Product Description
Noted authority analyzes and annotates 50 games—spanning nearly 70 years of competition—recognized for imaginative and inventive combinations. Steinitz vs. Lasker, London, 1899; Capablanca vs. Janowski, New York, 1918; Alekhine vs. Marshall, New York, 1927; Botvinnik vs. Tartakower, Nottingham, 1936; and many more. Enjoyable reading and invaluable instruction for players at every level. 50 diagrams.
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I previously reviewed New York Times Book of Great Chess Victories and Defeats. It was disappointing, but I am pleased to report that “Great Brilliancy Prize Games of the Chess Masters” is not. AJ’s review here is pretty much spot on.
Essentially this is a compilation of fifty masterpiece games from the first half of the 20th Century. (Are brilliancy prizes still awarded nowadays?) Going through these games is like eating candy for chess fans. And how good were some of these tournaments? Everyone knows Hastings 1895 and New York 1924, but how about Carlsbad 1911! (Three games shared for 1st Brilliancy Prize, and all are included here.)
Reinfeld’s analysis is at once insightful and enjoyable. For example: “To follow up the sacrifice of a Rook with a series of consolidating moves requires patience, foresight, judgment–or perhaps merely the temperament of a compulsive gambler.”
Why not 5 stars? There’s only one diagram per game, and many if not all could have benefited from an earlier developmental position (prior to the master stroke) or else the final position. Also, I have the original Collier paperback (albeit fourth printing) and the back cover proclaims that all the games were awarded first prize, but in fact plenty received Second or even Third. Not sure if this small error was corrected on the Dover reprint (1995). What I *won’t* do is criticize a book published forty years ago for having descriptive notation. If you aren’t familiar with this system, get with the program. You’ll then be able to enjoy many older chess books. Plus, while algebraic notation (i.e., e4 e5) is generally acknowledged as better, there is a certain charm to descriptive (Pawn to King Four and all that).
In any case, find a used copy for a couple bucks and add this gem to your chess library.
Amazon User Rating: 4 / 5
“Great Brilliancy Prize Games of The Chess Masters.” By Fred Reinfeld. Dover reprint. (1995) ISBN: # 0-486-28614-2
I used to have an original hardback version of this book – autographed by F. Reinfeld himself! I had to purchase another copy … my last copy fell apart. (It was extremely old and the victim of overuse and abuse.)
First a note about the publisher. (Dover.) They specialize in reprinting older books, and have a very good reputation amongst chess players. Nice `flex’ cover, and a very sturdy binding. The fonts are clear and bold, and the diagrams are also very good; I had no problems visualizing the combinations working from the diagrams alone. The pages are not as opaque as I would like to have them, however.
This is one of the best books ever written. Who wouldn’t want to study the very best games of the best tournaments … played by some of the greatest players of all time? (Lasker, Alekhine, etc.)
The very first game – Schiffers vs. Harmonist, from Franfort, 1887 – is an eye opener in itself. 16.Re8!! is an absolute stunner of a move … all the more shocking because at first glance it appears to be a blunder.
The student will learn much from this book, an extremely detailed study of this book would greatly help improve your tactics. There are tactics and ideas for combinations in here that I bet you have NEVER seen before!! It is difficult to believe that any average player – who studied this book in a thoughtful and thorough manner – would not improve. Every lover of beautiful chess will want this book as well; the games are the cream of the crop.
Some people will rag on this book and complain about it. “The opening lines are somewhat dated,” they will say, and this is true. “Some of these players in here are guys you may have never heard of.” “So what?,” I would respond. The ONLY real criterion in a book like this should be the games themselves – and nothing else! These have been carefully and lovingly scrutinized by Reinfeld. They are also annotated pretty thoroughly … the author has anticipated many of the more common questions that would be asked by the average chess player.
In the end, I would rate this book perfect, but not for the following flaws: # 1.) The pages have a little “bleed-through,” especially in very strong light; # 2.) Too few diagrams; # 3.) The lack of player or opening indexes in the back of the book; # 4.) THIS BOOK IS IN THE OLD ENGLISH STANDARD DESCRIPTIVE NOTATION!!! If you have severe problems with this notation, than I recommend that you avoid this book.
But if the above drawbacks don’t faze you, and you are looking for a VERY good deal, (inexpensive); on a chess book … then maybe you should try this book out!
Amazon User Rating: 4 / 5
Looking for a book of some excellent master games with perhaps Reinfeld’s best analysis? Well this sums up this book quickly. The games are selected for a combination of beauty and instruction, and the analysis is perhaps the best that Reinfeld has done (decent quality, sometimes lacking great detail). This is not at the same level quality analysis and detail as Chernev’s “Logical Chess” or “Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors”, but still a worthwhile book. It is in the old english descriptive notation, which is difficult for some players to handle reading – though it is good to be bi-linguel if you are going to seriously study chess!
Amazon User Rating: 4 / 5