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Back to Reviews
Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44
(all Everyman & all £14.99)
Review by IM Richard Palliser
In 2000 Everyman simultaneously released three books under the headings of ‘Improve Your Opening/Middlegame/Endgame’, although it was not clear that all three titles were aimed at the same strength audience. Now we have another series: ‘Mastering the Opening/Middlegame/Endgame’ with GM Glenn Flear continuing to write on the latter stages of the game, but IM Byron Jacobs having replaced GM Chris Ward on the opening and IM Angus Dunnington coming in for IM Andrew Kinsman to concentrate on the middlegame.
by Byron Jacobs, 176 pages
Here Jacobs aims to explain the main ideas for both sides in each of the main openings, his approach being best considered with the use of an example. Let us take his coverage of the French Defence (15 pages in total), which begins with a brief introduction on contemporary attitudes to the French and its popularity compared to other openings. First the Winawer is covered and the questions ‘what is White’s strategy?’, ‘what is Black’s strategy?’, ‘tactical/strategic/dynamic?’, ‘theoretical?’ and ‘how popular is it?’ are each dealt with. Jacobs addresses each of these clearly and does outline the key ideas, which are then highlighted by four well chosen illustrative games (although the notes to these are rather brief). In similar fashion the Tarrasch and Advance variations are covered and then, suddenly, after four illustrative games for the Advance, the chapter ends. This clearly shows Jacobs’ main aim in this book, namely to illustrate the main ideas behind - and the reasons for playing - a certain line or opening. But by including a couple of pages of basic theoretical tables, in the style of ECO and NCO, he could have made so much more of this work.
Each of the main openings covered here - Sicilian (with and without d2-d4), ‘1 e4 e5: the Spanish and Others’, Caro-Kann, King’s Indian, ‘Indian Defences’ (here referring to the Nimzo, Queen’s Indian and the Bogo), Queen’s Gambit Declined and the English - are then treated in a very similar way to the French, with the same questions being addressed about every line. However, it is clear that Jacobs’ concentrating on certain main line openings has led to him having to relegate several openings, including the theoretical and popular QGA and the Grunfeld, to significantly lesser coverage. Meanwhile, for a book that is aimed at helping the club player choose his/her openings, that the coverage of the Benko - an excellent and easy-to-play choice - is thrown in with that on the Modern Benoni is rather disappointing.
Overall this work is useful for those players wishing to learn about the main
ideas behind each opening in order to see which will best suit them. However,
on the basis of seeing a few illustrative games here, many may well need far
more material before making such an important choice. Thus they will probably
turn to more specialist books (which do often feature a general introduction
that provides all the key plans) as well as theoretical coverage (for objective
assessments). Jacobs does a good job at starting readers off in their hunt for
an ideal opening, but by including some basic theoretical coverage he could
have made this work much more useful for the club player.
by Angus Dunnington, 144 pages
Compared to Jacobs’ work, Dunnington’s is full of useful advice concerning the middlegame. He does tend to concentrate on the more attacking aspects of the middlegame, although key items, such as pawn structure, are also covered. There is much sensible practical advice throughout, as can be seen just from the chapter headings ‘attacking the king’, ‘defending - keep calm!’, ‘opening lines’, ‘using the pieces’, ‘using the pawns’ and ‘further ideas’.
Dunnington’s coverage is built mainly around 62 examples and these do appear to have been well chosen as they are generally pretty recent, but are also not too well known. Thus those who have read some of the older middlegame classics and want to refresh their knowledge will be able to do so with these fresh examples, which are also well annotated, and with plenty of detail. Meanwhile this work is quite modern in appearance for, along with the ‘Improve Your’ series, good use - much more than is the case with Jacobs - is made of using symbols and bold type to highlight key points. Light bulbs (for tips) and skull and crossbones (for warnings) frequently spring out of the page, whilst the brief chapter summaries clearly emphasise the key advice. Perhaps this book could have been a little more structured, but that the advice rushes at the reader through what are quite often brilliant examples is certainly inspiring. Meanwhile, it would have been nice to have seen more than four exercises at the end of each chapter, especially since this is the shortest volume of the three.
Generally Dunnington provides much sensible practical advice, whilst readers
should find many of his examples quite thought-provoking in this follow-up to
‘Improve Your Middlegame Play’. He does cover attacking themes more
than positional ones and, while his advice is not particularly original, it
is presented in a very clear and fast moving format.
by Glenn Flear, 176 pages
As was the case with the ‘Improve Your...’ series, Flear has again produced a more advanced work, this being a logical follow-up to his ‘Improve Your Endgame Play’. Whereas Dunnington’s work is roughly suitable for players of 80-130 BCF (1240-1640 ELO), Flear has undoubtedly aimed at a stronger audience - between (approximately) 120 and 180 BCF (1560-2040 ELO).
Flear, like Dunnington, makes good use of highlighted notes, tips and warnings to emphasise key points, while his sections at the end of each chapter entitled ‘my advice’ help readers in the study and practice of their own games. Flear is very industrious, making use of 120 examples, each chapter ending with four puzzles which are often quite tricky, but which do have rather detailed answers.
Flear begins (in ‘learn from the masters’) by emphasising some key points and also by demonstrating just how much can be learnt about the endgame from top-level players. Here he also urges readers – as, indeed, he does throughout - to improve their endgame knowledge because this often lags behind knowledge of the opening and middlegame. Then ‘principles of rook endings’ deals with many key practical aspects such as when to get active, using zugzwang and how material is not always the most relevant feature of the position. The chapter on the ‘theory of rook endings’ follows on and deals with some detailed, specific endings such as rook and two pawns against rook and one pawn, with no passed pawns being present. Later Flear deals with other tricky endgame topics such as those which feature a rook against a bishop or knight, whilst it is also good to see him providing a lengthy chapter on the often neglected area of minor piece endgames. In all these areas Flear’s examples are well chosen, the fact that many are from his own games giving the reader even more confidence in their excellent author.
Flear does attempt to explore both crucial endgame concepts as well as some often slightly neglected endgame areas, while readers will not find studying endings in his company to be at all tedious. Flear annotates and explains clearly throughout and, overall, this work comes highly recommended. IM Richard Palliser