Now, The Queen's Gambit is inspiring others to put down the remote control and take out their chess set. In this time of social isolation, games like chess are discovering new fans and inspiring older ones to return to the board (the so-called "pandemic bump" reported in the spring). At the same time, its vision of glass ceilings shattering and the importance of a team of like-minded friends to support each other speaks directly to issues very much on our minds at the current moment.Ĭhess lovers have noted the accuracy and care with which the chess games themselves are depicted, which is no surprise considering the show recruited Grand Master Garry Kasparov and noted chess instructor Bruce Pandolfini (who also helped proof-read the original novel!) to oversee the gameplay and coach the actors on the nuances of competitive chess. Based on Walter Tevis's 1983 novel of the same name, the show is being talked about for many reasons, not the least of which is the way it revels in decidedly analog pleasures - the slow, methodical game of chess itself and the fashions of the 1960s - and a very retro style of editing at odds with the frantic pace of modern television.
Netflix's #1 new show is the coming-of-age story of a female chess prodigy struggling with addiction and the chauvinism inherent in 1960's American society. We took a deep dive into the database to see what light our members offerings could shine on America's new favorite drama. I suppose one might also consider the large section on openings (with lots of sample games) in The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess.įrom the last two decades, one might also consider Understanding the Chess Openings by IM Sam CollinsĪnd Back to Basics: Openings by FM Carsten Hansen.Rare books and ephemera can be a fascinating avenue to examine the past and understand what was really happening during significant events or time periods. If I remember correctly, it was written around 1999. Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings is not as comprehensive as FCO, but it is probably a lot more readable. One can see a sample of Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren here: Any suggestions for a first book on openings /opening theory would be very welcome. I want to get an opening book which delves deeper without focussing on 1 line. However, I'd like to understand more about the opening without having to choose uninformedly some opnings which I may not even like. I know the opening principles and they have served me well so far. Now, I'd like to understand openings a bit more. I am around 1500 here, started practicing my tactics and endgame, can name a few openings, but that is about it. Potential buyers should probably look at sample pages available at the New in Chess site.
I feel that one generally needs some sample games to understand an opening, but it may not be much help to look at games with no commentary. A major objection throughout is to the inclusion of many games without annotation.
#Modern chess openings 11th edition series#
In case anyone only looks at the first review, I should perhaps mention that FM Carsten Hansen seemed to think that the series improved over time. Here are some reviews of the Essentials books:
I believe that it is possible to see a sample from Fundamental Chess Openings by going to the Gambit Publications site.