The four books selected this year illustrate the richness of chess. Two show the intricate and amazing complexity of the game itself; the other two show that the human approach of the players is just as interesting.
In Black and White
Paul van der Sterren
New in Chess pp754 £38.95
There have been many books featuring great players’ games, but none covering the everyday life of a chess professional. This book is ‘The chess autobiography of a World Champion candidate’, the Dutch grandmaster Paul van der Sterren. The book covers the years 1969 to 2003 and records his rise from a promising youngster to IM, GM, Dutch Champion, World title candidate and eventual decline until he gave up playing professionally. Van der Sterren records very personally how he tried to understand why his form varied from tournament to tournament and why he was successful against one player and less so with another. The book is a vivid picture of life within the chess world before the computer age. Altogether an original chess book unlike any other.
Korchnoi Year by Year: Volume II (1969-1980)
Hans Renette and Tibor Karolyi
Elk and Ruby pp 518 £53.95
This volume, the second of four, covers the period when Korchnoi was at the height of his considerable powers and demonstrates not only his ability to win from all types of positions, but also his remarkable defensive capabilities to save games against the best players in the world. Particularly interesting is that the story of the many matches (Spassky, Petrosian) and disputes (Karpov, Baguio City) that feature in this book are told from Korchnoi’s point of view. A worthy history of one of the most remarkable characters and strongest players who ever lived.
Theoretical ROOK Endgames
GM Sam Shankland
Quality Chess pp447 £29.95
Strong grandmaster that he is, Shankland realised that his rook endgame play was weaker than it should be: two half points lost at the 2018 Olympiad cost Shankland 10 rating points and the USA the chance of winning the gold. This book is how Shankland learnt all the subtleties of rook endings. Every player should study rook endings and this very well written book, suffused with the authors enthusiastic discovery of the many nuances involved, makes the learning process enjoyable.
Zwischenzug!
Natasha Regan & Matt Ball
Chessable pp280 £26.95
A zwischenzug arises when a player unexpectedly crosses an anticipated line of play with an unusual move. Zwischenzug moves are often some of the most imaginative and brilliant moves played. This book examines positions when this occurs with the aim of increasing the reader’s awareness when a zwischenzug may arise in their games by providing a multitude of examples, to play or solve, some from the last World Championship Match. A delightful book.
— Ray Edwards, Jovanka Houska, Sean Marsh – August 2024