Spurious Games by David Jenkins

[Geoff Chandler]

Not sure where to put this, cannot be a book review, not read it (yet)
Did a search here for 'Spurious' and then 'Jenkins,' no direct hits on the subject, so it's not yet been mentioned.

Looks like my idea of a murder mystery with genuine chess clues may have been gazumped. (that was quick).

Maybe we should all get a copy and compare reviews here: it's only £9.95 p/back.
( I do not think I know the lad, though I might, I know 1000's of chess players, so it's not a plug.)



A passage from the book:

‘The first question was from Rupert, a new member of the AWMU who also happens to be a chess player.
“Has any serious master-level chess game been won following the dubious early queen sacrifice in the Leningrad Nimzo-Indian?” he asked.’

‘Several, including Boris Nisman v Lars Karlsson 1971’, replied the voice instantly,

‘although Kirsan Ilyumzhinov believes the sacrifice to be unsound with insufficient compensation given correct play.
Please ask probing questions. You have only three because of psychokinetic limitations at this intergalactic distance.’

---

The game in question is: Boris I Nisman vs Lars Karlsson, Moscow 1971.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 c5 5.d5 h6 6.Bh4 Nxd5 7. Bxd8 Nxc3 8. Qb3 Ne4+ 9. Kd1 Nxf2+ 10. Kc1 Kxd8 11. Qf3 Nxh1 12. g4 Ke7 13. Bg2 Nc6 14. Bxh1 d6 15. e3 Bd7 16. Qe2 a6 17. Kc2 b5 18. Rd1 bxc4 19. Qxc4 Rab8 20. Qf4 c4 21. Nf3 Rhc8 22. g5 h5 23. Rf1 e5 24. Qe4 c3 25. bxc3 Bxc3 26. Kd1 Rb2 27. Nh4 Nb4 28. Qb7 Rd2+ 29. Kc1 Nd3+ 30. Kb1 Rb2+ 31. Qxb2 Nxb2 32. Bd5 Be6 33. Nf5+ Kd7 34. Bxe6+ fxe6 35. Nxg7 Na4 36. Rf7+ Kc6 37. Nxh5 Rh8 38. Nf6 Rxh2 39. g6 Rb2+ 40. Kc1 Bd2+ 0-1

There are at least six other games given in the book.

http://spuriousgames.org/featured-games/

The above link also has a 'HOME' button where you can learn more about the book.

I'll get it, or place an order for it tomorrow.

[JustinHorton]

Who's the publisher?

[John McKenna]

Self-censored

[Nick Grey]

i thought a F Fieldsism and Brody.

[John McKenna]

Nice one Nick...

Self-censored

Edit - But Fields & Brody are not the publishers.

[John McKenna]

Having retracted my two posts above I'll take the bait and say the game Boris Nisman v. Lars Karlsson, 1971 Moscow, has eluded me and is therefore spurious because -

ECO E (1978) contains the following line -

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 c5 6.d5 Nd5?! 7.Bd8 Nc3 8.Qb3 Ne4 9.Kd1 Nf2 10.Kc1 with clear advantage to white. No game reference is given. (The section E30 is attributed to Taimanov.)

Apologies to Geoff C and Justin H for spoiling their fun.

Farewell and adieu to you old Scottish & Spanish exiles
Farewell and adieu, you exiles in Scotland & Spain
For I've taken a vow of silence
And so nevermore shall you hear me again

[Matt Mackenzie]

Lars Karlsson - if that means the Swedish GM - was born in 1955 and seems to have no other games extant before the late 1970s.

Hmmm.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi John McKenna,

The game exists:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328834

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well yes, but that doesn't mean it wasn't "composed".

(there are also suspicions about a few Soviet and Cuban "puzzles" at the end of older Informants in that regard)

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Matt,

Apparently the game was in Shakhmatny Moscow, 1971 Issue 8. Of course it could have been 'arranged'.

[Matt Mackenzie]

So if it was genuine, was the Black player really the future Swedish GM of that name - or (IMO more likely) somebody else?

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Matt,

Agreed. It is very possible that someone else playing the Black pieces.

I do not have have the book (yet), I was just thinking that perhaps the title 'Spurious Games' uses...er...spurious games.
However the books homepage lists other games used in the book (see link above) game one is Beliavsky - Stean, Lucerne 1982.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessga ... 29010&m=11

Recall a coincidental comment from CHESS or BCM that Stean had just published
a book on the Najdorf and later in the same year lost in 15 moves using it.

[Geoff Chandler]

Mid read - review. (well it's different from a normal review.)

I'm really enjoying the book, already 100% recommended to all chess players.

Someone is knocking off chess players and sending chess games and positions to the police as clues.

And although On page 15 a Professor Pritchard(!) is pondering that on the whole
chess players are a humorless bunch I think most here will enjoy the style and prose.

(and no mush/guff love angle, the hero is half blind, fat and his ECF grade is falling, this book,
unlike one I recently had the misfortune of getting will not be drop-kicked into a charity shop.)

Jenkins has a wonderful knack of keeping the humerus pages ticking over and we
will all recognise the calm,quirky and nutcase chess players from their own clubs.

I dare say some future readers will associate one or two of them with me!

"....there is something about the game that the seriously unhinged find attractive." (page 25)

So far two have been bumped off. One eating poison chocolate chess pieces and another
electrocuted by a chess clock. Players from Fischer to Ivanchuk to Andrew Greet are dripping off the pages

(not to mention a few possible name checks...a strong junior player from Cornwall/Devon called Budd!
I may even get a mention...if it's quirky and odd you want, then I'm your man.....I might even be the murderer!)

I've spotted one wee tiny error, but it may be part of the plot....

I ordered it from Blackwells, arrived in three days.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/produ ... 1838593520

Carl maybe move this to the Book Reviews section. Sorry for putting things in the wrong place.

[Kevin Thurlow]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spurious-Games ... oks&sr=1-1

provides more information.

You need to be careful with possible name checks, as you can be sued for libel where the reader can still identify someone, even if you don't use their real name. So I hope he was nice to "Budd"!

[JustinHorton]

Who's the publisher?

Self-published, appears to be the answer.