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Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44
by James Plaskett
Everyman, 144 pages, £14.99
James Plaskett is the showman of British chess. In recent years he has received
more publicity from his adventure to find a giant sea creature in Bermuda than
his exploits on the chessboard. Indeed, at a local club night one member ventured
that the latest chess news was that Jim had appeared on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'
twice and still hadn't correctly answered a single question.
He might not know who married whom on 'Coronation Street' but if all the questions were about the Grand Prix Attack he would be rich. The opening is a favourite of club players who want to play simply but aggressively against the Sicilian and has been favoured by Adams, Hebden and Short. In 91 games it becomes clear that it can be a formidable attacking weapon and Plaskett gets a chance to demonstrate that it has helped him to win against various top level opponents. The style of writing is aimed at people who want some background on the opening and just enough detail to play it with success. It is a pity that the original manuscript has not been updated because with no illustrative games from 1999 or 2000 it means a keen player will have to look elsewhere for the latest moves. A good introduction to an attacking opening.
Gary Lane