From: hwr@intercal.com (Hanon W. Russell)
Subject: Book Review: The Chessplayer's Laboratory
Organization: Chessnews list (chessnews-request@tssi.com)
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 02:21:36 GMT


THE CHESSPLAYER'S LABORATORY, by Eric Schiller, 1992 Hays 
Publishing, English Algebraic notation, Flexicover, 48pp., $8.95

The sub-title of this booklet is "Master the Art of Analysis 
with 70 challenging exercises ranging from easy to very 
difficult." At first glance, this may not seem to be anything 
but another book attempting to teach the student how to improve 
analytical abilities. Indeed, that is its objective. However, 
the method used is unusual.

The recommended instructional technique centers around the use 
of one and only one game, discussed and annotated in exceptional 
detail, with the purpose of developing and refining the 
student's analytical skills. The author describes the method in 
the introduction:

    Start by playing over the bare game score...Examine any 
    lines you find interesting, but do not look at the questions 
    yet...do not move on to Part Two for a day or two...Once you 
    feel you have exhausted the variations you can handle on 
    your own, then start going through the deep analysis. Don't 
    do more than an hour per day...

The booklet is divided into three parts. The first part presents 
the bare game score (Polugaevsky-Nyezhmetdinov, Sochi, 1958) 
with suggestions on how to use the booklet. The second part has 
the game with questions presented to the student to answer. 
Finally, the third part plumbs the analytical depths, going far 
beyond just addressing the issues raised in the second part. In 
that respect, it resembles previous works by Timman, Kasparov 
and occasionally Huebner.

The ultimate question, however, which will need to be answered 
by both the chess-book-buying public, the author and the 
publisher is the instructional value of this book when it must 
necessarily take its place next to other self-improvement books. 
The cover indicates that this publication is volume one. Except 
for a passing reference to a continuing series, no more mention 
is made of future titles.

The game itself, by anyone's standards, is fantastical:

Polugaevsky-Nyezhmetdinov
Sochi, 1958
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 d6 3 Nc3 e5 4 e4 ed4 5 Qd4 Nc6 6 Qd2 g6 7 b3 Bg7 8 
Bb2 O-O 9 Bd3 Ng4 10 Nge2 Qh4 11 Ng3 Nge5 12 O-O f5 13 f3 Bh6 14 
Qd1 f4 15 Nge2 g5 16 Nd5 g4 17 g3 fg3 18 hg3 Qh3 19 f4 Be6 20 
Bc2 Rf7 21 Kf2 Qh2 22 Ke3 Bd5 23 cd5 Nb4 24 Rh1 Rf4 25 Rh2 Rf3 
26 Kd4 Bg7 27 a4 c5 28 dc6 bc6 29 Bd3 Ned3 30 Kc4 d5 31 ed5 cd5 
32 Kb5 Rb8 33 Ka5 Nc6 0-1 

It is certainly quite an interesting idea, a variation of a 
learning method advocated by none other than former world 
champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The concept certainly has merit. 
Whether it will catch the fancy of chessplayers seeking to 
improve their skills and also be commercially successful remains 
to be seen. At $8.95 list, however, the risk is slight and the 
potential benefits great. To paraphrase the old television 
commercial - Try it, you might like it!

***************************************************************
The books which are reviewed by Mr. Russell are furnished 
courtesy of the United States Chess Federation. The views 
expressed are those of Mr. Russell and do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the United States Chess Federation. You may 
order this book and/or obtain the latest catalog of chess books 
and equipment from the U.S.C.F., 186 Rt. 9W, New Windsor, NY 
12553 or call toll-free 1-800-388-5464.
***************************************************************

Copyright 1992 Hanon W. Russell
All Rights Reserved


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