David Bronstein: Fifty Great Short Games
The strongest form of teaching is by example, and Bronstein is no exception. He advocated studying the games of the great Masters of the 19th Century, and here is the proof that he practiced what he preached.
David Bronstein: Fifty Great Short Games
In Coaching Kasparov, Year by Year and Move by Move Garry Kasparov's long-term coach, second and mentor Alexander Nikitin tells the story of how he trained Kasparov from a brilliant but raw junior into becoming and then remaining the world champion. Volume I, the present work, covers the period 1973-1981, until Kasparov reached the age of 18. The author goes to great lengths to describe his educational approach during the early period to raise Kasparov's theoretical knowledge and practical performance, covering both play and psychological training. The present volume contains 46 games fully annotated by Nikitin, including all 14 games of a blitz match played between the 15-year old Kasparov and ex-world champion Mikhail Tal on 26 December 1978 in Tbilisi that have never before been published and which are provided specially for the 2019 edition of this book. Most of the other games are well known, but Nikitin explains many of Kasparov's decisions in those games from the point of view of the future world champion's coach, providing the context of his young pupil's thought process and mistakes and tracing his progress. He also uses these games to illustrate and expand upon his coaching advice. This makes his commentary quite unique and instructive, of formidable practical use to budding players, coaches and parents.
The Belgian master Edgard Colle was one of the most dynamic and active chess players of the 1920s and early 1930s. Though his international career lasted only ten years, Colle played in more than 50 tournaments, as well as a dozen matches. Moreover, he played exciting and beautiful chess, full of life, vigor, imagination and creativity. As with such greats as Pillsbury and Charousek, it was a tragedy for the game that his life was cut short, at just age 34.
Mikhail Botvinnik and David Bronstein, both representing the Soviet Union, met in Moscow for the 1951 world championship. Each player won five games, there were 14 draws, and the match lasted two months. (Pity the Soviet journalists.) The rules stipulated that with the tie, Botvinnik, the defending champion, retained his title. Bronstein is widely considered one of the greatest chess players never to be the world champion. Botvinnik eventually lost his title to Tigran Petrosian, who lost it to Boris Spassky, who lost it to Bobby Fischer in 1972.
GM Mikhalchishin explained that, in considering classic games, every top player has his or her own specialty. For example, Rubinstein was the greatest master of the 'exchange technique', Botvinnik was a master of 'centralization', and Alekhine was the greatest player in developing opening initiative. These player's games provide extraordinary instructive examples in their own favorite methods.
1. Classical games present basic ideas which are better to build a foundation on vs modern games that tend to be more complicated and unclear.2. According to former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, all tactical elements are based on: checks, double attacks, pins, and unprotected pieces.3. One of the greatest games of chess was Smyslov-Stein in the 1973 Soviet Team Championship.4. The three players most important to Mikhalchishin were: Bronstein, Smyslov, and Botvinnik.5. What is intuition? Unconscious knowledge or as former World Champion Vishy Anand stated, "Intuition is the first move I see in a position."6. What is a plan? An attack on a weakness.7. What is the calculation of variations? The assessment of the effectiveness of a plan.8. Makagonov's Rule: If no tactics are 'on' improve your worst piece. 041b061a72