World Chess Championship: Kramnik vs Leko 2004 [Paperback]

Raymond Keene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2004

With FIDE (the World Chess Federation) claiming that its Tournament in Libya - in fact, little more than a rapidplay open - was the world title clincher, this match for the Classical World Chess Championship would confirm one of the two mental matadors -Kramnik or Leko - as the legitimate heir of Steinitz, Alekhine, Fischer and Kasparov. Peter Leko, the Hungarian Grandmaster, qualified from the Dortmund Candidates' Tournament in 2002 to meet Vladimir Kramnik from Moscow, who had unseated Garry Kasparov in London 2000. Although both contenders were noted for their solidity, the clash turned out to be a sporting classic, as Kramnik poured every ounce of energy into the last games in an effort to rescue his title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hardinge Simpole Limited (October 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843821605
• ISBN-13: 978-1843821601
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,908,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well handled, October 30, 2005

By 

Aron Esme - See all my reviews

This review is from: World Chess Championship: Kramnik vs Leko 2004 (Paperback)

Grand Master Raymond Keene handles his subject with fluency and eloquence, as can only be expected of the chess correspondent for The Times and The Spectator. His annotations, as in most of his books, are excellent, and the examples he uses to illustrate his points are always apt, and adroitly used. As part of the series on the World Chess Championships, this book is a necessity for any collector, but more than this, Keene puts emphasis on a player frequently under-represented in the world of chess literature - Wilhelm Steinitz, bohemian, champion and in many ways the father of the world chess champions. Some of the matches here are perhaps not as interesting as others, and may not compare well with those in a few of the other books in the series, but they are handled well, and this more than makes up for the occasional dragging game.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great WCC Book --But not the best games, November 22, 2004

By 

Daniel Moerner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World Chess Championship: Kramnik vs Leko 2004 (Paperback)

This is a superb example GM Keene's writing brilliance. The analyses are prosy, and don't contain too many moves from random games. Instead, he includes moves from games that feature similar themes or that demonstrate the folly of the text move. I highly recommend this book if you want to collect WCC books or just liked the match.

However, if you are looking for a book of great games--don't go here. As a book this is 5 stars. The annotations are masterful, and so his Keene's style. However, as a match, it probably deserves only 2 or 3. Games 1, 13, and 14 are (IMHO) the only good ones. Many were short draws, and in games 5 and 8 Kramnik's huge preparatory blunders hurt the match. Therefore, I recommend Zurich 1953 by David Bronstein if you want great games.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb book with masterful annotations, November 22, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: World Chess Championship: Kramnik vs Leko 2004 (Paperback)

This is a superb world championship book. GM Keene has published an incredible number of books and is one of the best chess authors in the world. We uses a great deal of prose to keep the reader interested. In addition, he has notes from other players. I highly recommend this book if you want to look at a piece of history.