BOOK AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS (from 2023).

Marek Soszynski joins forces once again with Jerzy Konikowski to produce a very well researched book on the Polish Defence, the St.George Defence and related systems where Black plays a

very early b5. The presented games and analysis make a convincing case that these, often underestimated lines, are in fact fully playable. This concept is nicely supported by the comments made by the noted opening author,

and very strong player, GM Kotronias in the book’s forward. It is perhaps a surprising fact that some very strong players have occasionally used systems with an early b5 and these include Shabalov, Korchnoi, Short and Spassky (even in a

World Championship Match versus Petrosian !). The lay-out of the book is helpfully clear which aids study of the eight chapters, which are classified depending on White’s first move, and the book has clearly utilised an impressive range of chess

literature in its compilation. Due to this book I would fully expect there to be a significant increase in the number of games played with these systems in the near future.

The traditional Scandinavian Defence or Centre-Counter Defence 1.e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 has a long history of being viewed as slightly elementary and thus somewhat dubious. After all, hasn’t the queen been developed too early and pushed to the side of the board where it may be further harassed by Bd2 and a subsequent Nb5, or Nd5 as shown in the Classic game Spassky-Larsen Montreal 1979?

However, in his latest book Correspondence Chess Master Marek Soszynski revitalises the whole opening. In a work which combines and supersedes his earlier ones on the Scandinavian Defence he examines two lines which look significantly more appropriate than that arising from playing the queen to a5. These are (a) retreating to Qd6 combined with a g6 fianchetto hence exerting a greater influence on the centre and (b) refraining from an immediate recapture of the d5 pawn with 2…Nf6 thus not exposing the Black queen so early to danger. Each line has a very clear and neatly laid out theory section, followed by pertinent illustrative games. The two recommended repertoire Black lines are analysed in sufficient detail to help understand the key concepts but without, like some electronic publications, overwhelming the reader with too much detail. An earlier section of the book covers lines where White does not play 2. exd5 but transposes to, for example, the Dunst Opening or the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.

This is a book that developed from a Chessable Course. These digital courses are a new means of chess study and now feature a huge range especially covering openings. The GM Gambit book, for those that prefer traditional means of opening study, suggests an interesting gambit against the vast majority of major as well as minor replies to 1.e4. Whilst admitting a suitable gambit line is not strictly possible for every single defence to 1.e4 in these few cases dynamic lines are proposed which are flexible and/or lead to a space advantage.

All suggestions, which must have arisen from extensive examination of many recent games or personal study, occur helpfully very early in the game hence there is little opportunity to avoid them. Each suggestion has been played on occasion by some of the World’s strongest players and is either not extensively, or not covered at all, in other openings texts. The GM Gambit book includes well annotated illustrative games, an overview to each opening section, and much detailed but importantly not overwhelming, sets of analyses. The book is highly recommended as it is certain these suggestions will soon be seen often in, for example, local league matches amongst others, hence attention must surely be paid to them to avoid being beaten rather rapidly!

First of all, this is a “proper book”-a beautifully produced hardback with very clear printing, well laid out, and even with what appears to be gold leaf embossing on the cover. In short this is a possession well worth retaining not only for its appearance but also for its contents. The introduction gives some interesting details of Norman’s family life and career which included working at GCHQ, along with Hugh Alexander, and hints that Norman was involved in the development of computer technology. The latter included its very early use in the game of Chess. Early on Norman showed that he had a considerable talent for over-the bord chess which resulted in several high places in the Scottish Championship, representation for this country in the Munich Olympiad, and winning the Maryland State Championship when moved by the Foreign office to the USA. Only one game is included in the book which is nevertheless a very competently carried out attacking game*.

However, it was in the field of Chess Composition that Norman truly excelled. This book, edited by John Rice with contributions from several other famous problemists, contains hundreds of examples of Norman’s compositions. They are examples of mate in 2 or 3 moves (and longer problems) and fascinating examples of just about every other type of chess problem invented. All are characterised by ingenious construction, and many bring new concept into older problem themes or are simply startingly original. All show great artistic creativity, and many are very difficult to solve. It is interesting to note that some very strong players such as GMs Nunn, Mestel amongst others have had a long-standing interest in chess problems. It is quite possible these otb players found solving chess problems helped their concentration and better understating of the interaction of pieces on the chessboard. Norman certainly showed a consummate understanding of the characteristics of the chess pieces and how they interact. He was awarded the title of International Grandmaster of Chess Composition. This book is therefore recommended for both chess problem enthusiasts and also over-the-board players.

(* further examples of Norman’s over-the-board play may be found on this web site in the archive for November 2024).

Whilst these e-books cover very different openings, they both show the same excellent characteristics. The lay-out is exemplary with very clear diagrams and effectively spaced variations and commentary. Both books are about 90 pages long and provide helpful guidance on plans and typical tactics. This fits usefully between several modern concepts of publications for opening study. For example, the ChessBase 60 minutes videos, which generally provide just brief details on the selected opening, and only aim for a quick familiarization with the selected opening. At another extreme are the Forward Chess books which although often good can be somewhat overwhelming in providing densely packed and very long and detailed lines. A further extreme is the book of almost 700 pages on the Kings Gambit by John Shaw which can really only be used as a reference after a particular line of the KG has been played.

In contrast the two e-books by Marek give precisely the right level of information to play these openings with confidence. Both openings have not been over-studied in any recent chess literature, are fully playable, and leave room for creative players to present problems to opponents after their study. Both books can be purchased from Amazon using the following links.

(a) Soszynski, Marek. 2024. Black Knight Repertoire 1.e4 Nc6 (MarekMedia) ISBN: 9798224966516 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTTRQ75Q/

(b) Soszynski, Marek. 2024. Hate the English? Play the Anglo-Scandinavian Defence (MarekMedia) ISBN: 9798227493019 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DJRN79W7/

(Note that the latter opening occurs after 1.c4 d5 2.cxd5 Qxd5)