In The Soviet Chess Primer, by Ilya Maizelis, to be published on 10 December, the chapter on Combination includes a selection of little-known examples from Alekhine. You can test yourself on the following – White to play and win:
Alekhine – Amateur, Groningen (simul) 1933
White achieved victory in the sole possible way, which is extremely subtle:
1.g4!!
The black rook cannot stop the a-pawn.
1…Re4 2.a5 Rxg4 3.a6 Rh4
If 3…Rg1, then 4.a7 Ra1 5.Ra3!! bxa3 6.a8=Q axb2 7.Qb7+ and 8.Qxb2 winning.
4.Rd8!! Kxd8 5.a7
Black resigned. An endgame study in a practical game!
1–0
Out of curiosity I went to the Royal Dutch Library in The Hague and looked into a Russian 1960-examplar of the book (the yellow one). It looks awesome! Jacob: will the original drawnings also be part of the book? I kind of liked them: so Sovietish…LOL…
Unfortunately you can’t borrow the book. The library has two examplars one signed by the author and the other one by Botvinnik.(!).
Again: seem to be an awesome book!
Can’t wait.
I am occasionally coached via Skype by a Serbian IM who often speaks about how important access to Soviet chess books was to his game. He often holds them up and shows me the Cyrillic script in the text. I will have to ask him about this book, and I look forward to getting it when it comes out.
@Mark Moorman. Well, we have to thank Quality Chess for bringen books like this one and Lipnitsky back into print! @ Jacob. Wonderful fragment of Alekhine. In a simul! makes you humble. Very humble indeed…
@jmws
Yes, the Russian publisher was kind enough to supply us with the wacky drawings, so they are in our book. A few involving strange elephants, I think.
wow I actually got this one! Must be a blue moon.
This books looks simply outstanding!
Any chance it will be offered in a hardbound edition?? Thanks.
@Jeffrey “notyetagm” Hall
Sorry, not at the moment – paperback only.
This beautiful example is also included in one of the great Artur Yusupov’s books. I wonder if Artur would recommend this book? Does anyone know if it’s a good substitute for the Tarrash book (with the unattractive descriptive notation) recommended by Artur?
The Tarrasch book has been reprinted in “normal” chess notation. I know because i have it (although i cannot find it now to tell you the title of the publisher).
Reading descriptive is not Champollion deciphering the Rosetta Stone, It’s not that hard.
Anyone knows the Maizelis Chess Primer original title in russian? I mean the 1960´s version,
thank you all!
@steven
The original title was just “Chess”.
Does anyone know on which page of which Yusupov book this example is included??
Thanks.
Thank you @JohnShaw! 🙂