Leading chess author Colin Crouch selects and explains over 30 sensational games, all from the new millennium. By studying epic encounters between the world's best players, Crouch examines in detail all the key areas of modern chess. Powerful attacking and resourceful defending, bloodthirsty tactical battles, profound positional mastery, deep opening preparation and superb endgame play are all in evidence here, while Crouch also explores the ever-increasing role of computers and the way human imagination can work in harness with them.
There is something for everyone in this book: aspiring players will benefit greatly from the clear explanations of the fundamentals, while stronger players will gain considerably from Crouch's deep insight and analysis in more complex positions. This book focuses on the continuing changes in modern chess, and how you can use the lessons learned to great effect in your own games.
- Over 30 brilliant games of chess, annotated move by move
- More than 400 pages covering all aspects of modern chess
- Learn from Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik, Topalov and other greats
Dr Colin Crouch is an International Master, an experienced tournament player and a highly regarded chess writer. His previous books have been acclaimed for their thoroughness and originality.
Preface
This is by far the most ambitious of the various chess books and articles I have written. To have analysed in detail a win by 33 different 2700+ grandmasters against 2600+ strength opposition is a big effort. It is fair to say that no writer could even have considered such a task fifteen years ago. One reason is that only Kasparov and Karpov had reached this chess stratospheric level, although a few others were pressing hard. Chess has changed considerably during the age of the computer, and players have had the opportunity of improving their play and understanding considerably.
Without the computer, I myself would only be able to scratch the surface in analysing the games, and would not be able to say with confidence whether such a move is good or a mistake. It is good not to have to guess. Of course, in some positions the play is so complicated, or so subtle, or both, that even the computers and the strongest players would find it beyond themselves to understand everything. Quite often it is a major task of the top players to try to understand what is going on in such difficult lines, on the basis that if the top player has been able to analyse the position in depth at home, and is capable of outplaying the opponent over the board, there is an excellent chance to win. A 2600 grandmaster is still a very strong grandmaster, but a 2700+ grandmaster will take his opponent out of their comfort zone. We must not forget that ultra-sophisticated positional play can also work.
The main dedication I give is to the players who have dedicated themselves to such high levels of chess. Without them, there would have been no book.
The games themselves were at the time completely fresh to me. After a serious brain seizure in 2004, I was fortunate that I was able to play chess, or even see the board. I feel grateful in having the opportunity, with this book, to catch up with so many marvellous games, and even participate in discussing them.
It turned out that it has taken almost a whole year to write up such an effort. The world outside has changed considerably in terms of chess, and the world in general. At some stage, I will no doubt want to catch up with the world of chess from Easter 2008 onwards. Outside chess, there has been a year of financial and economic crisis. It seems a long, long time since I wrote a PhD on the economics of recession and unemployment in Britain in the early 1980s, and I would like to think that the argument I made at the time still has merit. The question was always not whether there would be another serious recession, but when. Naturally there has always been the dominant opposite argument, among politicians, economists, journalists and others, that the economy is stable, that there is no such thing as unemployment, that the banks have stabilized growth, and that politicians have ended the problems of boom and bust. It will be of interest to see how the orthodox thinkers will now empirically justify such a point of view.
Colin Crouch
Harrow
July 2009
Content:
005 Preface
007 Introduction
022 Kasimdzhanov-Kasparov, Linares 2005
036 Dreev-Dominguez, Poikovsky 2005
046 Adams-Yusupov, French League 2005
056 Topalov-Anand, Sofia 2005
073 Bacrot-Rublevsky, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005
085 Karjakin-Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2006
098 Svidler-Topalov, Morelia 2006
119 Sargissian-Nisipeanu, German League 2006
126 Leko-Radjabov, Morelia 2006
139 Ivanchuk-Aronian, Russian Team Championship 2006
151 Karpov-Akopian, Russian Team Championship 2006
161 Bareev-Efimenko, Turin Olympiad 2006
172 Kramnik-Leko, Dortmund 2006
186 Navara-Socko, Polish Team Championship 2006
199 Sokolov-Polgar, Hoogeveen 2006
212 Shirov-Aronian, Moscow 2006
228 Shirov-lllescas Cordoba, Pamplona 2006
239 Rublevsky-Grischuk, 7th matchgame, Elista 2007
250 Van Wely-Radjabov, Biel 2007
265 Ni Hua-Jakovenko, Nizhniy Novgorod 2007
279 Alekseev-Tkachiev, Spanish Team Championship 2007
292 Stellwagen-Eljanov, German League 2007
300 Carlsen-Tiviakov, European Team Championship, Crete 2007
312 Kamsky-Carlsen, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007
321 Morozevich-Sakaev, Russian Championship, Moscow 2007
336 Wang Yue-Movsesian, Pamplona 2007
344 Cheparinov-Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee 2008
354 Eljanov-Ponomariov, Kharkiv 2008
361 Bu Xiangzhi-Zvjaginsev, Russian Team Championship 2008
373 Gelfand-Alekseev, Russian Team Championship 2008
381 Mamedyarov-Nepomniachtchi, Russian Team Ch'ship 2008
388 Inarkiev-Ni Hua, Russian Team Championship 2008
401 Karjakin-lnarkiev, Baku 2008
413 Index of Openings
415 Index of Games | 
