My Most Favorite Chess Books
I created this fun list of "My Most Favorite Chess Books" after IM Jeremy Silman's inspirational post in chess.com days ago. I am thinking that this list will also act as personal reminder. Please noted that most of them are considered "modern" chess books, I rarely have a change to get into "vintage" chess books written by author from pre'1980s.
Chess Player Story and Games Collections
Basically reading is my favorite hobby. Reading a chess player story is two hobbies in a same time. My favorite:
- Chess Duels - My Games with the World Champion - Yasser Seirawan (2010)
Most of Yasser's anecdotes are well known, this book compiled all of them as the side story of Yasser's biography. Highlights: Victor Korchnoi side stories
- Fire on Board - Alexey Shirov (1997)
The nature Shirov's games are convert perfectly into this enjoyable book. His annotations are surprisingly easy to follow, well most of the game are obvious when you get the tactical hints.
- My 60 Memorable Games - Bobby Fischer (1995 version)
Of course a classic literature that also enjoyable to amateur like me.
- Half a Century of Chess - Mikhail Botvinnik
Another classic games collections with Botvinnik annotation, this is serious one.
- Sokolov's Best Games - Ivan Sokolov / John Nunn (1997)
At the time I was extremely 1.d4 fans and found that Ivan also mostly play this. His collections against top GM of the '80s-'90s are a reflections of non-Kasparovian master in the scenes. Contained lots of theory and analysis.
- It's Only Me - Tony Miles / Geoff Lawton
One of my favorite chess biography because of the comical figures of Tony Miles. So far the only serious tribute to England first grandmaster.
- Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games series - Igor Stohl (2006)
Collections of Kasparov games from 3rd eye view.
- Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess series - Garry Kasparov
Garry annotated his own games, and with lots of background chess story (and politics) also.
- The Art of Chess Analysis - Jan Timman
- On the Attack!! The Art of Attack According to Modern Master - Jan Timman
Another good collections of games and annotations of the '70s and modern era by Jan Timman.
- Logical Chess Move by Move - Irving Chernaev
Nonetheless to say, everybody's must have chess book.
- Lessons with A Grandmaster - Enhance Your Chess Strategy and Psycology - Boris Gulko
Games collections of GM Boris Gulko and presented in an interview format annotations.
- Tactics in the Sicilian - Gennady Nesis & Prof Igor Blekhtsin
Good collections of Sicilian games.
- The 100 Best Chess Games of the 20th Century, Ranked - Andrew Soltis
Well, you got the 100 chess games annotated.
- Black is OK
- Black is still OK
- Black is OK forever - Andras Adorjan
Although this is basically a games collections books with black as the main hero, but the writing part is superb.
- Diary of a Chess Queen - Alexander Kosteniuk
There is a prequel How I Became a Grandmaster in 14 but that is too elementary. In Diary of Chess Queen we get a story of mature Kosteniuk and how she really in the throne of chess queen. Love the Russian-English style.
Chess Stories
- The Day Kasparov Quit and other chess interview - Geuzendam, Dirk jan ten
A collections of interview from New in Chess, which also compiled as a chess history from '90s to the day Kasparov Quit.
- The King : Chess Pieces - J.H. Donner
This is like a classic literature that has chess as its background, collections of strange essay by J.H.Donner.
- Russian Silhouette - Genna Sasonko
Collections of Genna Sasonko encounter to well known chess grandmaster of the 20th century. From Mikhail Tal to Paul Keres.
- Smart Chip from Saint Petersburg and Other Tales - Genna Sasonko
More tales from Genna about lesser known chess personalities of the past.
Chess Openings Book
- Practical Chess Openings - Reuben Fine
Well, it's explained fundamental things about chess opening.
- The Sicilian Labyrinth Vol 1 , Vol 2- Lev Polugaevsky
Lev's passion in Sicilian defence is so high and he write this lovely book. We only know about Polugaevsky variation, but he is indeed works a lot on the whole system. I also enjoy the "third" sequel, Sicilian Love, a collection of sicilian games and Buenos Aires thematic tournament report.
- Queen's Gambit Declined - Matthew Sadler (2000)
I rarely can finished chess opening books but this one I remember well. It's added many fundamental knowledge to the opening and chess.
- The Easiest Sicilian - Atanas Kolev
As Sicilian enthusiast I really like this book compilation of the defence. Covered from 'easiest' Rossolimo variation up to rare line such as the Novosibirsk variation.
- Winning Chess Openings - Yasser Seirawan
Actual quite elementary chess openings, but it has many valuable beginner advise by Yasser.
Tactics / Strategy
- Amateur's Mind - Jeremi Silman
Serious book for amateur who trying to frog leap into new level of chess.
- Surprise in Chess - Atmazia Avni
Surprisingly fun to read chess book with fresh ideas.
- Chinese School of Chess - Liu Wenzhi
The story behind why the Chineses became good in chess. The grand concept that built Hou Yifan, Wei Yi, Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi.
- The Art of Logical Thinking - Neil McDonald
Instructive chess book which explained why chess is an art of logic.
- Rethinking The Chess Pieces - Andrew Soltis
Another flash back on how we can play chess with different mind set.
- Forcing Chess Moves The Key to Better Calculation - Charles Hertan
Good topic, it will forever influence how you going to use force line and how to avoid it also.
- Chess for Tiger - Simon Webb
One of earliest chess book that written with lots of humor, which in the later days adopted by many chess writer. Mostly coffee house tactics.
- The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess - Andrew Soltis
You'll surprise how wise they are.
Introduction
- Mammoth Book of Chess - Graham Burgess
will keep updated this list as I read more books, or when I remember what good I've read.
Showing posts with label Buku Catur (Book Review). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buku Catur (Book Review). Show all posts
Friday, January 30, 2015
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Book Review - Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan
Book Review - Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan
by red-white-chess.blogspot.com
Complete Title: Chess Duels - My Games With The World Champions
by GM Yasser Seirawan
Publisher: Everyman Chess 2010
I rarely write a book review, mainly because in fact I rarely ever completely finished reading a chess book! But Yasser's Chess Duels is one of the exception. I enjoyed reading every pages of Chess Duels. Mainly for three factors:
1. Yasser Seirawan is very favorite person to do chess-story telling, and I've been familiar with his tales ever since the first time I learn about chess. It's true me, like million others, are Yasser's "student". The most direct lesson he gave was in Chessmaster program back then! Beside this, Yasser write thousand of articles and in fact founder of Inside Chess magazine. With this, I found the chess player Yasser Seirawan, is interesting to get to known further and closer.
Now, I must share a story as well! Back in the '90s where internet not even 'compulsory' on Microsoft Windows 3.1, finding chess resources was hard, in my country. But when www dot com finally reached a light, Insidechess.com had been one of resources on the primitive Netscape Navigator back in 1998s. I remember clearly, Inside Chess put a FREE TRIAL ISSUE offer online, and I duly asked for it. Yasser (...his team) sent me two copies of Inside Chess magazine, internationally shipped to my house. And until now the magazines are treated as museum item for nearly 15 years, become one of my most treacherous chess reading. Thanks Yaz!
move on....
2. Biography is a genre of book that I love to read much. But Chess Duels is more than a biography, in fact a very specific chess journey story telling book. Yasser write about some of most interesting stories about particular chess players and moments on modern chess history. He is the Robin in Batman story. He was just the right person on the right place.
The chapter of Chess Duels begin with Yasser's childhood and family background story. Interesting. Even though Yasser put in numerous writings, I hardly ever remember he describe his childhood in details. At least I only being informed by Wikipedia article, about his Syrian background and so on. Here Yasser put in more information on that area, although also not very details as he cleverly not write his other personal stories, maybe too boring for us. But the background of his Arabian-European mixed up, are well documented in this chapter.
The story telling aspect on this book is its number one attraction. And I hooked up right from the very first sentences. So, as we already know that Yasser is also a masterful story teller in numerous interviews, this book is his 'written' version. This is where we found epic story on how he meet the chess world personalities from chess world champions, chess-almost-to-be world champions (Keres, Korchnoi etc.), chess fighter, chess dumper and many other interesting persons. All packed in this book. Almost too fiction but historically existed stories, again, all to be found in this book. My favorite stories:
Seirawan in Korchnoi's home
Seirawan versus Petrossian blitz session
Seirawan and Kasparov meet the mysterious FIDE delegation
Seirawan and Larry Christiansen playing bridge with Korchnoi and partner
Seirawan and it's Prague Agreement story, mainly because I was one of the chess fans who closely followed this even back in 2002-03.
The books divided into a chapter that chronological arranged with the historical order of Chess World Champions. The chapters are:
1. Bobby Fischer 15
2. The Giants 43
3. Vassily Smyslov 56
4. Mikhail Tal 78
5. Tigran Petrosian 120
6. Boris Spassky 120
7. Anatoly Karpov. 1975-1985 172
8. Garry Kasparov, 1985-2000 233
9. Anatoly Karpov, Post-1985 312
10. Garry Kasparov, Post-2000 381
12. The Future ofthe World Championship 401
Chess duel published in 2010. Beyond this point, several chess championship taken. The Gelfand-Anand match and up coming Carlsen-Anand match in 2012 and 2013. And on tiny issue, Yasser pointed that the KO event was too lottery-like chess tournament result, with the winner of FIDE KO / World Cup not much coming from the strongest player. Well, the 2009, 2011 and 2013 FIDE World Cup had been won by Boris Gelfand, Peter Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik, which is less 'suprise' results than the previous World Cup edition where Yasser witnessed. In 2012 there is a Clash of Titan exhibition where Seirawan once again played Karpov in Saint Louis exhibition. Maybe all of these can be updated on the next volume.
and the last factors:
3. The game annotation styles. For those who known Seirawan's annotation will found that his annotations are very father to son-night time story in styles. This is in term of historically, the background story aspect of each game, are well annotated by Yasser. The context of the game, the emotional elements were well recorded. On other hand, the analysis... boy, it's too lengthy. Mainly because, maybe half of the games, were Yasser on the losing side. So, this is a chess games collection book where the author try very hard to explained why he lost. And it's instructive.
Unfortunately for me, Yasser's style is completely too 'positional' that the 1.e4 games collection not much included other opening beside the Caro-Kann, the Pirc and the Modern defence. My favorite opening , Sicilian defence was not present. On my personal account, this is the only setback of this book!
For those, who like me, are born on the era where reading a chess moves and put it on the real chess piece and board are less practiced, because of computer take over, here the online chess collection on all the games from Chess Duels. Chess Duels collection from chessgames.com's member and alternative link
The other minor annoying thing is , I think Yasser's stories come too favor to the last two world champions. That he, Garry and Anatoly was in fact a good friend. Even though Yasser completely write his experience with the two in real deal of love and hate situation, I smelled that some other 'dramatic' story were being compromised. For example, the Karpov-Kamsky match story, which is completely not being touched, even though I remember that Seirawan was at one moment posted Kamsky story to Inside Chess. The other minor is, Yasser did not write enough 'epilogue' about Bobby Fischer, on the late 2000s. The other very minor is, Yasser did not write enough 'prelude' about 2000s generation of chess players, even the '90s are also not very much covered, with exception of Kramnik, and one tiny passage about Ivanchuk. And too none about Anand (only the very last paragraph).
Finally, I think Chess Duels is very interesting chess book to be read and owned. Our noble games need more story like this. Once again, Yasser completed the task to inspired readers with chess story. Chess Duels is very interesting chess book that mixed three things: the autobiography of Yasser Seirawan against Chess World Champions, the history of chess exposition, and the game collections with deep analysis, put altogether into one book.
trivias:
In the late 2012-2013, Saint Louis Chess Club posted a collection of Yasser's lectures, and some of the anecdotes in this book are re-tell in those lectures. Check the Youtube channel of the club here. And again, enjoyed Yasser in animated version.
BUY CHESS DUELS - by YASSER SEIRAWAN FROM AMAZON
by red-white-chess.blogspot.com
Complete Title: Chess Duels - My Games With The World Champions
by GM Yasser Seirawan
Publisher: Everyman Chess 2010
I rarely write a book review, mainly because in fact I rarely ever completely finished reading a chess book! But Yasser's Chess Duels is one of the exception. I enjoyed reading every pages of Chess Duels. Mainly for three factors:
1. Yasser Seirawan is very favorite person to do chess-story telling, and I've been familiar with his tales ever since the first time I learn about chess. It's true me, like million others, are Yasser's "student". The most direct lesson he gave was in Chessmaster program back then! Beside this, Yasser write thousand of articles and in fact founder of Inside Chess magazine. With this, I found the chess player Yasser Seirawan, is interesting to get to known further and closer.
Now, I must share a story as well! Back in the '90s where internet not even 'compulsory' on Microsoft Windows 3.1, finding chess resources was hard, in my country. But when www dot com finally reached a light, Insidechess.com had been one of resources on the primitive Netscape Navigator back in 1998s. I remember clearly, Inside Chess put a FREE TRIAL ISSUE offer online, and I duly asked for it. Yasser (...his team) sent me two copies of Inside Chess magazine, internationally shipped to my house. And until now the magazines are treated as museum item for nearly 15 years, become one of my most treacherous chess reading. Thanks Yaz!
Inside Chess Magazine, found by Yasser Seirawan
move on....
2. Biography is a genre of book that I love to read much. But Chess Duels is more than a biography, in fact a very specific chess journey story telling book. Yasser write about some of most interesting stories about particular chess players and moments on modern chess history. He is the Robin in Batman story. He was just the right person on the right place.
The chapter of Chess Duels begin with Yasser's childhood and family background story. Interesting. Even though Yasser put in numerous writings, I hardly ever remember he describe his childhood in details. At least I only being informed by Wikipedia article, about his Syrian background and so on. Here Yasser put in more information on that area, although also not very details as he cleverly not write his other personal stories, maybe too boring for us. But the background of his Arabian-European mixed up, are well documented in this chapter.
The story telling aspect on this book is its number one attraction. And I hooked up right from the very first sentences. So, as we already know that Yasser is also a masterful story teller in numerous interviews, this book is his 'written' version. This is where we found epic story on how he meet the chess world personalities from chess world champions, chess-almost-to-be world champions (Keres, Korchnoi etc.), chess fighter, chess dumper and many other interesting persons. All packed in this book. Almost too fiction but historically existed stories, again, all to be found in this book. My favorite stories:
Seirawan in Korchnoi's home
Seirawan versus Petrossian blitz session
Seirawan and Kasparov meet the mysterious FIDE delegation
Seirawan and Larry Christiansen playing bridge with Korchnoi and partner
Seirawan and it's Prague Agreement story, mainly because I was one of the chess fans who closely followed this even back in 2002-03.
The books divided into a chapter that chronological arranged with the historical order of Chess World Champions. The chapters are:
1. Bobby Fischer 15
2. The Giants 43
3. Vassily Smyslov 56
4. Mikhail Tal 78
5. Tigran Petrosian 120
6. Boris Spassky 120
7. Anatoly Karpov. 1975-1985 172
8. Garry Kasparov, 1985-2000 233
9. Anatoly Karpov, Post-1985 312
10. Garry Kasparov, Post-2000 381
12. The Future ofthe World Championship 401
Chess duel published in 2010. Beyond this point, several chess championship taken. The Gelfand-Anand match and up coming Carlsen-Anand match in 2012 and 2013. And on tiny issue, Yasser pointed that the KO event was too lottery-like chess tournament result, with the winner of FIDE KO / World Cup not much coming from the strongest player. Well, the 2009, 2011 and 2013 FIDE World Cup had been won by Boris Gelfand, Peter Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik, which is less 'suprise' results than the previous World Cup edition where Yasser witnessed. In 2012 there is a Clash of Titan exhibition where Seirawan once again played Karpov in Saint Louis exhibition. Maybe all of these can be updated on the next volume.
and the last factors:
3. The game annotation styles. For those who known Seirawan's annotation will found that his annotations are very father to son-night time story in styles. This is in term of historically, the background story aspect of each game, are well annotated by Yasser. The context of the game, the emotional elements were well recorded. On other hand, the analysis... boy, it's too lengthy. Mainly because, maybe half of the games, were Yasser on the losing side. So, this is a chess games collection book where the author try very hard to explained why he lost. And it's instructive.
Unfortunately for me, Yasser's style is completely too 'positional' that the 1.e4 games collection not much included other opening beside the Caro-Kann, the Pirc and the Modern defence. My favorite opening , Sicilian defence was not present. On my personal account, this is the only setback of this book!
For those, who like me, are born on the era where reading a chess moves and put it on the real chess piece and board are less practiced, because of computer take over, here the online chess collection on all the games from Chess Duels. Chess Duels collection from chessgames.com's member and alternative link
The other minor annoying thing is , I think Yasser's stories come too favor to the last two world champions. That he, Garry and Anatoly was in fact a good friend. Even though Yasser completely write his experience with the two in real deal of love and hate situation, I smelled that some other 'dramatic' story were being compromised. For example, the Karpov-Kamsky match story, which is completely not being touched, even though I remember that Seirawan was at one moment posted Kamsky story to Inside Chess. The other minor is, Yasser did not write enough 'epilogue' about Bobby Fischer, on the late 2000s. The other very minor is, Yasser did not write enough 'prelude' about 2000s generation of chess players, even the '90s are also not very much covered, with exception of Kramnik, and one tiny passage about Ivanchuk. And too none about Anand (only the very last paragraph).
Finally, I think Chess Duels is very interesting chess book to be read and owned. Our noble games need more story like this. Once again, Yasser completed the task to inspired readers with chess story. Chess Duels is very interesting chess book that mixed three things: the autobiography of Yasser Seirawan against Chess World Champions, the history of chess exposition, and the game collections with deep analysis, put altogether into one book.
trivias:
In the late 2012-2013, Saint Louis Chess Club posted a collection of Yasser's lectures, and some of the anecdotes in this book are re-tell in those lectures. Check the Youtube channel of the club here. And again, enjoyed Yasser in animated version.
BUY CHESS DUELS - by YASSER SEIRAWAN FROM AMAZON
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Manual of Chinese School of Chess
I am thinking to start my own personal chess book review. So far I had enjoying countless book review, mainly from Chesscafe. After my stay in Singapore I had borrowed many chess books but the given borrowing time of course not adequate to finished reading most of it. So this review also served as reminder that I have read the book!
This week I come across a book “Chinese School of Chess”. The book was published in 2002 under Batsford Chess Book and written by Liu Wenzhe (刘文哲). A quick read revealed that Mr. Liu was the first Chinese titled player, Head Coach of Chinese National Team and more important he was the Founder of Chinese School of Chess. He also expert in Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) and Weiqi (Go).
This book quickly turns up very interesting. The main theme endorsed by the author is to proclaim a new approach or “school” in learning chess and interesting point is he said that indeed his School is the correct way to studied it compare to the other “schools”. Now, after being “brain washed” by many chess lessons around the world and internet from these “other schools”, reading this statement must be wakeup call. Or isn’t, yet?
The book started with a biography of Mr.Liu, again by a few paragraph quickly give an inspiration on how a 25 year age man can still become a chess master, in ’60 China. Few pages more the author tells more into the history of chess in China, you will found out that indeed chess and computer binary come from the same source that is the book of Changes or I-Ching.
And then come the main theme. Although Mr.Liu said in the book that he cannot reveal all the secret of his School, he is indeed given valuable information and “keywords” of his teaching. We will introduced to his new “stem” like the “three S” principles , Strategy, Structure and Space , superseding the “other schools” stem like “theory of centre”, “theory of piece development” and “theory of tempo”. The author then break down each stem into more intrigue sentence like in Principle of Strategy we will have a following ten standards apply (1) clarity of goal (2) aggressive activity (3) deployment of adequate material and so on, read it yourself. When reading this I imagine in original Chinese it must be presented in Chinese character or couplet similar to Jin Yong’s (Louis Cha) manual of the Nine Yin (Jiu Yin Zhen Jing) style, where the student need to remember the couplet and suddenly his brain has new a revelation and his skill increased.
By the way the “other schools” Liu Wenzhe mentioned are the :
1.The Italian School of Chess – Chess is Art, Favorite opening King Gambit
2.The Classical School of Chess – Chess is Science, usage of Queen Gambit Declined
3.The Hypermodern School of Chess – Chess is competition, switched to King Indian and Gruenfeld.
4.The Soviet School of Chess – Chess is art of competition, practiced the Sicilian Defence.
and…
5.The Chinese School of Chess – Chess is art of Thinking, weapon is Benoni Defence.
By outlining these schools the author also give excellent comments on its contribution and importantly its weakness. I really enjoy reading his analysis of each opening associated with their respected schools and I bet you won’t find these in majority chess opening books.
Other strong stem coming from Mr.Liu is the Chinese School emphasis on middlegame. This is come from the influence of Chinese Chess or Xiangqi, where the pawns do little rule and piece play is the major theme of the game. He even wrote that it is a weak approach to learn the opening and endgame first prior to learning middle game, as in other school teaching. The argument supported strongly by many annotated game by himself and by the Women Chess Champion Xie Jun, showing understanding in middle game is the winning point.
Speaking of annotated game, this is also the part where I really enjoyed. The book contained many best games played by China master against the world. Mr.Liu deeply annotated each game to very details, hey it is very instructive for amateur reader,like me and can compared to Nunn’s Understanding Chess Move by Move. You’ll soon to know that Mr.Liu annotation is more than annotation by those grandmaster who only spend one hour with only pen and paper , for fifteen dollars per game (see page 75 to believe it).
Lastly the book revealed the way the school trained their champion and the way they prepared for competing in a chess match. I read in great enthusiast on the list of what Xie Jun had done to beat Maya Chiburdanidze. In 2008 Women World Chess Championship was done in a Knock out style. This maybe the reason why Hou Yifan lost to Alexandra Kosteniuk in final, should they put it in a match style we might see another great example of this Chinese School style.
I search internet for this book review, although Chesscafe give a positive review to this book, other criticized more. So I think this book is underestimated. Of course the provocative aspect of the book like “Chinese School of Chess” is the only power to challenge Soviet School of Chess must be taken as a proud wording from a former national head coach. By the fact in 2002 there are already many China grandmaster hanging around Topalov or Anand in mostly major tournament, so this is indeed a proud success from a country with only 30 years more into chess. And most recent tournament in Subic this month also confirms that Chinese keep sending new face down their sacred mountain. Of the ten top finisher in 8th Asian Continental Open five are Chinese and in Women all top three are all Chinese. Be reminded that some of the player is not title yet. Yu Yangyi, Xiu Deshun, Wan Yunguo all passed their 2400 rating without master title!
Last word, although published this in 2002, Elder Liu rarely mentioned the aspect of computer chess. Perhaps this will spare us a room to established new challenge to his School, that is the Computer Chess of School.
You can order this amazing book via Amazon, and please click my link :) :
See the “Chinese Immortal” chess game, the first international game won by chinaman IM Liu Wenzhe against grandmaster GM J Donner Olympiad 1978, after the Indonesian section below.
Belakangan saya membaca buku seru berjudul “Chinese School of Chess” alias PERGURUAN CATUR CHINA. Buku ini dikarang oleh sang tetua pendiri perguruan ini, tetua Liu Wenche. Beliau adalah seorang pemain catur cina (Xiangqi) and Go, lahir tahun 1940 and di era ’60 memutuskan untuk beralih cabang menjadi pecatur standar international sebelumnya adalah pecatur cina. Hayo siapa yang udah 25 tahun ke atas dan masih bercita-cita menjadi grandmaster ini sumber inspirasinya. Diceritakan kalau di era kegelapan di Cina tahun 1960 catur dilarang ama pemerintah, jadi tetua Liu hanya belajar catur melalui koleksi buku di perpustakaan nasional Beijing. Tiap hari dia mencatat dan menerjemahkan artikel catur Rusia dan ujung-ujungnya menjadi International Master pertama Cina dan akhirnya menjadi ketua pelatih tim nasional negeri ini.
Buku ini menjelaskan banyak hal seru yang mengubah pandangan pembelajaran catur yang diterima dari “perguruan lain”. Tetua Liu menjelaskan ada empat perguruan sebelum perguruannya, yaitu :
1.Perguruan Catur Italia, mottonya Catur adalah Seni, pembukaan favorit adalah Gambit Raja
2.Perguruan Catur Klasik, Catur adalah Eksak/Sain, hobinya Gambit Ratu Ditolak
3.Perguruan Catur Hypermodern, Catur adalah Kompetisi, senangnya Pembukaan Raja India dan Gruenfeld.
4.Perguruan Catur Rusia, Catur adalah Seni Berkompetisi, pendukung Pembukaan Sisilia...dan tentu saja….
5.Perguruan Catur Cina, Catur adalah Seni Berpikir, senjatanya Pembukaan Benoni.
Wuiiih, mantaaaap deh. Di buku ini selanjutnya dipaparkan kelemahan masing-masing perguruan beserta pembukaannya, wah, ini nih yang jarang bakal bisa ditemukan di buku-buku pembukaan komersial lainnya.
Yang paling menarik adalah, tetua Liu akhirnya memaparkan rahasia-rahasia perguruannya. Walaupun masih malu-malu dan mengaku nggak akan mengupas habis rahasianya, tetap beberapa “kalimat kunci” dapat ditemukan dibuku ini. Tetua Liu bercerita kalau ilmu nya adalah “Tiga S”, Strategi, Struktur dan Space (Ruang). Tiga S ini adalah ilmu lanjutan kalau kita udah belajar ilmu “dasar” perguruan lain seperti “teori pusat (center)” , “teori pengembangan perwira (piece development)” dan “teori tempo”. Selepas memberikan Tiga S, masih banyak kalimat kunci lainnya seperti dari Strategi ada sepuluh prinsip lainnya yang menerangkan Strategi itu yaitu (1) Tujuan yang jelas (2) aggressive activity (3) deployment of adequate material (4) economy of means (5) fleksibiliti (6) coherence dll… wah, menerjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris ke Indonesia aja udah susah, bayangkan kalau semua ini dipaparkan dalam huruf mandarin. Bisa kebayang para murid perguruan ini setiap hari menghapal kalimat-kalimat ini mirip menghapal Kitab Sembilan Bulan nya Jinyong.
Tetua Liu kemudian menjelaskan kalau sebaiknya catur itu penting dipelajari di babak tengahnya. Justru perguruan lain yang menekankan babak pembukaan dan akhir adalah salah. Ini dipengaruhi oleh gaya catur pecatur Xiangqi, dimana di Xiangqi bidak lebih sedikit dan berperanan kecil, duelnya justru di perwira-perwira. Dengan pemikiran ini perguruan Cina mencoba memainkan pembukaan yang cepat membuat permainan beralih ke babak tengah, seperti pembukaan Benoni. Kuatnya pengetahuan di babak tengah adalah kunci kemenangan juara wanita Xie Jun katanya.
Buku ini juga mengupas banyak partai-partai terbaik yang dimenangkan pecatur Cina. Sangat seru dan instruktif mengingat komentar-komentar tetua Liu sangat mendalam dan dilandaskan pada pemikiran versi perguruannya.
Memang sekarang pecatur Cina adalah kekuatan besar di dunia percaturan dunia. Di Subic barusan aja lima dari sepuluh besar adalah murid perguruan Cina. Dan lebih penting lagi kebanyakan dari pecatur ini masih muda dan tak bergelar, seperti Yu Yangyi, Xiu Deshun dan Wang Yunguo. Indonesia adalah negeri dengan populasi terbesar ketiga di Asia setelah Cina dan India. Di SUBIC 2009 barusan di bagian putra Cina mengirim 17 pemain, India 12, Filipina 19 (tuan rumah), Vietnam 10. Indonesia mengirimkan 4 pemain sebanding dengan Bangladesh, Iran dan Uzbekistan. Wah seharusnya dibandingkan populasinya kita minimal mengirimkan sekitar 10 pemain dong. Di bagian puteri China mengirim 12 pemain, India 6 dan tuan rumah 10. Indonesia hanya mengirim Irene. Baiklah selain meningkatkan kualitas juga ditingkatkan kuantitasnya.
Akhir cerita mari kita saksikan partai pertama yang dimenangkan Tetua Liu melawan Grandmaster International. Partai ini dijuluki “the Immortal Chinese” dimana tetua Liu mengorbankan ratu untuk men-skak mat musuhnya dalam 20 langkah.
This week I come across a book “Chinese School of Chess”. The book was published in 2002 under Batsford Chess Book and written by Liu Wenzhe (刘文哲). A quick read revealed that Mr. Liu was the first Chinese titled player, Head Coach of Chinese National Team and more important he was the Founder of Chinese School of Chess. He also expert in Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) and Weiqi (Go).
This book quickly turns up very interesting. The main theme endorsed by the author is to proclaim a new approach or “school” in learning chess and interesting point is he said that indeed his School is the correct way to studied it compare to the other “schools”. Now, after being “brain washed” by many chess lessons around the world and internet from these “other schools”, reading this statement must be wakeup call. Or isn’t, yet?
The book started with a biography of Mr.Liu, again by a few paragraph quickly give an inspiration on how a 25 year age man can still become a chess master, in ’60 China. Few pages more the author tells more into the history of chess in China, you will found out that indeed chess and computer binary come from the same source that is the book of Changes or I-Ching.
And then come the main theme. Although Mr.Liu said in the book that he cannot reveal all the secret of his School, he is indeed given valuable information and “keywords” of his teaching. We will introduced to his new “stem” like the “three S” principles , Strategy, Structure and Space , superseding the “other schools” stem like “theory of centre”, “theory of piece development” and “theory of tempo”. The author then break down each stem into more intrigue sentence like in Principle of Strategy we will have a following ten standards apply (1) clarity of goal (2) aggressive activity (3) deployment of adequate material and so on, read it yourself. When reading this I imagine in original Chinese it must be presented in Chinese character or couplet similar to Jin Yong’s (Louis Cha) manual of the Nine Yin (Jiu Yin Zhen Jing) style, where the student need to remember the couplet and suddenly his brain has new a revelation and his skill increased.
By the way the “other schools” Liu Wenzhe mentioned are the :
1.The Italian School of Chess – Chess is Art, Favorite opening King Gambit
2.The Classical School of Chess – Chess is Science, usage of Queen Gambit Declined
3.The Hypermodern School of Chess – Chess is competition, switched to King Indian and Gruenfeld.
4.The Soviet School of Chess – Chess is art of competition, practiced the Sicilian Defence.
and…
5.The Chinese School of Chess – Chess is art of Thinking, weapon is Benoni Defence.
By outlining these schools the author also give excellent comments on its contribution and importantly its weakness. I really enjoy reading his analysis of each opening associated with their respected schools and I bet you won’t find these in majority chess opening books.
Other strong stem coming from Mr.Liu is the Chinese School emphasis on middlegame. This is come from the influence of Chinese Chess or Xiangqi, where the pawns do little rule and piece play is the major theme of the game. He even wrote that it is a weak approach to learn the opening and endgame first prior to learning middle game, as in other school teaching. The argument supported strongly by many annotated game by himself and by the Women Chess Champion Xie Jun, showing understanding in middle game is the winning point.
Speaking of annotated game, this is also the part where I really enjoyed. The book contained many best games played by China master against the world. Mr.Liu deeply annotated each game to very details, hey it is very instructive for amateur reader,like me and can compared to Nunn’s Understanding Chess Move by Move. You’ll soon to know that Mr.Liu annotation is more than annotation by those grandmaster who only spend one hour with only pen and paper , for fifteen dollars per game (see page 75 to believe it).
Lastly the book revealed the way the school trained their champion and the way they prepared for competing in a chess match. I read in great enthusiast on the list of what Xie Jun had done to beat Maya Chiburdanidze. In 2008 Women World Chess Championship was done in a Knock out style. This maybe the reason why Hou Yifan lost to Alexandra Kosteniuk in final, should they put it in a match style we might see another great example of this Chinese School style.
I search internet for this book review, although Chesscafe give a positive review to this book, other criticized more. So I think this book is underestimated. Of course the provocative aspect of the book like “Chinese School of Chess” is the only power to challenge Soviet School of Chess must be taken as a proud wording from a former national head coach. By the fact in 2002 there are already many China grandmaster hanging around Topalov or Anand in mostly major tournament, so this is indeed a proud success from a country with only 30 years more into chess. And most recent tournament in Subic this month also confirms that Chinese keep sending new face down their sacred mountain. Of the ten top finisher in 8th Asian Continental Open five are Chinese and in Women all top three are all Chinese. Be reminded that some of the player is not title yet. Yu Yangyi, Xiu Deshun, Wan Yunguo all passed their 2400 rating without master title!
Last word, although published this in 2002, Elder Liu rarely mentioned the aspect of computer chess. Perhaps this will spare us a room to established new challenge to his School, that is the Computer Chess of School.
You can order this amazing book via Amazon, and please click my link :) :
See the “Chinese Immortal” chess game, the first international game won by chinaman IM Liu Wenzhe against grandmaster GM J Donner Olympiad 1978, after the Indonesian section below.
Belakangan saya membaca buku seru berjudul “Chinese School of Chess” alias PERGURUAN CATUR CHINA. Buku ini dikarang oleh sang tetua pendiri perguruan ini, tetua Liu Wenche. Beliau adalah seorang pemain catur cina (Xiangqi) and Go, lahir tahun 1940 and di era ’60 memutuskan untuk beralih cabang menjadi pecatur standar international sebelumnya adalah pecatur cina. Hayo siapa yang udah 25 tahun ke atas dan masih bercita-cita menjadi grandmaster ini sumber inspirasinya. Diceritakan kalau di era kegelapan di Cina tahun 1960 catur dilarang ama pemerintah, jadi tetua Liu hanya belajar catur melalui koleksi buku di perpustakaan nasional Beijing. Tiap hari dia mencatat dan menerjemahkan artikel catur Rusia dan ujung-ujungnya menjadi International Master pertama Cina dan akhirnya menjadi ketua pelatih tim nasional negeri ini.
Buku ini menjelaskan banyak hal seru yang mengubah pandangan pembelajaran catur yang diterima dari “perguruan lain”. Tetua Liu menjelaskan ada empat perguruan sebelum perguruannya, yaitu :
1.Perguruan Catur Italia, mottonya Catur adalah Seni, pembukaan favorit adalah Gambit Raja
2.Perguruan Catur Klasik, Catur adalah Eksak/Sain, hobinya Gambit Ratu Ditolak
3.Perguruan Catur Hypermodern, Catur adalah Kompetisi, senangnya Pembukaan Raja India dan Gruenfeld.
4.Perguruan Catur Rusia, Catur adalah Seni Berkompetisi, pendukung Pembukaan Sisilia...dan tentu saja….
5.Perguruan Catur Cina, Catur adalah Seni Berpikir, senjatanya Pembukaan Benoni.
Wuiiih, mantaaaap deh. Di buku ini selanjutnya dipaparkan kelemahan masing-masing perguruan beserta pembukaannya, wah, ini nih yang jarang bakal bisa ditemukan di buku-buku pembukaan komersial lainnya.
Yang paling menarik adalah, tetua Liu akhirnya memaparkan rahasia-rahasia perguruannya. Walaupun masih malu-malu dan mengaku nggak akan mengupas habis rahasianya, tetap beberapa “kalimat kunci” dapat ditemukan dibuku ini. Tetua Liu bercerita kalau ilmu nya adalah “Tiga S”, Strategi, Struktur dan Space (Ruang). Tiga S ini adalah ilmu lanjutan kalau kita udah belajar ilmu “dasar” perguruan lain seperti “teori pusat (center)” , “teori pengembangan perwira (piece development)” dan “teori tempo”. Selepas memberikan Tiga S, masih banyak kalimat kunci lainnya seperti dari Strategi ada sepuluh prinsip lainnya yang menerangkan Strategi itu yaitu (1) Tujuan yang jelas (2) aggressive activity (3) deployment of adequate material (4) economy of means (5) fleksibiliti (6) coherence dll… wah, menerjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris ke Indonesia aja udah susah, bayangkan kalau semua ini dipaparkan dalam huruf mandarin. Bisa kebayang para murid perguruan ini setiap hari menghapal kalimat-kalimat ini mirip menghapal Kitab Sembilan Bulan nya Jinyong.
Tetua Liu kemudian menjelaskan kalau sebaiknya catur itu penting dipelajari di babak tengahnya. Justru perguruan lain yang menekankan babak pembukaan dan akhir adalah salah. Ini dipengaruhi oleh gaya catur pecatur Xiangqi, dimana di Xiangqi bidak lebih sedikit dan berperanan kecil, duelnya justru di perwira-perwira. Dengan pemikiran ini perguruan Cina mencoba memainkan pembukaan yang cepat membuat permainan beralih ke babak tengah, seperti pembukaan Benoni. Kuatnya pengetahuan di babak tengah adalah kunci kemenangan juara wanita Xie Jun katanya.
Buku ini juga mengupas banyak partai-partai terbaik yang dimenangkan pecatur Cina. Sangat seru dan instruktif mengingat komentar-komentar tetua Liu sangat mendalam dan dilandaskan pada pemikiran versi perguruannya.
Memang sekarang pecatur Cina adalah kekuatan besar di dunia percaturan dunia. Di Subic barusan aja lima dari sepuluh besar adalah murid perguruan Cina. Dan lebih penting lagi kebanyakan dari pecatur ini masih muda dan tak bergelar, seperti Yu Yangyi, Xiu Deshun dan Wang Yunguo. Indonesia adalah negeri dengan populasi terbesar ketiga di Asia setelah Cina dan India. Di SUBIC 2009 barusan di bagian putra Cina mengirim 17 pemain, India 12, Filipina 19 (tuan rumah), Vietnam 10. Indonesia mengirimkan 4 pemain sebanding dengan Bangladesh, Iran dan Uzbekistan. Wah seharusnya dibandingkan populasinya kita minimal mengirimkan sekitar 10 pemain dong. Di bagian puteri China mengirim 12 pemain, India 6 dan tuan rumah 10. Indonesia hanya mengirim Irene. Baiklah selain meningkatkan kualitas juga ditingkatkan kuantitasnya.
Akhir cerita mari kita saksikan partai pertama yang dimenangkan Tetua Liu melawan Grandmaster International. Partai ini dijuluki “the Immortal Chinese” dimana tetua Liu mengorbankan ratu untuk men-skak mat musuhnya dalam 20 langkah.
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