Aagaard's "Attacking Manual" (Volume 2)

[Arshad Ali]

Can anyone comment on this book? I wasn't impressed with volume 1 but volume 2 seems to be a different kettle of fish altogether.

Come to think of it, there haven't been that many books on attacking. There's Vukovic's old classic, a more recent book by Colin Crouch, Tal and Damsky's "Attack with Mikhail Tal" -- and I think I've pretty much summed up the literature in English.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Can anyone comment on this book? I wasn't impressed with volume 1 but volume 2 seems to be a different kettle of fish altogether.

My copy of ATM is currently on loan so I can't help you I'm afraid.


What edition of ATM1 did you see? I've been looking at the new edition recently. I've found it pretty useful. Since starting working through it I've sacrificed a knight twice. Before I started, I hadn't made any piece sacs this season (in double the number of games). Could be coincidence of course.

[James Pratt]

books on attacking? err.. ever heard of Alekhine?

[Arshad Ali]

What edition of ATM1 did you see? I've been looking at the new edition recently. I've found it pretty useful. Since starting working through it I've sacrificed a knight twice. Before I started, I hadn't made any piece sacs this season (in double the number of games). Could be coincidence of course.

I saw the first edition late last year but couldn't understand what he was trying to do (Crouch and Vukovic have a clear pedagogic focus). Saw the second edition of volume 1 yesterday at the shop on Baker Street but just glanced hurriedly through it. But volume 2 seems to have a clearer pedagogic focus and indeed Aagaard says (in the foreword) that the book is meant to cover all attacking technique. The games and notes are excellent and inspiring and since a clod like myself never learnt how to attack (dour, patient defence and manoeuvring are more in my line), the book might add a bit of sparkle to my game.

[Simon Williams]

'Come to think of it, there haven't been that many books on attacking.'

err, I am not sure where you have been for the last 10 years but you could try one of the following:

Improve Your Attacking Chess
How To Crush your Chess Opponents
Secrets of Attacking Chess
Attacking with 1 d4
Attacking with 1 e4
etc etc etc

The list goes on and on, just check out Everymans book list http://www.everymanchess.com/A_to_Z_page.php and fill your boots!

www.gingergm.com

[Arshad Ali]

'Come to think of it, there haven't been that many books on attacking.'

err, I am not sure where you have been for the last 10 years but you could try one of the following:

Improve Your Attacking Chess
How To Crush your Chess Opponents
Secrets of Attacking Chess
Attacking with 1 d4
Attacking with 1 e4
etc etc etc

The list goes on and on, just check out Everymans book list http://www.everymanchess.com/A_to_Z_page.php and fill your boots!

http://www.gingergm.com

I have the first book (I buy anything by Marin sight unseen), which is an excellently annotated game collection. The last two on your list are repertoire books. None of these, in my humble opinion, are bibles on attacking, carefully explaining the preconditions and philosophy of the attack. Maybe some day an author like Neil McDonald, Jonathon Rowson, John Nunn, or Peter Wells might write something to compete with Aagaard but what we mostly have today is attacking game collections, annotated to varying degrees of proficiency. What Vukovic, Tal and Damsky, and (to some extent) Aagaard do is something different.

Some of the old books I omitted to mention: The King Hunt, by Nunn and Cozens, and books on the sacrifice by Spielman, Vukovic, and Shamkovich.

Postscript: Also omitted Zenon Franco's "The Art of Attacking Chess."

[Simon Williams]

'I have the first book (I buy anything by Marin sight unseen), which is an excellently annotated game collection.'

I think that you will find that the first book on the list, 'Improve Your Attacking Chess' is by Simon Williams and not Marin, so unless I have warped into a middle aged man; do you actually know what books you have and are you sure that you have read them?

Seriosuly there are dozens and dozens of attacking books out there. I agree on one point, Aagaard is a great writer.

www.gingergm.com

[Arshad Ali]

'I have the first book (I buy anything by Marin sight unseen), which is an excellently annotated game collection.'

I think that you will find that the first book on the list, 'Improve Your Attacking Chess' is by Simon Williams and not Marin, so unless I have warped into a middle aged man; do you actually know what books you have and are you sure that you have read them?

Ah, beg pardon. I was thinking unconsciously of Marin's "Secrets of Attacking Chess." Didn't realise you were engaged in some self-promotion.

Alas no, I seldom read any book; in this connection I might recommend Pierre Bayard's "How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read." His argument (as I remember it) is that delving into a book too deeply prevents one from having the proper distance from it so as to see it in perspective. Not seeing the wood for the trees, so to speak.

Postscript: No, I don't exactly know what I have anymore. I stopped counting when my collection exceeded 900 books and it's probably at least 50% bigger now. What this means is that I occasionally inadvertently end up buying a second copy of a book not being sure if I own it in the first place.

[Andy Burnett]

Didn't realise you were engaged in some self-promotion.

Since we're on the subject, you should check out my book 'Streetfighting Chess' -An attacking guide for club-players. Perhaps not in the same league as Simon, Jacob and Marin's works but much more suited to the average player and a good read too! For anyone who is also a member of chess.com there is a healthy discount
Andy Burnett
http://www.streetfightingchess.com

[Arshad Ali]

Didn't realise you were engaged in some self-promotion.

Since we're on the subject, you should check out my book 'Streetfighting Chess' -An attacking guide for club-players. Perhaps not in the same league as Simon, Jacob and Marin's works but much more suited to the average player and a good read too! For anyone who is also a member of chess.com there is a healthy discount
Andy Burnett
http://www.streetfightingchess.com

I saw it yesterday at the chess shop. Now that I know you are the proud author, I shall look at it a bit more closely. I also own one of Simon's books -- but can't remember which one. And no, I have definitely not read it. It says in the bible somewhere that much reading is a weariness of the soul and -- *sigh* -- that's what I now believe. I also adhere to the school of thought that just having the book on one's shelf should make one a stronger player.

[Angus French]

My copy of ATM is currently on loan so I can't help you I'm afraid.

... and it's on loan to me and I'm hoping to write a review of it (but I'll need to find some time to put aside to read the book and then think about what I want to say about it).

I did purchase the original edition of AM 1 and a feeling I had about it was that Aargaard had lots of interesting things to say BUT that he was somewhat in need of a sub-editor!

[Arshad Ali]

Since we're on the subject, you should check out my book 'Streetfighting Chess' -An attacking guide for club-players.

En passant, the game Burnett-McDonald (Edinburgh 2005) is annotated, where white administered a savage drubbing to black after a piece sac on g7. The quality of analysis is very high, and Aagaard is pointing out non-obvious attacking ideas and continuations all the time. It has restored my joie de vivre. The book is to be guarded, treasured, and gloated over (like Gollum with his "precious").

[Arshad Ali]

I took a closer look at Vol. 1 (2nd edition) yesterday. I don't think it's in the same league as Vol.2. To the extent that I'm unwilling to fork out twenty-four quid to buy it.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi

Street Fighting Chess reviewed by The Corner here;

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandle ... handID=279

Some middle of the range Scottish players who you would have classed as timid
now have teeth and this book is to blame. It's often quoted in some of the
games I get sent.

Be prepared to get your face slapped.

On a personal level I don't think you need a book on attacking chess,
you just need ro have the right attitude.

Simply point things at the King and sac. Sometimes it works.

[Gavin Strachan]

I wonder if Karpov (and Spassky in later years) ever thought of writing a book called "attacking chess" perhaps how to "grind out a win with a micro edge".