorable Games or Nunn's Understanding Chess Move by Move is sufficient, albeit a little advanced. Nevertheless, if people want to read Chernev, then by all means, they should. Personally, however, I didn't find that this did much for my game. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 08:01:58 play online chess | get your facts straight Message: read my prior post and you'll see I suggest "Winning Chess Brilliancies" by Seirawan I gave "Fire on the Board" as an example of well annotated games. 30+ years ago I bought my first three Chess books "Logical Chess et al", "Pawn Power" by Hans Kmoch and "My 60 Favorite Games" by Fischer. "Pawn Power" was the most helpful of the three at the time, later "My 60 et al" . Logical Chess was a waste of time and money and I only paid $3.95 for the book. |
| Posted by tonlesu ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 08:58:33 play online chess | mr baseline Message: When a person first learns to read he learns his abc's. That's what Chernev's book is, abc's. When you say his annotations are not as good as capablanca or Alekhine or Botvinnik, I'm saying to myself---This man must think we're blooming idiots. Only rare birds like you begins with shakespeare---I mean Fischer. If I was teaching chess to beginners and really wanted to screw up their little minds---I would give them a copy of "Pawn Power." |
| Posted by drgandalf ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 09:32:25 play online chess | The dialogue among masters Message: on this tread is very helpful. Baseline, Atrifix, and Tonlesu should be commended in their suggestions on this topic. As for me, rated a modest 1700, I am quite impressed with Chernev's Logical Chess, and consider it an excellent text for me to use for my OTB students. I have read Seirawan's Winning Strategies and consider him a lucid author. Yet, I remember more from less lucid writers, such as Chernev and Alburt. Remembering leads to applying, and applying to higher ratings. I can only bring players up to my own rating level. As I gain chessic wisdom, perhaps I will find the other books more useful in teaching. I will have to wait until I reach that higher plane. |
| Posted by atrifix ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 11:35:49 play online chess | Message: Pawn Power is a highly advanced work that's a very interesting read--if you have the patience--but 90% of it is outmoded and superficial jargon. The other 10% is golden. Of course Pawn Power can't be compared with Logical Chess any more than chaos theory can be compared with Newtonian physics. Seirawan's books have largely eluded me, either due to their simplicity or their rarity, so I can't say anything about Winning Chess Brilliancies. I've only read Winning Chess Endings, although that was excellent. However, I still think Fischer's book should essentially be the cornerstone of chessic learning. IMO the book is useful for nearly any skill level player who has an essential understanding of chess theory. |
| Posted by tulkos ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 12:13:46 play online chess | Winning Chess Brilliancies, Message: A really tremendous book for any class of player, and especially beginners. Brilliancies was my first chess book ever. when I first got it I was rated about 1100 - 1200, and the next year my rating went up 200 points--- I believe largely because of the influence of this book. Seirawan is a wonderful writer, and he really comes into his own when analysing games. |
| Posted by tonlesu ability-tw.com 4/23/2003 17:37:27 play online chess | atrifix Message: "Bobby Fischer teaches chess" is suitable for beginners, "My 60 Memorable games" is not. When you say "my 60 memorable games" is useful for nearly any skill level player who an essential understanding of chess theory---surely you dont think beginners have an essential understanding of chess theory. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/24/2003 08:06:21 play online chess | drgandalf Message: I think its great that you take time to teach beginners chess. Some years ago I found my self in the same position and my first thought was "Logical Chess Move by Move" I dug out my old copy and was very disapointed. I started looking for something better and found "Guide to Good Chess by Purdy "Principles of the New Chess" by Pandolfini and "Best Lessons of a Chess Coach" by Sunil Weeramantry I found these books very helpful. If you haven't seen these books you might want to have a look. |
| Posted by macheide ability-tw.com 4/24/2003 09:56:38 play online chess | baseline Message: Dear fellow, "Fire on the Board" by Alexey Shirov as a first book for a beginner??????? "Logical Chess, Move by Move" by Irving Chernev a waste of time??????? Does that mean that nowadays the easiest way to learn something is from difficult to simple!?!?!?!?!? ...and someone said centuries ago: "Nihil novum sub sole" macheide. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/24/2003 16:05:25 play online chess | macheide Message: Evidently you have a problem with reading and comprehension! Here is what I said; "Chernov's comments are superficial and even contradictory at times. Full of platatudes without any real insight into the game. For a good example of annotated games look at: Three Hundred Chess Games - Tarrasch My Chess Career - Capablanca Masters of the Chess Board - Reti Alekine's Best Games - Alekhine 100 Selected Games - Botvinnik The Road to chess Perfection - Keres Fire on the Board - Shirov " where exactly did I say beginners should start with "Fire on the Board" ????? Here is what I did recommend! " really do not recommend “Logical Chess Move by Move” by Chernov I find it rather poorly annotated. In its place I would suggest “Winning Chess Brilliancies” by Yasser Seirawan. " "Logical Chess Move by Move" was a good recomendation back in 1957 when there were no alternatives but NOW there are better alternatives You point out that Silman read "Logical Chess et al" but you fail to understand that there were few alternatives back in those days. baseline |
| Posted by tonlesu ability-tw.com 4/24/2003 16:35:30 play online chess | Baseline Message: I think we're feeding oats to a dead horse here but before we move on to other subjects , could you give an example or two of chernev's contradictory statements in the book? You say when you first bought "Logical Chess" thirty years ago it "was a waste of time and money and I only paid $3.95 for the book" Then you say to drgandalf "I think its great that you take time to teach beginners chess. Some years ago I found my self in the same position and my first thought was "Logical Chess Move by Move..." Is this not a good example of contradiction? |
| Posted by macheide ability-tw.com 4/24/2003 21:52:10 play online chess | baseline Message: I comprehend you perfectly!. You don´t need to say one thing litteraly. The CONTEXT of your recommendation was that! Besides, to say that Chernev´s book was good in his time and at the same time recommend the older and hyperdogmatic book of Tarrasch seems to me like a contradiction. I don´t say that Tarrasch book isn´t instructive but, "well annotated games"!!, in the modern sense of the word??. The rest of the books you mention ARE NOT for beginners. Reti´s is for the medium to the advanced and "My Chess Career"? Don´t you think that it would be better for a beginner "Chess Fundamentals" by Capablanca himself? To finish, it is OBVIOUS that an old book can contain many contradictions and mistakes (In one past FORUM I published a serious mistake in Silman´s "How to Reasses Your Chess", 3rd. expanded Edition), but if you want contradictions look in Tarrasch: I can give you any number of counterexamples for every one of his "rules". macheide. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/26/2003 01:29:05 play online chess | tonlesu Message: no I do not think that is a good example of a contradiction! lol Rather than giving you examples from the book, I would suggest that you read both "Logical Chess" and "Winning Chess Brilliancies" compare them objectively and decide for your self which you would rather recommend. Personally I think "Winning Chess Brilliancies" is better hands down. It was unfortunate for me that back in early 1970 there were only three chess books for sale in my small town. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/26/2003 02:27:15 play online chess | macheide Message: I come from a time simpler than today, I usually mean what I say litterally with out a hidden agenda. In early 1970 when I went out to buy some chess books the only three available were "Logical Chess", "Pawn Power" and a new book at the time "My 60 Favorite Games" that was all that was available in my small town. There was no world-wide web, computers were the size of a large room, and if you lived outside the town there was a good chance your phone was on a party line! lol "Winning Chess" is a much better book than "Logical Chess" "Chess Fundamental" is a good book, but "Guide to good chess" is better. As far as Tarrasch's "300 games being well annotated. yes! because he often gives an accurate asessment of a position gives a his plan in plain laguage and then you get to see how it is carried out. Tarrasch is dogmatic in the same way my mother was dogmatic when she told me to look both ways before crossing the street. His rules are useful for beginners because inspite of the exceptions they are true most of the time. I don't often visit these forums so I missed your post regarding "Reasses your chess" but I notice some of those myself when I went thru the book yet there remains much to reccomend in his book. I think the publisher of "Logical Chess" has done a wonderful marketing job over the years promoting their book. Many players do not relize that there are better alternatives because those alternatives are just not as well known. |
| Posted by tonlesu ability-tw.com 4/26/2003 02:44:21 play online chess | Yes Message: There is something in what you say. But, in the end, it's just a matter of taste. Some people like music and some people like rap. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me Elvis and give me Chernev. |
| Posted by macheide ability-tw.com 4/26/2003 08:41:19 play online chess | baseline Message: Dear sir, I agree with tonlesu. It´s a matter of tastes. But to make justice I´m going to try to take a look to "Winning Chess" and "Guide to good Chess" just for the sake of curiosity and to make my own judgement. Besides, I do recommend "Logical Chess, Move by Move" by Irving Chernev to every newcommer to the game. Best regards, macheide. |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/26/2003 19:10:42 play online chess | macheide Message: "Winning Chess Brilliancies" is pretty easy to find "Guide to Good Chess" C.J.S. Purdy was 1st published by Thinkers Press in 1996 as the 11th edition. The 10th edition was published by Horwitz Grahame Books Pty Ltd, Cammeray, 1974. For those of you who are unfamilar with C.J.S. Purdy he was the First World Correspondence Chess Champion, Four times Australian Champion and an International Master. I thought your reccomendation to study Tactics,Tactics, and more Tactics was right on the money. |
| Posted by macheide ability-tw.com 4/27/2003 06:09:00 play online chess | baseline Message: Dear friend I didn´t know that "Guide to Good Chess" was written by Purdy!! I have a book (or maybe I must say: a jewel) by Purdy. He is so clear, he is so a great teacher. Fischer once recommended to study Purdy´s writings. If that book has the same level of quality that mine I recommend it with all my heart. Purdy was not only the best correspondence chess player but also a magnificient teacher. I apologize for my ignorance about the author of that book, baseline. Regards, macheide |
| Posted by baseline ability-tw.com 4/29/2003 04:20:11 play online chess | Purdy Message: :o) I'm not at all suprised you like Purdy, he was that rare combination of good player/good writer. He had a very down to earth way of explaining things. I wish I had discovered Purdy's work back when I was a novice! Regards baseline |
Chess news: Anand and Carlsen Triumphant -- Last week was a busy time for some of the world's top chess players, most of them being involved in rapid chess exhibition matches. Yesterday, the world chess champion Vishy Anand of India defeated Peter Leko in an eight-game match in Miskolc, Hungary, with the score 5-3. Magnus Carlsen of Norway won yesterday's dramatic final of the XXII Magistral Ciudad de Leon in Leon, Spain, against one of the world's most active chess players, Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, with a 4-3 score. Ivanchuk came to Leon directly from Prague, where he participated in the CEZ Trophy eight-game rapid chess match at the end of May against the top Czech grandmaster David Navara ... Favorites Win in Hungary, Spain and Sweden, but Not in China -- The expected results materialized in three chess events that ended in Europe on Sunday, but in the Chinese chess championship, there was an unlikely, and unheralded champion after a favorite faltered. In Hungary, Viswanathan Anand of India, the world chess champion, beat Peter Leko, Hungary’s top chess player, in an eight-game rapid match. The final score was 5 to 3. The match between Leko and a hand-picked opponent has become an annual tradition since 2005. This year, Leko did not manage to make any dent in his formidable opponent. Anand won the second and fifth games and the rest were drawn. Anand’s wins, one with each color, were in Grunfeld Defenses ... Larry Evans on Chess: Colossal egos -- "Chess is vanity," observed former world chess champion Alexander Alekhine. Indeed, humility is a rare affliction among chess experts. Efim Bogoljubov was a born optimist unperturbed by losses, and Alekhine used him as a punching bag in two title matches while ducking his arch rival, Jose Capablanca. (Capa refused to pose with a film star, saying, "Why should I give her publicity?") In his heyday, Bogoljubov boasted, "When I am white, I win because I have the first move. When I am black, I win because I am Bogoljubov." He claimed that Alekhine hypnotized him and blithely explained away his steady losses to the new generation: "The young demons ... | |