Art of Chess Analysis

by Jan Timman

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1857441796
• ISBN13: 9781857441796
• Release Date: July 1997
• Publisher: Gloucester Publishers Plc
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A true Classic

Not many words. With this book, they are unneccessary. Maybe, "The Greatest Chess Book Ever Written?" No, I am NOT kidding. My first copy of this book came out probably 20 years ago. Its just as good (better) today as it was then. I think even Garry Kasparov (and any other player in the World's Top Ten); would learn something from this book if they cared to apply themselves. Its like a diamond, every time you look at it you see a new and beautiful facet to enjoy with awe and wonder. Only a handful of books will ever come close to what this book achieved. Note of Warning: The very beginner/lower-rated player will find this book much too tough a read.

Good for stronger players

Don't agree with the other reviewers. The analysis is certainly not 'passionate'; a more apposite description would be 'dispassionate'. Nor is it long on variations and short on explanations. Rather, the other way around. For 'long on variations' see the books by Speelman or Hubner. Timman seeks to get to the heart of the position. Enough analysis is given to explain the position. The analysis of variations is judiciously mixed with verbal assessments and explanations. The people who would profit most from the book would probably be of at least expert strength. Timman doesn't belabor the obvious or give unnecessary or irrelevant lines.The second edition is a significant improvement. Criticisms given by Nunn and Dvoretsky have been taken into account,and some of their analysis has been incorporated, with due acknowledgement.For players not quite able to cope with Timman, another good book is Nunn and Griffiths' 'Secrets of Grandmaster Play', which is more detailed, less terse, and written in a more pedagogic spirit.

A Classic

This is Jan Timman's greatest work. It contains the most thorough and passionate analysis of games not played by the author that I have ever seen. This book is due to become an all time great on the level with My Best Games of Chess by Alekhine and The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal.

A great book for strong players

Timman analyzes the greatest games of the late 70's and early 80's with a depth and breadth rarely seen in any chess book. These are titanic struggles -- famous games like Bronstein - Ljubojevic, Petropolis 1973; Fischer - Petrosian, 1st match game 1971; and Korchnoi - Karpov, 21st match game 1978. The latter game runs no less than thirteen pages with numerous lengthy analyses of positions that "might have been" had one or another crucial continuation been chosen. Timman has attempted to find the absolute truth of each of these games and one suspects that he has come mighty close. I think that how much one gets out of this book will be directly in proportion to one's playing strength. Definitely recommended for players of class "A" strength and above. A classic.

A great book for stronger players

I do not own the current, reprinted version of this book, but my thumb-worn original RHM copy has taught me a lot about chess. Timman has selected absolute top-quality Grandmaster games from the 1970's and analyzed them deeply. Originally, these analyses were intended for himself -- an exercise in annotation for an aspiring International Master who wanted to play like the players of these games. As a result, this book is long on variations and short on prose explaining them. This book would be of minimal use to average players but would be an excellent lesson in annotation for "A" players and above. Highly recommended.