Customer Reviews

Jon Speelman's Best Games

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Speelman has a reputation for exhaustive analysis and deeply conceived endgame strategies. This book certainly reinforces both of these descriptions, but Speelman also shows a bloodthirsty side! His organization is a bit unusual, dividing the games into two general sections ("Growing up as a Chessplayer" and "Themes"). This has certain advantages, but given the depth of his commentary (sometimes spending more than two pages on a single move), I would prefer a more traditional format. The games are entertaining and instructive. I have always been a fan of Speelman's style, and this book ranks among the year's best. However, I wonder how many readers will actually go through every comment of this densely packed trove.

Jon Speelman is one of the strongest British players ever, having reached the Candidates' Tournament and beaten some of the world's top grandmasters. His style is exceptionally interesting, combining pragmatism with fantasy, and he is an authority on the endgame. When Speelman gets unhappy with his position almost anything can happen, and his opponents are chronically aware of the "swindling hazard" they incur by gaining an advantage against him. In one of the games in this splendid collection, he sacrifices his queen for a couple of minor pieces - a transaction which, in a lesser player, would look like a downright blunder - then consolidates his position and clinches a win against a strong opponent by the most logical of moves. Such exploits invite comparison with the legendary David Bronstein, who arguably would have been world champion if he could have overcome his boredom with humdrum chess.

Speelman is one of the game's great fighters, as witness his wins against players like John Nunn, Nigel Short, Tony Miles and Viktor Korchnoy. This book also includes his two draws against Kasparov - one of them from a position with tripled isolated pawns! - which must have left the Baku maestro fuming and frustrated.

This book is hugely instructive from the practical player's point of view, because it gives insights into how chess games are really decided at the highest level. None of your crystal-clear strategic crushes here, consistent from first move to last. Speelman is breathtakingly candid about his thought processes and the sometimes apparently random factors that make the difference. A study of his games is bound to make anyone's play more resilient and resourceful - as well as being great fun and, occasionally, awe-inspiring.

If you are a middle rated and (hopefuly) an ambitous player this the book for you. Plent of in deep analyzes and good advice.