Page 1 of 4
Self Published Books
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:18 pm
by Andrew Smith
Hi Everyone,
I have just self published a book called 'Off The Board Chess' which is a collection of the stories behind 153 of my games, most of which are lightly annotated. The book has good quality paper, Hardback cover, A4 size paper, coloured photographs, coloured diagrams on most pages, and in all there are 413 pages, so its quite hefty! I only have a couple now, but will receive more next week to send out. If you would like to know more, my email address is
[email protected]. If you have ever played me, maybe one of the games is against you. Its a bit different from other chess books. I think the printers have done a great job - I think its high quality ( not withstanding the content!)
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:49 pm
by Brendan O'Gorman
Hi Andrew,
I've enjoyed hearing some of your stories in the past, so the book sounds interesting. If you haven't already, perhaps John Upham could be persuaded to review it. Getting Chess & Bridge to stock a few copies would be helpful so that those of us in the London area could peruse the book before buying it. By the way, how much is it?
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:19 pm
by Andrew Smith
Hi Brendan,
Thank you for your interest and advice. I will ask John Upham as you suggest and also Chess and Bridge. The price for this hardback book is £19.95 + postage costs where relevant.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 8:42 pm
by LawrenceCooper
Andrew Smith wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:18 pm
Hi Everyone,
I have just self published a book called 'Off The Board Chess' which is a collection of the stories behind 153 of my games, most of which are lightly annotated. The book has good quality paper, Hardback cover, A4 size paper, coloured photographs, coloured diagrams on most pages, and in all there are 413 pages, so its quite hefty! I only have a couple now, but will receive more next week to send out. If you would like to know more, my email address is
[email protected]. If you have ever played me, maybe one of the games is against you. Its a bit different from other chess books. I think the printers have done a great job - I think its high quality ( not withstanding the content!)
I remember you managing a few scalps from my old Midland Monarchs team in the 1990s and at least one win against me in a British championship weekend qualifier.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:04 pm
by Nick Grey
Hi Andrew, we played in 2019. I will e-mail you. I think buying a 'bit different from other chess books' is what my game needs. Best wishes.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:56 am
by Nick Ivell
I always found Andrew's games very interesting. A disparity of performance, greater than normal perhaps, between White and Black; but always attacking chess well worth watching.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:58 am
by Paul Cooksey
I might have more losses to Andy than anyone else. I'll probably buy a copy as a precaution to take one out of general circulation.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:03 am
by Nick Ivell
Any prospective buyers will certainly find out a lot about the centre game.
(If that is what e4 e5; d4 is called.)
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:19 am
by Nick Ivell
The late John Ripley once bought me a collection of Spassky's games. His dedication was: 'Perhaps, one day, the best games of Nicholas Ivell?'
It never came to pass.
This has got me thinking. Perhaps 'My 60 Memorable Games' needs downgrading to my level, my games.
But caveat emptor. Memorable does not mean good!
To be fair though, even Bobby's classic contains some pretty slight stuff.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:23 am
by Kevin Thurlow
"Perhaps 'My 60 Memorable Games' needs downgrading to my level, my games."
Why not? Everyone has a story to tell.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:29 am
by Nick Ivell
Yes. I agree with that, Kevin.
Interestingly enough, some of our best players don't appear to have a collection. I know Alexander has one. Keene too. But what about Penrose, Hartston, Mestel?
But perhaps I am derailing the discussion from Andrew's games, which as I have said, are interesting in their own right.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:59 am
by JustinHorton
I'm guessing though that with most of us, fragments of games might be more interesting than the whole of them.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:20 am
by Nick Ivell
Agreed, but I never like fragments much. I was delighted to see Mickey annotating a whole game in the Telegraph today; too often he is constrained into giving fragments.
I always want to know the whole story, even if the main point of interest is the endgame.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:28 am
by JustinHorton
In principle yes, but I think the whole story may be more compelling if it's, say, Botvinnik v Fischer at the Olympiad rather than Horton v Ivell at the Ambridge Open.
Re: Self Published Books
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:30 am
by JustinHorton
(I'm not saying you can't have a dramatic, exciting and instructive game between two plodders: of course you can. But still.)