| Chris Ward�s Winning with the Dragon (Batsford, www.batsford.com, 2001, 224 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, 15.99 English Pounds), which first appeared in 1994, enjoyed an excellent reception. Now, he has come out with an expanded and updated version. This is not your standard theoretical work on this opening. Dragon practitioners who answer the Yugoslav Attack with h4 �h5, won�t find coverage of this line for the simple reason that Ward doesn�t play it. The bulk of the coverage is on his favorite �Qa5 and �Rfc8. What this book is, is a very enthusiastic guide to this opening by a GM who loves it! All of White�s tries against 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 are covered in Ward�s humorous and informative style. This second edition is substantially revamped from the first, as you can imagine the lines after 9.0-0-0 are given more coverage, a reflection of their increased popularity since 1994. All told, there are over 60 heavily annotated games in this book which features very little white space. Chapters on important Dragon concepts and early deviations help the new Dragon user, as does the short, new section Tips in the Anti-Sicilians, where Ward deals with lines like 3.Bb5+ and 4.Qxd4. One drawback with organizing the book around model games is that occasionally important lines can be overlooked. Also, as I mentioned, this work does not cover all lines in the Dragon, only ones that Ward plays himself. With these caveats, I can give this book a strong recommendation for anyone considering playing the Dragon. I should also mention that Ward writes an excellent column on this opening for Chess Publishing.com (http://www.chesspublishing.com). This online experiment in chess book publishing is highly recommended. Readers subscribe and are presented with monthly updates on their favorite opening. An ongoing, updated opening book! Chess Training for Budding Champions (Gambit, 2001, www.gambitbooks.com, figurine algebraic, paperback, $19.95) by Jesper Hall is yet another in the Gambit series for aspiring players. The title suggests that this book is not aimed at the same audience as earlier efforts like The Road to Chess Improvement by Alex Yermolinsky or Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by John Watson. That said, this book is also not for beginning chess players. IM Hall, who is one of Sweden�s leading trainers, has written a very interesting and readable book that can be used by players across a wide range of playing strength. I would say anywhere from 1600 to 2400 USCF. Of course, different players will get different things from this book. I would say it would be especially useful for teenage players that are 2000-2300. Hall divides his book into such practical chapters as How to Study the Opening, How to Study Specific End Games, Mental Training, How to Calculate and How to Use a Computer. His experience as a trainer has caused him to ponder a lot of fundamental questions. One that every chess player encounters is how to bounce back from a particularly difficult loss or bad tournament. Here Hall offers wise counsel. First, take a break for a couple of weeks. Only then, play over some of the games that really inspire you and cause you to appreciate the beauty of chess. This should get your juices flowing again. Hall also suggests not only having a large data base of games, but also smaller, more individualized ones. For example, you might have a data base of your favorite games of a player that you particularly admire or a special theme that you�re trying to learn. One thing that Hall emphasizes is the need to personalize information at a time when the chess player is being increasingly flooded with more material. IM Hall offers very useful synopsis� at the end of each chapter highlighting the key points covered. He also offers the student exercises and perhaps, most importantly, suggestions for further reading. This book is highly recommended to aspiring students (1600-2400) , as well as chess trainers. |