2014 Catalogue

We will get this on the website very quickly. Still struggling with Endgame Play.

92 thoughts on “2014 Catalogue”

  1. 2 vols on the Mar del Plata KID! Is the Kotronias anti-sicilian book in addition or instead of GM 6A/B (cannot recall whether it was A which was the Najdorf, and B the anti-Sicilians or vice versa)?

  2. Lars Schandorf must improve his analyses on the Bg5 semi slav.They are behind those of Sakaev’s although Sakaev’s book on the subject also has some shortcomings.

  3. You are very right there Mehmet. Schandorff has to improve his analyse in semi slav from his lastest book QG, it has to many holes in the teorey. I play CC and i can see many unfinsh lines and dream lines. It is not always you can trust his analysies.

  4. @Paul
    Yes, Jacob confirmed this in some earlier post. Ftacnik will only do the update of the Najdorf. And indeed, what a monumental effort on the king’s Indian – two volumes on the Mar del Plata. Awsome! I’m also very much looking forward to the 1.e4 books and the trilogy on Tal. I own the books on Karpov and they are very good! In fact there are hardly any books on the list I wouldn’t want to buy 🙂 – crisis, what crisis?

  5. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Nice to see that Semi-Slav book, and all of the other covers like Najdorf. Sweshnikow, Anti-Sicilians and Minor Openings by Mikhlewskij, especially since they are due for 2014. Nice to see that the Mar Del Plata volumes are due for 2014, which shall probably be very large

  6. Which series would you recommend to study first? GM Preparation or Dvoretsky’s School of Future Champions/Chess Excellence? Which is the hardest in your opninion?

    GM Program and Chess Structures are excellent news by the way

  7. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I probably shall spend over 200€ on QC books this year, almost inevitably, that Berg Vol. 3 French might be large considering that it covers all moves besides the Winawer (viz. 3. Nc3), but the Mar Del Plata split into two volumes I infer that one volume covers the alternatives to the absolute main line, like 9. Qc2, 9. Kh1, 9. Nd2, 9. Rb1, 9. Re1, whilst the other covers the very seriously long and extremely complicated main lines like 9. b4 and of course 9. Be3 Nd7 10. Ne1 f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 that can extend past move 40. Truly interesting, and it would be excellent if all of these books really publish this year. That Semi-Slav book interests me as well, I wonder what exactly Schandorff recommends for 5. Bg5. Both of the extremely complicated Botwinnik and Anti-Moscow are laden with theory. How many volumes are expected for the King’s Indian?

  8. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    I’m betting on the (anti-)Moscow, since the Botwinnik is too ‘narrow’ (one improvement for white and black is in serious trouble), and other options such as the Cambridge Springs are not enough in the spirit of the Semi-Slav.

  9. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Ray
    True, the Moscow is the less “crazy” of the two variations, when White plays 6. Bxf6 it also seems a bit solider than the gambit of 6. Bh4. A GM Repertoire with Botwinnik might have to be split into two volumes with one for 5. Bg5. But still, the Moscow/Anti-Moscow line gained massive theory in the past years, not to mention the Meran and anti-Meran, which has also growed almost exponentially. To me it seems like the Semi-Slav requires much more work than the Classical Slav, but I can never resist to buy any Grandmaster Repertoire book.

  10. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    Absolutely, i.m.o. the Slav is much more practical than the Semi-Slav on our level. In the past I had the Semi-Slav on my reportoire (including the Botwinnik), but over a period of 6-7 years I literally never got a main line Meran or Botwinnik on the board in a serious game. All this huge amount of time I could also have put in e.g. studying the middle game, which a much higher pay-off. Nevertheless I too will buy this book, simply because I have bought all GM Rep volumes so far and intend to continue doing so 🙂

  11. PS: to a lesser extent this is also a drawback of the French Winawer. I have played this for over 10 years and almost never get the position after 7.Qg4 on the board. It’s just a fact of life that most players tend to avoid heavy theory – even many GMs nowadays.

  12. Jacob Aagaard

    @FM To Be
    Together or GM Prep first. Positional Play is a bit more basic (in function, not level) and would be good to deal with first. Otherwise the two series work well together.

  13. I noticed in the catalogue that the cover of GM Rep Semi-Slav has the white and black pieces switched. Let’s hope it won’t have a detrimental effect on sales 🙂

  14. Very interested by your poll. Disappointed that I am the only voter for Karpov’s Strategic wins. I expressed the opinion to Andrew Greet at a recent 4ncl weekend that the two volumes are a masterpiece. If you haven’t got them buy buy, buy. Have not read the San Luis book [ heard that it is outstanding] but would have to be very good to beat the Karpov volume.

  15. @mike twyble
    I agree, they are very good indeed – for me it was a close call with Learn from the Legends. I’m happy that Karolyi is now writing a trilogy on Tal. Hopefully in the future he will also write a book on Petrosian.

  16. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Is GM6 2nd Edition with different lines to the first edition, or is it updated coverage of the same lines? Or perhaps a combination of the two?

  17. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Ray
    True, Semi-Slav theory can be extremely complicated, although even at around 2300-2500 level, the Meran and Anti-Meran are commoner than 5. Bg5. 5. Bg5 seems quite common in correspondence chess, perhaps since it is so difficult to play either side of the Botwinnik, and to a lesser degree, the Anti-Moscow. I am sure that Schandorff woul produce a fun book, like his Caro-Kann book–also nice if more Caro-Kann books be written in the future too.

  18. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    I like Schandorff’s book on the Caro-Kann, but I would have liked it even more if the analysis would have been as thorough as Berg’s in his French trilogy. I.m.o. Schandorff’s book fits more into the Grandmaster Guide category than in the GM Reportoire category. But I guess it’s mostly a matter of taste. One could easily write three volumes on the Semi-Slav, but that’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

  19. Kostas Oreopoulos

    I am really disappointed in the progress made in e-books.
    I first thought that the books are created by forwardchess and i was **really** angry because all books are being pushed month after month back.

    The French books have first appeared to be available in December and every month are being pushed back. Now its “spring 2014”.

    This is completely wrong. Actually till now you haven’t publish any of your GOOD opening books in the e-format.

    You either support a format or you don’t. Putting out an opening book in e-format so many months after publication is really not helping at all.

    Please create a reliable schedule and stick to it. Pushing back 4 months (month after month) the publication of the same book is not helping either the format nor the user. If you cannot handle the conversions , let someone else do the conversions, but DO SOMETHING!!!
    There is not a single book published on schedule, not even revisited one

  20. I’m most looking forward to the KID books and the Modern Tiger; they fit together and into my rep, such as it is. Also looking forward to the 1. e4 books, both by Negi and Shaw. And yes, I will buy them.

  21. I downloaded Gormally’s pdf file and saw that problems 148 and 149 do not jibe with the solutions. Many pieces are not in the correct positions. Has this been corrected?
    My apologies if this has already been addressed.

  22. Kostas Oreopoulos :
    I am really disappointed in the progress made in e-books.
    I first thought that the books are created by forwardchess and i was **really** angry because all books are being pushed month after month back.
    The French books have first appeared to be available in December and every month are being pushed back. Now its “spring 2014″.
    This is completely wrong. Actually till now you haven’t publish any of your GOOD opening books in the e-format.
    You either support a format or you don’t. Putting out an opening book in e-format so many months after publication is really not helping at all.
    Please create a reliable schedule and stick to it. Pushing back 4 months (month after month) the publication of the same book is not helping either the format nor the user. If you cannot handle the conversions , let someone else do the conversions, but DO SOMETHING!!!
    There is not a single book published on schedule, not even revisited one

    Agreed!

    Come on, Jacob, you and your excellent staff can do (much) better than this!

  23. Great that the excerpts have been uploaded – judging from their content I will buy all three books 🙂

  24. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I thought that it was amusing the part of the foreword by Mr MĂĽller, about the three ways of studying endgame included is ignoring the endgame completely. It is funny but also sadly true of many players, I have been guilty thereof even when approaching 2300, and I know some who are past 2400 who still try that attempt. The book looks very good, I think that I shall buy it.

    Also that strange endgame on p. 239 of the excerpt looks as if it derived from a Botwinnik Semi-Slav–White has a passed h-pawn and a 4-1 kingside majority, whilst Black has four passed pawns on the queenside, yet is somehow down a rook and exchange. It reminded me once again how crazy that opening is…

  25. Looking at Gormally’s book and his first example from the exceprt (#147):
    I’d like to answer his question “what else?” with 21. – Rfe8!.
    White is surely better, but he hasn’t a win.

  26. @Manuel
    I don’t think so. To improve you have to believe in something. QC has never believed in the digital format. To gain something you have to risk something. QC doesn’t want to risk anything about the digital format. I’m old and still prefer paper over screen, but I can’t bring the bookshelf with me. I’ve an idea. Let people download the digital copy of their book after they have
    – bought a paper copy
    – identified themselves (identity card or something like this)
    You can issue a personalized pdf for each client so that if a pdf is shared you know who has shared it.

    I’d pay double the amount of the paper book to have the Chessbase file of the book but I know I’ll never be satisfied by QC about this.

  27. I bought “Pump” in e-format & have become increasingly disappointed with it. Extremely buggy & takes a lot of the enjoyment out of the book. Wish I’d bought the paper book but surely e-format is the way forward.

  28. Thomas :
    Looking at Gormally’s book and his first example from the exceprt (#147):
    I’d like to answer his question “what else?” with 21. – Rfe8!.
    White is surely better, but he hasn’t a win.

    I disagree with you about position 147 (and so do my engines, just to bring some real authority to my side). Taking the piece on b5 gets mated, but it is the only real test. After 21…Rfe8 White not only has a win, he has lots of them, as he is a pawn up already, with a killing attack. One good move is 22.Qe2, just defending b5, when the threats include f4-f5. It may not be a forced mate, but the computer says +5 and keeps rising.

    Just to confirm what you said above about the diagrams being correct: the solutions often starting before the puzzle position is totally intentional. So the reader gets to see the non-forcing way the player built up towards the big punch, then the forcing solution. I know it is jarring the first time you flick forward to see a solution and see a different position (it also freaked out the proofreaders) but I think it is a useful addition to see how the winning position was reached.

  29. Thomas, thanks for clearing that up. John, it is jarring but now it makes sense (a little sense but sense 🙂 )

  30. Kostas Oreopoulos

    If you ask me about the forward chess format, on any other digital format around, my opinion is simple.

    Every one is trying to replicate the book experience in the digital format.
    Instead one should ask himself how it’s best to enhance the experience.

    The impression that the digital format should look like the classical one is completely wrong. The key is carrying over information and even enhancing data mining.

  31. @garryk
    I think that it is not a matter of believing or not, it’s a matter of where people are moving and right now I trust that it is the digital format.

    As you, I prefer the text over the screen even if I consider myself young (33 years old), but I believe that in the near future the digital format will rules. Considering your idea there a similar one:

    Do the same as New in Chess magazine. If you have bought the paper format you can have the digital format for some little more.

    I hope they continue. I love to.

    But, evidently, they need to improve.

  32. @Manuel
    Yes, I think New in Chess digital is outstanding. I think Jacob was unclear, however, how they were doing it in an economical way, after everyone takes their cut.

    I think the Gambit app is superior to Forward chess (and with the last book the app came out ahead of the printed version…not even sure the printed version is out). But obv Dr Nunn is a super programmer.

  33. Ok. I’m old obviously. I will ever go with the paper version.
    It’s much more useful if your desk is wobbling. Or you have to kill a fly.

  34. @Ray
    I think that future is more complicated, i.e. people love having both formats (including myself). When I’m at home I prefer touching paper that seeing games in a screen. But when I travel I love to have my chess books with me and it is impossible to travel with all of them. So I believe that a mixed format is the optimal solution.

    When I said that people are moving towards digital I was trying to said that I think that Quality Chess must have, also, this format even if they don’t love it because people are requesting it and people wish to pay for it. Evidently, they must protect themselves again piracy but I trust that the Ipad format offer them this security.

  35. Kostas Oreopoulos

    @garryk

    pdf is not an option. if i have to choose between a book and a pdf, then the book hands down.

    Its obvious that the digital chess era is not yet shaped. When you are trying to copy the book experience in the digital format, then you are doing it wrongly.

    On the other hand you should try to create a digital experience that the book user would say, “i wish i had the digital format” (and not copy)

    Its very simple, who uses the old fashioned opening keys nowdays when you can use chess trees? the keys, was a try to bring some order (taxonomy) in the chess world.

  36. Nikos Ntirlis

    @Benoni
    Have you downloaded the latest version on the e-book? I have it at two devices and i cannot see a real problem with it. If so, please feel free to email the problems you find.

  37. @Nikos Ntirlis
    I have bought the Pump up ebook and I don’t understand what “Benoni” means.

    It’s true that the quality of the images could be improved (it’s not bad but it could be better). Also, you can consider using the way the Chess informant magazine used to present problems (better than figures). I imagine that you want to be different from other editorials in the same app, but you can copy or improve good ideas. But in general the ebook is great.

    I believe that the present problem consists on the schedule respect.

  38. I think I will give in and buy gmr17 this weekend. I was waiting for the forward chess version, so I am a bit disappointed. But this thread has made me fell waiting further not a good idea.

  39. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I see that GM16 is next in the list after the three books due for 30/04 in the Coming Soon section. Perhaps a sign that GM16 might be the next publication?

  40. Gormally’s book needs to be on FC. It’s so much easier to study such an apparently impressive instructional guide with an app.

  41. @garryk
    No, but the markte will become much much smaller, just like the music market. Sad truth is that there seem to be more dishonest than honest people in this respect.

  42. @Manuel
    I understand your point – still I can fully understand that publishers are hesitant to put their material on cyberspace when there is no good to protect their copyrights. By the way, the way I solve this is to buy the book and put it in a database. This works completely fine for me, because it gives me a big incentive to go through the whole book at least once.

  43. Jacob Aagaard

    I would love to live in a world where people respected copyright more. In that universe every book would be sold with a link to a pgn file. But just like digital copying of music cannot be compared to when we used to make mix-tapes, PDF’s of high quality in circulation would kill us.

    As you all know, we are struggling with getting books in this format off the ground. We entirely agree that things have not gone well and we need to do something. But desperate jurky action is also not the solution. John and I will sit down Monday, as he said, and decide how to deal with this issue. We already have a possible plan available.

    I don’t believe that the digital and the paper experience should be the same. If I had unlimited resources, they would be very far apart. But for now, we will have to move in the same direction Forward Chess goes and be supportive of what they do; maybe with a bit of input once we actually get a high number of books on the app.

    The various speculations about withdrawing or our hearts not being in it, are not accurate. We are busy. We do a lot of things. We do not always manage everything we want to do in the time we would like it. This has drifted astray and we have to manage it. But no matter the format, content is our first priority.

  44. @Jacob Aagaard
    It is obvious that you are having difficulties in this new format, but it is the beginning… I trust that you will improve a lot.

    I believe that has you have said, for us it is more important the content; however, a better equilibrium between quality in the content and the way the schedule is followed would be thanked by Quality Chess followers.

    Hope to see new ebooks soon.

  45. By the way, the GM 17 is already available for the Android users. IOS users have to wait untill Monday (best guess, as this really depends on Apple).

  46. The important thing is the content not the format. Really looking forward to the Mar del Plata books by kotronias. I think you guys are doing a terrific job. That you value quality over quantity is worth waiting for. I dont mind having to wait a little for the top quality books you are putting out.

  47. @LE BRUIT QUI COURT
    Finally an easy question to answer. 160. But it is not a strict exercise book.

    What the book tries to do is to describe various parts of mating attacks against a castled king. A big part of the book is typical patterns, where each part starts with some exercises, to make it more useful as training material.

    But there are other chapters that are just for reading, where recurring principles of mating attacks are described.

  48. Jacob Aagaard

    @James
    James, I am sure you can understand why I do not answer questions in detail about books that are not written yet! It is coming out at the end of the year only.

  49. Jacob Aagaard

    @Bill
    A very different book. My books are based on abstracts and strategies; Danny’s book is based on patterns and images. Actually, I thought up the concept for this book in 2005 and Danny kindly agreed to write it.

  50. LuĂ­s Bacelar

    A very interesting 2014 catalogue that includes the urgent update to de Sicilian Najdorf and the Semi – Slav according to the “Grandmaster Repertoire” standards and I have no doubt that they will become reference studies in these openings.

    Although I can understand the difficulties of commitment to a precise date of release “spring and summer 2014” is a little loose and sounds as a “wishful thinking” list that must me avoided.

    That said, I am very interested in the “Middlegame Books”, specially in “Chess Structures” by Mauricio Flores (a author I don´t know) and I thought about two works by Ivan Sokolov -“The Strategic Nimzo – Indian” and “Winning Chess Middlegames” in the sense that the integrated rationality of these works (I believe it was intended by the author) have a superior value than the mere sum of each one of them.

    That insight strikes me as a relevant matter when a chess book producer adopts the traditional opening/middlegame/ending approach in a time when the comprehension of the game requires a more integrated understanding of all moments of chess.

    Maybe I am drifting but I believe the combination of a “definitive word” in a certain opening could be complemented with middlegame works that could improve the strategic concepts of that opening and improve a more comprehensive approach to the all moments of the game.

    Anyway, I would like to congratulate “Quality Chess” (that in my opinion is the best chess publisher in the world) in your constant effort to move forward, even if your level is already excellent.

    Best Regards,

    LuĂ­s Bacelar

  51. Does anyone know which lines will be recommended in the forthcoming book on the Sveshnikov Sicilian? Specifically does he recommend 10…f5 or 10…Bg7 after 9 Bxf6 gxf6 and 10 Nd5?

    Also, in the main positional lines after 9 Nd5 Be7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 c4 is 11…Nd4 looked at? It was analysed on chesspublishing seems a decent chance to get an unclear position.

    Thanks.

  52. @Daniel

    We do like to give some broad ideas of content in advance, but not the really detailed blow-by-blow – especially as the details can change while the author is still working on the book. In this case, the answer to the first question is 10…f5. Too soon to say for sure about the other question, but I can guarantee the author is aware of 11…Nd4.

  53. I think I’ve read somewhere on this blog that QC plans on doing a book on the Nimzo-Indian (and perhaps also Queens Indian?). Can someone confirm those plans?

  54. @Jimmy
    I can never remember what we have mentioned on the blog and what is an alleged secret. But the Nimzo and QID are huge lines, so it is natural we will take an interest at some point, but any potential books are too far in the future to say much more.

  55. Jacob and Co.

    How feasible would be to produce a book on common endgames arising from typical pawn structures/openings? Something to suit endgames like “Chess Structures” by Flores would suit middlegames.

    I read that Shereshevsky’s “Mastering the Endgame” covers this topic but it is expensive and hard to get, so you have the chance to produce a better and cheaper product 🙂

    And in case GM Flores didnt see my message here it is again:

    “@Mauricio Flores

    I had been wanting a detailed book on the most common/important pawn structures so Im very interested in your book. I will list some of the things I would like to see, feel free to fulfill those you consider appropiate:

    1- A Big book (For wider/deeper coverage as you said)
    2. Lots of excercises after each chapter/structure (to really develop skills)
    3. “Diagram Introduction” at the beginning of each chapter (a concept GM Aagaard used in his attacking manuals)

    Best Regards”

  56. Mauricio Flores

    @FM To Be
    Hi FM To Be: Actually I did read the post, and I appreciate your interest.
    The book is already written, and it does fulfill your requests, at least partially; but I guess I am not supposed to say much more. There are also some typical endgames, or “simplified middlegame” positions, mostly for those structures that typically reach one.

  57. @Mauricio Flores

    Hi Mauricio,

    For opening books, we try to keep the fine details to ourselves until publication – partly because the details may change, but also so the first readers can have a chance to surprise their opponents with a new move over the board.

    But for a more general chess improvement/understanding book (such as Chess Structures) you are free to say as much as you wish. But I thought you were concentrating on exams this week!?

  58. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I saw the game Kostenjuk-Ushenjna with the Alekhine-Chatard Attack in the French Classical with 6…c5, which was a sharp game. But it certainly helps to popularise some of the variations in Playing the French. Hopefully soon more start playing 13. Qg4 b5 in the Winawer 7…0-0. Any news on GM16 by the way?

  59. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    How did “Grandmaster Repertoire 1 – 1.d4 volume one” by Boris Avrukh pass the test of time?

    Is there plan to make a second updated edition, if any updates are necessary in first place?

  60. I think it would be great if Boris Avrukh made another 2 or 3 volume 1.d4 repertoire series because it has been 6 years since the first one is published. However, I don’t think it should be an update. For example, Catalan wasn’t explored deeply and it was a great weapon for white in the year 2008 but nowadays it is used more as a surprise weapon because it is harder to win games with it nowadays. The new books can be a mix of updates and new lines. For example instead of Catalan, Queen’s Gambit Exchange + 4.Qc2 against the Nimzo Indian. That would also allow a new repertoire against the Modern Benoni.

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