Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters: Beyond the Basics, Volume 2

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4 star:		(1)
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I really like the way Lev Alburt and Larry Parr have written these Volumes of the " Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters". I think reading Volume 1 is a must for beginners if you want to get the most out of Volume 2. I had no problem going from Volume 1 to Volume 2. Volume 2 (about the first 100 pages) starts mainly with more detailed Tactics and many helpful Diagrams. There are up to 3 diagrams on one page with the answers & explanations on the opposite page or just below the diagrams, no searching for answers. The last half of the book is mainly about Openings. There about 20 openings he explains and many have an accompanying Master Games ( Reti, Fischer, Tal ) which are easy to follow. I also like that he gives some specific Opening recommendations. Thus, this book explains Advanced Tactics and will prepare you for a more advanced Opening Book. Lev also gives a list of all the Chess Champions starting 1745(A.Philidor) to 1997(G.Kasparov). The book is 231 pages including a nice Index.

Rusian chess has a real dominance in modern chess. If even Fischer had to learn some tips from rusian chess school, why you not.

This book Step by step incorporates estrategic concepts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
1. The authors are Lev Alburt, three times winner of the USA championships, and two times winners and European cup. He moved to america and met a former editor of chess life magazine, Larry Parr.

!!!A soviet player and anti-comunist, made together this colection. Very poetic fact!!!

This book contains, nice opening approach and well commented games:
The Contents i liked:
1. Advanced Tactical Devices chapter 4,
2. Hard hitting combination chapter 6
3. Practical tournament tips, chapter 12
4. And others two chapter about games.

If you have this book, you maybe not worth the volume one, (for beginer). I purchased for both, because i am teaching, just for that, beginer player, start with the first and then this book, is almost to have a Master at home.

Player over 2000 USCF, maybe know many contents inside the book, i had defeated FIDE MASTER, and found some nice theme, not much; but nice.

If you are a parent or coach, buy this book for your child, you and your son will love it, reading together.

Team trainer, must have this book.
thanks i hope my review help you

I thought that this book was very good overall. It included aspects from all parts of the game, game good information and example games about king and queen pawn openings, addressed a variety of tactical themes, and handled some of the basic endgame positions. Of all the areas, the endgame topics were the weakest, giving only a single example of the positions and not really diving any deeper than "do this in this case." This minor issue didn't detract from the book however. There were really no secrets however. This book is not a basic book, but it isn't intermediate either. Either a low intermidiate level or a high beginner. you need to be able to move the pieces and understand some basic chess, but nothing too extreme. 1100 rating needed. Probably not too much to offer those over 15-1600 IMO.

This is the companion to the first Volume. More in depth tactics. Again, one of the easiest yet GOOD chess books I have read. I read it a few years ago and bought two, one for myself and one for my life time friend who I play on line... as I noted in my review of Volume I, he beats me more and more all the time.

i have read, and continue to read many 'basics and beyond . . .' books -- as much for my interest in comparative teaching style in general as for my interest in improving my own chess playing / studying ability.
this is, without question, the very best and most instructive book written for players above the 'very basic level' [know the rules and some tactics and some openings but come uo short on 'why?'] that i have ever encountered. explanations give insights, expand and deepen knowledge and lay bare thought-processes so that the reader can grow them for herself; problems reinforce concepts and stretch the reader into new areas of thinking.
the book goes well with the two later alburt books: '300 fundamental positions' [Alburt 'Chess Training Pocket Book] and 'more fundamental positions' Chess Training Pocket Book II: How to Spot Tactics and How Far Ahead to Calculate (No. 2) the latter two are less instructional [in a didactic sense] and more 'practice and remember', but 'beyond the basics-secrets of the russian chess masters' is rather more like taking an excellent correspondence course in chess [or even having private lessons with a great teacher. the three books together [plus lots of recorded and analyzed play, of course] should carry the reader / player into the 2000+ rated ranks.

i really love this really intuitive book of chess and its excersises i really love to know what will my opponent do in two turns

This is a very good book on chess that goes beyond the basics of the game. It is a "must read" for chess enthusiasts.