Nope! Here it is.
Another month gone by – another publishing schedule. Well, this time I feel that we are really going to live up to the short term ambitions.
I have included only those books we will publish in the spring; not titles that we will do later on, such as The Semi-Slav, Nimzo-Indian, GM6A and GM6B. Be patient. I want the focus this time to be mainly on the titles we are publishing in the next 3-5 months.
A few details are in order. First of all, the author of the Grandmaster Repertoire 1.e4 series is Indian Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi. He is well-known for becoming a grandmaster at the age of 12 and these days known as a very strong grandmaster (peak rating 2671) and an excellent theoretician. A lot of the material for the first volume is written already, with the usual high quantity of new ideas. I am personally very happy with what I have seen and I am sure our audience will be very happy with this material as well.
In the first volume Negi will cover white replies to the Caro-Kann, French and Philidor. The first two are the main openings of course and naturally we will be asked a lot about what lines he suggests. Basically it is 3.Nc3 and the main stuff against both. This means 7.Qg4 in the Winawer, 4.e5 against 3…Nf6 and the long variations in the 4…Bf5 Caro-Kann.
Of other things I can say that Endgame Play will be the biggest book in the Grandmaster Preparation series so far. It is in the same style; it is not an endgame manual, but about 444 exercises in all aspects of the endgame. I have felt that this was a very difficult book to write, but I still hope that it will be very interesting for the readers. Traditionally people do not really buy opening books, so I have gone in to this with a pure artist approach of writing for myself and the 3-5 readers likely to ever make it cover to cover!
Chess from Scracth is the old Soviet beginner book. Kasparov learned chess from it; Dvoretsky wrote the forword for the Russian version.
| Jacob Aagaard | Grandmaster Preparation – Endgame Play | Spring |
| John Shaw | Playing 1.e4 – A Grandmaster Guide – Caro-Kann, 1…e5 & Minor Lines | Spring |
| Parimarjan Negi | Grandmaster Repertoire 21 – 1.e4 French, Caro-Kann & Philidor | Spring |
| Vassilios Kotronias | GM Repertoire 18 – Sveshnikov | Spring |
| Tibor Karolyi | Mikhail Tal’s best games 1 – The Magic of Youth | Spring |
| Tiger Hillarp-Persson | The Modern Tiger | Spring |
| Emanuel Berg | Grandmaster Repertoire 16 – The French Defence Vol 3 | Summer |
| Danny Gormally | Mating the Castled King | Summer |
| Victor Mikhalevski | Grandmaster Repertoire 19 – Beating Minor Openings | Summer |
| Ilya Maizelis | Chess from Scratch | Summer |
Looking good, Jacob!
Perfect!
Waiting to see this and the past titles in Forward Chess App.
“Traditionally people do not really buy opening books” Typo (or Freudian slip) no? And should read endgame books.
I for sure will be one of your 3-5 readers! Though based on past form will be “buy for bookshelf” at first.
Last year I was blown of the board by Negi. I even changed my repertoire after the game as I couldn’t find a way to play for even a minuscule advantage despite we were talking about a mainline in the Scheveningen. It was pretty clear to me that he was very well versed in theory: http://schaken-brabo.blogspot.be/2013/04/met-een-kanon-op-een-mug-schieten.html
Is the Avrukh Slav volume still due to appear on 5 March?
Great choice of variations for the 1.e4 GM repertoire!
The variations are among the sharpest possible as it should
be in a GM repertoire. Really looking forward to this.
Keep up the excellent work!
Det är så trevligt, or should I say, Det er så rart. I had a feeling that GM16 would be in summer, but it appears that GM18 is earlier than expected. Anyway I really anticipate GM17, so that is the book that I really want.
Really looking forward to the Najdorf and KID books, look like I’ll have to be patient. I’m sure they will be worth waiting for
Hopefully no more polgar books …….gimee gm prep or gm rep 🙂
Amazon says Mating the Castled King by Ari Ziegler and your website says Danny Gormally. I imagine Amazon is wrong. http://www.amazon.com/Mating-Castled-King-Ari-Ziegler/dp/9197524433
Can we see an excerpt or Table of Contents any time soon for this book? I would like to pre-order it depending on the contents and the target audience. Is it anyway similar to Art of Attack by Vukoric or how is it different?
Sorry for repeat post. I see that Mating the Castled King by Ari Ziegler is an old Out-of-Print book.
Lots of great titles to look forward to. Thanks for all you guys do at Quality Chess. You really live up to the name! A couple of quick questions. How many volumes will Tal’s best games be? And will they be available in hardcover as well?
It seems really good … I hope summer will come soon this year !! 😉
Fantastic !
So no advance Caro ? Good choice for the GM-1.e4-Rep-books !
A side effect is that Jacaob can produce more wunderfull midlegame training books 🙂
@boki
Maybe the advance Caro will be covered in playing 1.e4? I wouldn’t think that both books cover the same variation. Otherwise there’s the Panov as an option.
Does the Panov offer chances for an advantage. I always thought it’s somewhere between equal and unclear.
@Andre
I agree, therefore I am hoping for the advance in Playing 1.e4.
Could be intresting to know(see) what GM17 cover. Can we get that info? PLZ
Sorry, i ment GM19
@Sir Colin
Just read the pdf excerpt
@Sir Colin
ok
Hello,
Which openings will Victor Mikhalevski cover in “Grandmaster Repertoire 19 – Beating Minor Openings”?
And just one more important question for me and 1… e5 🙂 players: when can we get GM Repertoire for Black 1…. e5, or new GM Guide book by Marin?
Thanks for reply 🙂
@Sir Colin
Semi-Slav!
@Ray
Sorry, forget that – that’s GM20 🙂
I think it is advance Caro maybe Jacob meant to put 3…Bf5?
Hey, is there plans to write a book on QGD, Cambridge springs or any of the Dutch systems?
### Pump up your rating ###
In book Smith writes that reader can download in PGN most common endgames. I can’t see link in download section? Was this only blurb?
Given the Fianchetto King’s Indian book of Mr Κοτρωνιάς, I wonder well how long the GM18 Sweshnikow book shall be. The last time that I studied this opening was from Rogozenko’s (QC) book. A very fun opening, but the more positional I have become, the less willing I am to weaken the king so much. But still, with the amount of detail wherewith he wrote his previous book, I am sure that he has remedied many lines.
Still anticipating my hardback copy of Avrukh’s GM17. Hopefully the printer decides to be generous this time.
I was surprised to see the “True Lies in Chess” book in the Forward Chess App even that it doesn’t appears in the schedule, and even more surprised that it’s price was 0.00.
“True Lies in Chess” is a real lie for chess fans. I don’t want it even for free, as a matter of fact somebody should pay me 50 euros to read it…
@LE BRUIT QUI COURT
I haven’t read it. Can you, please, explain more your point of view.
@manuel
Sorry man, I don’t want to dig a hole in Quality Chess, but Jacob can explain to you why this book tops the list of Quality Chess Worst Book!
@LE BRUIT QUI COURT
It should be available. To be honest, I am not sure where, but there should be a link somewhere in the book that indicates where it is. I was involved in the original conception of the book and helping Alex to form 1-2 chapters in the beginning. After this I was out of time and he knew what to do (wow, did he know!).
@LE BRUIT QUI COURT
No idea man. It was nominated for ECF book of the year and in my opinion is one of the truly interesting books we published. As we have the full rights for the book, we decided to use it to promote Forward Chess by giving them a free book. This is probably something we will be doing again next year, and the year after… It is just to get more people to use the app and to (maybe) buy a book or two on it :-).
@Jacob Aagaard
I couldn’t get along with it. Perhaps I wanted a manual instead…
Can you please comment on “….just one more important question for me and 1… e5 🙂 players: when can we get GM Repertoire for Black 1…. e5, or new GM Guide book by Marin?
Thanks
And that makes it the worst QC book ???
@Thomas
Give me the facts: how many examples of it did they sold, bro? I’m tracking them since the beginning, so I know what I’m talking about. But ask them…
The endgames are at http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/PumpUpYourRatingEndgames.pgn. It’s just a collection of positions, no moves.
@LE BRUIT QUI COURT
So, that’s means that you’re basing the quality of this book from the marketing numbers.
I trust that this is a wrong way to do so.
Who will win? Its 44 books in both opening and middlegame now. Not to forget the lone fighter for endgames 🙂
Has there been an approved formula for the right release date? Like 1st appearing in publishing schedule x 1.8 time
2nd x 1.7 and so.
Its just kidding, but the dates are usually much too optimistic. Not criticism, but maybe a bit less optimism woukd be great. .-)
@Chris
We have changed to the season system. I think this works a bit better.
@Jacob Aagaard
Only a tiny bit, since e.g. Playing 1.e4 has been postponed for over a year at least and GM Rep 1.e4 even longer, I would say :-). But you don’t hear me complaining, quality before quantity as far as I’m concerned!
@Jacob Aagaard
I wish to thank you (and the author) for releasing True Lies. I completely overlooked it when it was published, but am glad that I’ve now gotten a chance to examine it.
I have bought numerous books on FC (mainly Semko’s), but look forward to the chance to purchase many more of yours (so far, just Axel’s). Of course, I can’t purchase them if they’re not available.
Again, thank you for this gift. I hope that it will bring you many returns.
As long as GM17 is still for 05/03, I am good. Interesting to see Modern for spring.
agreed … march 5 circled and starred on the calender here 🙂
To emphasise how important GM17 is for me, I circled 05/03 on my calendar, but did not do so for my birthday, neither this year or last year.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
I’m also looking forward to GM17, but to the next volume(s) of Kotronias on the King’s Indian as well! I noticdd that it’s not on the schedule, but I’m hoping for another volume in summer, since I’m almost through volume one…
@Ray
That is fairly quick to finish that big book–if that is the length of the Fianchetto book, then I wonder about the Mar Del Plata variations in the Classical. I am not sure about when the next King’s Indian volume shall be, but he also has a book on the Sweshnikow for Spring 2014, so this probably occupies his time also.
Kotronias is working very hard indeed. He probably has taken on a bit more than he can chew, but his teeth are grinding their way through it! I think he might be the most prolific chess author in the world in 2014, which is not a bad thing. We all know that he will not compromise on quality, so we are not worried.
@Jacob Aagaard
Indeed – I’ve been a fan since his book on the Caro-Kann Advance (long ago, I guess this was in trhe 80ies?), which had very high quality analysis as well, especially considering that this was written without the help of chess computers which were very weak back then. His book on the KID Fianchetto contains some amazing tactics, such as e.g. 16…Bg4!! on page 110 or 24…Bg2!! on page 111 which I looked at this morning (I’m working my way backwards through the book). Such moves are really making my day!
So what is the difference between the Shaw and Negi 1.e4 books. And by that I’m not asking what variations are covered, but differences in approach and/or target group?
I always read backwards, i.e. from the last chapter towards the first chapter so that I can start with the most critical lines first. Same with GM17, 6. Ne5 lines are in the last section, and the penultimate are 6. e3 lines.
@Paul Lubson
I would imagine you could compare it fairly analogously with GM1/2 and Schandorff’s books. Does anyone know what’s in store for Playing e4 against the French? I’ve heard both Tarrasch and Advance in the rumor mill, my preference is for the latter.
@Michael
Tarrasch!
<@Jacob Aagaard
If your endgame book will appeal to me, you can count me into the 3-5 readers 🙂
Can you please tell us a bit more about your endgame book ?
Do you have material on transposing into endgames ?
Will it be about applying theoretical knowledge, or about applying endgame technique ?
And my favourite chess topic, do you have something about grinding ? (exploiting/creating minimal advantages)
@Paul Lubson
Shaw is based on Games and less detailed. Negi is also a bit sharper.
@grinding_tolya
It is an exercise book, just like the rest of the series. I am always surprised this is not obvious. I do not see a reason to redo already great existing theoretical manuals.
@Jacob Aagaard
I know that it’s an exercises book, (I’m halfway trough your Strategy book).
I just wanted to know about the kind of exercises your book contains.
For example, are there exercises about the right way of transposing into endgame positions ?
Is theoretical endgame knowledge required to solve the exercises ?
…
@grinding_tolya
Some is and a few ideas are explained. A bit of transition, but sporadic. I am most happy with the Fortressese chapter and minor piece endings. The book will be the biggest in the series and has been very demanding to write.
Why is there some delay in the French book of mr. Berg?
Are there a lot of new analyses in the Tiger Modern book?
@Jacob Aagaard
Thanks for your response Jacob,
Fortresses is a not so well known topic. I’m eagerly waiting on your book.
When I study chessbooks, I’m more concerned about my own struggle and therefore don’t think about the author to much :).
Maybe you should write about the process of writing your books, so that we stop whining about our own struggle when studying 🙂
Interesting to see the game Smirin – Berg in Minsk today. A Winawer with 7.h4. In Berg’s line (p. 231) Smirin took with the knight on d4. My Engine gives 17.- Nc6 as better for black, Berg played 17.- Nf5 and got a very weak Kingside, finally loosing.
I am really interested in the Tiger book also. And an aside maybe you could start a separate section for all the political venting? I teach history, and I don’t really want to read someone’s perceptions about American politics and governments here, I want to read about chess here.
@ Jacob
Hi Jacob when do you expect your endgame book to by available?
Any chance it will be 5 March with Slav bk?
@ Gilchrist is a Legend
With the slav bk intro Avrukh says he will be providing after 4.e3, 2 alternatives 4. …Bf5 gambit like and 4. ….a6 solid. At present do you prefer either one of these? Your presence may change after reading the book, but just interested in your experience in past. Particularly the gambit alternative 4. …Bf5 as I like gambits with sacrificial play but as long as there is great compensation or advantage that occurs as result.
TYPO Should read ‘preference’ not ‘presence’. Sorry.
@Ed
3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 is very interesting as a gambit line, and I trust that if Awrukh recommends it, then it has stability. I know not very much about this particular line, and I think that most thereof is basically new theory, so I am very interested in how Awrukh handles this line. QC had a newsletter about this line in a newsletter some point in the past, and it seemed as if White must try to defend the initiative as much as possible, whilst Black can get kingside attacks or centre breaks in exchange for the pawn. However, 4…a6 is simply very solid and good as well. In the past I have been undecided against 3. Nc3, but meanwhilst, 4…a6 I like. When I receive the book, 4…Bf5 I shall examine closely.
@Jacob Aagaard
Jacob, I’m looking so much forward to buying your end game book when it is ready. Soon I’ve finished Attack and Defence and I fear having to read Practical Defence or some of Yusupov’s books in the very near future if you don’t publish it 🙂
@Franck Steenbekkers
He has to write it. I am not sure it is delayed?!
Yes; it is a brand new book. Much more than 50% is new and all of it in a new evaluation/context.
@grinding_tolya
Nah. I should stop whining.
@Thomas
I am sure Andrew will check up on it.
@Ed
No. Probably 21st May; though this is really a random guess!
@Paul Brøndal
Three months away, I fear. The editing and printing process is time demanding.
Great to see Negi writing the 1.e4 books. Prompted me to make my move back to 1.e4 before the books come out!
@Aagard .. tak!
So Shaw it is for me 🙂
I have received the new newsletter. I thought that it was interesting that the QC team play the openings of the newest book, which would be GM17. I thought that John had a reasonable game despite the opening mistakes, which probably solidifies (no pun intended) the reputation of the Slav as very compact. Andrew’s game is a good model game for the Winawer, and the endgame too.
GM17 now has “Published 5 March” instead of expected date, so that is good.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
When did you receive the new newsletter? I didn’t get it (yet, I hope).
Nor did I.
Got the last one in August.
It is called “Quality Chess Newsletter – Big Prizes and a Fine New Book”, received today at 15.14 GMT, basically the time if you live in the UK. Perhaps they shall post the newsletter on the blog soon. Or check your e-mail, and spam sections.
Also I noticed that with GM14, Playing the French and GM15, I think that even though they showed the official publishing date as a Wednesday, I think that my orders for those books from the QC websales were posted the Friday before, or even the Thursday or Wednesday before. Is this possible for GM17 too?
So how many days should I add for a UK e-mail to reach the continent?
Wow! Those birds were certainly troublemakers…
When a book is published 5th March it means that this is the day it arrives in the shops. It will arrive on the 3rd in our office and we will send out websales at once. If you have ordered three books or more and live within the UPS EU zone (not all corners are included of the EU unfortunately), they will be sent already on the 26th of February from the Polish warehouse.
The newsletter will be available here Monday. John spent Friday afternoon sending it out, but had to go home before he could post it. He mentioned a thing called “a life”…
But obviously you “cleaned” your mailing list.
I remember when GM13 arrived at my residence on a Saturday, 2nd Feb 2013, which was an unexpected surprise. That printer is quite unpredictable sometimes.
I keep forgetting how short February is, so Monday one week after now is actually quite close..
@Thomas
Don’t think so. They are sent out in batches of 14, so it takes quite a bit for them to go out to all several thousands of people quite slowly.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
Yes, the books are printed (Tuesday), sent to our warehouse on the weekly picku-up (Friday) and will arrive on Wednesday in Lublin.
thanks for the info ! Orderd immediatly 🙂
@Jacob Aagaard
There must be programs taking care of all of those annoying tasks, so that a single click on “send” does the trick. Then, of course, it depends on how often you send out newsletters (I have signed up very recently and therefore no clue) – maybe it’s not even worth the effort to actually set it up properly.
However, I’m not sure that I can accept things such as “live” interferring with John’s work 😉
@Jacob Aagaard
That is good to know that the final stage is complete tomorrow. I very much anticipate this book, because it is exclusively on the 4…dxc4 Slav. There have been so many books on the Semi-Slav, including Botwinnik and Moscow/Anti-Moscow, even books on the Noteboom and Triangle. Whilst their theoretical status maybe fine, those are not variations for one that wants a solid, quiet positional game. And then if it is not the Semi-Slav, it is instead the Tchebanenko Slav, which is probably fine, but I find that the solidest and most compact is the old Slav structure with 4…dxc4. Looking at my bookshelf right now, I only see one (repertoire) book on the Classical Slav.
This book should also accompany well GM7 and the French books (light square defence repertoire).
@Jacob…Very excited about the 1.e4 by Negi, sounds like some great mainlines will be covered. How many books will we see reguarding this 1.e4 rep. Thanks.
@Michael
Five probably.
1.e4 vs. the Sicilian can be seen in the catalogue.
Guessing what the 5 books will be:
1) Caro kann 1..e5 and minor lines
(Already stated in pub schedule)
2) Sicilian
(Shown in catalogue)
3) French
4) Scandinavian, pirc, modern
5) minor irregular openings
Any thoughts?
@Tobias
The newsletter does go in one click by me (in theory). It just takes a while to complete sending them all to avoid overwhelming the server. Auto-refresh takes care of it, sending a batch each time it refreshes.
@Ed
I think two volumes would be needed for the Sicilian. 4) and 5) can be combined i.m.o. And indeed, French with 3.Nc3 takes one volume. By the way, the catalogue still says “2013”, but I guess putting a revised catalogue on the website is not a priority for QC :-). Maybe a nice task for the new colleague, if Jacob would delegate that heavy responsibility :-).
@Ray
Nope. This is all on me. A new guy will have to add real value!
A new catalogue will go online April 1st.
@Jacob Aagaard
🙂
Hello All,
Commenting about the GM Rep. book on 1.e4 (late) :
I am just curious to know why not the advance where it has not received really detailed coverage recently and offers chances to go either for the sharp 4.Nc3 or the more “flexible” 4.Nf3 ?
Cheers,
Hello All,
The opnening in question is the Caro-Kann…
Cheers,
Actually I think 1) and 5) are combined.
So what could 5) be?
When will we have some real deal like najdorf or anti-sic. ,nimzo-QI or kings indian perhaps?I mean sveshnikov is not a bad opening but positional c4 lines for white killed the joy of it a little bit.And french or modern are not the most fashionable openings nowadays.
I notice that De Beste Zet posted some new dates:
GM17 is vrijdag 07/03/2014, as expected. Playing 1. e4 Caro-Kann/1…e5 is 30/05/2014. GM16 and Mating the Castled King are 29/08/2014. Playing 1. e4 Sicilian/French is 30/09/2014 Polgar book is 31/10/2014. But if one focusses on the season, is GM16 all the way to August expected, or is this a conservative estimate?
Regarding the modern Tiger I like 4.-a6 against everything except Austrian attack 4.f4.
It seems from the first book that black is very hard pressed in the Austrian.
Will an alternative (sounder?) line be covered against the Austrian like for instance 4.-Nf6 5.Nf3, 0-0 6.Bd3, Na6 or 5.-c5 (which is really PIRC and not the modern)?
Are there any plans on writing a book on the accelerated Dragon or the hyper accelerated dragon (1.e4, c5 2.Nf3, g6)?
A pirc book would also be nice (a GM repertoire by Avrukh!). Kramnik cant be wrong.
The Modern book is interesting as well, but I anticipate GM16 as it completed Berg’s repertoire. It seems like it shall be a double release with Mating the Castled King, if I am not mistaken.
We might shuffle things round a bit for April/May. There are some minor internal logistics to get sorted out. No ideas for Pirc or Accelerated Dragon. The first GM 1.e4 will be French, Caro-Kann and Philidor. The double volume will be on the Sicilian (too much for one volume according to Parimarjan).
At least we should receive GM17 within a week or so–that is the first goal.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
Should be in the office today. If you are in the UK and ordered through the website, there is a small outside chance it could show up tomorrow.
Got the Slav book today.
First impression: Looks like an Avrukh!
@Jacob Aagaard
MY order for GM17 shipped today, which is earlier than expected. Perhaps the printer went early again? I cannot complain.
@Thomas
That is seriously early. In which country live you, bought you it from QC website or a chess shop? How are the main line chapters, i.e. 6. e3 and 6. Ne5? How do you find 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 and 4…a6?
@Gilchrist is a Legend
Bought it online at this site, came directly from Lublin to Germany.
Didn’t have a closer look at the variations yet. Some ideas in the 6.Se5/8.Qd2 line look good, as this used to be an not so nice line for black.
Probably due to the vicinity of Poland to Germany, so it arrived very early. Perhaps this book was a week earlier compared to the GM15 book. I am not knowledgeable about 6. Ne5/11…Qc7, but I suppose that 12. Ne3 is quite critical given that it is the last chapter of the book.
My own copy arrived in London this morning. Looks excellent.
Sounds like a good book, cannot wait for my copy.
When is Endgame Play coming out?
I have a tournament in 2 months I would like to honemy endgame skills.
I received GM17–from first impressions, very complete, as is want with Awrukh, looks first class/A+/20, however one calls it. I would say that this is already a candidate for best opening book of the year even though it is barely March.
@pawnmayhem
There are plenty of books for that aren’t there? No need for Endgame Play to come out for that?
@Ray
Except Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics (I’m waiting on the next version), I don’t know about an exercise book on endgames.
I have studied Learn from the Legends, Rook vs 2 minor pieces and Shereshevsky’s endgame strategy and tragicomy in the endgame.
So what book do you suggest Ray, Jacob, … ?