Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games [Paperback]

Hans Kmoch (Author), Barnie F. Winkelman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1960

Here are 100 of Rubenstein's best games against such opponents as Euwe, Janowski, Kashdan, Marshall, Tarrasch, and many others. His highly original contributions to chess theory cannot be overlooked by any serious player.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 1, 1960)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486206173
• ISBN-13: 978-0486206172
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #731,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rubinstein's chess masterpieces, June 25, 2006

By 

Murtuza Hashim "hashimm4" (Vienna, Va United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games (Paperback)

After having read this book, I gather that Rubinstein was a great positional player, tactician and an endgame virtuoso. Especially in Rook endgames his skills were unmatched. A lot of the games you see Rubinstein win a pawn out of the middle game skirmishes or weaken the opponents pawn structure and then grind them out slowly in an endgame, while his opponent waits like a goat ready to be fed to the lions. Also a lot of the games have a lot of nice tactics so you get to enjoy some combinations while you go through his games. Rubinstein mostly used to play Queens pawn games so you get to see a lot of Queens Gambit in his games, and study his approach to the Queens Gambit. With the black pieces he used to play the kings pawn to e5 mostly for defence, sometimes the Alekhine or the French, but mostly to e5. So you get to see his take on the Ruy Lopez, Four Knights and other king pawn openings like the Scotch. After reading this book, I am considering looking at other titles about Rubinstein, as his play was excellent, and at under $10 you cannot beat the value you get for the book. The only downside is that it is kind of hard to follow the games in descriptive notation, but after you go through like the first ten or fifteen you get practice, and dont end up making mistakes when moving the pieces.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but ....., January 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games (Paperback)

This a Dover reprint. Usually, Dover does not make changes to the format of its reprints, but this one needed it, and badly. The diagrams are small and old-fashioned and the moves are in descriptive notation. This usually does not bother me. Though I cannot tell you why, it bothers me here. As to content, Hans Kmoch's annotations are a bit skimpy in places. He assumes a knowledge level beyond a beginner's so be warned. The games are vintage Rubinstein: crystal clear strategical plans, superb middlegames and faultless endings. Should you wish for a book on this Polish genius and you have deep pockets look for the volumes by John Donaldson. If on a budget this present book will suffice.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book deserves 5 stars, October 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games (Paperback)

This is a book of a truly great player's games by a truly great author. (by the way, the reviewer from Sweden who deducted 2 stars for a few very minor notation issues is out of line giving this bookk 3 stars). Rubinstein's games are wonderful teaching tools: his games have a clarity like those of Capablanca, but his opening repertoire is more in line with what the intermediate player might play. Kmoch gives plenty of variations to challenge you, and many of these games have liong endings. At the price, this is one of the most valuable books in chess literature. This book is relatively unknown, but it has been around a long time. Note that Hans Berliner credited a careful study of this book with his development of "The System." Not that Rubinstein or Kmoch are to be blamed for the idiosynacies of that book; but the point is to show that this book has influenced players and authors. It is a great book.