Book Discussions

[Jonathan Bryant]

100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player Paperback – 1 May 2008

Apparently the 2008 edition had a few errors in it ....

considerably more than a few remained in the 2009 2nd edition.

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... tions.html

Third time lucky, you’d hope.


that said, i agree it’s a very good book on technical endgames.

[Joshua Gibbs]

I reccomend Polgar's 5334 Problems

[Jon Mahony]

I don’t recommend Rapid Chess Improvement by Michael De La Maza - there is a section of the book dedicated to the merits of shuffling your feet under the table during the game, to keep the blood flowing to the head.

It was bad

[Joshua Gibbs]

I don’t recommend Rapid Chess Improvement by Michael De La Maza - there is a section of the book dedicated to the merits of shuffling your feet under the table during the game, to keep the blood flowing to the head.

It was bad

I read it... ALl the info in the book could be condensed into a pamphlet. The advice in it defo made me an ok club player... It does plug CTART shamelessly though. The tactics puzzles in the back are just there to fill space.

[Steven DuCharme]

I reccomend Polgar's 5334 Problems

I vaguely recall clues being given. Please confirm or correct. Thank you.

A tough problem book imo is Perfect Your Chess

[Joshua Gibbs]

I reccomend Polgar's 5334 Problems

I vaguely recall clues being given. Please confirm or correct. Thank you.

There are no clues in the book.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Guys,

I was PM'd at RHP that 'Mastering Chess' (and me) was being mentioned.

Seemed to do OK. It went through 21 editions and passed through various publishing houses
(I still and have been getting a healthy cheque every April since 1983.)

"I fear that if he [that is me] is one of the founding fathers of the book it will have similar traits
and be very difficult to deal with and translate into foreign languages."

The original was translated into Spanish. Sold very well in Chile of all places....very well.
Quite a strange feeling to see a book you help write written in a language you cannot read.

Of course this does mean I cannot visit any countries where Spanish is spoken
because I will have destroyed the chess careers of dozens of promising players
by turning them into sacrificial maniacs.

It still gives me a buzz to know I am being loathed in a foreign language.

The reprint was the 1983 stuff plus an added section on internet chess.

I tried to do this bit like it was a web page, something someone sees in a chess forum.
In retrospect a daft idea but typical me. the 'sac first think about it later' syndrome.

I think the content is good but the forum experiment failed. (had to be tried)
and that bit got a poor review for it's style. The chess bit seemed to pass OK.
(one of the rare bad review's - To be honest I cannot think of any other.
The original was voted one of the best books in it's class in an 80's American magazine.)

But 100% credit to the reviewer. I cannot stand kiss-ass reviews and applauded
the lad for saying he did not like that bit.

[John McKenna]

Hi there, Geoff.

Thanks for quoting me.

So, how would you feel about being translated into Farsi and either being loved (because I think your saccy style would go down well) or loathed (because they misunderstand you due to mistranslations and swell the ranks of your army of the lost ) in Tehran?

[soheil_hooshdaran]

Hi Guys,

I was PM'd at RHP that 'Mastering Chess' (and me) was being mentioned.

Seemed to do OK. It went through 21 editions and passed through various publishing houses
(I still and have been getting a healthy cheque every April since 1983.)

"I fear that if he [that is me] is one of the founding fathers of the book it will have similar traits
and be very difficult to deal with and translate into foreign languages."

The original was translated into Spanish. Sold very well in Chile of all places....very well.
Quite a strange feeling to see a book you help write written in a language you cannot read.

Of course this does mean I cannot visit any countries where Spanish is spoken
because I will have destroyed the chess careers of dozens of promising players
by turning them into sacrificial maniacs.

It still gives me a buzz to know I am being loathed in a foreign language.

The reprint was the 1983 stuff plus an added section on internet chess.

I tried to do this bit like it was a web page, something someone sees in a chess forum.
In retrospect a daft idea but typical me. the 'sac first think about it later' syndrome.

I think the content is good but the forum experiment failed. (had to be tried)
and that bit got a poor review for it's style. The chess bit seemed to pass OK.
(one of the rare bad review's - To be honest I cannot think of any other.
The original was voted one of the best books in it's class in an 80's American magazine.)

But 100% credit to the reviewer. I cannot stand kiss-ass reviews and applauded
the lad for saying he did not like that bit.

Sir, one problem I noticed, is that lthe book seemingly lacks clear definitions, as does the Seirawan's, as well as too much examples. Why is it so?
One oft-quoted valunarability of Seirawan's work is that it lacks too many examples, as do many best-sellers in Iranian market today

[Stewart Reuben]

If the book weighs 1kg or more it will take you too long to translate.
If the book weighs 50g or less, it will be too lightweight.
300g seems about right for a player and translator of your strength. I notice most of my books weigh around about that.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

If the book weighs 1kg or more it will take you too long to translate.
If the book weighs 50g or less, it will be too lightweight.
300g seems about right for a player and translator of your strength. I notice most of my books weigh around about that.

What about my strength? How do you determine it?

[John McKenna]

Weigh yourself in kg.

Convert to g.

Subtract 390g. divided by 2.

You'll have a rough idea.

(It worked well enough in my case.)

[soheil_hooshdaran]

Weigh yourself in kg.

Convert to g.

Subtract 390g. divided by 2.

You'll have a rough idea.

(It worked well enough in my case.)

I am exceptional!

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi John.

I would not mind at all. I cannot recall writing anything anti religious.
(there is somewhere my joke about Judas being found with a betting slip in his pocket...he bet on Goliath)

A handful of women jokes knocking about (mostly aimed at Mrs. C.)

There is nothing I would not do for my wife and there is nothing she would not do for me.
And that is how we go through life, doing nothing for each other.

Others jokes go along the lines.

"Wow Mary has a great figure."

"You mean 36-24-36/"

"No. 2450!"

Don't know about the rest of the writers in my book and religion .....I never read their stuff.

Hi Soheil,

Instead of books why not start up you own web site and if need be use stuff from other sites.

Most are free as long as you mention where it came from.

Red Hot pawn has approx. 740 players who fly the Iranian flag so when it's up post the link
in the RHP chess forum and you will get will get (assuming all the flags are correct 700+ hits.).

----

"300g seems about right for a player and translator of your strength. I notice most of my books weigh around about that."

Don't listen to him Soheil, he's trying to get to you to pay for the translation of one of his books.

[John McKenna]

Thanks for those vital stats, Geoff.
Looks like translation rights could be as much as £3 per gram. That makes it an expensive business for any chess translators. Maybe the famous ones of the past, like Ken Neat, did it more for love than money.