Checkpoint
by Alex Baburin

When I started this column last June, I had very little idea about
what was involved in writing book reviews. Over period of time I
leaned a good deal about this subject and hopefully The Chess Cafe
readers have enjoyed at least some of my work here. I certainly
have also learned quite a few things about modern chess literature.
However, for me time has become a rare commodity and while I
have enjoyed contributing to The Chess Cafe, this column is going
to be my last one. Next month, Danish Master Carsten Hansen
takes over. Now, to this month's books...

Practical Rook Endings by GM Victor Korchnoi, 1999 Edition
Olms, Softcover, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 98pp., $19.95

We don't usually see too many books written by the world's leading
players and when they do write, their works tend to be of a
biographical nature. This makes this new book rather unusual, as
Korchnoi concentrates on just one particular aspect of the game -
rook endgames. Such endgames can be notoriously complicated
and it's interesting to see how a player who has been among the
world chess elite for decades tackles this subject. An extract from
Korchnoi's preface will help to explain what this books is about: "I
am a practical player, and what attracts me in chess are not the
rules, but exceptions to them, which, fortunately, occur very
often... Therefore I decided not to write a new textbook on rook
endings, but rather to share my experiences with other players."
This is a pretty clear statement. Now let us see how Korchnoi
implemented his task and what a reader should expect from his
book.

Although the book isn't thick, it has plenty of material in it, as its
physical dimensions are considerably larger than those of the
standard Batsford or Everyman offerings. Korchnoi starts with a
part called 'An ABC of Rook Endings', wherein he gives 17
positions, which, in his opinion, readers should know well before
they proceed further into the book. These examples are
well-chosen and range from the well-known positions by Lucena
and Philidor to the rather complicated endgame in
Capablanca-Tartakower, New York 1924. The speed with which
Korchnoi moves from fairly simple endings to very complex ones
suggests that this book is not suitable for beginners. In fact, even
experienced players may find it difficult to navigate through the
mountain of chess analysis which Korchnoi provides in the
subsequent six chapters. They are based around 14 endgames from
author's own practice. I particularly like the ending
Korchnoi-Antoshin, Yerevan 1954, which Korchnoi discusses in
Chapter One (See Diagram): 

White: Kg2, Rc2; pawns - e4, f2, g3, h4
Black: Kg8, Ra3; pawns - f7, g7, h6

White to move. Such endings are very common and therefore many
readers would benefit from analysing them. Here Korchnoi states
that Black needs to play ...h5, while White should prevent it. Then
he gives two diagrams which illustrate White's winning chances
when he manages to play h4-h5. One comes from the game
Capablanca-Yates, Hastings 1930/1931, while another is from
Botvinnik-Najdorf, Moscow 1956. Two pages later Korchnoi
shows how Capablanca's game ended, but he actually never gives
the rest of the Botvinnik-Najdorf ending. I think that this kind of
presentation is not good and that it will leave many players rather
confused. Another difficulty with reading this book in general is
the author's tendency to swing between the actual game and
occasionally very lengthy analysis. The fact that Korchnoi
sometimes goes on for a couple of pages without a single diagram
does not make reader's life easier either. 

At any rate, returning to the endgame Korchnoi-Antoshin. White
posed serious problems for his opponent after 40 h5. Korchnoi
shows that after 40...Ra5 41 g4 Black had to play 41...f6!, reaching
a relatively easy draw. However, in the game Black defended
poorly and eventually lost. Korchnoi devotes six and half pages to
the analysis of this ending, producing a very nice piece of work
from which many can benefit. I only wish that he would have
presented his analysis and conclusions in a better structured
manner.
                                   
My other favourite example from this book is the ending
Ribli-Korchnoi, Baden-Baden 1981 (See Diagram)

White: Kf1, Ra7; pawns - e2, f2, g3, h2
Black: Kf6, Ra4; pawns - e6, f7, g7, h7

White to move. This is another very standard endgame which is of
great practical importance. Korchnoi claims that with correct play
White should be able to draw this position and suggest 34 h4 as the
best move to start with. Later he provides a very interesting and
deep analysis of this ending. There are over eight pages of in depth
analysis of this ending! This would certainly appeal to many
readers. Another attractive point is Korchnoi's highly critical
attitude towards his own play - he does not try cover up his
mistakes. For example, commenting on this endgame after 41 Ra6?
Korchnoi writes: "Black's position - at this precise point - is won. I
am ashamed to have to confess that during the break of one and a
half hours I failed to find a win." Despite this, I again wish that
author's presentation would be clearer and more methodological. I
have a passion for endings, but even I find it difficult to follow this
analysis.

To conclude this review, I would say that those readers who
appreciate deep chess analysis in general and rook endings in
particular would probably enjoy this book, despite all the
"navigational" difficulties. For example, the endgame
Korchnoi-Karpov (Bagio 1978, m/31) takes almost 22 pages in the
book! However, be advised that if you are looking to improve your
endgame technique and want to learn rook endgames in a
systematic way, this book might be too difficult to learn from - the
analysis is often too heavy, the explanations are not systematic and
the presentation is not always clear. Korchnoi himself said in the
preface: "...it is only born pedagogues and scientists who are able
to write good books on chess." Korchnoi is a great player, but
judging by this book he was not born a pedagogue! Thus, I doubt
that this book will become "a masterpiece in chess literature", as its
publisher 'modestly' claims on the book's back cover.

My assessment of this book: ***. 

c3 Sicilian by GM Joe Gallagher. 1999 Everyman Chess,
Softcover, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 176pp., $19.95

The times when the c3 Sicilian was considered to be an offbeat line
are long gone and it's only logical that a new book on this system is
entering the market since Chandler's The Complete c3 Sicilian was
published in 1996 - a long time ago by modern standards. Swiss-
based English GM Joe Gallagher is a prolific chess writer and this
book is another nice addition to his list of works. It's quite a
comprehensive guide to the modern state of this system, illustrated
with 70 annotated games, most of which were played in the 90s (in
particular, there are quite a few games from 1998 in the book).

In the Introduction the author explains how he worked on the book
and why he feels competent to write such a book. More
importantly, he gives a very good account of various pawn
formations, typical for this system. Here is one example (See
Diagram):

White: pawns: a2, c3, d4, f2, g2, h2.
Black: a7, b7, e6, f7, g7, h7. 

Gallagher writes about this diagram: "It arises when knights are
exchanged on c3 and when White has played e5xd6 or Black
...d6xe5 and White has recaptured with a piece. Subsequent
exchanges tend to favour Black as the hanging pawns become
weaker and less dynamic as the game goes on....White's chances
generally lie on the kingside where he has a space advantage and
may be able to develop an attack on the black king, while on other
occasions he may try to create a passed pawn by advancing his
hanging pawns." Such an introduction can be particularly useful for
less experienced players, as it gives good positional background to
concrete variations, which they will learn later in the book.

Gallagher does not play 2 c3 himself and this shows in this book,
as he does not pretend to promise White a considerable advantage,
as one might expect from such a book. His approach is rather more
balanced, which also makes this book interesting for those who
play the Sicilian Defense with Black. Gallagher starts with 2...Nf6,
covering it in the first five chapters. In his Beating the Anti-
Sicilians (Batsford 1995) he recommended Black adopt the
following line: 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nf3 e6 6 cxd4 b6.
However, now he believes that it may not be a good idea from a
practical point of view, as after 7 Nc3 Nxc3 8 bxc3 Qc7 9 Bd2 Bb7
10 Bd3 d6 11 0-0 Nd7 (See Diagram) 

White has too many possible moves. They include the sharp 12
Ng5, the solid 12 Re1 and the quiet 12 Bf4. White also has a
couple of interesting alternatives earlier on - 7 Bd3 (Game 19) and
7 Bc4 (Game 20). While in this line White seems to be doing fine;
he obviously has much harder time cracking the system with
5...Nc6 6 Bc4 Nb6 (Chapter four), as most games, which Gallagher
cites here, are rather old and do not seem to promise White
anything. Maybe because of this, nowadays White often deviates as
early as on move four, either by playing 4 g3 or by choosing 4 Nf3.
Then after 4...Nc6 5 Bc4 Nb6 6 Bb3 c4 7 Bc2 Qc7 8 Qe2
Gallagher recommends Black play 8...g5!?, citing the game Kunte-
Epishin, Linares Open 1998. Indeed, this line has remained popular
and continued to work well for Black in 1999.

Another popular system - 2...d5, is covered in depth in Chapters 6-
11, which form Part Two of the book. Gallagher starts with the line
3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nc6 5 Nf3 cxd4 6 cxd4 e5, which he previously
recommended for Black. However, now he feels that White might
be better after 7 Nc3 Bb4 8 Bd2 Bxc3 9 Bxc3 e4 10 Nd2!? (See
Diagram). 

Then after 10...Nf6 White can choose between 11 Nc4!? or 11 Bc4
Qg5 12 d5!. Of course, Black can play more conservatively with
...e6 or with ...Bg4 and ...e6, when again the author does not
promise White much of an advantage. One satisfactory line for
Black is 4...Nf6 5 Nf3 Bg4 6 Be2 e6 7 h3 Bh5 8 0-0 Nc6 9 Be3
cxd4 10 cxd4 Bb4!? 11 a3 Ba5 12 Nc3 Qd6 13 Nb5 and now not
13...Qe7?!, which in Deep Blue-Kasparov (Philadelphia, 1996
m/1) led to White's advantage after 14 Ne5, but 13...Qd5, as
recommended by GM Yasser Seirawan. However, White should be
quite happy to face 2...d5, if he enjoys playing positions with an
IQP. Such positions are well represented in Chapter 9 of the book.
Another option for White is to play Na3 at some point, which
according to Gallagher give White  small edge in most lines
(Chapter 10).

Apart from 2...Nf6 and 2...d5, Black has another reliable defense in
2...e6. The problem with this move is that Black must be ready for
the Advanced French after 3 d4 d5 4 e5!?, which naturally is
beyond the scope of Gallagher's book. Instead he recommends that
White play 4 exd5 exd5 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bb5!?, claiming that White
might hope for a small edge here. The book concludes with
Chapter 13, where the side lines like 2...d6, 2...e5 and 2...b6
receive quite adequate coverage.
 
As I rarely play the Sicilian Defense, it's hard for me to judge how
well the games chosen by Gallagher represent the current state of
this system, but to me the book appears to be well researched and
well written. It will be a valuable introduction to players who
would like to add the c3 Sicilian to their opening repertoire. It
should also serve as a good update for those who already practice
this system - either with White or Black. Each chapter concludes
with a little 'map' and a quick summary of its contents - the feature,
which I find very useful. There is an index of all key games in the
end of the book.

The only thing I did not like was author's use of diagrams - he
often gives diagrams for side variations, confusing the reader.
There also seems to be an incorrect diagram on page 11, as well as
quite a number of typos in the book. However, overall, these are
minor drawbacks.

My assessment of this book: ****.

Easy Guide to the Dragon by GM Mikhail Golubev, 1999
Everyman Chess: Softcover, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 144pp.;
$

It's been a few years since the appearance of Winning with the
Dragon by Ward (Batsford 1994) and The Complete Dragon by
Gufeld and Stetsko (Batsford 1997), so this new book on this
popular system seems to be well timed. Ukrainian GM Golubev is
a very keen practitioner of the Dragon himself and in his first
major work he enthusiastically shares his knowledge of this
opening.

The book consists of the Introduction, where the author gives a
short overview of the opening and its history, and 23 rather short
chapters. Each chapter covers a particular line and is packed with
information. Golubev usually shows one main line, illustrating it
with many sub-variations, so you will often see symbols like
'B32d' in the book. Such density of information comes at a price -
in the book you won't find much general advice. The author does
not stop to tell you what plans are available in a particular position
or what characteristics are most vital for a particular pawn
structure. This approach is probably justified, as after all, in the
Dragon, precise knowledge of sharp variations is crucial and often
prevails over general considerations. However, I would like to
warn inexperienced players, particularly if they have not yet played
the Dragon, that this book may be a bit difficult for them to learn
from. Players who already employ this system and are looking for
an overview of its current state will certainly benefit from this
work a lot more. In the Introduction, Golubev claimed that his aim
was to give an objective picture of the opening and I think that he
managed to fulfil his promise. The book is not particularly biased
in favor of Black; it also offers White many useful hints.

Golubev starts with systems like 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 f4 (the Levenfisch Variation), 6 Bg5 and 6
g3. Then he moves on to the Classical Dragon, where among other
variations he examines a rather fashionable line with 6 Be2 Bg7 7
0-0 0-0 8 Re1 Nc6 9 Nb3 (See Diagram). 

He claims that Black is doing fine after 9...Be6 10 Bf1 a5!? 11 a4
Bxb3! 12 cxb3 e6 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bh4 Qb6 15 Nb5 Rfd8, as in the
game Zagrebelny-Yakovich, Novgorod 1997. Although Golubev
gives an adequate coverage of these systems, it's obvious that he
does not think that they pose any real threat to the Dragon. He
states this himself very clearly on page 12: "There is an opinion
among chess-players that all White's responses to the Dragon
variation, except for 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3, are second rate. I fully share
this view." Thus, we may expect that the author pays a lot of
attention to the Yugoslav Attack and in fact he does so. 10 chapters
and more than half of the space in the book is devoted to this
particular system, making it the core of the book. It's also the best
part of Golubev's work.

I would not dare to judge his opinions of the Yugoslav Attack, as I
don't play this opening at all. But to me Golubev's coverage of this
system seems to be very good, with deep insights into the most
critical developments of the line. He believes that the line 6 Be3
Bg7 7 f3 Nc6 8 Qd2 0-0 9 g4 Be6 10 0-0-0 Nxd4 11 Bxd4 Qa5! is
OK for Black, while after 9 Bc4 he gives a very detailed account of
9...Bd7 10 0-0-0 Rc8 11 Bb3 Ne5 12 h4 h5!, where according to
him, Black is doing well at the moment. He believes that compared
to 9 Bc4, 9 0-0-0 (See Diagram) 

is a more dangerous move. In fact, he awards it an exclamation
point. This line is covered in chapters 21-23. Golubev clearly
disapproves of the move 9...Nxd4, as after 10 Bxd4 Be6 11 Kb1!
Qc7 12 h4 Rfc8 13 h5 Qa5 14 hxg6 hxg6 15 a3 he writes: "Black is
on the verge of defeat (and maybe even beyond it)." Instead he
advocates the pawn sacrifice 9...d5, where he concludes that
compared to 10 Kb1 and 10 Qe1, 10 exd5 seems to be most
dangerous for Black. For those who do not want to gamble the
pawn on move 9, Golubev suggests 8...Bd7 9 0-0-0 Rc8 (chapter
23). He finishes his coverage of the Yugoslav Attack by saying:
"There are enough mysteries here for the new millennium as well."
I think that this remark is fully applicable to the Dragon as a whole.
Those players who would like to try to solve these mysteries will
find a good guide in this book. For newcomers to this opening
(particularly with a rating below 1800), I would first recommend
they familiarize themselves with a work on the general theory of
the Dragon, as this books is packed with concrete variations rather
than with general overviews.

My assessment of this book: ****.