English Chess Forum

Christmas Book token gifts total over £100.00. Not seen a recent decent chess book worth getting.
That BCF Book of the Year, Chess Swindles, will be like teaching granny to suck eggs.

Does that book have and mention 'Psychological Swindling' most good players do it/have it
though a lot do not admit it. Some may not even realise they have it. (it cannot be taught.)

This is it in action. https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1831469

Smerdon v Carlsen 2016. I knew what happened (or gave it a go) and said so
(Sally Simpson - The Who Song) but others, were tearing him to bits...and pieces.

"Smerdon is putting on a brave face and even sort of patting himself on the back for getting a draw
with Carlsen, but privately he must be sick in the guts ... or if not, he certainly should be!"

"This is an exhibition of gutless, cynical play by white...."

Good Grief. That lot do not take many prisoners.

'Psychological Swindling .' Does it have a chapter? (is that game in it?)

Swindling? Here is how it's down.

"The knack is knowing when to accept that you are busted and start throwing the three P's (pawns, pieces and position) to the wind."

Things were grim so I sacced a pawn (move 21) to get my Bishop onto the cheapo diagonal.

S. Hayes - G. Chandler, Edinburgh League Match 2004.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 c5 3. Bf6 gf6 4. c3 cd4 5. cd4 Qa5 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. e3 d6 8. a3 Bf5 9. Rc1 Rg8 10. Nge2 h5 11. Ng3 Bg6 12. d5 Ne5 13. Nh5 Bh6 14. Bb5 Kf8 15. O-O a6 16. Be2 Bf5 17. Ng3 Bd7 18. f4 Ng6 19. Bd3 Qb6 20. Kh1 Qe3 21. Bf5 e6 22. de6 Bc6 23. Qd6 Kg7 24. Nh5 Kh8 25. ef7 Bg2 26. Kg2 Nh4 27. Kh1 Rg1

I did not physically play 25.. Bxg2+ to kick off the swindle. I picked up the Bishop and was moving it
towards g2 when it accidently slipped out of my hand, bounced off the board onto my opponents lap.

"Sorry, can you put that on g2." So Stuart played Bxg2+ for me!

Most likely I'll end up with a whole bucket loads of Sci-Fi - A good Sci-fi book would be 'Chandler's Best Chess Endings .'

Does anyone have any good book suggestions, does not have to be chess books and anyway,
all the really good chess books have been already been written and I'll have them.

I would recommend Chess Improvement: It's all in the mindset by Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells.
Sounds like a great book according to the Topic in the Book Reviews Category.
The other recommended book would be the Greenbecker Gambit by Ben Graff. A must for all chess players, a good read during lockdown.

Thanks Simon,

Have heard about the Greenbecker Gambit will take your tip onboard.

'Chess Improvement'
I'm always wary of anything that has words 'Improvement' in the title.
Too old for anything that will try to make me improve and anyway I like how I play, which is the main thing,
Also any tinkering now with such a finely tuned engine may unhinge me.

I am now firmly of the opinion any good book, picking one at random - 'Play Better Chess.' by Bill Hartston
will suffice to improve and you will only ever need one book of that ilk. The trick is you have to read it and study it.
Then Game collections, (Tarrasch Best Games by Reinfeld. P.C's book on Tal. These are very good books I have played through.)
Tournament collections (Zurich '53, Hasting 1895 etc) ONE BOOK ON ENDGAMES! (Practical Chess Ending by Keres, emphasis on 'Practical.')
Best to way to improve is to play and play and then play some more.

Due to lock down these things are burning a hole, champing at the bit to get among new (not 2nd hand!) books.
Watersons sell games and jigsaws. I'll also get a Beatles jigsaw, unless of course I can find this one.

(Due to the guy getting his moves via the earphones, maybe this pic belongs in the cheating at chess thread
or as the only female shown is seen serving drinks maybe in that thread about women in chess. )




Thanks again.

One of the Chess Improvement authors is a good friend of mine.
Barry Hymer plays for our Chess Club on board 2 for the first team at Poulton-le-Fylde. I played Barry a few times. We were paired against each other in the League Cup when Poulton 1 played Poulton 2 last year. After Barry said I was unlucky to lose as I was on top. I got short of time and missed the win.
Barry is a very pleasant guy and down to earth.

Where on earth did you pluck that picture from Geoff? Rather colourful I must say.

Rather colourful, all right, and hilarious - but does it really need to be up here twice? If I remember right, Carl prefers not to have too many pictures overloading the system (got a wigging myself once for that).

Hi John,

It's people using the full quote button that is doing it. (I rarely use it, it takes up a chunk of space.)

Hi MJM,

Maybe go in and edit your post, just remove the picture from the 'quote'.
If not then Carl, who I have it from a good source hates jigsaws, will appear and delete everything.
(or not, I also have it from a good source that Carl keeps forgetting his password to log on here.)

Hi Jack, (Happy New year BTW)

Maybe you can dive in and take out the 2nd picture.
I recall the first time I used the Edit feature, all I succeeded in doing was re-posting the same post
again and again and again and again. It's bound to happen with MJM.

I put £2.00 on a horse called 'Little Jack' yesterday. Lost it. Your fault. You owe me £2.00.

Hi Geoff,

Why don't you just delete your picture and tell MJM not to go near the Edit Button.
Just take it out and add a wee note saying see picture of jigsaw in the next post.

But if MJM does figure out how to use the Edit Button and deletes his picture then you
will look like an idiot. This is indeed a dilemma. Just log out and pretend you never noticed.
(and stop putting money on horses that have a chess connection and blaming other people.)

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:07 pm

'Play Better Chess.' by Bill Hartston

You appear to be confusing
Play Better Chess, Leonard Barden (1980, second edition 1988)
Teach Yourself Better Chess, William Hartston (1997)

Hi Richard,

Me: ' am now firmly of the opinion any good book, picking one at random - 'Play Better Chess.' by Bill Hartston.'

Corrected:
"Play Better Chess, Leonard Barden (1980, second edition 1988)
Teach Yourself Better Chess, William Hartston (1997)"

Picked at random means I was just too lazy to get up and check. But yes, I did get two good chess books mixed up.
Although I would have put money on the my choice being correct. (and anyway, what kind of title is 'Better Chess' with the 'Play')

Of course I could have been thinking of:



But I wasn't and not only stand corrected but Richard has placed in me an awkward position, which book is 'BETTER.'

Bills!

I have nicked an idea or two from Leonard's book, Bills has more stuff in it to digest.
(and do not get upset about me using 'Bill' instead of 'William' the book itself calls Bill 'Bill'.
I mention this because every Bill I know prefers to be called William. )

Bill's book has in it....in case you wondering, I prefer Geoff to Geoffrey...

Bill's book has in it about 60 different rules of thumb to digest...hmmm....
Of course to fully study and digest each chapter you will need more books!
OK I have changed my opinion about just one book, you will need 60!
And to play safe, Get Leonards book(s) as well.

Shops still shut, nowhere to use these book tokens and to cap it all I've just won £140.00 (4 numbers on the lottery)
And the wife does not know! When they do open again it's spend spend spend and spend again.
I am the proverbial fool who is soon parted from money. (I am going to buy 70 £2.00 lottery tickets!)