I am feeling a bit guilty that I have been poor at updating the publishing schedule – and that the last one did not have any dates on it. At this point it looks like Kotronias on the King’s Indian 4 – Classical Systems will be out on the 13th of April. Things can always go wrong with the printing process of course, but let’s presume they don’t. So less than a month away. An excerpt is now available.
But what I really wanted to talk about is this beauty:
Artur Yusupov continues his series of books with a 10th Volume. The idea of the book is to place it as a companion to the already fully formed 9 volume series. The book contains 6 exercises for all 72 chapters in the three books in the Fundamentals series, the orange books. (Yes, I know there are 25 chapters in them, but the last ones are just exercises.)
There are a number of ways to use this book; you can choose whichever fits best for your.
a) Go from 12 to 18 exercises after each chapter.
b) Revise the part after you have read the books, for example years later. This is the one I will recommend those of my students where this book is relevant.
c) Go straight for the exercises in this book without reading the books. This might be useful for stronger players, or for those who are unsure of their level compared to the books.
If you do not know if the Yusupov series is as good as I would claim it is, you can always take a look at this comment left on our blog a few days ago :-).
Great news!!! As far as I remember at least a few readers (players) have requested this a few times. And now the dream comes true! :).
I can confirm – GM Artur Yusupov’s books (Boleslavsky award winner) are extremally good ones. You have to work hard to “solve” these, but after the work is done… your understanding may change DRAMATICALLY! :).
Kudos to Artur and Jacob 🙂
Will definitely get this one, my box set won’t be complete otherwise :/
Great! I just finally finished book 5 and immediately dove into the next volume. These books have taken me from 1800 to 2000 USCF so far and I have hope that they will take me further yet. It will be nice to go back and retest my “orange-level” knowledge.
Nearly finished book one of this series. It’s excellent. I thought the orange ones would be easy or beneath me but they aren’t. I think any player below 2100 would get something out of them.
Great that you’re feeling guilty 🙂 – does that mean you will better your life and provide us with some estimated dates in the near future?
Will there be volumes 11 and 12. Will the books come out on Forrwardchess.
Thanks.
Just wanted to compliment Quality Chess on the cover design of this book. The Yusupov series has a nice clean look and the “tick motif” on this book is beautifully balanced and attractive.
I know the content matters more than the cover but this cover looks “just right!”
@Ray
I just gave you one! 13 April for KID 4. Also, as usual, John’s book is two weeks from being typeset. Sadly, it is really is as usual. But maybe it is also real this time…
@JS
The books will not be on forwardchess. I do hope everyone will lobby Artur to do two more volumes in this new series. He was rather self-deprecating about the possible interest for them.
@ Jacon Aagaard
I’m keeping my fingers crossed it’s real this time!
@Mel Burt
With most of our covers, it is either outside help or myself that comes up with the ideas. For better or for worse. In recent times John and Andrew have been more proactive (aggressive) on this front and it is really paying off. John was pushing for the cover for Secret Life of Bad Bishops and is the idea man behind Chess Behind Bars, which looks interesting already. King’s Indian Warfare is all me in discussion with Andrew, where we did not go with the Terminator theme, thank God! Finally, Andrew had the ideas for Chess Structures and also for the tick sign on this cover.
I think our covers are getting better. I appreciate that it is being noticed. I really love this one!
Great timing for me.
I am reading the 3rd fundamental(orange) book now so this will just fall in right after that and before I start the blue series.
@Kassy
I would probably recommend that you finish one of the blues first. But obviously no form of work will harm you; I just think the revision is better done some time after the initial lessons.
@Jacob Aagaard
Thank you for the advice. I know it’s been said, but I, and others, really appreciate that you actively participate in the blog and the comments and offer help/suggestions.
Can’t wait to grab this one in hardcover. The design, as stated already, looks excellent!
@TonyRo
Wait till you see the other covers on the way! I think some of them are really good. It has been a long time since I have felt the surplus in energy to actively engage with this process…
@Kassy
You are welcome. I really appreciate that people ask, comment, criticise and heckle here. It is nice to know that there is an audience of human beings that care and not just one of depressing sales statistics.
When will be out an excerpt on 1.e4 books?
Wow, the release of more books in this series is fantastic. There is a quality of material inherent in these books that is unequaled elsewhere, and I am extremely pleased that you and the author decided to augment the books. For example in, _Boost Your Chess 1_, chapter 7 on the Pawn Wedge there are examples many different types of advantages that can be had by leveraging a pawn wedge. The examples and the test positions show a wide range of possibilities allowing the student to become familiar with various positions, and an additional six examples per chapter is very welcome as the student will become even more expert at the topics. I just have never seen so many thoughtful and excellent examples before in a single book. The examples are all cherry picked and excellent.
What I love most about the books is that what ever chapter I study I can immediately apply in my games and win in precisely that way.
I agree about the covers too. I got my _Build Up 2_ last week and was amazed at the beauty. Tomorrow, I shall order _Boost 2_
Finally, When is expected publishing date for this new book?!
@Bobby
Hopefully three weeks.
@Thomas Peterson
Around early May.
@Jacob Aagaard
Thank you.
Justification for my praise: I had the Foundations books for over a year and spent very limited time and just concentrated on solving tactics exercises intensely for a couple of years. I became a loose cannon. I was overpowering opponents or losing slowly. Then, I turned to Yusupov’s books and realized most everything I needed to know was in those books, and then I really started to learn how to play real chess, and I improved immediately. Those books are my Bible. Thank you GM Yusupov!!!!! (and Quality Chess). I recommend starting with the Foundations series, but also having Beyond the Basics series (and Master’s if you can afford them all right away) to use as a reference and grow into them.
Any timeline for 1.d4 1b?
@Paul
Yes, May probably.
I just came across this series and they look really interesting! My Elo is about 1850, and since I do not have the money to just buy the whole series, I am considering buying the first book from Level 2. What would an 1850 Elo player be missing if he started with level 2?
@Stijn
I’d guess that for you the orange books are
20% stuff you already know really well (generally these are the chapters on specific tactical themes)
50% stuff that you already know but review would be very helpful
30% stuff that you’re pretty bad at and didn’t know it (generally these are the positional/strategic chapters)
I would recommend starting at the beginning unless you’re over 2000. (Even then, I think starting at the beginning would be useful, it’s just harder for me to insist on it.)
@Stijn
I know 2250 players that started with the orange books. I am sure you will find them challenging enough.
I started with the Orange books. Found them plenty challenging at 2200. Now I am on the Blue books and banging my head on the wall. Some of these problems could be straight from Positional Play or Strategic Play.
@Richard Martin
I gave a 12 exercises to Marina and Sabino Brunello and Surya Ganguly from the green books (one chapter). Marina scored 60% at 2200 at the time, Sabino maybe 85% at 2550 and Surya 95% at 2650. So still challenging at that level!
I got a hold on the final chapter of the final book and me and a friend, both around 2200, made it with 2h to make the whole thing (it was 24 problems, so time was really a factor there).
We both failed the test, but barely.
On the other hand, I have worked on the first two books and while some problems were easy, there were definitively very difficult positions.
As I think any amount of time you spend thinking on chess you improve (and you improve more as you spend more time at it), the orange books will be really fine for your level, but for mine were good too. you’ll have to use more time than me, but you’ll be experimenting until you find the sweet spot that works for you for exercises / time.
With the special offer : Yusupov Complete Series in Hardcover for €209.93 and if you count 3h per chapter, it’s a bargain : 209.93/(9*25*3) = €0.31 /h (without taking account the revisions you will do ) 😉
Thanks for all the reactions: I will have a look at vol.1.
I must say that I find it remarkable that a book that was originally pitched to get you to 1500 would be challenging for 2000+ players. Those ratings are worlds apart! Thanks for the advice, I will go and have a look.
It would be great, but it seems to me the preparation of an April Fool’s Day: the publishing date might be 1st April. In fact if you look carefully the sample cover, you will see a “1” number (the check symbol could be also the “1” number).
What would be the prize to have solved the quiz? :-))
I know… in this way I will be a killjoy, sorry for this…
@Stijn
That is why we make no real reference to ratings. We immediately saw it was miles wrong.
@saintex
Generally, people do not play an April Fool’s Day joke on March 14th.
Also, why would this be funny?
I think if Artur needs motivation to keep going he should pop into his local library. I’ve seen his series (well some of it) in various librabries around the world and the books are always the most thumbed in the chess section. Don’t get me wrong, the binding is holding up well, but the amount of creases, grubby thumbprints, notes and ticks shows how much people check them out!
Also note, I own my own copies!!
@Andre’
Libraries here in Germany tend to have different preferences…..
@Thomas, yea I know they are starting to change these days, but when they sell off their ‘old’ books you can find insane bargains. A few months ago I brought all three of Alekhin’s games for $10nzd (about $6usd).
Anyway back on point, I’ve seen quality chess books in the libraries of Wellington, Sydney, Vancouver, to name a few.
I slowly bought all 9 books. It was quite a lot of money but worth it. After going through them, it was clear I just did not know what Yusupov considered basic knowledge.
Looking forward to the 10th book (and presumably no.11 and no.12 eventually)
Back to Kotronias Indian Defense ( KID4) : 13th April still Ok ? ( which means FW today ? )
@Pinpon
Yes, all OK on the physical books of KOTKI 4 “Classical Systems” for the 13th, and I know the iOS version on Forward Chess was approved by Apple a few days ago, so all good for that to be available today. I presume the Android version is also on track for today, but the Apple version is the one I know about for sure.
Thanks !
Is Kotronias’ new King’s Indian book now out earlier than expected? It is moved now out of the Coming Soon section.
Glad to see that Yusupov’s additional book isn’t a joke
@Jeg taper partiet men vinner krigen
No, it is coming out tomorrow as anticipated for a while.
@saintex
Once you are a few hundred exercises in, you will know it is not a joke.
Colin said he would finish the editing today; then it needs a final proof and check (I would hate it if the wrong side was to move in a position!!). Finally, it will be paired up with another book, Negi on the Sicilian III, Avrukh 1B or Playing 1.e4 vol 1, whichever is finished first.
When Will be out excerpts about ‘Playing 1.e4’ series?
@Andrew
That’s what we’d all love to know!
But I guess they are all working as hard as they can on it ?
@Jacob Aagaard
What are the lines recommended by John against French and Sicilian?(I cannot wait for the excerpts -)) )
I am a rusty 2100 player. I have not done the Yusupov series yet. I plan to work through this book to test the level. Anyone up here for a challenge? Might be interesting if players of different levels write about their experience …
Do you want me to create a tread about the Yusupov series?
I recently posted an article on my blog about the Yusupov series, even though I have only studied the first two seriously.
In short, at 2100 you may want to skip some of the first books, but if you have already the books or don’t matter much about overspending in books, then there are hard problems even in the first book, for me it was never an easy walk (I am now at 2200).
On the other hand, I failed the last test of the last book, and so did a friend of mine of similar rating, so here you have it.
Note: the 24 exercises were done in 2h, and we barely failed.
I was wondering if the next books to be published and publication dates of the same had been firmed up? Thank you.
Yes, I think many reader would appreciate discussing these books.
Hi Jacob!
Have Yusupov said anything abhout if and when he will publish test-books for beyond basic and mastery? Do you think theses books will be published in the next to years or is this an optimistic thought?
W.
@WOLK
No promises is the message from Munich (and the surrounding villages).
I’m hoping for, not only Revison and Exam for blue and green, but also for another level with 4 new books (this could be called Grand Mastery perhaps?) and then a final 17th excercise-book 🙂
@jackson
What is wrong with the Grandmaster Preparation series?
Today I discovered the excerpt of this book is up. I do not know if I missed the announcement or if it was never made…
By the way, any new dates for the publishing schedule? Yesterday I dreamed that Shaw’s book was already published!
@Gollum
It was a dream. The proof reading is getting to the end; after that: printing!
@Jacob Aagaard
Looking forward to buy them after I’ve finished Yusupov’s masterpieces!
Do you think that 2017 will include blue and green Revisions and Exams?