Customer Reviews

Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games, Volume 1

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book that I am reviewing is: "Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games, Volume One," by GM Igor Stohl. (2005 - Gambit Publications)

My records indicate that I purchased this book in late August of this year, so I have had it for close to two months now. I am a LIFE-Master; chess is not only a hobby, but a passion for me as well. I also enjoy good chess books, and this one is a welcome addition to my collection.

This is a wonderful - if a little pricey - effort by the author of another work ... that I happen to like a lot. ("Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces.") This is a beautiful hard-back volume, over 300 pages in length. (74 total games.) The book is superbly constructed and well laid out, there is an average of two diagrams per page, and I think there is enough analysis in here to satisfy even the most die-hard fan.

The author tells you that many of Kasparov's earliest efforts are not covered, and refers you to earlier chess works. (Like Kasparov's "The Test of Time.") This is unfortunate, as the average player will be unfamiliar with many of these great games, and some of the volumes that Stohl refers you to - are no longer in print.

I checked many of the games with a computer, I never found any serious mistakes in the author's analysis, and you can rest assured that most of his analysis was carefully checked with a modern computer program. I found the notes to be entertaining, instructive and informative.

Some of my favorite games (in this particular book) are:
# 1.) Kasparov - Tigran Petrosian; Bugojno; 1982. (Game # 18)
# 2.) Kasparov - Lajos Portisch; Niksic, 1983. (Game # 24)
# 3.) Robert Hübner - Kasparov; Brussels, 1986.(Game # 38.)

These are just three examples, and they range from tactical explosions and pyrotechnics to unbelievable positional squeezes. There are also a few elegant endgames in this book, although the author (understandably) avoided extremely long contests. The openings in here are generally very modern, a serious student of the game would be learning {as well as having a ton of fun} while studying these chess jewels.

This book only covers Garry's games through 1993, the rest of Kasparov's career will presumably be covered in Volume II.

I must say that Kasparov's games are truly beautiful, like all the great players, (Morphy, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Tal, etc.); Garry's best games are truly models of great chess. (Outstanding instruction!) And - from a personal viewpoint - other than Paul Morphy, Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal; no other players' games give me so much pleasure as those of Kasparov's.

Perhaps my only complaint is that the author occasionally over-uses a question mark to critique moves, often a 'dubious' appellation ("?!") or the 'interesting' symbol ("!?") might suffice. The author also seems to adhere to the requirements of "The Modern School" of chess annotation; this is something I do not necessarily care for. (The curious reader may find several discussions of this topic on many of my web pages.)

In the end, this is a magnificent work; the author is a solid GM who never loses his objectivity. In the final analysis, I do not think any chess fan would be disappointed with this book; however, it might be far too dense a read if you are just a beginner or a rank novice.

Naturally, I eagerly look forward to the release of the next volume ... I can only hope that the author does not keep me waiting for too long!

Do you realise that it is nearly 20 years since a collection of Kasparov's games appeared? Remarkable but true. So such a book as this is certainly not premature, though one might think that the author was clairvoyant in view of the fact that its publication coincides with Kasparov's shock declaration of his retirement from competitive chess.

In this, the first of two volumes, the author takes 74 of Kasparov's best games from the period 1973-1993, and subjects them to a detailed analysis. The author is well known for his analytical writings, and has already had published by Gambit a collection of games (Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces) based on his column in a Czech magazine.

In this book he has drawn on a wide variety of sources, including Kasparov's own annotations, and the emphasis lies in explaining the thought processes behind the moves. It is impossible for me to say anything about Kasparov that has not been said before, but for a reminder of the remarkable talent that now appears to be lost to the chess world I recommend that you simply read and enjoy!

This review first appeared in 'En Passant' magazine.

GM Igor Stohl made his name as an author with Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces, which was itself a masterpiece of annotated games from current day masters and grandmasters. In this latest ambitious project for the same publisher (Gambit) he has been allowed the freedom to retain his objective and straightforward style.
This is joy to read, one game a time, dipping in as the mood takes you. Stohl subjects 74 Kasparov brilliancies to intense scrutiny, and resists the temptation to sensationalize every move, or to pepper the book with exclamation points. He lets the games and moves do the talking.
In his younger days Kasparov played quite a variety of openings, and particularly useful is Stohl's overview of the theory, which he updates to the present day.
This is a terrific book, a classic even. Volume two is eagerly awaited.

This book is just what I was looking for. It arrived clean, and in great condition. I look froward to purchasing volume 2.

Stohl's book on Kasparov's greatest games, pre-1994, is terrific. The layout is easy to follow and the analysis sharp. I anxiously await volume 2.

The collections of games in this book are interesting and allow the average player to see how even master play has mistakes to be taken advantage of. Kasparov is one of the best players ever and this volume is even more entertaining than Vol 2 with his youthful dynamic play. Igor Stohl examines these games with current understanding of thematic analysis of the master level play. I have bought both volumes and enjoyed both books.

Well written and commented games (vol. I) from the greatest chess player ever (in my humble opinion).Some games did not stand the test of time (better moves have been found), but that does not remove value off this book.

I really enjoy the collection of games. The analysis is very good. If you like Kasparov, you will like this book.

I'm a Kasparov fan. This book contains an excellent collection of Mr. Kasparov's games. My only complaint is its high price.

This is a great collection of games but not enough meat. Any grandmaster can do analysis like this with Fritz. I expected a lot more.