"Inside Chess" Michael Franett Editor, GM Yasser Seirawan
Publisher, International Chess Enterprises, Figurine Algebraic
Notation, 64pp., $55 annually (12 issues)

Although this weekly book review column is usually concerned
with books that have been recently published, it is altogether
appropriate that we digress a bit to look at Yasser Seirawan's
"Inside Chess," one of the world's top chess magazines that has
just undergone some change in publication frequency. In addition,
it should be noted that with the publication of Volume 11, Issue 1
(January 19, 1998), Yasser and his crew in America's beautiful
Pacific Northwest begin their second decade bringing the latest in
chess to its subscribers around the world.

By way of background, although it may have taken a few years, by
the early 1990s, "Inside Chess" was able to establish a small but
solid foothold in the uncertain world of chess magazine publishing.
This was mainly due to the contributions by one of America's
premier players, GM and publisher Yasser Seirawan, as well as, in
no small part, to the quiet, steady, dependable job done by Michael
Franett at the editor's helm. IC grew, issued stock, was bought by
another company, got into book publishing, and, through it all, still
cranked out a good chess magazine twice a month.

Near the end of last year, it was announced that IC would become a
straight monthly magazine, increasing the number of pages
published per issue so that the number of pages published during
the year would remain approximately equal to those under the
former bi-monthly publication schedule. There was some
apprehension as to how the readers would respond.

According to Seirawan in this issue, reader support for the changes
was "overwhelming." The first issue with the new publication
schedule has been released, and we are pleased to report that
Seirawan, Franett et al. have begun their second decade of
publishing by maintaining their same high standard of chess
journalism that marked the first decade. 

This issue's cover story is, understandably, the FIDE World
Championship Tournament. The first three rounds are covered in
depth in the lead article by Seirawan. Almost four dozen games are
presented with annotations by Seirawan, Ftacnik, Donaldson and
Tangborn. Seirawan was there playing in the tournament, and
shares insights with the readers that only someone onsite could
acquire.

This issue also sees the debut of two new regular columns. Irish
GM Alexander Baburin begins a monthly feature devoted to
endgame analysis. Entitled "Endgame Laboratory" it is an
intriguing look, this month, at the deceptively simple world of
K&P endings. Many players may not be familiar with Baburin's
analytical work in the endgame, although he is a respected writer
on the subject. For example, he recently penned an in-depth look at
R & P endings that appeared in the highly regarded endgame study
quarterly "EG."

The second new column has less finesse, but no less appeal.
American Grandmaster Larry Christiansen discusses taking it to
your opponent in his "Attacking Chess," wherein he states that he
hopes "...to explain the methods, reasons and intuition that are the
necessary components for a successful attack from the point of
view of a resolutely bloodthirsty attacker..." Christiansen's new
column should nicely complement IM Nikolay Minev's regular
column on tactics.

In addition, this particular issue has the first of a two-part in-depth
eight-page article by IM John Watson on the Chigorin Defense (1
d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6) and an "interview" of Karpov by Sarah Hurst.
Hurst's article is not really what most would regard as an interview
in traditional question-and-answer style, but more of a feature
about the FIDE World Champion interspersed with snippets of
conversations the writer had with him.

The only drawback we can point to is the use of what we will
describe as "high rent newsprint" on which the magazine in
printed. It is a grade of paper somewhat (but not much) better than
your daily newspaper. Be that as it may, this magazine should be in
every chessplayer's mailbox each month. It has always been
interesting and timely. And it just got better. Those interesting in
subscribing should contact Inside Chess, PO Box 19457, Seattle,
WA 98109; or in Europe: Inside Chess, PO Box 59064, 1040 KB
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be glad you did.