bookReviews62

New Books by Gambit By IM John Donaldson
Modern Chess Analysis (Gambit, www.gambitbooks.com, 2004, 176 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, $24.95) by Robin Smith is a thought provoking book on a subject that has not been well-covered in the chess literature. Everyone knows that computers are incredible calculating monsters that are getting stronger every year, but how do we use them to help us improve?
Correspondence GM Robin Smith is not short of ideas. His position is that, while computers rarely err in tactical matters and human beings are superior at things like long term planning, the combination of the two working together can be incredibly strong.
To this end, he covers the weaknesses of the computer so that the human user can better be on the lookout for when it's appropriate for them to intervene. One eye opening computer example Smith gives is a Rook and Pawn endgame where White has a Rook on a8, Black a Rook on a1 and White repeatedly plays a6 - a7, not realizing that this square must be left open for the White King. This is something that not only GMs and IMs would know. Computers that might play tactical positions at 2800 sometimes don't have a clue because their horizon does not allow them to see far enough ahead. It's true that five piece endgames are now played perfectly by computers due to dedicated table bases that incorporate all known information, but add one more unit and that exact knowledge evaporates.
This book is different than another Gambit offering How to Use Computers to Improve Your Chess by Christian Kongsted. That book dealt with the pros and cons of different types of software (ChessBase vs. Chess Assistant), resources on the Internet, etc. Smith writes much more about computers' strengths and weaknesses. Besides the aforementioned technical endgame example, he also has sections on fortresses, King hunts and King drift. He often talks about the problems that computers with the horizon effect where sometimes the machine literally can't see what's under its nose because it stops looking just short of the critical point. This is one of the situations where a knowledgeable human can help point the machine in the right direction.
One of the revelations for me was the fact that programs like Chess Tiger, Fritz, Hiarcs, Junior and Shredder can often have very different takes on a position. You might assume that they would all come to the same conclusion, if not immediately, then after some computing time, but that is not in fact the case. Certain programs give priority to different criteria which can lead to different evaluations. Smith advises to always use two programs to check out a position. It's probably very good advice, but I'm not sure if every reader will be able to take advantage to it due to a lack of time or the fact that they have an older computer and don't have the power to run two programs simultaneously.
This book is recommended for those who have a serious interest in computers and chess. The aforementioned book by Kongsted would serve as a better general introduction for those who are just starting out using a computer to aid their chess.
Secrets of Chess Transformations (Gambit, www.gambitbooks.com, 2004, 208 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, $27.50) by GM Drazen Marovic is the third book on the middlegame by the experienced Croatian GM and trainer. Like his earlier books for Gambit, Understanding Pawn Play in Chess and Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess, Marovic's latest effort features an excellent mixture of classical and modern examples designed to turn the reader into a modern day chess alchemist. The student is given plenty of material to aid them in the art of increasing one advantage into another. Each of the nine chapters gives plenty of practical examples with lots of explanatory prose. There are no specific exercises to solve, unlike most Gambit books, but there are plenty of well chosen studies which serve the same purpose. This series of books by Marovic reminds of the work of the late Ludek Pachmann who wrote several classics back in the 1960s. Recommended for players rated from 1800-2400.
Improve Your Attacking Chess (Gambit, www.gambitbooks.com, 2004, 160 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, $19.95) by Simon Williams is the second book by the young English IM who is known for his aggressive style of play. This book is not in the style of the Art of Checkmate by Renaud and Kahn, nor is it along the lines of Kozen's King Hunt in Chess. These are both excellent books but the first is an introductory work and the second was written as much for entertainment as for instruction.
Improve Your Attacking Chess has a brief introduction in which Williams gives his basic ideas on the things to look for when trying to attack, but the heart of the book are the six chapters, divided by theme, where he offers the reader 250 puzzle positions to solve. What makes the book useful is not only the care in choosing the position, but also the hints to direct the reader as well as the explanations of the solutions. These features are often lacking in puzzle books.
I have no doubt that readers rated from 1800-2400 will definitely see an increase in strength if they go through this book rigorously.