Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces [Paperback]

Igor Stohl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Igor Stohl has selected 50 outstanding games from recent years and analyzed them in painstaking depth. Here he presents his findings to chess enthusiasts, who will find the games entertaining and the annotations both instructive and illuminating. Stohl is an outstanding theoretical expert, so the opening phase of each game reads like a lesson in the key strategic aspects of the opening played, with an up-to-date survey of current trends. The middlegame is dissected and the critical decisions subjected to scrutiny by an author who invites readers inside his laboratory to join him in his quest for the truth. The endgame phase, if reached, is handled with similar erudition, with insights into the grandmaster's approach to questions of technique.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Gambit Publications specialises in chess and has an unrivalled reputation for originality and editorial excellence. The company is owned and staffed entirely by leading chess masters and grandmasters.

About the Author

Igor Stohl is a well-known grandmaster from Slovakia, who was runner-up in the World Junior Championship in 1982. He plays in several national leagues and is a noted opening theoretician. His thorough annotations frequently appear in Ceskoslovensky Sach, Informator and ChessBase Magazine. See also Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games, volume 1.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901983420
• ISBN-13: 978-1901983425
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,164,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chess Book of the Year, July 25, 2001

By 

A. Ali "Harkonnen" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces (Paperback)

This book comprises fifty top-flight GM games played over a seven-year period, starting with Gelfand-Dreev Tilburg 1993 and culminating with Anand-Khalifman Shenyang 2000. The games are chronologically ordered and indexed by both player and opening. The notes to each game end with a summary that encapsulates the key moments of the game and provides a verbal summary of the main themes.

If I could give "Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces" six stars I would do so. It joins the pantheon of well-annotated game collections such as Nunn's "Secrets of Grandmaster Chess", Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move" and Timman's "The Art of Chess Analysis". The quality of analysis and explanation to be found is at least equal to that found in these other books.

The book has been written for accomplished players. It is at least one step beyond Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move". Whereas the style of Nunn's book is reminiscent of a patient teacher painstakingly explaining the basics, that of Stohl is of a senior and erudite master expounding high-level ideas at a seminar for junior colleagues.

I particularly liked the discussion of opening theory, where Stohl entertainingly describes the evolution of ideas. A few words from him can often shed light on an entire system. The discussion of current GM understanding of openings is unparalleled and backed up by references to games that have brought about shifts in opinion and sentiment. Of course, the analysis and explanation of other phases of the games is equally outstanding.

As Stohl suggests, one should have not only board and pieces but also a chess-playing program and database when reading the book. His analysis should be tested. And one may have unanswered questions. GM games seldom exist in isolation; they tend to provide a snapshot of chess culture at a particular moment. The games reflect understanding of the pool of chess knowledge, which grows with the passing of time, and they make their own modest contribution to this body. Stohl frequently refers to other games past and present, and to other opening ideas and middlegame strategies that can be looked up in a database.

In summary: the kind of book the Dvoretsky school would adopt for training purposes.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best-suited for Expert level and higher, July 25, 2005

By 

Scott M. Thiele (Moab, UT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces (Paperback)

The main drawback is that Stohl gives loads of theoretical variations and explains few of them. For example, he'll give the game's move and then show you 2 paragraphs of side-variations that are inferior......but seldom explains why one side is better (you have to be able to figure that out and then know whether you're reasons are correct).

Another drawback: he doesn't explain why a game is a masterpiece. Sure, all the theory and variations he gives are instructive, but what makes these games "masterpieces"? Do they possess some specific quality that warrants the title of Masterpiece? Hard to know, because he doesn't say. (But let's forgive Stohl if the book's title was chosen by the publisher and not by him.)

The book's strong point is the depth and breath of technical analysis. If you want to improve by following a game, analyzing moves, and checking your analysis, this is a terrific book. But be prepared to really apply yourself, because this is strong GM calculating. Be willing to work hard, or you could be wasting money getting this book.

This book is best-suited for players over 2000. Players rated 1600-2000 can use Stohl's book but will understand less of it and won't benefit as much. These players would get more out of books like The World's Greatest Chess Games by Nunn, Emms, and Burgess...much is explained descriptively, making it more fun to read and learn from, but you also get plenty of variations.

I give it 4 stars because it does a very good job and it's a well-written book for it's best audience (Expert and up). Myself, I play at 1700-1800.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An advanced and inspirational learning tool, January 7, 2004

By 

Hasselgren Johan (Uppsala Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces (Paperback)

I have recently started to work with this book and it is very useful. When you have the basics in place and do not need a lot of verbal explanation move by move to guide you - buy this one! I guess it is suited for people with rating at least 1800+. I returned to chess two years ago after 15 years of absence and my rating is now c2100 ICC Standard.

Reading the book the normal way would no doubt be interesting, but I use it and think it is best suited for playing solitaire chess. This kind of training is time-consuming but, apart from playing and analysing your own games, it is the best way to improve your actual game and find your weaknesses. There are no quick fixes when you have reached a certain level of play.

The idea is simulate an actual game, taking the side on one player and try to find the best moves. You can work with a clock or just take the time you need. The best way to start is to look at the contents page and then get the moves of the game from a database, in order not to be biased by Stohl's exclamation- or question-marks.

Skip the first 8 moves or so, then cover up the rest of the game. Write down your analysis of crucial variations or at least the moves you think will take place three moves ahead (two by you and one by your opponent). In "key positions" you might want to write down verbally your general observations/evaluations or break down the position in different factors. When ready, uncover the move actually played, the move by your opponent and then continue. If you got all your moves right (my sad experience is that it is not very likely) you can pat yourself on the back and say that you have beaten a world-class player!

When ready with the whole game you should ideally make you own analysis and maybe process the game through a computer program, but only after you have made your own mind up. It is only at this stage that you open the book and compare your notes with Stohl's. Then ask yourself - what kind of (good) moves did I miss and why?

This book is great and the large number of variations and suggestions for improvements in world-class games only make the book more attractive. It demonstrates that chess is a profound and beautiful game.