Annotated Karpov book recommendation please

hi the more i look at the chess games of Anatoly Karpov the more i become enamoured to them. Can anyone suggest a good Karpov book with his own annotations, in English preferably as my Russian vocabulary extends to vodka and perestroika. thanks in advance - robbie

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hi the more i look at the chess games of Anatoly Karpov the more i become enamoured to them. Can anyone suggest a good Karpov book with his own annotations, in English preferably as my Russian vocabulary extends to vodka and perestroika. thanks in advance - robbie

http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Best-Games-Progress-Chess/dp/3283010021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266139446&sr=8-2

Had a peruse at te recent Kidlington congress bookstall. Looks quite good.

Originally posted by Talisman
http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Best-Games-Progress-Chess/dp/3283010021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266139446&sr=8-2

Had a peruse at te recent Kidlington congress bookstall. Looks quite good.

A very good choice indeed!
Karpov annotates mostly with words and only few,short,variations.What he writes about the middlegame is superbe.Virtually game after game you find little gems of chess wisdom and insight into his thinking.
My only minor gripe is that he doesn't comment much on the endings.
He also doesn't bother much with the opening but I don't mind that.

If you're not yet familiar with Karpov's games and think he's dull and dreary then you're in for a surprise.

Have an appetizer

thanks Talisman, thanks Ajuin, this is what i am after, his comments about the middle game. With minimum variations you say, well how refreshing! Sounds as though it should be a great read and very instructive as well.

I was at a bookstall last year when other players were stating most of the work
was done by Evgeny Gik.
Cannot comment as have not read the book.

But one or two other books with Karpov's name on the cover have been panned
and suspicions of a ghost writer raised.

I read one review of this book where the reviewer was talking in computer terms.

"The analysis is 6 ply depth....." Good Grief.

Levy's Book on Karpov, all the games up 1975, is good.
You watch the young Karpov developing into the brilliant player he became.

Karpov very nearly played the most perfect game of chess.
Karpov v Hubner Montreal 1979.

An opening minor plus, carried all the way through the middle game and
when the final act is about to be played capping a mini masterpiece,
Karpov missed it and the game was drawn. A great shame.

Here Karpov played 39.Qc4 missing...



And when the loose Rook on b6 moves. Rh8+! Kxh8 and Qh6 mate.
Oh why did he miss it? An heard melody.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
I was at a bookstall last year when other players were stating most of the work
was done by Evgeny Gik.
Cannot comment as have not read the book.

Whenever a top player issues a book it seems mandatory for the chessworld to make such allegations.
Bronstein's are written by Fürstenberg,Kasparov's by Plisetsky,Karpov's by Gik,Fischer's by 'I don't know who' and I'm sure there are more examples.

Very tiresome.

Truth is only the ones involved know who did what and the important thing is the quality of the book,regardless who actually wrote it.

Btw,in the introduction Karpov mentions Evgeny Gik as co-author of many years standing and thanks him for his 'indepensable help'.


Mr pawn,try get your hands on this one,I'm certain you'll enjoy it.

As I said, I have not read it, also I doubt if I'm good
enough to know or even spot the difference.

It was being discussed by players at the far end of the bookstall and as
I always hover around the 2nd hand box I doubt if I'll own a copy unless
it appears in there one day.

Not sure why you find misleading titling "Very tiresome."

On any other printed subject this would be fraud but chess players don't seem
to mind getting fleeced.

Some ghost written books are infact very good.
We called Bronstein's Classic.......'Bronstein's Classic' for 50 years before
it was revealed that Boris Vainstein wrote 90% of it. So what?
It's a good chess book. (and there were political motives to keep Vainstein's name out).

We know it's common practice to add a super GM's name to a book he had nothing
to do with and the sheep will go and buy it. (see the link between 'fleeced' and 'sheep'😉.

The buying public are sucked in by the grades of players not realising
that a good chess player is not necessarily a good writer. (very few are).

Lets drop chess for a moment.

Ajuin when you bought your Spice Girls CD you would have been angry if
you found out the songs were being sung by The Andrews Sisters. Yes.?

So you see misleading the buying public is wrong.

PS:

I did not write this, it was HeinzKat.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
As I said, I have not read it, also I doubt if I'm good
enough to know or even spot the difference.

It was being discussed by players at the far end of the bookstall and as
I always hover around the 2nd hand box I doubt if I'll own a copy unless
it appears in there one day.

Not sure why you find misleading titling "Very tiresome."

On any ...[text shortened]... ng the buying public is wrong.

PS:

I did not write this, it was HeinzKat.

I didn't mean to single you out or anything.I understand what you're saying about misleading the public and that is of course wrong.Then again,being a merchant's son,I can ensure you the general public wants to be mislead.

I find it tiresome because every time someone mentions such a book it's among the first responses you get while nobody really knows the name on the cover did or didn't write it,and it really makes no difference to me.
A good book is a good book.

Adding some super GM's name to a book will only make me hesitant to buy it for the very reason you mentioned.Good player doesn't equal good writer.
Here book reviewers play a major part.Although they too can screw you.

No,I would not be angry if the Andrew sisters had sung those songs.It would sound a lot better!

Anyway,we're talking about a games collection here.At the very least Karpov played those games and they are good games.In my opinion the comments,be it Karpov's or Gik's,are great too.

Two others that came to mind while typing all this:
Nimzowitsch only wrote The Blockade but not My System.
You know Alekhine's tournament books?Well,he didn't write those either.
Truth or madness?The real question is: does it matter?

Thanks for the en passant correction about Bronstein's classic 🙂

Originally posted by Ajuin
I didn't mean to single you out or anything.I understand what you're saying about misleading the public and that is of course wrong.Then again,being a merchant's son,I can ensure you the general public wants to be mislead.

I find it tiresome because every time someone mentions such a book it's among the first responses you get while nobody really knows the ...[text shortened]... oes it matter?

Thanks for the en passant correction about Bronstein's classic 🙂

the book is winging its way to me at this very moment. Love chess books with lots of annotations and minimal variations. This is gonna be awesome!

Hi Ajuin

I did not feel singled out. Just having a discussion.

Did some ten minute research.

Alekhine sings on the latest Spice Girls CD.

Scary Spice wrote My System

And the Nimzovitch twins invented the automatic toaster.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Ajuin

I did not feel singled out. Just having a discussion.

Did some ten minute research.

Alekhine sings on the latest Spice Girls CD.

Scary Spice wrote My System

And the Nimzovitch twins invented the automatic toaster.

dude i have a game for you, not mine but a friend i am playing at the moment., beautiful tactical mating sequence. i dont know how to post the game link though, player was rated 200 points less than his opponent who severely underestimated his attacking chances.

here it is, check it out

Game 6986320

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Ajuin

I did not feel singled out. Just having a discussion.

Did some ten minute research.

Alekhine sings on the latest Spice Girls CD.

Scary Spice wrote My System

And the Nimzovitch twins invented the automatic toaster.

That actually made me laugh out loud 😀

Hi Robbie.

I stopped after 2...c6 and went outside and screamed.

I came back and went to the end of the game and played it backwards.

Good Game

I like how that Bishop on d4 was pinned on the d-file and then on the diagonal.

Did you see that opening trap Kramnik tried on Luke McShane?
Kramnik is Black and just castled leaving the e-apwn hanging.



It's proof Kramnik looks at my games on RHP Game 5229127

According to the RHP database I'm the only one who has met 6.Bxd5.

(good game that, I can still remember setting him the unpinning trap 13...Qe6
that ends up wrecking his pawns and allows me to go to work on his d3).

Also this OTB encounter with me Black from a league match in the
mid 80's. Now this is old Greenpawn in full flight.
I too know how to take advantage of a pinned piece.
I think he played The Bishop's Opening to avoid my Latvian.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Robbie.

I stopped after 2...c6 and went outside and screamed.

I came back and went to the end of the game and played it backwards.

Good Game

I like how that Bishop on d4 was pinned on the d-file and then on the diagonal.

Did you see that opening trap Kramnik tried on Luke McShane?
Kramnik is Black and just castled leaving the e-apwn ha Ke2 f5 17. Qf1 Nd4+ 18. Kd2 Qh6+ 19.Kc3 Qc6+ 20. Kxd4 Rxe4+ 21. dxe4 Rd8+ 22. Ke3 Qxe4[/pgn]

and what is wrong with 2...c6, i play it myself in honour of the reigning world champion , Viswanathan Anand and have scored some victories with it against much more formidable adversaries! i agree its not the Albin, but sometimes we need quieter waters, away from the melee, to recuperate and let white prove whether has anything or not. Anyway, anyone playing the queens gambit deserves to be punished!

i will need to look at this Chandler/Kramnik two bob trap in more detail, seeing that it is played in my favourite bishops opening! mmm, looks as thought it calls out for a counter gambit, mmmmm i wonder what John Emms says about it.

strangely enough he says nothing although i think that Nc3 with the idea of keeping the option of playing f4 was better for white!