Customer Reviews

Secrets of Grandmaster Chess (New American Batsford Chess Library)

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I have both 'Secrets of Grandmaster Chess' and the earlier 'Secrets of Grandmaster Play' that Nunn co-authored with Griffiths. SGC has about 120 pages more than SGP. Much of this difference is spent in narrating Nunn's autobiographical and tournament details, which is itself quite readable. Some extra games and snippets of games are also given. Some of the analysis has been corrected and amplified, on the basis of flaws found by Dvoretsky and Yusupov, and also by checking the analysis using Fritz4. The book has been designed as a prequel to 'John Nunn's Best Games'. It is a more professional effort than SGP. However, it has to be said that SGP has a more pedagogic slant, and is more likely to be useful to the bumbling club player trying to improve his play (i.e. myself). This is because of the input of Griffiths, a worthy chess pedagogue whose every book I've bought.

But coming back to SGC. This book can be unequivocally recommended as a top-flight book. These are the games and notes of a strong, modern Grandmaster who plays mainline openings, and has a preference for complex, tactical chess. Nunn has to be considered the strongest, most professional chess writer currently around.

The book is most likely to be useful to players who are rated at least 1800 or 1900. The earlier SGP could be used with profit by players at least 1700, or perhaps even 1600.

I thought my opinion on this book, although favorable, would not change. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and quality the changes that were made from the earlier edition. I feel that chess books ideally should have the following characteristics; honesty, quality anotations, good explanations in prose, usefull topics and a well thought out layout. This book has all of these qualities and more. This book is most useful for those player who already study a lot and love to study. What John Nunn gives you is how Grandmasters look at positions and the amount they calculate before making their moves. It takes an ambious and diligent player to go over even one game. This book is very rare indeed.

I understand that this is a book for the more serious player. Nevertheless, I (being a 1500-1600 player) enjoys it very much and, at least imagines, that I get playing beneits from reading it.

Of course, it is very detailed, but I think I can follow the discussions quite well. And, you don't have to go through every detail if you don't have the time. Sometimes, I also read it in bed before I go to sleep.

The anecdotes placed between the games are also worth reading.

I highly recommend this book!

I agree: Nunn's book is intense study material. Less-experienced players (like myself 10 years ago) will find it hard going because Nunn has not written a simplified "tutorial" work. What he does is extensively annotate various games he played throughout his chess career discussing openings, planning, tactics, etc. His notes are thorough, variations numerous, and the lessons learned important. I have to admit: I had an early edition of this book ten years ago, and gave it away. It was too hard. I wanted something light. Maybe I was lazy. Anyway, now I really enjoY this book, but be warned: it demands attention.

This is a thoroughly revised update of the 1985 collaboration between John Nunn and PC Griffiths. It analyzes 24 games played between 1974 and 1985, in which Nunn took on and beat some chess giants including the Soviet grandmasters Polugaevsky, Vaganian, Korchnoy and Tal. The Polugaevsky game, played at Skara, Sweden in 1980, saw Nunn tear his opponent to shreds in just 32 moves - with the Black pieces, no less! The author describes this Bobby Fischer-like exploit as "a veritable witches' cauldron of tactics", and gives extensive notes showing the various possibilities at each move.

Nunn is one of the world's best annotators, thanks to his excellent calculating ability and merciless quest for objectivity. There is much to be learned from this book and "John Nunn's Best Games", which takes up the tale in 1985.

A good chess book for those willing to do a lot of work as each game receives 10-12 pages of very detailed analysis. This may be a bit much for the average reader, but for expert level players and above it gives good insights into the thinking processes of a strong grandmaster.

Nunn is one of the greatest chess player, not only because of his games, but also his analytical approach chess parties.This book, as Test of Time of Kasparov, gives to the readers how to understand, plan and to implement personal chess improvement. But before studying this book, the player who wishes to study this book should have good a certain chess formation,in terms of middle game strategy and tactical base, which means to have at least +2000 ELO...