Customer Reviews

H.O.T. Chess

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Yes, Motwani is quirky, but he keeps you awake and alert. All of his books are wonderful; they are challenging, witty and instructive. His style (using many little stories, bizarre word games, weird astrological-type descriptions) rub some chess hardcores the wrong way (see Silman reviews and also the review of Chess under the Microscope by Taylor Kingston at chesscafe.com). But, for me, again, his style keeps me AWAKE. I can't count the number of nights I have fallen asleep with a book by Reuben Fine or John Nunn on my lap in front of me. So, I seek quirkiness in chess books, because the originality is so stimulating. This is one reason why My System by Nimzo. is such a classic. Plus, I liked The Syste, by Berliner for similar reasons. Finally, Motwani's annotations are very in depth and even his critics argue that there is a lot of good pure chess annotations in his work. I highly recommend all of his books.

I have to say that this book promises much more than it offers. The Highly Original Thinking turns out to be a set of thinking rules which usefulness for chess is not clear. Also, the book is rater asystematic, but some people may find this entertaining.