"Playing Computer Chess - Getting the Most Out of Your Game" by Al Lawrence and GM Lev Alburt, 1998 Sterling Publishing Co., English Algebraic Notation, 144pp., $12.95 Since world champion Gary Kasparov was embarrassed by IBM's Deeper Blue last year, much attention has been focused on chessplaying computers and software. A recent entry in the field of chess books piggybacks on this interest. The authors of "Playing Computer Chess" should be well known to the chessplaying public. Grandmaster Lev Alburt has to be considered one of the premier chess instructors of the era. His six- volume instructional series entitled "Comprehensive Chess Course" is rightly considered one of the best available on the market. Former U.S. Chess Federation Executive Director Al Lawrence, a friend and confidante of Alburt, still maintains strong ties to the chess world; he is active as an advisor and author. Their recent collaboration has produced this latest book published by Sterling Publishing Company. It is titled "Playing Computer Chess - Getting the Most Out of Your Game." It is a good book, but the title is misleading. In fact, what we have here is a basic instructional book highlighting the basic elements of the game for beginners. In that respect, Alburt's instructional talent and Lawrence's breezy presentation are clearly evident. The book is divided into twelve short chapters. Every basic element for the novice is explained and illustrated. Examples are usually presented as having been played or solved by chessplaying computers and the impact and influence of computers is discussed throughout the book. (Thus the computer connection). The reader can get a good idea from the following excerpt... Computers and tactics in the middlegame Computers, despite their lack of a "book" to rely on for the middlegame, do very well at tactics. All of our units excelled at finding these forced series of moves ending in mate or the winning of significant material. We set them at one minute per move for their work throughout this chapter. Computers do not do as well at planning. We'll discuss their problems with strategy in the next chapter. Don't despair! Keep in mind that to have winning combinations at your disposal in a real game, you have to plan well. Most often, we get things done on the chess board by using tactics, or the threat of tactics. Let's look at the basic thrusts and parries of chess's mental swordfighting: the Dirty Dozen. We'll explain them as if you're executing them against your opponent. That will be less confusing, and more enjoyable to think about! Practicing these 12 basic types of tactics will vault your game to a new level. You'll smash players-human and inhuman-you previously struggled with! Tactic #1: decoy Decoys do just what their name implies. They're used to force an enemy piece to a particular square. This tactical device can be very handy-especially when used in conjunction with other tactics. Take a look at the classic of decoying that follows. Think about what you like and don't like about the position for each side. (This is the kind of analysis chess players do to determine what may be a good plan to follow.) Take two important concepts and apply them to the snapshot at right. How would you evaluate each side in relation to development and King safety? Although White's kingside is completely at home in this late9pening position, his queenside pieces exert a powerful influence on the center. His Rook, already on d l while Black's are still stuck in the comers, exerts latent power down the open d-file. Black's King is woefully located on one of two adjacent, open files at the other red, looking rather like a bowling pin at the end of a well-used lane. Certainly, Black, if given time, could develop his f8-Bishop to e7 and castle into safety. White has an advantage. He should heed Steinitz's admonition to act now or expect his advantage to evaporate. (See Diagram). White: Kc1, Qd3, Rd1, Rh1, Ng1, Bd2, Bf1; pawns - a2, b2, c2, f2, g2, h2 Black: Ke8, Qe5, Ra8, Rh8, Nb8, Ne4, Bc8, Bf8; pawns - a7, b7, c6, f7, g7, h7 We gave Battle Chess 4000 a chance to show its stuff, and it did, announcing mate in three immediately and playing the moves out instantly. Battle Chess 4000 vs. Alan 1 Qd3-d8+!! This is the decoy. Black must certainly take the Queen, moving to d8. 1...Ke8xd8 2 Bd2-g5++ A discovered check that is also a double check. Such a move is the nuclear bomb of the chessboard. 2...Kd8-c7 Or 2...Ke8 3. Rd8, checkmate! 3 Bg5-d8 checkmate All of Black's pieces, except his King, are unmoved from the original position. It's as if they can only watch, frozen in humiliation. The decoy is the "one" in the old one-two. Despite the book's somewhat peculiar title (peculiar, at least, in regards to the content), it is in fact a nice way for lower rated players (below Elo 1600) to review and sharpen their basic skills. It will also serve a parent or teacher well as a guide for teaching children the game's basic concepts. It is very readable, instructive, and reasonably priced. 'Nuff said.