Congratulations to Axel Smith of Sweden on gaining the Grandmaster title. FIDE confirmed on Monday that the title would be awarded. Axel has been highly successful in helping other players to improve, and it’s good to see his methods also worked on himself.
The Quality Chess connection to Axel is of course that he wrote the award-winning Pump Up Your Rating. We have always enjoyed working with Axel, and readers certainly appreciated his efforts, so it would be a wise guess that Axel will write more books for Quality Chess.
Congratulations Axel!
Great!
Great book – great guy.
Congratulations to Axel and a great book!
Random thought for the day: on that FIDE list of new GMs there are 4 from Scandinavia. Good going for a region with a population of just 25 million.
Congrats to Axel! Loved Pump Up Your Rating and I hope to see more of his books in the future.
Congratulations Axel!
New book “Pump Up Your Rating 2: 2400 – 2500” ? π
Surely having a Scandinavian in the absolute world elite since 2007 and at #1 (more or less) since 2010 must be part of the reason. People are easily motivated by national/local heroes in any sport.
John, I really like you and your Blog entries, but can you please stop it and just finish the books, at least the First one? π
Well done Axel! The second part of the trilogy must be written. There is NO other way! π :). The first part was really a good shot! I am looking forward to the second one! And probably not just me!
Congratulation! I liked the Book a lot and helped me to improve my rating over 2300 at 40y.
Getting there – honest!
Congratulations!!!
Congrats to Axel – love his first book, look forward to his second! π
Cool!
In my opinion “Pump up your Rating” is simply the best “One Volume – Chess Improving book” ever published. I bought Volume 1 not only for me, but for my chess-friends, too.
I cantΒ΄t wait to see Volume 2!
Congratulations for your “chess improving masterpiece” and for your GM-Title!
@John Shaw
I don’t doubt that for a second. I guess the only question is: when?
Hey Ray (and others who insist on badgering John) – you do realize that your nagging does nothing to speed his writing? I’m sure he knows that you’re waiting each day at the bookstore, hoping his book comes in, and I’m sure that’s a real driving force for him to finish, but it’s gonna get here when it gets here and maybe you should just relax until it’s done.
Enough already. Jeez.
@John Hartmann
Thanks for correcting me – I really needed that.
You and a lot of other people on this blog.
@John Hartmann
Well, I hope I’m speaking for all of them.
People telling dogs to stop barking is often more annoying than hearing barking dogs.
@Ray
Not for me. Still waiting at my local bookstore. It’s cold and lonely here…
@Thomas
π