MARK RUBERY CHESS
One of the best books on chess studies published is ‘Secrets of Spectacular Chess’ by the English GM Jon Levitt and former SA Champion, David Friedgoodnow a FIDE Master and an International Master of chess problem solving. Some 40 years ago Friedgood was South Africa’s strongest player, having won a number of SA Closed tournaments as well as holding down the top board when representing this country at the Olympiads. The purpose of the book is to gently erode the scepticism that tournament players have to such ‘artificial construction’ by way of lucid explanations of the themes involved in chess studies coupled with spectacular examples illustrating this art. The book even tackles that eternal chessical question-what is beauty? The second edition of this book was released to great acclaim containing mesmerising examples of games, studies and problems, and revisits previous material to explain how the theory has been developed over recent years.
Here is a glimpse of one of the nuggets from a book that deserves more recognition. Norwood,David (2510) - Marsh,Sean [A08] Walsall (1), 1992
1. g3 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4.0– 0 Be7
5. d3 c5 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. e4 b6 8. e5 Nd7
9. Re1 Qc7 10. Qe2 Bb7 11. h4 0–0–0 12. a3 h6 13. h5 Rdg8 14. c4 d4 15. b4 g6 16. bxc5 bxc5 17. hxg6 Rxg6 18. Rb1 h5 19. Ne4 h4
20. Bg5 Bf8 21. Nxh4 Rgg8 22. Nf3 Rh7
23. Nd6+ Bxd6 24. exd6 Qxd6 25. Bf4 Qe7
26. Rxb7 Kxb7 27. Qe4 f5 28. Qxc6+!! Kxc6 29. Nxd4+! Kb6 30. Rb1+ Ka6 31. Bb7+ Ka5 32. Bd2+ Ka4 33. Bc6+ Kxa3 34. Bc1+ Ka2 35. Rb2+ Ka1 36. Nc2# 1–0
In December 1918, Schlechter arrived in Budapest where his old friends noticed his pale and tired appearance. The man whom they knew loved music and jollity had become unusually quiet. Now he would only converse in whispers. But one and all that saw and met him took a liking to Schlechter, and Budapest’s chess fraternity went out of its way to please and satisfy him. However, everything was in vain for everyday he became more tired. When he played he would often make a series of beautiful moves and one would clearly remember the Schlechter of old; then suddenly his glance would fall down and his thin tender hand would move the pieces without reflection. (Richard Reti on the final days of Carl Schlechter)