Quality Chess Blog

We have made some slight changes to the publishing schedule. Latest version looks like this:

Unfortunately it seems that Boris Avrukh is falling a bit behind his own and our expectations to what he would be able to do with Grandmaster Repertoire 2 here in the autumn. The book is close to being done, but there are many lines such as 1.d4 g6, 1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Bb4+ that needs to be covered as well, and the grandmaster does not seem to be able to do everything before he is faced with tournament commitments. So, the book is pushed a bit down the list, with the updated publishing schedule looking like this:

As always, this is a prediction, not a promise!

OCTOBER
14th    Marin/Garrett    Reggio Emilia 2007/2008
28th    Tibor Karolyi    Genius in the Background
28th    Boris Avrukh    Grandmaster Repertoire 2 – 1.d4 Volume Two
NOVEMBER
15th    Jacob Aagaard    Attacking Manual Volume 2
15th    Jacob Aagaard    Attacking Manual Volume 1 2nd edition
29th    John Shaw   Quality Chess Puzzle Book
29th    Boris Alterman    The Alterman Gambit Guide – White Gambits
29th    Artur Yusupov    Boost your Chess 1
2010
John Shaw    The King’s Gambit
Lubomir Ftacnik   Grandmaster Repertoire 5 – The Sicilian Defence

Finally I have written the last chapter of Attacking Manual 2, plus annotated three extra games for Attacking Manual 1. The main reason for doing a second edition of AM1 is that some people disliked the layout. I am one of those people. Also, I am sad to admit that there were a number of typos that should not have been there.

However, now the books are done! The first edit/proofread has been done and a second one is coming up soon. We want to polish these books and make sure we get no complaints about our effort this second time around.

I am honestly completely unsure about the quality of AM2. When I was done with AM1 I was absolutely sure that this was my best book (out of way too many) and that it would be a hit. However, no one really took notice and sales were generally disappointing.

The book also got absolutely slated by Jeremy Silman, who wrote several things where he knew better. Most importantly he complained that I had not contacted Watson to discuss the topics in AM1, which ever so slightly relates to Watson’s work, something I recognised in the introduction. I had actually asked Watson, through Silman, if he wanted to veto anything I wrote in the book, as the last thing I wanted to do was to offend him. I was told that he did not want this power and that I should thus just write what I wanted.

In Silman’s review there is also a reference to a grandmaster’s limited understanding of a position. I am sure he means the game by Tiger-Hillarp Persson against Grooten, where he misses 22.Bc4!, which would just win. Actually I had a chance to talk to Tiger about this game not long after the book was out (I gave him a copy). Rather than being insulted about this passage, he was thinking a lot about it, not understanding why this “obvious” move did not occur to him during the game, and if there really were anything he needed to correct in his chess understanding.

Grandmasters do not know or understand everything and are not only assaulted by oversights and time trouble, as Silman said in his review. But it is easy to forgive Silman this mistake, as he has no first hand experience on this topic.

I have refused the temptation to include any of this rant in the books, as no one would care. However, now it is at least to be found on this obscure blog.

The two books are projected to be out in October.

In our next release, Champions of the New Millennium, we have  changed the type of paper we are using. Instead of the usual Multioffset paper, we are using the classier Galerie paper. This works very well with the colour photos in the book and makes the book.

The quality of the paper made me think about the pricing of our books. In 2004, we charged 24.99 euros for Experts vs. the Sicilian, today we are charging 24.99 for the GM Repertoire books as well as this new (colour photo) book. You would think that in a world where prices are increasing rapidly, that this should slowly move us towards the cheaper end of the spectre, but this appears not to be the case.

Gambit and Everyman have lowered their prices, as they are operating their business in pound sterling. They can do this because they print in the UK and distribute from here as well. We are printing in Estonia and distributing from Poland, so our expenses are in euros only. Compared to for example New in Chess and Chess Stars, Quality Chess are actually cheaper.

It should of course be mentioned that the books from Gambit and Everyman, which cost 18.99 or 19.99 euros, are usually 128-160 pages on low quality paper. Compared to these, a 456 book on high quality paper, should not be 24.99, but 49.99…

All in all, the world has turned and left us here. But I am actually quite happy with where we are standing. Maybe we will stay here a little longer…

Here is the latest publishing projections. The main change in dates is because of the IM-tournament in Edinburgh starting the 12th, that we are not only sponsoring, but also means that we have to be without Andrew for a week.

SEPTEMBER
9th    Ftacnik, Kopec & Browne    Champions of the New Millennium
9th    Mihail Marin    Grandmaster Repertoire 3 – The English Opening vol. 1
OCTOBER
14th    Marin/Garrett    Reggio Emilia 2007/2008
14th    Tibor Karolyi    Genius in the Background
14th    Boris Avrukh    Grandmaster Repertoire 2 – 1.d4 Volume Two
28th    Jacob Aagaard    Attacking Manual Volume 2
28th    Jacob Aagaard    Attacking Manual Volume 1 2nd edition
NOVEMBER
15th    John Shaw    Quality Chess Puzzle Book
15th    Boris Alterman    The Alterman Gambit Guide – White Gambits
15th    Artur Yusupov    Boost your Chess 1
DECEMBER
1st    John Shaw    The King’s Gambit
1st    Lubomir Ftacnik    Grandmaster Repertoire 5 – The Sicilian Defence

Finally it is possible for me to confirm that Grandmaster Repertoire 3 – The English Opening Volume One by acclaimed author Mihail Marin and Champions of the New Millennium by Ftacnik, Kopec and Browne are set for release on the 9th of September (unless something goes wrong at the last moment).

Both books are up to date, with editing on Champions ending a few weeks ago, and editing on GM Repertoire 3 ending today (although the last chess was added Friday).

You will be able to find excerpts from the books here:

GM REP 3 excerpt

Champions of the New Millennium excerpt

An update on the remaining books will follow next week. Right now I am busy preparing for the four day seminar I am giving at the Quality Chess headquarters Thursday to Sunday this week.

Jacob Aagaard

It is very difficult to predict when authors will finish their works – also for the authors. Writing a book, even about chess, is an unpredictable business, and so is the life of the chess professionals we prefer as authors to our books. For example, Mihail Marin was working on his book on the English opening, when one chapter spun “a bit” out of control and ended up being 700 pages in draft form. Once edited and polished, this will be an entire book, and we had to split it in two. Another example, Boris Avrukh, working on GM Repertoire 2, is coming towards the end, but the theory keeps moving and he keeps getting good invitations to tournaments, which we always encourage him to play, should he want to.

Having come with this disclaimer, here is the latest publishing schedule.

Ftacnik, Kopec & Browne: Champions of the New Millennium September 9, 2009

Mihail Marin: Grandmaster Repertoire 3 – The English Opening vol. 1 September 9, 2009

Marin/Garrett: Reggio Emilia 2007/2008 September 30, 2009

Tibor Karolyi: Genius in the Background September 30, 2009

Boris Avrukh: Grandmaster Repertoire 2 – 1.d4 Volume Two October 15, 2009

Jacob Aagaard: Attacking Manual Volume 2 October 15, 2009

Jacob Aagaard: Attacking Manual Volume 1 2nd edition October 15, 2009

John Shaw: Quality Chess Puzzle Book November 15, 2009

Boris Alterman: White Gambits November 15, 2009

Artur Yusupov: Boost your Chess 1 December 1, 2009

John Shaw: The King’s Gambit December 15, 2009

Mihail Marin: Grandmaster Repertoire 4 – The English Opening vol. 2 January 15, 2010

International Master, Sabino Brunello, turned 20 only two weeks ago.  On the July list he is ranked second in Italy with 2547 in front of a number of grandmasters.

Tomorrow Quality Chess will release Sabino’s first chess book, ATTACKING THE SPANISH, a 288 page guide to three hot and healthy gambits against the Ruy Lopez: The Schliemann, The Gajewski and The Marshall Attack.

Attacking The Spanish

I am personally very proud of this book, as Sabino is not only a friend of ours, but someone I have tried to help over the last four years. Having said this, his achievements are of course his own, and this book, is definitely an achievement.

Jacob Aagaard